Yesterday we completed the Performing Chance workshop with Kate. I wasn’t particularly looking forward to or resenting this one, because I really had no idea what was going to happen.

The initial lecture consisted of a brief history of chance being used to influence art. This included Dada, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism and Fluxus (which is still running to the present).

The first task after the lecture was a lot of fun. Everyone went into the studio for 30 seconds and could do whatever they wanted to a table full of objects. This was filmed and played back afterwards. I flipped the whole table over. I liked it; I liked doing something radical that nobody had thought of up to that point.

I’ll try to find a screenshot or two from moodle, but so far it doesn’t look like it’s been uploaded.

The conceptual photography element was fun. The workshop being based around random chance, we had to create a framework as artists and allow for chance to alter the final work.

I might use this kind of conceptual photography in my work. It can portray an idea in a way that makes you focus on the idea, not the art.

If I could have improved anything, the photos would have been completely candid, with no knowledge they were being taken as the person left the lift. Of course this wasn’t possible. Maybe in a way, there will be an uncertainty in the gestures of the people leaving knowing we were taking a picture of them.

One thing I thought was good about the work I made was the human element. The pictures aren’t just pictures – they capture a decision made by each individual person.

Mind mapping as a team of five was fun, but I know I’m not very good at group work. The nature of the ideas forced us apart for the afternoon in a pair and a trio. I did make some concessions and they turned out really well in Martha’s side of the project!

I learned that it takes a lot of thought to carry out this kind of photography, even if pressing the shutter itself doesn’t take much effort. It was a new way of working.