- Venue
- University Campus Suffolk - Ipswich
- Location
- United Kingdom
What can we expect when entering into a Fine Art Degree Show? The notion that anyone can have pre-conceptions about what they are about to see seems bizarre, for what lies ahead is a variety of contemporary art produced by this year’s Fine Art graduates of University Campus Suffolk. The cleverly fashioned title to the show ‘But What if Everything Isn’t Going to be Alright’ acknowledges the completion of their journey, where ‘the real world’ beckons and uncertainty lies in wait.
If anyone’s work can encompass the apprehension put forth by the title of this show it is that of Joshua Tyson with the somewhat monstrous mechanical structures within his installation The Soap Factory (2013) looming over the viewer and enveloping the space. The intimidating and almost creature-like nature of the structures inflicts a sense of vulnerability upon onlookers, threatening harm to those who stand before them. It is this intention for the work to make the viewer feel uncomfortable which is incredibly interesting, not just owing to the physical appearance of the piece but also to the situation in which the viewer is placed, to contemplate this concept of the ‘destructive human condition’ which The Soap Factory must cleanse people of. The accompanying video allows the viewer an insight into Tyson’s mind, compiled from snippets of low budget horror movies from the 80s and 90s which remain incredibly influential to his work. The presence of the television arguably provides a momentary refuge for the viewer, being able to safely observe the reel of disturbing images without fear that the horrors within will suddenly burst out of the screen and swallow them up. In comparison, the industrial-looking sculptures contained behind the metal fence appear foreign and seem to evoke an unnerving feeling upon their spectators as if at any moment the exhibition space may become the scene of a horror movie itself.
How much can we tell about a piece of art by the title the artist gives it? It is fair to say that everyone is guilty of at least once looking at the title before looking at the artwork itself, a natural action in our quest to decipher the meaning or concept behind the work. In the case of Kate Manning she does not give us much to go on. The work she displays within this degree show remains untitled…not even ‘Untitled’ but in the literal sense that no name at all has been given to the work. So how on earth can we know for sure what it is about? Without the distraction of the title it actually becomes a lot easier to reflect upon what is there as opposed to filling in the gaps. In Kate Manning’s space there is an extremely controlled selection of materials displayed in a precise way emphasizing the influence of each element on one another. In the corner resides a stack of what appears to be discarded cement blocks upon which a long piece of wood, painted in black, is balanced. What becomes intriguing about this idea of balance within the work is an essence of vulnerability, the idea that at a simple touch the work could just collapse. I’m sure this is not what Manning intended when embracing the idea that ‘the viewer completes the work.’ She highlights how simple decisions can be appreciated more when the work is stripped back. It seems to become clear that the less there is going on in the space, the more the viewer is able to reflect without becoming distracted by everything else.
Amongst the various installations which appear in this year’s show, Val Jones’s large paintings stand strong with her prolific style and approach to creating work. The collection of large canvases, which line the second floor corridor of UCS’s Fine Art department, are testament to the powerful influence of water in Jones’s work. Each painting evokes a sense of place in which the viewer experiences the intimate nature of each piece, appreciating the connection between Jones and the specific locations she has chosen to depict. Her intentions to ‘immerse the viewer’ are evident within her video piece Deep Water (2013) in which large projections of underwater clips adorn the walls of the dark space. Viewers are invited into the room to contemplate the work in a little bubble of existence blocked off from reality, becoming reminiscent of the experience of the artist herself when swimming, ‘escaping into another world.’ Jones’s work exemplifies the embracement of various mediums within Fine Art practice, demonstrating the versatility of artists to incorporate both traditional and contemporary practices within their work.
I now revert back to my original question on what to expect on entering into a Fine Art Degree Show. I will tell you one thing, if you had asked that question to Tyson, Manning or Jones at the beginning of this academic year I’m sure not even they would have known. So what if everything isn’t going to be alright? Perhaps the answer to this question resonates within the Degree show itself with the work as evidence that it doesn’t always turn out how you’d planned anyway. So why should we always know where we are going and what the next step is? Surely not knowing is all part of the fun.
