UCA Farnham Fine Art Student Success - Lizy Bending

UCA Farnham Fine Art student Lizy Bending has work exhibiting in 3 current shows! From this week Lizy has work in the Ochre Print Studio's Summer Show in Guildford, whilist also taking part in the Beyond Limit Speed, UCA Fine Art graduate exhibition at A&D Gallery this coming week in London. 
Ahead of graduation, Lizy also embarks on her first artist residency as part of the Gottwood Festival 2014 in Wales.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EFX1h6hmhQ

UCA Farnham Fine Art Student Success - Graduate Exhibition at A & D Gallery, London

UCA Farnham Fine Art students graduate on 24th June, a very special day, and a fine art collective also have the opening of another graduate exhibition to showcase their work. The exhibition "Beyond Limit Speed 1" follows on from the salon show "Help! Savages" at the OH! Gallery in April and their Farnham Campus Graduate Show in May. This third and independently initiated final year graduate exhibition takes place on June 24th - 28th, at A & D Gallery, Chiltern Street, London.

http://www.liquidbrick.co.uk/

UCA Farnham Fine Art Student Success - Chris Ivory

UCA Farnham Fine Art student Chris Ivory, who graduated in 2010 has an exhibition in Berlin.

"Following the successful launch of the travelling exhibition  'Tracing my Echo'  in Greece, we are pleased to invite you to our next destination at Zweigstelle-Berlin gallery and to join us on the opening night 20th of June 7:00 p.m. 

The exhibition will run from 21st June until 5th July 2014  

During the exhibition period the gallery will be open on the following days:

Thursday and Friday from 2 pm-7 pm, Saturday from 11 am - 4 pm

Private view Friday 20th of June, 7:00 p.m.

Zweigstelle-Berlin, Lehrter Str. 37  D-10557, Berlin 

 

Organised by Collaborative Art

Curated by Froso Papadimitriou

 

Featuring: Santiago Bartivas, Rafal Bizunowicz, Jonathan Bradbury, pd, Ting-Ting Cheng, Peter Crack, Vassilis Gogtzilas, Eleanor Havsteen-Franklin, Maria Iskioupi, Chris Ivory, Sanna Jarl-Hansson, Sara Karin Fisher, Antonis Konstantinidis, Hulya Kupcuoglu, Andy McCafferty, Eimearjean McCormack, Yumiko Nakajima, Froso Papadimitriou, Rodrigo Pires, Petros Sianos, Hiromi Tsuha"

 

Chris Ivory

Fine Artist

www.chrisivory.me.uk

UCA Farnham Fine Art Student Profile 2014 - Heidi Mellish

What is your work about and what informs it?

My work centres on exploring the appropriation of objects and how they are imbued with  nostalgia. The narrative tendency created by nostalgia for the past and how it creates and shifts our values. 
The importance of this work comes with the growing separation we have from our particular pasts, the gap increasing the possibility for longing, but also deception of the mind and what it remembers. The idea of nostalgia has been of interest to me in light of it's deceptions. The term first being coined in the late 19th Century as a medical term describing the homesickness Swedish soldiers suffered from when away at war. Today it is almost fashionably tossed around as a romantic description, evoking a sense of longing for a better time. I guiltily enjoy this modern interpretation of nostalgia, however am equally concerned with exploring the untruths with which it weaves and fools us with, often exploited deliberately.
Grayson Perry's work, which fuses the traditional medium of pottery and craft with contemporary adaptations of ancient rituals, has been a mainstay in my research and influence this year. He has a keen awareness of the cultural traditions which still influence us today, modern rituals that emulate ancient ways and cleverly using humour making it accessible  I have been hugely influenced in my approach to choosing objects and reading them in terms of what they say about a perceived type of 'Englishness' we have of ourselves. The 'Englishness" is a construction grounded in nostalgia for something that didn't exist, but is romanticised and mythologised. His 2013 Reith Lectures gave me an insight into his take on this subject matter, and it was exciting to realise the relevance and appreciation that went with it.

How did you resolve your work for your final exhibition?

I wanted to create a space that would display the appropriated objects like cultural artefacts and would appear to have been collected so the artefacts could be examined in a new context and relationship between the objects could be explored. The cold interior aimed to evoke this nostalgia with visual cues via the objects and materials used in the space with which the viewer might feel some relation to.
There were some practical installation issues that I had to overcome and it made me look at curation and installation as one entity and appreciate the practical solutions that need to be considered with a hang. From the process of producing the degree show exhibition I learnt that the initial plan for a certain curatorial idea will more than likely not be what will happen. It is easy to get hung up on an initial vision, but it is essential that you are flexible and remain true to the concept, it could make or brake a piece.

What do you think is the most significant thing that has helped you during your time a UCA Farnham?

The most significant thing which has helped me during my time at UCA is the constant support of fellow students. I couldn't have fully comprehended the investment of time the course has you on you mentally, so having a studio with friends and colleagues who are in the same position as you and ready to talk through a piece of work was priceless and well as help with practical issues. The calibre of tutors and visiting artists on hand to engage in critique was also something that fuelled the continual progression of the work.

What are you planning next?




I am now looking for opportunities to work in galleries hoping to build my knowledge within the arts sector. I am particularly interested in developing my curatorial skill set, expanding the work that I have already had with artist and curator Mindy Lee. I also considered doing an MA and was accepted onto a course, but I would like to make a considered attempt at establishing myself as an artist and developing my practice further first.

UCA Farnham Fine Art Student Profile 2014 - Isaac Willis

Please tell us what your work is about

I define myself as a painter, so the substance and materiality of paint and the creation of images on surface is my focus. I am concerned with the way we see and engage with painting, as a response to exploring the way we see colour/images on screens in the "Post Internet era". I feel there is a lot of impetus for making work about this subject as the world of image production has changed so completely and radically since the invention and democratisation of the media via the internet and the digital era. I feel this is an important subject to broach and reaffirm painting's relevance in this digital and post-internet age.

Surface is important and my exhibition work started from drawings on semi-translucent paper, in an effort to replicate the sheer smoothness of the surface of the paper, I started to work on aluminium. This allowed me to suspend all the interventions of surface texture which come into painting such as canvas weave, canvas sagging, and flexibility of support. The work itself developed from looking at images of paintings online and examining how the images are made up, from pixels, and the patterns and colourings which create the illusion of an image, with all of the problems of image resolution and being able to zoom in on images where they are a different image in themselves.

Did you encounter any problems?

Ultimately the aluminium proved troubling due to its unforgiving nature and the time constraints to make paintings in limited months for the final exhibition. There were also issues with the edges of the work, which I solved by making the frames behind them smaller than the panels, which allowed them to float on the wall, a key factor in replicating the image of screens.

Practically speaking there are many painters who I regard in highly, Martin Kippenberger and Gerhard Richter being two important ones, but also I find Titian never really leaving the sphere of interests. Kippenberger's absolute refusal of 'styles' and his haphazard and impulsive paintings (and life) are very important to me. Gerhard Richter is of importance for his adaptation of contemporary modes of image production (the advent of a mass cheap media) in the form. His absolutely massive oeuvre is also of interest, and he's never stopped working.

What at UCA Farnham has ben the most helpful for your practice?

I think the most helpful thing for me for my degree here at Farnham would be the opportunity to visit Vienna. It completely matured me as a painter and helped lead me to working in a more considered manner. I think the opportunity for artists visits and talks is also something which is largely beneficial. I learnt the complexities of hanging work, taking into accord every element that is in the room to enable you to make the best and most considered hang you can get for your work. There is no room for doing things without a reason in this respect.

So what happens next?

I will build on my experience of exhibiting in past shows such as "The Owl Service" at Transition Gallery, and "What the Shop" in Vienna. I also have upcoming shows at Bearspace and "Language Fails" at Transition Gallery. I'm planning to get a studio and slug it out for a couple of years, then start to move into applying for a master's at places I have in mind. 

60 Second Interview from earlier this year

http://cargocollective.com/isaacwillis/Home

UCA Farnham Fine Art Student Success - Daniel Soares & Katie McGurk

UCA Farnham Fine Art student Daniel Soares who has just successfully completed year 2, is currently preparing for the opening of a group exhibition he has curated in Vienna, Austria.  The exhibition also includes the work of year 3 Fine Art student Katie McGurk.

This is what Daniel had to say about his motivation for pulling the show together.

"I've been wanting to do an exhibition for a while and came out here with the idea that I'd somehow put one on. I'll be looking to do this again. I had to change my attitude quite drastically though in order to work with others which is something I struggled with before, so it was a personal issue I had. 

In the end though I don't think its the be all end all, it might be a shit show it might be great but it certainly won't be the last. I realised once I got things running that I'd rather just make work and not think about exhibitions too much, whereas before the idea of having to put something in exhibition made me really anxious. But after taking the first step into the realm of independent exhibiting, I don't think it's a big deal, but I look forward to working with others to get it done, and its quite a fun thing to do. 

Its a very social activity I think and what's a nightmare for me, some people are natural with and some people aren't. It's about finding a balance and working with each other's strengths. Its just getting together and doing it. However though, I did network and get to know how things are done. You have to make it happen, meet like minded people and commit to doing something. I was probably quite lucky in that sense, I did make good contacts."

UCA Farnham Fine Art Student Profile 2014 - Jasmine Rogers

What ideas have you explored in your work?

The currency of images interests me and how they are mediated, because this opens up aesthetic potential and of course frames the content. I still take my own photographs and enjoy the process of intervention and manipulation, but increasingly the use of found images and their context and potential became important. What was important for me specifically was the portrayal of conflict in the media, particularly that of the current conflict in Ukraine. This theme is important to me because it holds a such important currency, especially with the plethora of images and articles in newspapers, online and social media. The picture painted by the media covering the Ukraine conflict and images shown are somewhat different to what can be viewed online.

The images I’ve used in my works are taken from various online sources, which I appropriate and form my own work in relation to the subject. My aim with these images is to focus on the smaller mundane details as perhaps the ‘punctum’ of an image can distract our attention. This use of the pixel is to show the role of technology and the Internet with the media. Essentially in my work I’m trying to highlight the everyday aspect, as people’s lives still goes on in these war zones. I don’t think this is always portrayed in the media.

How did you develop the idea that produced your final exhibition work? 

I’ve had an interest in images and manipulation throughout most of the university course, however I only started concentrating on conflict images recently. I realised through both myself and feedback on my work, that I could further develop my practice by looking at more significant imagery, particularly containing, as Barthes would say a certain ‘punctum’. I realised working with such found imagery that it’s important to portray and work with them appropriately. I want the focus to be upon the everyday lives of the Ukraine people despite the on-going crisis.

Two books in particular were a significant influence on me; Towards a Philosophy of Photography by Vilém Flusser, and notably Camera Lucida by Roland Barthes. Barthes’s idea of the ‘punctum’ in an image was something I considered when developing my work.

What do you think is the most significant thing that has helped you during your time a UCA Farnham?

Having my own studio space has been a great benefit to me 

during my study, especially working next to my peers where there’s opportunity for feedback. I learnt how to arrange and select specific works out which would work together and as a result, create the narrative that I wanted to portray to the viewer.

What are you planning next?

Currently with my practice, my laptop is my studio space, so I plan to continue developing my practice and making art. My work is being exhibited in London soon and I also intend to submit my work for exhibitions and other opportunities. I’m currently looking into jobs that will help enable me to support my practice.

http://jasminerogers.co.uk

Grant Petrey in "Screening Film" Launch - Liverpool

UCA Farnham Fine Art and Arts & Media tutor, Grant Petrey has work screening at Screening Film at The Kazimier, 4-5 Wolstenholme Square, Liverpool on 12th June.

UCA Farnham Fine Art Students on ZAP Art Tour 2014

This week UCA Farnham Fine Art students visited 7 spaces in Hoxton and Shoreditch and had talks from gallerists at: Limoncello, Studio 1:1, Kate MacGarry,The Lion & Lamb & Beers Contemporary, Peer and Charlie Smith. The sessions were led by artist curators Annabel Tilley and Rosalind Davies of Zeitgiest Arts Projects (ZAP) in South London for UCA.

Students got to speak to a range of galleries and curators, with curator Juan Bolivar (and Lion & Lamb director) coming especially to meet students to talk about strategies for surviving as an artist/curator in London. 

"It was a great success and the students said they loved it. We were particularly impressed by the students, themselves, who asked some great questions of the gallerists and were engaged and interested." 

 

Annabel and Rosalind

Rosa Tyhurst talking to UCA Farnham Fine Art students at Limoncello.

Image: Gallerist, Kate MacGarry, talks to UCA Farnham Fine Art students.

Artist & Curator, Juan Bolivar, talking to UCA Farnham Fine Art students at The Lion & Lamb Gallery.

ZeitgeistArtsProjects.com

Celia Hempton at Cell Projects "Pontoon Lip" - Exhibition Review in This is Tomorrow

UCA Farnham Fine Art painting tutor, Celia Hempton who currently has work in the exhibition "Pontoon Lip" with Katie Cuddon at Cell Projects has an interesting review of this collaboration in This Is Tomorrow by Ceri Hand.

http://thisistomorrow.info/articles/pontoon-lip-katie-cuddon-and-celia-hempton

UCA Farnham Fine Art Student Success - Lizy Bending

UCA Farnham Fine Art student Lizy Bending, who will be graduating in June has word in the Lessedra Gallery International Print Competition 2014, in Bulgaria from 11th June until 31st August.

Lizy Bending - Palais de Tokyo Feb. 2014

UCA Farnham Fine Art Student Success - Julia Menzies

UCA Farnham Fine Art student Julia Menzies, who graduated in 2013, currently has work in a group exhibition featuring work by other UCA alumna. The exhibition "Re-store" is in the Wellington Hangar at Brooklands Museum now until 22nd June.

http://www.brooklandsmuseum.com/

UCA Farnham Fine Art Student Profile 2014 - Carrie Grainger

What are the main themes you have explored in your work and why are they important to you?

My work is an exploration of different cultural superstitions, symbolism and ritual celebrations put into practice through performance and shown through film. I have been exploring different cultural belief systems on the subject of spirituality that has intrigued me, in particular Shaman belief. My practice is also strongly influenced by the uncertainty of the uncanny subject and the films are made to dance between the lines of not only life and death, but also create an uncertainty between human and animal behaviours.

I was interested in the idea of the male gaze and read Laura Mulvey's "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema" early on and framed this idea in some early photo shoots, but that soon lost appeal to me and I found my self being drawn to the ambiguous imagery rather than the sexually suggestive. I looked at the guerilla girls early on in the year and their use of costume as a means to keep the identities of the members hidden. I was more interested in the fact they use costume to create a persona that allows them to be more outrageous then they feel they could be in their own skin rather than the concepts behind the work which I think is great but not something I was necessarily thinking about when creating the films. 

I did however look into Female hysteria in which Freud took on as a subject for study in the late 19th Century. Freud believed Hysteria was a coping method for patients who had endured abuse or tragic occurrences, some of the repetitive moments within my performances are influenced by "female hysteria".  

How did you develop the idea that produced your final exhibition work? 

I decided to use the best two performance pieces to present in the degree show that linked the best and would work well together. I also used an extra piece of footage which

Was not originally intended but added an extra piece of narrative to the performance pieces in which was just as fragmented and uncertain.

I had originally planned to create a CCTV setting for the show in which was trialled and dismissed as it didn’t compliment the gothic appearance of the films and they really needed to be in a darker environment to feel the different elements going on in the film and to create a better visual aesthetic. Another issue I faced was sharing a big space with another student, because of the structure of the room it was inescapable that an audience would have to travel through one works to reach the other which would have obstructed the work at the back of the room. This was overcome by a move to a smaller space which was a lot of work to finish, but in the end the work was able to stand on its own and the room could be made darker.

Who are your heroes?

In terms of research into performance Marvin Gaye Chetwynd was significant in her movements and costume relating to culture and ritualistic behaviours. I witnessed a performance of Chetwynds for the Turner Prize a few years ago and I was fascinated by the way it could make you feel both discomfort and attraction at the same time.

Another thing that sparked my interest just after my first trial performance back in November was Butoh Performance Art which stems from Japan from the 1960s and creates elements of uncertainty during the transition after the second world war. It was founded by a dancer named Tatsumi Hijikata (1928-1986) and was a rebellion against modern dance of the time that came from the west. He wanted performance to be purely about expression of his culture and to allow his body to dance through unconscious movement. Hijikata’s performances displayed elements of what is unknown to man and he strived to tap into dormant primal and animalistic behaviours that had long been repressed.

I know Yayoi Kusama's work fairly well and am aware of Carolee Schneemann and Gina Pane's work, Chetweynd's work is very different and I'm struggling to relate them. Although Chetweynd's work is not always certain and is a fusion of different cultural elements I wouldn't say it was disembodied as her performances are a physical presence, the subject is not absolute and they mess with your mind a lot because of this uncertainty much like Kusama's work does but the actors are physical beings that interact with an audience which gives an entirely different feel to moving image or installation.  

What do you think is the most significant thing that has helped you during your time a UCA Farnham?

I think there has been a significant amount of tutorials including those with visiting artists has been most helpful and has allowed for regular critique and feedback which has created a smoother process of development. It has also opened other avenues of research that may not have necessarily been considered by me beforehand. Also being encouraged to start placing work into exhibitions from the first year encourages confidence and experience early on, which I know isn’t practiced in all art related courses from other universities.

What did you learn from the process of producing your graduation exhibition?

I have learnt that you can do a lot more in a short space of time then you think you can! If you have decent people helping you and keep at it, then the outcome can be very surprising. Compromise can also be very important and you have to take into consideration other people around you and how the show is going to look as a whole.  

What are you planning next?

In the short term I am exhibiting and screening work in two exhibitions in London as part of a graduate collective at A & D Gallery and The Strand Gallery. Before applying to do an MA in Fine Art I plan to do some travelling which will help me develop my performances further and to continue making work.