DOWNLOADABLE PDF VERSION
Demonstrate subject-based knowledge and understanding
I found sculpture more challenging to critique than paintings, particularly as it was difficult to find a genuine Greek sculpture (as opposed to a later Roman copy). Is it appropriate to rely on writings and copies to determine what Greek sculpture was like, how much better it was than the Roman pieces? As it wasn’t possible to view the sculptures first hand it was also more challenging to appreciate the detail, scale and nuances of style.
Notwithstanding these reservations I found two interesting pieces (a genuine Greek one and a Roman one). In addition to annotating the sculptures I was able to make comparisons between the two works which I hadn’t been able to do for the previous assignment.
Demonstration of research skills
After an initial false start with the Gothic church research I found an excellent local subject in Gorton Monastery. I was able to find a wide range of sources, both academic and news-based, that dealt with the Monastery and its fascinating history. It was also interesting to find information from the company that did the major conservation work on the building in 2007.
Demonstration of critical and evaluation skills
Summarising the 3 chapters proved surprisingly difficult. Retaining the essential information when condensing 50+ pages down to just 1-2 sides of A4 required a two-stage process: The first tranche identified the key features using a systematic page-by-page approach. For the final summary I re-visited the ‘first cut’ and put this into the template format. At this stage I also needed to re-visit the text to pull out details that proved to be more important that I initially envisaged!
Communication
I feel that I have taken on board the tutor’s comments and recommendations. My learning log is now up and running and I am populating the site with my paper research as well as relevant articles and imagery from other research.