College News

‘Really? For about a week…’

‘Really? For about a week…’  is a really exciting final show bringing together the art and design work of thirty-two Art Foundation students celebrating the end of their pre-degree year at QE. The work is professionally staged to reflect the high level of the course.

 The exhibition contains final major project work exploring individual themes devised by the students that reflect their personal interests and demonstrate skills within their chosen pathways in art or design. There are inspiring projects which are lively and engaging in a wide range of disciplines including Fine Art, Graphic Design and Illustration, Textiles and Fashion Design, Costume Design, Photography and Lens-Based Media.

 There are many intriguing pieces including impressive large-scale, yet fragile wire sculptures created by Luce Dunn which have seductive jewel-like shimmering surfaces, yet contain dangerous contradictory elements. Jordan Boyle’s theme of Identity investigates issues relating to her childhood and uses textile processes, cloth and bold photographic projections. Laura Cowling’s white installation uses suspended fragile plaster casts of cups and bottles, thread and dripping wax inspired by the theme of ‘Alice in Wonderland’.

 Graphic design is represented by Ellis Blackwood’s impressive anamorphic typography. His text, painted across several walls, presents a distorted projection that requires viewers to occupy a specific vantage point to understand its meaning. Design for an interior architectural environment was the challenge that Oliver Lakey set for himself and resulted in the creation of large, heavy cast plaster tiles that contrast with his accompanying fragile origami paper pieces.

 Fashion is represented with a variety of imaginative designs and constructed garments. Lauren Smith, specialising in contour fashion, mixes inspiration from old horror films and lingerie construction techniques to create her garments. Laura Leathley, working in costume design, creates stunning ideas that utilise her excellent skills with bold form, lively colour and sensuous fabrics. For the exhibition she explored the Japanese interpretation of the classic ballet ‘Coppelia.’

 Rita Smith, Director of Studies for the Arts at QE, says:

‘Really? For about a week,’ is just that! The Art Foundation Show is the Art highlight of the year. Much work has gone into transforming the everyday College open-plan studio into a gallery space to display the students’ work in a professional manner. The exhibition showcases a diverse range of work and evidences the imagination and skills of a group of students who have been on a personal creative journey. Really!’

 The exhibition will be open to the public from 7 – 12 June, 9.00 am to 5.00 pm daily – excluding the weekend.