Formative assessment feedback and start of Project 6 - Reading and Responding

Having had my formative assessment yesterday, I am keen to understand what areas I am too weak in.  Whilst my general markings were ok, all above 60+, I am still a bit disappointed with myself, my mark and I think I can do better.  I know that my biggest failings at the moment are as a result of being "too literal" in my work.  This is highly likely too, as from my point of view, I have been a communicator all my adult life, and I have always expressed myself as articulately and as clearly as I can.  However, in the cutting edge of contemporary art, the communication comes from within the viewer, not solely from the artist.  From what I understand from Jill, Christian, Ian and Bob, they all seem to concur that the real secret to successful contemporary art work is to put down the pointers, or framework, or starting point; and then allow the viewer (or audience) to join the dots up for themselves.

My new project for the last 6 weeks of this semester, - to run along side the drawing transformations project, is the final task for this academic year.  It is to read and respond (artistically, in any medium) to some chosen text.   Christian was kind enough to give us a head start on this project following yesterdays weekly briefing, although officially the De-constructing the GM project finishes on Friday of this week.  (However, it was also mentioned that this could continue right up to the summative assessment stage if desired).

The first critical task therefore, of this new project is for me to choose a piece of text. I was warned that this can sometimes slow students and practitioners down considerably if they spend too long in trying to find "the right" text.  However, I have been reassured that it can be any text, or any word, or picture (as a whole picture, or even just a tiny part of it, without any written word is of course a text, simply because it is something that can convey a meaning.  Hence pretty much anything can be a text).

I haven't taken long to decide on this, as there are many poems and sayings that I feel really strongly about anyway.  Lots of the phrases and sayings of my Mother or Father could be good candidates, - but I don't want to pick any single one out above the rest, as they are all precious to me, and each circumstance through the discourse of life that brings an old phrase to mind, often brings back a memory of my Mum or Dad, and hence a small moment to cherish during the journey.

So, I have come up with two really strong poems to decide between.  These two poems I found about four years ago, and I now have them printed and framed up on my office (now studio) wall.  Having resided there for me to read each time I'm feeling a little bit down or low over the past few years has really been a good tonic!...  I probably read them at least monthly if not more often.

The two poems I am referring to are Rudyard Kipling's "IF"  (Which is perfect for a sales or management / consultant's role, which is what I was doing at the time I found / re-discovered it for myself); and the second is "Invictus" by William Ernest Henley (1849–1903). It's a short Victorian poem, written around 1875 and published in 1888; a little earlier in time than Kipling was writing "If", written in 1895 bu not published until 1910.
-  I suspect both these poems were very much about keeping the classic Victorian values of courage in the face of adversity, most likely to help raise moral in difficult British wars overseas, and hence very fashionable at the time.  However, their depth and visual, imagistic text still resonates to this day, especially with me!

(UPDATE)
For completeness, the two poems are included below, as follows;

"If", By Rudyard Kipling, 1895.

If you can keep your head when all about you
  Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
  But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
  Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
  And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
  If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
  And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
  Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
  And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
  And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
  And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
  To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
  Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
  Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
  If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
  With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
  And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

Invictus, By William Ernest Henley, 1875

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

The second poem is especially poignant at this current time, as I understand it was one of the very few possessions that Nelson Mandella had, during his incarceration on Robyn Island of over 27 years.  I was very moved a few months ago when the great man passed away (November 2013).  He was a true hero and inspiration to anyone, of whatever political view too; as first and foremost, he displayed a huge sense of humanity, and humility at the same time.

In some tribute to him therefore, I have decided to use "Invictus" as my chosen text to respond to over the next few weeks.