One positive from this was that at least it was fairly easy, through process of elimination, to choose which topic covered in the module I wanted to base my assignment on.
The idea of observation, of watching, of ‘looking at looking’ in photography has been interest since my ‘The Art of Photography’ (my first OCA module) days when I became aware of the works of artist such as Donovan Wylie and James Turrell. Hence I found the course section on Panopticism the most interesting one for me in this module and I chose two of Wylie’s images to discuss in my assignment, which also addressed in broad terms the arguments for and against the use of surveillance cameras in society.
Demonstration of subject based on knowledge and understanding
(Broad and comparative understanding of subject content, knowledge of the appropriate historical, intellectual, cultural or institutional contexts)
Whilst I hadn’t heard of Bentham’s Panopticon before, I found Foucault’s use of the architectural concept to discuss the topic of surveillance an interesting one to research given my love of architecture as a photographic subject and also my interest in ‘looking at looking’. I also found Foucault’s essay on panopticism one of the easier ones to read on the course so far!
I am aware that I can get carried away with my research process so, given the time constraints I have to finish this Level One course, I made a conscious effort to force myself to stop researching at a given point.
Due to ongoing personal circumstances I haven’t been able to visit any exhibitions recently so I centred my research for this assignment on articles online and on books. However I accept that a wider approach to research is more beneficial and will need to be undertaken in my Level Two studies should I decide to continue with the degree course. I first saw the two images that I chose to discuss in an exhibition by Donovan Wylie (Donovan Wylie: Vision as Power, 2013-14)
Demonstration of research skills
(Information retrieval and organisation, use of IT to assist research, ability to evaluate IT sources, the ability to design and carry out a research project, locate and evaluate evidence from a wide range of primary and secondary sources)
I enjoyed researching for this assignment and I am pretty confident in my ability to locate and evaluate evidence, however as mentioned above I think I have finally realised when I need to draw a line and not over-research. I looked at a number of different areas within this assignment and am pleased that I kept my information collation process in good order.
Demonstration of critical and evaluation skills
(Engagement with concepts, values and debates, evidence of analysis, reflection, critical thinking, synthesis, interpretation in relation to relevant issues and enquiries)
As I’ve commented previously in this blog, I feel that this is an area that could certainly do with improvement so I’ve tried to work on this area of my studies. Once again though, I’m not sure however that I’ve achieved this particularly well in this assignment.
Communication
(The ability to communicate ideas and knowledge in written and spoken form, including presentation skills)
I was a little nervous about writing a formal academic essay (which is required for this assignment) as it is a long time since I’ve had to write in this way. However my tutor gave me some useful pointers for which I am grateful. Hopefully she will address any shortcomings in my writing style in her feedback which I can then incorporate into my assessment submission.
Bibilography
Donovan Wylie: Vision as Power (2013-14) [Exhibition] Imperial War Museum, London. 24 October 2013 – 21 April 2014
Understanding Visual Culture 