when it all was new and fresh.

Design – Spatial Studies 1-4. Year one.

Year one, what a joy, what a chock! I remember the first weeks as a total stressed and panicked time in the studio. We had hardly any tutoring time and none of us knew what we were supposed to do or how to do it. But we worked together and helped each other out when we were stuck, for me I remember having no idea what a sketchbook was or how to express myself in an artistic way. Since I had no background in art whatsoever, I had been working with politics and hadn’t had an art class since I was 14 I felt loss and I was questioning why I had been accepted to the programme at all. Here I was in the studio with 20 really talented artsy people and all I could do was discuss politics. In no way did I feel that my work at the Swedish parliament could benefit me here. But I did try and I was one of the few who went to every single class of first year studies, trying to learn and eager to make sure I could justify my spot at ECA.

The Meadows project was great fun, creating a space for all those dreamers of Edinburgh and working with plants for all the senses. The crit went very well and I remember Ross giving me an A right there and then saying it was one of the best projects of the lot. Well, that didn’t span out, I got a B in the end and learnt to never really trust the tutors until you have the feedback sheet in your hand! Never get too confident too soon, it will only come back to bite you.

Cammo Park was also fun and I do feel that maybe my project was a bit misunderstood because I couldn’t express fully what I meant and how I wanted it to be. But yes, I understand the feedback; it was just one apple after the other. Although for me this came like a bit of a chock since I had absolutely nothing said to me about this before the crit, and the guidance I so, so needed at that point wasn’t given to me until after the project was done. That made me disheartened and I felt alone and lost. Maybe it was this first term that made me doubt my ability to be bold and courageous in my projects. I don’t know. But I do remember being much more daring and creative in these first two projects that just never came back.

Feedback from Ross Mclean:
Meadows project: has good exploration of the designed space, especially as a more gardenesque sub-space within the openness of the broader landscape. This project is well detailed, with a good exploration of planting material and how this creates the structure. Its location within the meadows seems a bit arbitrary, in regard of how your space would interact within the broader landscape. But overall this is a strong project, well thought through and clearly presented. You also avoid the problem of using symmetry – i.e. design has to form a space rather than a pattern on paper – try to relate your design to the dynamic of how humans will experience it.

Cammo park: the choice of sculpture could have been developed further to include more variety from other artist who work with scale. In effect its one big apple after another! It’s also not so clear how people should interact with them – are they for vision only or can people climb/sit on them?
The placement of the sculptures around the park is good, with coverage throughout. The final design creates some issues; you have designed an enclosed space but potentially the walled garden would have provided as good a setting, with the same interaction between inside/outside. Beyond this issue the spaces are interesting and follow your idea to create a fantasy/stage set type landscape. You should maybe also think of how people move through these spaces.

Overall; some very good exploration and detailed designing, that has the potential to develop into some strong landscape proposal.

Grades:

B.