Studio Handbook

2008-03-11T23:57:00.000-07:00

University of Auckland
2008 MFA Studio

Lecturers for MFA Studio
p.mule (Programme Leader)
Office: Building 610, Room 301 (Mount St)
p.mule@auckland.ac.nz
Jim Speers
Office: Building 431, Level 4
j.speers@auckland.ac.nz
Allan Smith
Office: Building 610, Room 220 (Mount St)
allan.smith@auckland.ac.nz
Dr Ruth Watson
Office: Building 431, Level 4
ruth.watson@auckland.ac.nz

Introduction to MFA 2008
The Elam Master of Fine Arts Degree is offered over the equivalent of two semester's full-time study to selected candidates. Students undertake an independent research project in Studio practice, with integrated Critical Studies research. A key guiding component, therefore, is the student’s own research proposal, which is intended to inform and direct her or his study. The Programme is designed for candidates with a clear sense of direction and who want to pursue courses of study that will offer the opportunity to critically engage with the creative and theoretical concerns that arise from their research practice. They are flexible enough to accommodate independence of research and to foster a high level of critical engagement and dialogue, both with a specific research area and with broader areas of importance to contemporary art and design.

Course prescriptors

• MFA Studio Practice
This degree is a workshop for creative and intellectual practice that fosters specialization and inter-disciplinary cultural production. It is pitched towards advanced levels of research, innovation and experimentation in art and design. It is realized by the presentation of a substantial body of creative work (80%) and written and/or oral work in Critical Studies (20%). The Studio submission will demonstrate the understanding and realisation of a clearly articulated and self-directed research project presented as a stand-alone exhibition or performance. Critical Studies is assessed by Reading Group Log, Research Seminar and a Research Essay.

• MFA Thesis
This degree is a workshop for creative and intellectual practice that fosters specialization and inter-disciplinary cultural production. It is pitched towards advanced levels of research, innovation and experimentation in art and design and related practices. It is realized by the presentation of a thesis (90%) and written and/or oral work in Critical Studies (10%). The thesis is assessed on the submission of a written thesis of up to 30,000 words. Critical Studies is assessed by a reading group report and Studio seminar.

• MFA Research Portfolio
This degree is a workshop for creative and intellectual practice that fosters specialization and inter-disciplinary cultural production. It is pitched towards advanced levels of research, innovation and experimentation in art and design and related practices. It is realized by the presentation of the research in a mode or modes appropriate to the project, in a form agreed to with the Head of School.

Aims
• to provide an intellectual and creative environment in which talented fine art graduates may further develop their individual potential as professional artists;
• to enable students to continue independent research in their chosen studio area;
• to enable students to continue to develop a high degree of critical awareness of the broadening intellectual and cultural contexts of fine art;
• to provide: academic supervision and promote peer-group learning which are responsive, critical and challenging; and a forum for debate through which students become increasingly professional and articulate in their questioning;
• to provide practical and technical resources and guidance across a range of creative media;
• achieving excellence in the promotion and realisation of postgraduate research to a high level of attainment;
• extending, transforming and encouraging an expansiveness of research practice and extensive understanding of contemporary artistic or design practices and relevant discourses;

Your Research proposal
The Master's programme is research-centred and applicants are required to submit a proposal outlining the projected nature of that research. The MFA year prioritizes individual research (conducted under supervision), building on and consolidating the learning and experimentation of the PGDip/Hons year, leading to original results by graduate students capable of organising and implementing an independent programme at this level.

Your research proposal is a very important feature of initiating and shaping Postgraduate work, but is not intended as a final summation of research. Your research proposal should:

• establish the core conceptual and critical area in which you are working;
• outline the intended means of realising the project;
• note any particular hurdles that you are aware of;
• provide a brief list of likely texts, artworks, or other research material that you will include in your research.

Your Primary Supervisor’s Role
Your primary supervisor will help you set and achieve goals for your studio practice. Supervision is the core mode of teaching at the post-graduate level. Developing strong supervisory relationships and useful modes of delivery are vital for a student’s success. To facilitate this, the MFA teaching team meet with students in a number of different capacities. Each supervisor has a primary group of 6-8 students for which they work with in critiques, provide one-on-one supervision, written reporting and general pastoral care.

Studio Programme
The studio-based programme is supported by studio-led seminars/critiques arising from the creative and critical interests of relevance to the student’s research programmes. Critiques may be based around the work of an individual or group of students, a visiting artist or a current exhibition or issue raised through the Critical Studies component of the programme. Students are expected to keep themselves well informed through exhibitions, professional journals, museums and conferences. The final examination for the MFA is in the form of an exhibition.

The formal delivery of the studio programme takes place primarily through seminar/critique sessions and one-to-one (or small group) meetings with the primary supervisors. In 2008 each of the four studio groups has a designated primary supervisor who is responsible for the one-to-one sessions and pastoral care of the students in that studio group.

Seminar/Critique Programme
This consists of a schedule of weekly sessions designed to emphasise the articulation of ideas and the development of working methodologies through a variety of discussion formats framed around individual studio practice. As much as possible these are student led and facilitated by a primary supervisor. Their success depends on active student participation. Primary supervisors work as a team, rotating pairings for critiques.

Annually each student will receive a minimum of six critiques. Three of these critiques will be with a primary MFA supervisors, and three with a primary MFA supervisor and visiting critic. Generally a critique will focus on the work of two to four students. Each full/time student is required to attend 17 critiques throughout the year.

The critique programme also includes:
• General-topic discussion sessions of one-and-a-half hours with each studio group with the primary supervisor to occur six times a year.

• Studio context discussions; these will need to be timetabled at a different times to the critique sessions and possibly the day, depending on the Primary Supervisors availability in each semester.

Visiting Artists, Critics, and Curators
Postgraduate students will be able to engage with artists, curators and critics who will be invited to contribute to the Programme and extend students’ research and practice. There are several different formats to facilitate postgraduate research that will be adopted for visiting contributors to the postgraduate programme by visiting critics. Student knowledge will be developed by a variety of approaches within seminar, presentations and group discussion that will aim to support and extend practice-based research in terms of general theoretical underpinnings and methodologies. These events may take place at different times during the academic semester weeks. The most common will be that invited artists, critics, and curators will lead a series of group critiques on the work of selected students. Another variation on this would be that the visitor delivers a lecture either on the same day or the day previous to the group discussion. A further alternative would be that a critical workshop exploring a set of readings or special topics takes the place of the group critique. It is expected that visitors will be selected, in part, on the basis of how they can address different areas of interest among the students.

Visiting critics –contributing lecturers
Lisa Crowley
l.crowley@auckland.ac.nz
James Cousins
j.cousins@auckland.ac.nz
Sean Kerr
Sean.Kerr@creative.auckland.ac.nz
Judy Millar
j.millar@auckland.ac.nz
Michael Parekowhai
m.parekowhai@auckland.ac.nz
Peter Robinson
p.robinson@auckland.ac.nz

Student Discussion Groups
It is strongly recommended that students establish their own discussion groups or other research and/or support groups with or without the involvement of interested staff. This is almost always an exceedingly effective part of postgraduate study and one that will both stimulate research and provide collegial support for students. Such groups may grow out of questions posed during the reading groups – or act as an alternative to the reading groups during the semester when a student is not participating in one.

Studios and activities outside of Elam
In general terms, the School does not support the idea of student-based studios outside of Elam but accepts that from time-to-time and in relation to research needs working off-campus may be in the interest of research development. If you have a specific request for working outside of the School, you will need to make it in writing to your the MFA programme leader. The Programme Leader will need to approve the application before the outside activity commences. Outside activities in excess of three weeks will require both Programme Leader and Head of School approval. Your letter should make clear the duration of your work in the external location or studio and give specific reasons as to why you need to work there. These will normally only be permitted in exceptional circumstances.

Research Leave during the Academic year
All periods research leave or leave away from Elam during the academic year require the permission of the Programme Leader. You should discuss the reasons for time away with your Primary Supervisor and request the time away in writing from the Programme Leader. That letter will need to give precise dates and clear reasons and will need to confirm that you have discussed your proposed time away with both your Primary Supervisor and your Critical Studies Supervisor. Any periods of leave will only be permitted if all relevant matters concerning your engagement in the Postgraduate Programme have been addressed with academic staff.

Workshop Facilities
Postgraduate students may make use of all technical and workshop resources of the School subject, in some cases, to the satisfaction of technical and/or health and safety requirements.

Studio Access Policy
Studios are generally open to students from 7:30AM – 6PM during weekdays. MFA students may be granted 24hour access once they have passed the NICAI post-Graduate Extended Access Test.

Studio Assessment

Mid-year Reporting
Every student will receive written feedback from your Primary Supervisor on your progress in the year-to-date by the end of the inter-semester break. This report will provide clarity regarding your performance in the programme, note particular achievements and identify areas that require attention. The report is indicative of an individual student’s progress but will not indicate any grade assessment.

Studio Assessment Criteria
• show ability to achieve a significant level of critical inquiry through a self-directed research project;
• realise theoretical research, applied research and critical thinking within their Studio practice as appropriate;
• achieve an advanced level in Studio practice that demonstrates a keen sense of individual research in relation to relevant contexts of contemporary practice;
• produce a substantial stand-alone exhibition or performance that presents resolved conclusions resulting from the research project;
• present the results of research to an appropriate professional standard.

MFA end of year Studio Submission. (80% Final Grade)

NB: All Studio submissions will include an Abstract of around 200 words that names the candidate’s area of research and succinctly outlines the project.

GRADING
MFA (Studio) Grade Calculation
Studio 80% + Critical Studies 20% = 100% Grade
MFA (Thesis) and Grade Calculation
Thesis/Research Portfolio 90% + Critical Studies 10% = 100% Grade

755Masters

Studio Handbook