Caitlin Steele (P)

Caitlin Steele

Paper-based Portfolio

We had the chance to look at another students Portfolio today.  Caitlin Steele who had also attended Borders College a few years back, having left school not knowing which route she wanted to head into. She had started out doing a BTEC in Art & Design course and then then did a Visual Communications course. From there she attending Heriot-Watt doing Fashion Communications. She told me when asked that without doing these first courses she wouldn't have gained vital knowledge she is using and practicing now.

Her portfolio seemed very small to what I was expecting. She had maybe ten photos with small descriptions on the back of them. Because it is a fashion based course she has to keep her work up to date and can't use work older that 2 years old.  She told us that she would stay up some nights ready for the newest edition of magazines that where of interest to her.  While her work didn't seem much I know from my own planning and mind mapping that the road from idea to finish entails a lot of work. I do like how neat her portfolio was and the honestly and truth she spoke about from starting out to now.

I found in encouraging that she didn't know where her career was going or the path she was heading for.  I also feel like this and could relate somewhat.

As a group of ten the Heroit-Watt girls did a charity event for Halloween, she told us how they started with a budget of £0 and raise over £2000 for fireworks and tents and catering. Asking local businesses for supports etc. She said that it was a lot of work and working in a bigger group was hard because you couldn't just run with your own ideas.  The team won an award for best event 2016.

Caitlin was honest and told us that event organising wasn't for her and she had found it all rather stressful.

online effect

online effect

online effect

Another topic she did was on internet safety and social media. It was to raise awareness of the fact people aren't always who they said they are online. She did this by adding a modern contemporary twist. Inspired by Allen Ramsey and the bold nature of a Portait of King George III and also by the minimalist Sir David Wilkies works, Catilin tried and tested lighting, realities, vulnerabilities, defenses and communication.(or lack of it) She also thought about space and enhancing effects while emphasizing other parts of an image.......However, do you the viewer see any of this looking at the pictures of the above? I know I wouldn't have guessed it was an online safety connection.....

Jeff kooks photo inspired 

A later topic was a photo inspired by the artist Jeff Koons. From this she had placed plastic on a models face......it was to represent vanity and plastic surgery of today........I like how I had also used Koons as an example for my painted seating plan Sculptor of Bananas and she had a totally different view on a take for a photography brief...... I find this is an interesting reality that most artists see so many different things in the one subject.  In my class topic we have all done and had
different results and outcomes.......I like the idea of viewing more students work and hearing from them as a way of learning. But I also take away from it that a good strong image doesn't need to be explained to make it a good picture. Even upon reading stuff, people with take from it what they want...

my own inspired banana by Koons 

my own inspired banana by Koons