Solihull College

Laura Jackson

As an artist I am concerned with those things that affect our perceptions of what we consider ‘normal’ and/or ‘unusual’ in everyday life; aspects which might unnerve the viewer, challenging their response and reaction to a piece of work.

The definition of ‘Uncanny’ is something “characterised by apparently supernatural wonder and horror” with thesaurus entries listed as “weird, creepy, strange, mysterious” and yet also categorised as “astonishing, exceptional, fantastic, miraculous”. I began thinking about these descriptions further; how can something be repulsive and frightening and yet in the same sentence be magnificent and exciting? Could art be the perfect way to express such contradictions?

My work aims to evoke this ‘Uncanny’ sense in the onlooker; confusing them by manipulating space and the size of familiar objects in unfamiliar situations. This makes the work by definition, ‘Uncanny’.

Jacqui Thomson – Textiles

I am a textile artist who uses embroidery and the art of the stitch to explore feminist themes, ideals and the everyday lives of women.

Women have always stitched, be it purely for pleasure or out of necessity. My quilt consists of 20 vintage tray-cloths sewn together, from a bygone era when women devoted countless hours to the art of embroidery, and sewing items for their homes and families. Using embroideries discovered in charity shops, on Ebay, and found abandoned in the backs of cupboards, I have brought them back into the limelight to make an artwork. I am reclaiming the past histories of the women who stitched them, honouring the many hours of work they have invested in them, and celebrating the skills and crafts traditionally associated with women. Each ‘panel’ of the quilt is dedicated to a ‘Lady of Stitch.’ Some of my ladies are women I have known, like my mum Frances who ‘knitted for England’, sewed all our summer ‘frocks’ and took in mending to ‘earn a few bob’. Others are based on real women I have discovered during my research into the history of embroidery and stitch and are typical of their era. “I dedicate this quilt to all those women who devoted hour after hour to the art of embroidery and stitch.”

Victoria Redgrave – Installation

Life isn’t always what we want it to be, it has its up’s and down’s.

Society consists of all kinds of people and backgrounds in every imaginable situation.

We can become immune to the issues that exist in society for many reasons. They may be hidden or brushed under the carpet, or we simply get wrapped up in our own lives

We are fashioned and moulded by our experiences and interactions with the people that make up society. Likewise others within society are changed through our actions.

Yet the constant is that we are all human with the traits that are inherent in all of us; compassion, love, caring for others.

Our best contribution is to bring these inherent traits to the forefront of our lives.

We can lie to ourselves, but ultimately change emanates from within.

Victoria Geoghegan – Installation

Dead celebrities live on through image and sound. Everything they once said seems to have a more influential meaning once they die. They become an instant legend. We feel like we knew them but we did not. We knew what they looked like and what they sounded like but we only ever saw snippets of their lives through newspapers or on the television. Iconic images that are constantly reproduced through the media are only a representation of a person yet we create assumptions about the person being pictured. We have emotions and feelings towards the story attached to the image.

I plan to explore how it is possible to feel a loss over a person that you never met, to explore why people mourn over a person who was not aware of their existence. All we ever know is pixels on a screen or print on paper, yet we start to form a character from all the information we are fed and we start to believe we know these people. We become attached to the pictures we see whether we admit it or not, we all recognise iconic images without even having to think twice about whom they are. It is hard not to pass judgement on their lives from the image and video which is fed to us through the media.

“On a very basic, biological basis, scientists say we humans are hardwired to be fascinated with celebrity, and that our brains receive pleasurable chemical stimuli when we see familiar faces.” (Altman, Celebrity culture, Are Americans Too Focused On Celebrities, 2005)

Is it the mass production of their images which causes us to become over sensitized to these people? As time passes we become less sensitized and become numb to them as a person. They simply exist in our minds as an iconic image.

“Houran recalls a teenage girl who began injuring herself after learning that punk singer Marilyn Manson, her favourite celebrity, was getting married. “She cut her arms, neck and legs. She was rushed to the hospital. She wanted to be the one to change him. When she was discharged, she realized what she did was extreme. But she still rationalized her obsession, saying, ‘I just want him to be happy. If he is happy, I am happy. He is the only person I connect with.’” (Altman, Celebrity culture, 2005)

It seems that because we view these people through a screen we seem so place them on a pedestal, they are legends and almost appear superhuman to us.

When somebody you care about dies you never truely get over it; there will always be pain within. Why is it that people can cry hysterically over the death of Michael Jackson or Whitney Houston, saying things such as ‘I cant believe they are gone’, then as time passes they no longer feel any emotion. They are just another dead legend that ‘died before their time’.

Are the emotions we feel towards these icons ever real?

Repetition causes things to become meaningless.

About The Artists

We are a group of thirteen artists coming to the end of our fine art degree at solihull college. We are all really excited about the show and are working away to get all of the work done! Our dissertations are all in and this is the final part of our journey!

The Show

‘Fingerprints’ The shows private view will be held at Solihull College in the art department, second floor on Thursday 31st May – 6pm-9pm.

Food and beverages will be provided by Harry’s Place Bistro.

A catalogue with all of the artists details will be available free of charge.

The Work

The work in the show consists of a wide variety of installations, painting, film work, sound, textiles and print. Each individual has explored their subject matter over the course of the degree and in the show you will be seeing the outcome of all the hard work!

This Blog

Here you will find updates from the students involved in the few weeks left leading up to the show. We will keep you updated with photos of how it is all going in our preparation for the final chapter in our degree. I will be posting photographs and other information in the weeks leading up to the show so watch this space!