05.02.14 - Scope

"Scope" the new exhibition from level 3 year 2 fine art students was showcased this week in the campus gallery space. A course that had a particular reputation for installing extremely professional shows with colleague Maria at the former helm of it all. The show was an emulsion of visual arts showcasing an eclectic and refreshing approach to contemporary art. With only a small group of students, some may have felt the gallery was going to look empty, but not with this lot. Every surface, crook, corner and floor tile was immersed in print work, photography, sculptures of different scales and materials, video projected performance art and an industrial light show that gave the gallery space a real mysterious warehouse feel like we were in the depths of the east end. 

Each project although repeated in techniques at some points was completely individual to the owner delivering richness in context and content. By far some of the most diverse and interesting sculpture work I have seen presented in the gallery in a long time. This super army of young professional artists now led by new course leader Andy really put on a show to be proud, and can now certainly sit in a high place as they embark on the final stages of their course preparing for the Final major project showdown.

30.01.14 - Mental Mondays

Well not just Mondays for that matter, no time to even post any of the amazing work that has been happening in the studio and now February is here! so what has happened in the last month since returning from x-mas break. 

I visited Chelsea school of art a few weeks ago for a UAL annual conference to discuss any updates in regards to FAD courses being delivered, sharing good practice and meeting the other faces who are in the same role. The conference was extremely informative and got me and the Course leader really thinking about what we would like to modify and change to put us in a great position thinking about next year already. The foundation courses have always been identified as those pushing boundaries both conceptually and creativity but in the process have sometimes lost some of the fundamentals and key areas that perhaps HE institutions are looking for. We want to try and deliver an even balance of both so that students are able to be highly conceptual and expressive in the work they produce with an understanding of why. I also made a few contacts and I'm the process of organizing site visits to see how some of the other institutions are delivering the qualification, structuring their program alongside looking at the type of student/student work they are producing and their facilities, this is a prime opportunity to analyse further good practice and consider recommendations to management. 

On another note interviews have taken place, and have been happening very quickly "a little too quickly" as a foundation student now has to showcase themselves and attempt to make a positive impression based upon a few months of work explored. We have however had some great feedback and a majority of the students have received conditional and unconditional places reassuring us that we are on track and delivering a creative and challenging program. I will start to collect some of the strongest pieces of work from portfolios and post them up. 

Apart from that, we are off to Berlin in just under 3 weeks and this will be integrated into our forthcoming project and exhibition "Capture". I have also been interviewing for our own new intake "September 14" and have had some great applicants. We are currently on 50% of our target with another big interview coming up. Other than that its fast, creative, loud and still going!