Our Borders Issue (20/Spring-Summer 2011) is now available! Get your free copy at the UAL Student Union, 272 High Holborn, London WC1V 7EY, or at a UAL campus near you.

Occupying Spaces: Central Saint Martins at Trinity Buoy Wharf
Text and photography by Laramie Shubber

For the past two weeks, the 1st year fine art students of Central Saint Martins have been occupying spaces in the East End’s Trinity Buoy Wharf to create site-specific work. The two weeks were an opportunity for the students to undertake, and experience, a mini-residency.

The students could use one of two interior spaces as well as the outside space. A nearby skip nearby provided much of the materials; with that, the students were free to do as they wished (well, almost!)

Some opted to use materials from the site to create sculptures whilst others made use of TBW’s riverside location for video, photography and installation work. Others responded to the site unconventionally by attaching themselves to different parts of the site to literally become part of Trinity Buoy Wharf. The basement housed most of the videos and projections as well as a slide (yes, really), whilst a second warehouse was home to sky-high sculptures. No area was left untouched; each corner, nook, and cranny was seen as a potential space for art.

The unusual location of Trinity Buoy Wharf mixed with its unique identity created an unfamiliar but inspirational setting for the students to work with. Unfortunately, this week’s sun was outlived but luckily the blustery winds and rain didn’t put off visitors.

The private view was a mixture of art, drink and music, and really, what more do you want from a night? This evening showed just what can be achieved in a short space of time with few resources.

Turning Things Inside Out: Graduate Shows at LCC
Text and photography by Xanthia Hallissey

ROUND ABOUT is a four-part exhibition showcasing the work of graduating students from LCC.

Phase two is called INSIDE OUT, the first of the graduate shows (after WIDE OPEN for Foundation Art & Design students). It features work from five different courses Book Arts & Design, Film and Television, Photography, Photojournalism and Sound Arts & Design, which kicked off on Thursday 2nd June 2011 with the private view.

In true ROUND ABOUT style LCC was full of visitors walking around hoping to catch a glimpse of the next big thing. Students did not disappoint, the range of media used was impressive, the variety of subject matter even more so. The Photojournalism students were especially good in this sense. Natalie Naccache’s photographs make a social comment about the much-unpublicised plight of ‘Single Fathers’. Her exhibit was reminiscent of the home itself, using different sized frames and a cloth covered table presenting the single father home as a different kind of normal. Rather than documenting humans, Lucie Jordanna Cohen decided to document the sky at night in her astronomy series, ‘A Space in Time’. Lucie juxtaposes the touchable, man-made elements of Earth (brick, artificial light, parked cars) with that which is entirely out of reach (moon, stars) to create an otherworldly experience full of tension, but simultaneously peaceful.

Little pocketed rooms throughout INSIDE OUT ensure the exhibition is full of surprises. One Space is dedicated to Su Lin Booker’s ‘Recorded Fragments,’ which uses projected imagery and mirrors to fragment a family photograph. As well as showing a disrupted, evolving image separate audio tracks are strategically placed around the room allowing the viewer to hear the voices behind the family experience. It’s a clever device that lends itself well to the separate-togetherness of family, and there is a beauty to it too.

Another individual room holds Sophie Hall’s ‘When Eyes Touch’, where two women are shown on screens apparently naked and staring at eye to eye, an experiment in trust and not looking down. The set up of the room makes the piece more powerful; the screens are placed on opposite walls allowing the viewer to turn from screen to screen wondering who will break first. Across from Sophie’s work lies a purpose built person sized gazebo tent by Marianna Kaye called ‘Joanna’s Story’. Inside viewers are encouraged to sit, listen to the story and watch changing light projections of planets play out, literally bringing the story to life.

The use of different media in the exhibition is expansive. On the theme of identity, Christian Anderson’s ‘Blackness Confirmed’ stacks up different sized televisions relating to parts of the face, and they change constantly. It’s a positive, affirmative statement about equality, and it’s fun to watch too. Jatinder Kailey’s ‘Exoticism Constructed: From Southall To Punjab’ uses a painted background of a distant land and shows it pinned up in more familiar surroundings. Jatinder explores the storytelling element in understanding her own Indian heritage, and tells that story back to the viewer.

As well as installation projects, INSIDE OUT is full of more traditional approaches to media. Constantin Cerdan’s ‘Channel 951’ is a series of three photographs each with a little something missing, for example the central image of a sofa has a cushion missing. It challenges what we think we know and asks the viewer to look twice. Jessica Smith’s laser cut type in Book Design tells a story in an open and transparent way, so it makes sense to see it on a wall and not closed in a book instead.

Back in Photojournalism Hannah Boatfield took a trip to different artists studios in her exploration of  ‘Artworlds’, it is project that looks at individual expression and command of a space. Essentially, that is what INSIDE OUT is all about, it’s a show giving students the chance to show viewers what they’ve been up to, but more than that it’s about turning perceived notions of art and design INSIDE OUT.

Artists with websites:
Natalie Naccache: http://www.natnacphotography.com/
Lucie Jordanna Cohen: http://www.luciejordanna.com
Hannah Boatfield: http://www.hannahboatfield.com
Marianna Kaye: http://www.mariannakaye.com

Inside Out
BA (Hons) Book Arts & Design
BA (Hons) Film & Television
BA (Hons) Photography
BA (Hons) Photojournalism
BA (Hons) Sound Arts & Design

The exhibition was open to the public: Fri 3 – Wed 8 June 2011
Venue: The Gallery, Upper Street, Lower Street, Well and Atrium Galleries, LCC, Elephant & Castle, London, SE1 6SB

LCC Summer shows run until 8th July. For more information please check the events page.

A is for Jewellery
Text by Xanthia Hallissey
Photography by Anna Johnson

A Alicia is a jewellery company with a difference. On setting up her own practice, founder Anna Johnson didn’t want to litter the market with plastic, throwaway items. She took the idea of waste literally, sourcing vintage and fair-trade fabrics to make eco-ethical jewellery and a homeware company with heart. When asked about what motivated her to set up the company, Anna replied: “I’ve always wanted to be able to feel that I’m doing something positive in the world.”

Anna is a graduate of Art History from the University of Kent, but the practice side of her career was really developed during her MA in Fine Art at Central St Martins. Now making jewellery, she nicely synthesises her art history and fine art backgrounds. Anna always felt inspired to stand out of the crowd, saying that the idea to start an ethically aware line felt natural. She explains: “In a way it didn’t really feel like a choice, I just couldn’t stomach the idea of running a business who’s supply chain involved exploiting other people or the environment.”

Although Anna is ethically aware, the aesthetic of her work is still important to her: “Of course, there’s the ethical side of knowing how and by whom something is made, but then there’s also the sheer joy of living with or wearing beautifully, thoughtfully handmade products.”  By using textured materials such as handmade beads, vintage kimono fabric, pompoms, in clear, bright colours, the pieces fit in comfortably with current fashions. Anna lists her inspiration for the line from diverse sources such as Japanese craft to simply having the television on whilst sewing; these wide-ranging influences highlight the sense of fun evident in her personality and in her work.

By going back to process and thinking about how things are made every step of the way, Anna is part of a growing number of designers putting production first. Her ethos is inspiring, believing that each of us has the opportunity to be ‘green’ with our work by thinking of the making at the offset. “I also truly believe that all our tiny individual actions really can be part of a bigger change,” says Anna.

Reflecting on her studies, Anna muses: “It’s hard to describe quite how much my Art History studies have influenced my creative practices – they gave me such a wonderful source of reference points that play a part in everything I do.” Hinting at a holistic view of life, A Alicia is not just a business prospect but something Anna really believes in.

For organic, fairtrade fabric visit the Organic Cotton website.

Visit Anna’s online shop, visit Anna’s mainline and wedding websites.

Hand Made: Japanese Culture and Craft
Text by Andrea Fam
Film by Hayato Fujioka

Hand Made is a 5 minute short film that highlights the importance of the use of the hands in Japanese culture. The video focuses on the skilful craftsmanship of origami and straw talismans, and is shot in both Japan and the UK. It presents the different ways in which the craft of origami differs in practise in these two countries.

Directed by Hayato Fujioka, a second year student on the (BA) Criticism, Communication and Curation course at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, Fujioka describes this film as “a poetic expression of the pleasures of the culture of hand made items, which in the case of origami, began in the east and has spread to the west.”

Media Event: Art on New and Mass Media
Text by Laramie Shubber
Photography by Jack Nelson

Last Tuesday saw the opening of an art exhibition about new and mass media by Fine Art students at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. With stigma already attached to the media, creating an original and captivating exhibition was going to be a challenge but curator Jack Nelson, along with six fellow artists, pulled it off.

Yulong Wang used video to present poetic messages. He employed digital manipulation to make his actors into extensions of himself and gain ‘control’ of their interaction.

James Ravinet presented five photographic prints, which, according to Ravinet, present “aesthetically stimulated questions towards digital and physical construction, [examining] what’s real and what’s not.”

Yasmin Maksousa took a comical approach; she presented media images with beards. Of her work, Maksousa states: “I’m drawing a comparison as to what it means to be a journalist and how this affects our sexual behaviour.”

Lindsay McMillan and Bradley Steptoe joined forces and presented a hilarious film installation showing a dispute over money between Bradley and eBay user ‘pjbj43.’ The secretly captured footage was presented in a re-creation of the living room setting at the time.

A degradation process was shown in Arthur Girault’s etchings. Each plate was dipped in an acid bath, which modified the plate and the image, highlighting how consumerism is affecting our health.

Jack Nelson displayed work which looked at the disregard for nature’s power. His installation entitled Vacation acted as a reminder that whilst we revel in technology, nature is the world’s ruling force.

Speaking about the exhibition more broadly, Nelson says: “This show comes at a time when the ‘developed’ world is increasingly dependent on modern technology and continuously seduced by the visions of advertising, videogames and TV shows.”

It was a great night that had added entertainment from up-and-coming musical talent Heptathlon, as well as the fresh takes on the many forms of media.

The Media Event runs until the 26th March at the Central Saint Martins Gallery in Southampton Row. To contact Jack Nelson visit his website. See video below for Heptathlon’s performance.

Re-interpreting Old Masters: Re-Mastered Exhibition
Text and photography by Xanthia Hallissey

How do you show rain, steam and speed? What makes you think of a Starry Night? Artists in an exhibition sponsored by Intel called Re-mastered have some ideas. Tasked with bringing to life the work of old masters for the digital generation, the exhibition hummed with technology. Better still, the traditional arches and columns of the venue provided an immediate contrast to the technological experimentation inside. The exhibition was held at Number One Marylebone Road, a church pitched as “Classic meets Contemporary,” casting a new light on much loved paintings.

A reinterpretation of Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night (1889) is positioned at the beginning of the exhibition and in many ways provides much needed context. Dusk-Dawn is Midnight Toastie’s response to van Gogh’s masterpiece, a design collective that includes Audrey Anastasy, MA Communication Design graduate from Central Saint Martins. Their version of the Starry Night is created using electronic lights, which map the positions of visitors to the gallery as they move around the space, using webcam technology. The activity in the room directly correlates to the activity in the piece, allowing the viewer to interact with the work without even realizing.

Midnight Toastie’s response uses recent technology to extend the idea of gallery and space, but the scale and composition of the piece can be directly linked to the original. Other work in the exhibition is less obvious in it’s source of inspiration. Robert Corish, another MA Communication Design, Digital Media graduate from Central Saint Martins, uses sound to explore the meaning behind Wassily Kandinsky’s painting On White II (1923). Kandinsky’s creative process included listening to music, and the shapes and gestures on the canvas are his representation of the audio. Corish extends this idea to include hearing as a sense, re-positing Kandinsky’s work for a 21st century audience.

Although some of the work relies on external references to complete the picture, the accompanying exhibition guide and website provide ample space for contextualization. It is here that the idea of Re-mastered is really explained and more importantly so are the artists’ intentions. It is the juxtaposition of the very modern, inside an old building, that really speaks about a process of re-mastering. Looking at something in a new light is a leap that can only be made with time.

Re-mastered, a Visibly Smart production from Intel, ran from 09th – 13th March 2011. For more information and artist profiles, visit the exhibition page and to see the exhibition space, visit the Number One website.

Clara Turchi: Contemplating the Third Dimension
Text by Laramie Shubber
Sculptures and photography by Clara Turchi

Clara Turchi, a photography student at London College of Communication, shrugs off any borders between mediums and works in a variety of different media that she sometimes overlaps, such as sculpture and photography.

For example, Turchi’s Untitled series of white sculptures are presented as images rather than objects. This adds an extra dimension to their visual story. These sculptures have an uneasy, eerie quality due to the anonymity of the subjects and the unusual abstract shapes of the heads. The imperfect heads could also be seen as a reflection of society and people. Turchi explains: “I wanted to explore the process of the disappearance of the face as a further consequence in the process of disappearance of the real.”

The piece doesn’t have a set meaning as Clara says she wants instead to “stimulate a variety of answers…the whiteness of the images and the fact that gender, age or race are sometimes uncertain, make it a series that is open to different interpretations.”

The artist is also currently working on a new piece with the working title of Degree of Disappearance. Turchi provides an introduction: “The digital creates, doesn’t procreate: Mother Earth withdraws and light is lost with no purpose at the border of the abyss.” This new work will consist of photographic sculptures: “Each one is composed by a photograph of the English Channel at night inspired by Turner. Above which lies, hung on a rope, a bulb painted black,” Turchi explains.

Turchi also experiments with long exposures, which propose their own ephemerality. Her work, London Eye, was inspired by Futurism, so the panoramic wheel of the London Eye was perfect. The multiple exposures complement the structure of the image to suggest the concept of the persistence of the image on the retina. This piece was also shortlisted for The Renaissance Arts Prize 2009.

See more of Clara Turchi’s work on her website.

John Robinson: A Limited Engagement
Interview by Grace M-n

Interview with Byam Shaw-trained artist John Robinson, MA Fine Art CSM alumni 2008, on his pop-up exhibition A Limited Engagement at High Holborn on 11 March, 2011.

To see more of John Robinson’s work, visit his website.

Stand Out Prints: The Camberwell MA Printmaking Interim Show
Text and photography by Xanthia Hallissey

Last week House Gallery in Camberwell became home to work by MA Printmaking students from Camberwell College of Arts. It was not a permanent residency but it was a suitably intimate space for an interim show. The show may have been small, but that’s not to say the students were lacking in ambition.

The use of different, unexpected materials could lead the viewer to ask the question: what is printmaking? In Alfonsina Capurro’s work Collective Behaviour, the materials used are listed as if ingredients in a recipe she has devised: perspex, earth, grass seeds, pipette, water. Soil is sprinkled in the gutters of a perspex map where grass is encouraged to grow with hourly watering. Indeed it does, on the evening of the private view the grass seems shy, barely poking it’s head, but when I revisit on the day of closing the blades are an inch tall. Alfonsina’s experiment seems to typify a new approach to printmaking as a way of making marks, a physical imprint in the broadest sense.

Another highlight is Paul Wye’s New Provenance: hand printed, hand sewn, hand made medallions hanging from hand crafted hooks. Paul demonstrates how involved an artist can be in every aspect of the crafting of a piece of work; printmaking doesn’t necessarily have to sit on the surface.

In contrast, Julia R. Gallego’s piece Divine Fabrica could not have more traditional subjects: Adam and Eve. Utilising the traditional printing methods of screen printing and etching, Julia’s piece could run the risk of looking old fashioned, but this is an Adam and Eve you won’t have seen before: she has turned their bodies inside out.

One piece that seems rooted in the present is Nicola O’Byrne’s I Hope You Get Rich and Famous etching, which highlights an interesting dresser in a crowd of people. Nicola’s piece is perhaps the only one in the room that makes a social commentary on what it is to be different, perhaps what it is to be an art student, or what it is to be printmaking in the age of digital technology. Students of MA Printmaking stand out, they are making a stand and proving the value of print in contemporary society. I hope they get rich and famous.

For more information see the Camberwell online events page.