Newcastle University Undergraduate Degree Show - part 2

The last time I went to look round the Newcastle University Undergraduate Degree Show I was unable to see it all, and so on Saturday I went to view the rest of the works prior to the exhibition closing and being exhibited in London.

It just so happened that on this viewing of the exhibition I saw most of the video work. I was impressed by the confidence of the students whose work involves them performing to camera. I was disappointed to have missed the live performances that happened on the preview night, but was pleased that the work presented in the gallery held it's own even without the performance. 

Katy Bentham's installation in the Hatton Gallery appealed to my aesthetic sensibilities. Her articulate voice accompanied the actions in the film; polishing shoes; folding a shirt. The precise layout of the components of the installation echoed the content of the film and made for a cohesive work, even without seeing the performance.

Fergus Carmichael's two-screen projection was filmed in Greece during a trip funded by the Bartlett Travel Award. The sound alone was outstanding.

There are certainly some artists that will go far if they continue to make work of this standard, and I look forward to following their progression. I wish them the best of luck for life beyond the University.

http://newcastledegreeshow.com/

Newcastle University BA Fine Art Degree Show

The Newcastle University BA Fine Art Degree Show brings together the work of 64 students, 14 of whom are exhibited at the Hatton Gallery, and the other work is shown within the Fine Art Department at Newcastle University.

Covering a wide range of artistic practice, the show includes painting, sculpture, print, performance, text and installation. 

The exhibition is open until 16th June 2018.

Lizzie Munn

Lizzie Munn

Lizzie Munn

Harry Pickup (woodcuts) and Susannah Curran (sculptures)

In pictures: some highlights from Newcastle University Fine Art UG Degree Show

Callum Caplan

http://www.callumcaplan.com/

Deanna Smith
http://deannasmithart.co.uk/

Gina Tawn
http://fineart.ncl.ac.uk/ba2017/portfolio/gina-tawn/

Helen Scully
http://fineart.ncl.ac.uk/ba2017/portfolio/helen-scully/

Melinda McGarry
https://melindamcgarry.wordpress.com/

Molly Bythell
https://mollybythell.com/

Eli Samuels
http://fineart.ncl.ac.uk/ba2017/portfolio/eli-samuels/

Anthony Hensman
https://www.anthonyhensman.com/

Sarah Grundy
http://fineart.ncl.ac.uk/ba2017/portfolio/sarah-grundy/

Performances at Newcastle University Fine Art Undergraduate Degree Show

I have learned from previous experience that it is not possible to see much of the artwork at the opening of the UG Degree Show as it simply is too busy. I'm also aware that there are a number of performances that happen on the preview night, some of which will not be repeated again.

I therefore set out with the aim to see each of the performances at the preview, and I will visit again over the duration of the exhibition in order to see the rest of the work.



The first performance took place in the life room in which there were a number of cast sculptures occupying the floorspace along with piles of the skins of garlic cloves. Heather Bonnie Reid, dressed in casual clothes, entered the space, walked to one of the cast sculptures and began manipulating a slab of clay as she delivered a spoken word piece that was a cross between a poem and a story. Her actions complemented the text, and the sculptural props further added to the performance. Her soothing Irish voice made the words all the more pleasant to listen to, and her relaxed and comfortable pace and tone contributed to my feeling that she was talking to me as opposed to a crowded room. Personal yet relatable, the text was poignant and beautifully constructed.

Moving on to the seminar room, stood Cathy Garner at a lecturn with a projection behind and told the story of her nightmare of a week. In the final few days leading up to the exhibition that marks the completion of the 4 year Fine Art Degree, her external harddrive, the device on which all of her Degree Show work was stored, packed in and all of her data and work was lost. Remarkably, she delivered a immensely powerful performance that took me through a journey of emotions and left me feeling upmost respect for the courageous and resiliant artist. Told with REM's 'Everybody Hurts' as the soundtrack, her story was sad and humorous, her delivery composed and genuine. She carried the audience with her. Yes, I felt sorry for her, but she was not asking for pity or making excuses. Her positivity is honourable. Unfortunately hers is a situation that has happened before and will probably happen again, yet not every artist would be able to seize the opportunity to make a new piece of work from the experience. It spoke to me on so many levels, the expectations we have of ourselves, the pressure of deadlines and having to fit creativity into a predefined calendar, the problems we face as artists to produce, but also the experience of being a helpless human in this increasingly electronic culture. Hats off to you Cathy!

Newcastle University Undergraduate Fine Art Degree Show - Preview Friday 2nd June, 6-9pm

I'm looking forward to attending the preview of the Newcastle University Undergraduate Fine Art Degree Show tonight.



"The Newcastle University Fine Art BA Degree Show brings together the work of over fifty young artists at the culmination of four-year study on the BA in Fine Art. The exhibition displays a diverse set of practices and media including painting, new media, film, video, sculpture, photography, print, sound, performance and installation.



The Newcastle Show will take place in the Fine Art Department of Newcastle University and nearby in the Great North Museum: Hancock from Saturday 3rd June to Saturday 17th June with a Preview from 6pm on Friday 2nd June.



The exhibition will then transfer to London where it will be exhibited in the Hoxton Arches from the Wednesday 22ND June to Monday 26th June with a Preview from 7pm on Friday 23rd June."



I've had the pleasure of working with some of the students in various capacities over the last two years, and I am excited to see how their work has developed.



For more information about the artists involved, visit

http://fineart.ncl.ac.uk/ba2017/