Every year, in the second or third week of June, I try to get along to see what graduating students at Hereford College of Arts have been creating. The show is open to the public and this year the college asked me to a preview to meet students in their last few days at the college, to discuss their work and plans for the future as part of the college’s professional development programme for Contemporary Applied Arts (including Artist Blacksmithing) BA. It was quite a day – with a student every 15 minutes for six hours.
The work was incredibly varied and I think Hereford is fairly unusual in offering a course that allows students to use a huge variety of material, techniques and therefore workshop facilities. Ceramics, Printmaking, Blacksmithing/Sculpture in a variety of materials, textiles, and precious metals, wood – green and seasoned, were all represented at the show. I was impressed with the way that the students spoke about their work and with the way they had put their exhibition together. Here are a few snaps to whet your appetite.
One of a series of fully articulated insects in wood and metal from steampunk- influenced artist Niki Burns http://www.artsthread.com/p/nikburns
Above, Pershore, Worcester, Hereford. A memory, a feeling, a place, a person? Lucy has her own alphabet to represent any of these – she keeps the code to herself, for the time-being – see www.lucysalter.co.uk
Degree Shows at HCAD are on now until Wednesday afternoon (19th July 2013) – if you can’t make it and are closer to London, there is a second chance these, and nearly 3000 other, newly graduating students’ work at New Designers, Islington. With so many graduates the show is divided into two parts – 26-29th June and 3-6th July, details are on the ND website.
Forged Gate by Samuel Pearce, for details and other designs see www.sampearceartistblacksmith.wordpress.com