Today we headed into toun to visit the degree show at college. Although I’d helped out with the illustration section I’d not seen any of the other departments. Unusually Big Dreamer wanted to come. He remains traumatised by an exhibition I once took him to which included a video of a woman eating her hair and lots of dead pigeons so it’s not often he volunteers to see art. It’s not that he’s not cultured. Give Big Dreamer poetry, prose, theatre, film but most of all music and he’s with you. Art is a different story. It brings out the dry-witted yorkshire man in him.
Unfortunately today was no different. He stood squarely, surveying some wax wolves’ heads scattered around the floor while Little Owl tried to put her head inside one of them (thankfully the attendant wasn’t watching). He looks exactly as if he should be leaning on a rail at a cattle fair bemoaning beef prices with his cronies. “So what’s it for then? What does it do?” he asks. Although I ignore most of his comments because I know he is being purposefully difficult it is interesting to see the often insular world of art through his eyes.
Anyway, here are some of my favourites from the show:
Elly Cottrill: Piranesi-esque drawings of the Greggs factory.
Katie Rowland: Beautiful tonal prints. I especially liked her lithographic books.
Justine King: Epically sensitive work.
Sofia Noble: Brilliant graphic design.
Kate McLelland: Really accomplished illustrator but I’m a bit biased about the whole illustration department.
Claire Lamond: The animation department were top notch and I loved this piece. You can watch the trailer below.
