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Student Work Uncovered - Penny Watson - The Open College of the Arts

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Student Work Uncovered – Penny Watson


OCA Assessors Maggy Milner and Clive White discuss the book ‘Not Our Time’ by Social Documentary student Penny Watson.


Posted by author: Mark Lomas

23 thoughts on “Student Work Uncovered – Penny Watson

  • A wonderful piece of work Penny. I am sure it will be meaningful to you and to others for many years to come. Congratulations!

  • I agree, a heartfelt piece, very inspiring. And yes Penny – your emotional attachment to your Nanna does show through in the work. Thanks for sharing this.

  • Beautiful piece of work indeed. Done with great respect and love for the subject. Ageing is very universal issue to which we can all relate, which is one of the reasons why we connect with it the way we do.

  • Full of humanity, full of dignity, a special piece of work, Penny, and I can see exactly why Maggie & Clive wanted to share it.

  • Everyone else above said enough.
    I’d like to add why I like the post here on the blog… It was interesting to hear tutors discuss a piece of work in dialogue, as well as the page through.
    Books as final assessment format is often discussed, and here, it is obviously very well thought out and the layouts in the books seems logic, clear, minimal, clean, and unobtrusive to the sensitive work.
    Posts like these give perspective of what other students do, the level of work that is out there, and does help to place, not so much myself against them, but to give a bit of a nudge to think of other elements outside what I think of everyday.

  • This is truly amazing, it’s a really gorgeous piece of work and the photos really touched me and I am so gla I saw this! Penny your work is amazing!!

  • This is such a personal piece of work which has said so much. Each picture tells a story. Thank you for sharing a part of you with us. The book is beautiful

  • Beautiful Penny, simply beautiful. You must be so pleased with the feedback and I can only echo the words of everyone else – a wonderfully dignified work.

  • …many thanks for all for the lovely comments…and also to Maggie and Clive for the very positive feedback. It has been a peculiar, but not unpleasant feeling seeing my work discussed. It is an important development area for me…it is one thing making work, but quite another ‘putting it out there’…I feel very encouraged thank you.
    Mark, great link. I have not come across Deveney’s work before, but her inspiration is indeed very similar. I really like her work. She clearly cares for the subjects of her photographs. And particularly in the Bert Hastings project I like the ‘collaborative’ approach she has adopted with her subject…with his scribbled notes commenting on each of the photos she takes of him…a really nice touch.

  • Just one thing … I was born on the 13’th of september, the date mentioned here!
    That is not the reason though I am drawn to this piece. I like it’s personal nature, involvement without self-indulgence. One is not lost in another’s story rather it is exemplary … many of us will grow old and pass away!

  • After a second viewing, I am left wondering whether the two blank pages at the end were intentional!?
    Another striking aspect to this work, is the way the subject has allowed herself to be photographed. A willing subject in this kind of situation is not always easy to find even if it is a close relative!

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