For twenty two final year students the Lancaster Fine Art Degree show running from 15th-23rd June marks not only the end of their time at university, but the start of their professional artistic careers. The students will display their most poignant pieces, the results of three years of laborious and insightful work, inside the Peter Scott Gallery. A variety of contemporary aims and themes, pieces range from experimental portraiture to the deconstruction of traditional archiving, paying tribute to their ideology of the ‘informed practitioner’. Indeed, as Amber Bowden, member of the marketing team behind Twenty Ten who will be exhibiting her paintings in the show explains,
“the individual artists engage with an extensive range of disciplines, from new media to taxidermy, with some students even challenging the borders between science and art.”
As demonstrated by the exhibits, twenty-first century living has opened doors and influenced the students’ practices giving room for great creativity and experimentalism; however aspects of tradition still remain pertinent, bringing traditional values into modern day contemplation. Despite their work being conceptual, the students’ personal development shines through; energetic and colourful, the pieces reflect the young artists’ learning, passion and a variety of artistic techniques, strong surges of creativity that provoke emotions as well as admiration for their originality and beauty.
As the students’ coordinator and tutor Jane Rushton proudly asserts, “In Twenty Ten we give you twenty-two, (mainly) twenty-odd year olds who go out into the world with the ability to make visually sensitive and intelligent art, who can reflect on their practice, articulate their aims and values, and understand its historical and conceptual context.”
These are young artists that have not only strived to create credible and informed pieces of art but who have also worked extremely hard for the opportunity of presenting them to the public. With support from the LICA, Lancaster Alumni and the local community the students raised £2000 in order to create and market the exciting exhibition, fund the private opening event on 15th June and design a professional catalogue representing each of the students with their personal statements and images of their work. The catalogue will be on sale at the price of £2 and can be previewed online.
In addition to the show held in the Peter Scott gallery, each student will be displaying a unique body of work in the studio space next to the gallery where the spectator can gain an insight into their individual artistic worlds — each demonstrating their own experimentalism and together forming Northern England’s up and coming contemporary artists.
The show will be held in the Peter Scott Gallery with a viewing of the students’ full bodies of work in the art studios in Bowland annexe situated at the north end of the university campus from 15th-23rd June.
‘Twenty Ten’ are:
Ellie Barrett, Rebecca Bishop, Amber Bowden, Mariandrie Chrysostomou, Sarah Churlish, Victoria Gray, Jenny Green, Shona Harrison, Katy Hatherley, Vicky Hughes, Anastazia Kalivitou, Sarah Marriner, Chloé McClellan, Christian Mills, Grace Owen, Bex Shindler, Meredith Stoakes, Kat Stoney, Judy Taylor, Emma Turner, Joanna Wood and Jenna Wrigglesworth.
