My final year challenge by student photographer, Veronica Worrall

Study Event (virtual)  27th March 2021

Unseen Connections – A Year of Adaptions 

Rational, Preparation and Outcomes 

My final year challenge by student photographer, Veronica Worrall

 “The art of life is a constant readjustment to our surroundings.” ~Kakuzo Okakaura

The modern humans’ ability to modify to novel environments relies not only on genetic mutations but also ‘cultural adaption’. (Fogarty 2020)   Cultural Adaption relies on our adaptive behavioural reservoirs, which are understood to be foresight and innovation but currently there are few studies of such reservoirs (ibid). The imperative for the evolutionary human adaption to an ecologically sustainable culture was the essence of my Body of Work, Project Unseen. 

In 2020 I was confronted with a personal parallel – an adaption imperative for my own creative studies – as I  sought to rescue and rapidly evolve my art practice with foresight and innovation. …and I would add reflection and willingness to rethink. I needed to dig deep.  For my final Level 3 photography course I was required to adapt to C-19 pandemic social restrictions, to virtual art presentations and to an evolving environmental discourse and practice. I had to review how best to present my artwork to the public, engage with my audience and be responsive to increased environmental dialogue. 

I invite you to share this journey at an OCA Study Event on 27 March 2021.  I shall show how I  endeavoured to keep pace with change. It was March 2020, after the first lockdown notification, that I made my first major revisals to my original detailed plan for my SYP Proposals – an ambitious comprehensive inter related schedule of live activity with potential community legacies ranging from a new local ecoart group and collaborative exhibition. There were 16 further significant revisals yet to come! 

My main ‘Sustaining Your Practice’ (SYP) presentation had been to speak at an international  photography conference on Nov 2020. I prepared a talk, tactically endeavouring to bridge its appeal across from the more traditional photography practitioner to those already considering environmental issues. In the summer, upon learning  this presentation was to be postponed, I decided upon another developmental challenge – a live exhibition in Feb 2021 hoping lockdowns would be over.  Yet again I prepared a specific curation of my experimental work – this time for local discussions with artist and environmentalists … only to learn this too needed to be postponed. Although I was building significant editing skill, marketing knowledge and professional confidence I had not achieved the live audience engagement expected. Nonetheless, during the year, being advised at a Portfolio Review to build a website and consider Open Calls, I had unexpected online successes.

My art work – both my original BOW project and subsequent follow-up work – is now showing on   numerous online galleries, websites and social media.  In addition I have had four photo-essays published online, April, May, November and December 2020, on different websites attracting interest across country borders and building a network of like-minded professional artists and environmentalists.  For these submissions I synthesised relevant images and research from my BoW and Contextual Studies respectively. Links to my essays can be found on my website, https://vmwphotography.com/about/. 

On  27th March at East of England OCA Study Event I plan to share slides and videos of my prepared work and some of my online successes. This will be open to all students and I hope will be of interest. I look forward to you joining us. 

Reference

Fogarty, L. Kandler A (2020)  ‘The fundamentals of cultural adaption: implications for human adaption’ In: Nature Research Journals 13.08.20 [online] At: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-70475-3  (Accessed on 18 December 2020)

Photography Student shares SYP experience

Veronica M Worrall   www.vmwphotography.com

Saturday 13.00 hrs 27 March 2021

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