Endings and beginnings

It has been quite a week for me. I’ve had two stints invigilating at the New Art Gallery Walsall, which I secretly (or not so secretly) quite enjoy, including a very busy stint as the gallery was visited by 150 eager school children; I’ve ‘acted’ in a film about art in the West Midlands (acted meaning standing about and walking from one place to another a few times, again at the gallery in Walsall – trailer due on 20 November – it will be bigger than the next Star Wars film); and I’ve had my provisional final result for the MA.

The MA by Research differs from the MA in Fine Art in that there is only one result – one number, one percentage. The MA in Fine Art is composed of a number of modules and the final result is based on results obtained during those modules and over the single year or two years of study. For me, and for the other students doing the research MA, we had to wait two years (if part-time) or one year (if full-time) to find out whether we have been doing an ok-ish job or not. It’s been a long wait.

Without giving too much away, I am extremely happy with the result, especially given how tumultuous the past two years have been on a personal level for me (the most, ever, perhaps, since childhood). They have been a challenging but also wonderful couple of years. I have had to grow up rather a lot. There was a point between last summer and New Year when I wasn’t sure if the art was going anywhere and I was working extremely hard to earn money and not spending any time at all on the art. Then I found a better balance, and I found direction. But then, earlier this year, I met a technical brick wall, when I realised that I wouldn’t be able to display in the final show in virtual reality. So the outcome had to change, but I’m still happy with the path it has taken, with a few niggles about the quality of my final piece (but perhaps that is my inner critic being quite harsh). Of course, the result is provisional as I said, so I will have to wait to see if the external examiner agrees with the assessment. I hope so. At that point, if he does, I will do a happy dance around the house, drink champagne, eat cheese and tell the world the good news.

My very first graduation, back in 1994. I’ve done it twice since then, soon to be number four.

So watch this space, just a few days left now. Then I can begin the new beginnings and consider this chapter at an end.

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2 Responses to Endings and beginnings

  1. revcharmaine says:

    Brilliant! More than a Happy dance I think – a full on night’s clubbing?

  2. beckybendylegs says:

    Yes! I find out the final result tomorrow (I think) so a few glasses of wine by the canal maybe?

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