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As a verb the word state can be traced back to the 1600s. It arose from notions of to set in position, to declare in words, to place something on record; the action of making something solid and known. As a noun, and as used in the title of this year’s final exhibition of MA Photography students, the roots of this same word reach back yet further to the 1200s and to the idea of the condition of a country, implying vastness of place and the undulating climates of governance and prosperity. It attracts a diverse student body, with one of the positives being the critical mass achieved, namely that any one issue or subject area is usually approached by a number of students at once across full and part-time modes, enriching the possibilities of critical discussion. As is to be expected, the work of this 2012 graduating year group cannot be easily categorized. Nevertheless, noticeable areas of focus re-occur and equally significant are the issues largely avoided. A Forming State suggests that something will be set, declared or placed. Perhaps, collectively, curated as an exhibition, this year’s MA Photography graduates have put on the most political show yet.
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