1000 word text reflecting my experience throughout the planning of a group exhibition

1. Leah Allard Unit BA1b: Project 3, Essay
Exploration, Investigation and Exhibition
My Reflective Essay
Proposed by project 3, Exploration, investigation and exhibition:
…present your work with your peers in an appropriate public context.
After approval and completion for the exhibition at the Two Fat Ladies
gallery, I can now review the exhibition. I want to discuss the issues I
faced during the planning period which are skills that I’ve gained, and
improvements to be made. To begin this essay, I’d like to illustrate what
the project is about…
‘Pigment’ features different photographic concepts of both fashion and
abstract photography, with a linking theme of colour.
The title was agreed by all peers. Our original working title was Fashion:
Uncut, but due to a peer disagreeing with the relation the title had with
her own work we made further contributions to ensure everyone within the
team was satisfied.
With a team of five, individually we all had very diverse ideas for the
project. I myself, was focusing on the objectification of women displayed
in a fashion context. I’m including younger models to exploit that the
younger generation, (from around 10 years of age) are becoming aware of
the world around us. Another peer is interested in the traditional African
fashion of beautiful, bright coloured clothing which is native to their
homeland.
An exhibition was decided by two peers, myself and another, who felt a
magazine wouldn’t work because a fashion magazine would have to be
illustrated differently to the abstract work being created by other peers.
I also mentioned how we could target a larger audience, especially those
who may not have access via the internet. Not only were those two points
enough to convince the other peers, but in fact it was the experience we
all would have encountered from it afterwards.
When searching for a place to exhibit, almost all of the team were
contacting business’. A lot of places turned us down due to having spaces
already taken, fortunately a peer found a gallery just outside Norwich
city centre, the Two Fat Ladies gallery. At first, I was looking for
somewhere bigger, and perhaps closer to city centre to exhibit. I had never
heard of the gallery and neither had the majority of the team, but with
very little time it was our only choice. After giving it a lot of thought
and peers choosing their size of work, it became a little simpler than I
imagined, knowing we could fit all of our work comfortably within the small
gallery.
Next we needed to decide on individual roles in order to advertise the
exhibition. I stepped up and offered to do the website, seeing as I’d had
practise before for my own use. I personally believe I can be very creative
when I set my mind to it, and wanted to show my creative side not only
through my images but also through other aspects of the exhibition. I had
a few problems whilst setting up the website, starting with other peers
not sending me their work when requested more than once. I wanted to get
the website completed as soon as possible, to ensure that my time was spent
equally on the exhibition planning and also my own work for the exhibition.
I also encountered another problem closer towards the opening date where
the navigation bar had been deleted and I was unsure how to trace it back.
This then set me back slightly as I had set upon the completion of other
work. From taking on this role for the team, I’ve learnt that communication

2. Leah Allard Unit BA1b: Project 3, Essay
is very important when organising. I’d mentioned to the other peers that
I wanted to get the website done by a certain date to ensure it was all
ready for approval. I understood that people were busy as was myself, but
I felt it was unfair when those who hadn’t taken a role couldn’t co-operate
with those who had. However, I also did not co-operate when as a group we
had decided on a deadline for our exhibition photos. Therefore I did not
complain to the peers as I too had made the same mistake.
To conclude with, the experience was worth the stress; challenging but was
certainly a learning curve.
Even though I have yet to wait on the publics appearance at the exhibition,
but the planning before hand is whats most important. Even though we faced
issues along the way, we carried on without hesitation as a group and dealt
with the consequences.
I enjoyed working alongside my peers, getting to know them personally and
professionally. There was certain periods when I felt a little tension,
but there will be disagreements because we are entitled to our own opinions.
The group as a whole was polite about disagreements and made sure that
each peer was satisfied with any final agreements we made at the end.
Observing myself as another peer, I’ve concluded areas to improve on and
areas of achievement. First of all I accredit myself for participating
with the group by offering to complete the website. I stepped forward
because I knew I hadn’t offered much to the group yet, and felt the website
is an important element of an exhibition in terms of advertising.
As of areas to improve, I feel there was more I could have offered to the
group. A prime example would be my time management. As a group, it was
decided that our photos for the exhibition were to be completed by a
certain date and I failed to meet that date. I gave the group the
opportunity to collate the flyer/ poster without my work because it was
unfair on them to push the schedule back. Kindly enough they waited for
myself and another peer to complete our images so that everyones work was
being seen on the advertisement.
Another area to improve on would be my priorities. I offered to help search
for somewhere to exhibit and contacted almost everywhere I could think.
Instead of consistently contacting business’ who had not got in touch quick
enough, I decided to leave it. It was only until a peer had questioned
whether or not I had tried anymore it made me realise how slack I was being
about it. This was a very valuable lesson learnt and I aspire to try harder
next time.