WELCOME POST

                                WELCOME POST FOR TERM THREE

Term three has officially gone full swing and I plan to put in my best by hook or crook. All too soon my time at DMUIC is coming to an end.  Last term I was able to improve my time management and multi-tasking skills because I wanted to take the module head-on to prevent regrets. I was also able to improve on my hand sketches concerning my project. My project was an Art Gallery situated in Paris hence I needed a lot of precision and accuracy. I did not really understand what drawing to scale was but through my constant sketches and comprehension of dimensions I was able to grasp that aspect. I also improved my SketchUp skills because I began the process earlier compared to the previous term when I began late and had no idea what I was doing. For my 3D final outcome, I visited the 3D printing workshop to cut out pieces of clear acrylic for the windows of my structure which can be seen in my previous blogs. I wanted to go easy last term so I did not use wood or metal. Rather, I resorted to the use of a mount board which I got from Amazon.. To bring the mount board and clear acrylic together, I used adhesive glue which I bought from the store right across the art factory. I underestimated the binding power of this glue because I thought it was weak but it was very strong and binded materials after a couple of minutes. I also got access to Amazon to give colour to the building. This was followed by the grass and plants I got off Amazon as well. I made a tremendous improvement in my Photoshop skills as I was able to create more design boards with authentic ideas derived from my research and blogs. Overall last term was good for me and I was happy with my results at the end of the assessment. Even though I'm happy with the grade, I know that is not my full capability. Therefore it leads me to come to the section of this blog where I lay out the things I will want to improve on and the skills and knowledge I will want to build on as the term advances. 

First of all, even though my time management was better it was still not the best. I fell sick a couple of times and also had drawbacks relating to my idea generation. Therefore, for this term, I will see to it that I try my best to avoid falling sick by taking vitamins regularly as well as seeking medical assistance in the case of any occurrence. Secondly, concerning idea generation, I will spend more time self-study to reach maximum efficiency and produce high-quality results within a short period. 

Secondly, I want to visit the Vijay Patel workshops more as I did not spend a lot of time there last term. I want to challenge myself by visiting the woodwork, plastic and 3d printing workshops more often. This is because it will be beneficial for me as I will be doing a lot of model-making throughout my education journey to become an Architect. I also look forward to improving my sketchup and hand sketching skills because I know I can do better than what I produced last term. 

                           WHAT I SPENT MY TIME DOING DURING THE VACATION

During the short break, I went to South London and stayed there for a short period with my aunt. She was quite sick because she contracted a cold for me so she could not take me sightseeing for most of the time. However, she got better getting to the end of my stay at her place and she was able to take me around. I was able to see many things which caught my eye. None of them were relevant to my project but this welcome blog would be quite boring without any pictures. The pictures below are of the Tower Bridge as well as the South London Art Gallery. I also took the double-decker bus for the first time. I am used to taking Uber around but learning how to navigate my way through the use of public transport will be beneficial to me and also cut down costs.

                                                                TOWER BRIDGE

The Tower Bridge is one of the most well-known landmarks in London. It was opened in the year 1894 on the 30th of June by the Prince and Princess of Wales for public use and to date it is still a marvellous site for residents of London and especially tourists from all over the world( BBC 2021). Most tourists mistake Tower Bridge to be London Bridge. On the other hand, the London Bridge is about 5-10 minutes away from the Tower Bridge and is quite brutalist and boring compared to the Tower Bridge. The London Bridge was opened to public use in the year 1973 and is still used to date.

The Tower Bridge was extremely crowded because people from all walks of life visited it daily. Not forgetting the Londoners who just use it as a transport route because the view of Tower Bridge is not a new site to them. 

                                                     SOUTH LONDON ART GALLERY

The South London Gallery was opened free of charge to the public in the year 1891 by William Rossiter. The gallery houses many contemporary artworks according to a specific theme for a duration of time. At the time I visited in March, the current theme was Feminism and women's empowerment. Out of all the Art Works there one stood out to me the most 

Zanele Muholi is a visual activist who creates art with themes which include gender-based violence trauma, pain, loss and women empowerment( Wharton 2024).

This piece is named Acts of Resistant and was made to signify the confidence a black woman possesses amid adversary. This piece conveys courage and pride as the art is facing the viewer with a strong and stern facial expression. As black women in society, there will be many battles to be faced but with determination, courage and striving to move forward, nothing will be impossible to achieve. 

REFERENCES

Anonymous (2021) London’s Tower Bridge reopens after technical failure, BBC News. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-58149716 (Accessed: 07 April 2024).

Warton, A. (2024) This exhibition celebrates a decade of feminist photography, Dazed. Available at: https://www.dazeddigital.com/art-photography/article/62088/1/nan-goldin-guerrilla-girls-artists-exhibition-feminism-protest-zanele-muholi (Accessed: 07 April 2024). 

Anonymous (2024) South London Gallery. Available at: https://www.southlondongallery.org/ (Accessed: 10 April 2024).