The University of Leeds Fine Art Degree Show 2013
Contents
7
Introduction Ellen Hancock
9
After the Group Crit Rebecca Jones
16
Why Exhibit? Harriet Wiseman
20
Curate This Clare McCormack
25
Equivalents
64
Art and Value Jessica McLaughlin
66
Contact Details
5
Introduction
The final year students of The University of Leeds Fine Art course welcome you to their degree show entitled ÂŁ383,911.73. There have been thirty-eight weeks of preparation, hundreds of meetings, endless facebook notifications, a few too many impressions of inflatable air dances, dangerous amounts of coffee, lots of head scratching and most importantly, consistently adventurous art making, which has culminated in this one-week exhibition. This exhibition both celebrates forty students completing their bachelors degree and showcases the talent of the same forty as emerging artists.
The catalogue continues in this theme asking each individual to contemplate the value of their own work and futher more the meaning of value to them as graduating fine art practitioners. We hope you find it a useful accompaniment to the exhibition and a valuable record of the event.
- Ellen Hancock
The title of the exhibition provokes conversation around the issues of value within art and the current climate of education. Concurrently, its also provides an opportunity for a reflection on the value of each individuals’ engagement, development and accomplishments during their time on the course.
7
After the Group Crit Rebecca Jones
The degree show is often the apogee to most fine art courses. It is a combination of late nights, early starts, creative blocks and inspired triumphs. It is also the culmination of three years worth of thinking, creating, discussing and exhibiting.
and the ongoing feedback received from technicians, teachers, lecturers and peers. Presenting work and receiving regular, constructive critiques is an integral part of most Fine Art programs.
At the University of Leeds, students receive a generous studio space and have the privilege of working alongside creative people on a daily basis. The dynamics formed in the studio play a key role in the development of a student’s work; an environment that is both stimulating and encouraging often allows for the most progress. In conjunction with the studio work, students are able to explore their interests and compliment their practice through engaging with the wider syllabus.
The critique, more commonly known as ‘crit’ comes in many forms: It might be four students sat together considering a friend’s drawing whilst drinking tea and eating excessive amounts of chocolate hobnobs. It could be something more formal, where faculty members and students meet at a predetermined time with the aim of discussing a particular student’s work. Sometimes, it is spontaneous; without prior warning a tutor might sit with a pupil to talk about the student’s recent explorations.
Over the three years, (often passing through moments of utter joy and times of total despondency) a student’s practice evolves in response to the numerous tutorials, casual discussions, heated debates, group critiques
In all of the crit’s incarnations, the objective is to provide fresh insights into student’s work in order to help the student progress and move towards their goals. It allows for exterior ‘readings’ of the work to take place, 9
readings that are impossible to attain when one is ‘in’ the work or in the process of making it. The best kind of crit provides the student with further clarity, direction and a wider understanding of their practice. Under the right conditions, the crit has the power to inspire and give new energy, propelling the student forward, towards their creative endeavors. The crit is not just beneficial to those being critiqued; it is an equally enriching experience for those participating. The participants have the opportunity to step away from their own work and consider something new; it teaches them how to read art works and the student’s situation. They also learn how to communicate their feedback, ideas and thoughts constructively - acting with empathy and honesty whilst conveying their suggestions in a manner gainful for the individual presenting. The crit can be a place where minds meet and solve problems together; relationships can be forged and collaborations can blossom. Always, after a
good crit, the participants can walk away feeling equally motivated and satisfied, knowing that they have had a positive influence on the student presenting. With this in mind, how does the art graduate develop their work and progress professionally when the key elements, underpinning their practice (such as the studio space and the group crit) are suddenly no longer available to them? The following interviews with three artists, John Slemensek, Charlotte Garnett and Elizabeth Murton, explore their experiences of the crit, how they source professional development after graduation and how they all ensure the continuation of their practice. John Slemensek John Slemensek graduated from Leeds Metropolitan in 2010 and is part the Leeds based collective, Woolgather. John and the team have initiated many projects, ranging
from art prizes to pop up art shows. Recently, the Woolgather team launched the Woolgather Art Vend, which dispenses art in vending machines, across Leeds for £1.
needn’t step into a gallery space to access it. ‘That’s why the Vend launch has been so great – we’ve sold over 700 artworks and I get feedback from all kinds of people because the machines are dotted all over Leeds.’
During a chat with John, he explained he was fortunate that his practice did not require a studio. ‘It was always a bonus while I was studying; the technicians, tutors, the studio space and the workshops, but luckily, I can work wherever. I don’t need the removal that a studio space offers - my art is about adventure and takes place in the outside world. Perhaps it would be different if I were a painter. But because my work is time and moment based, a studio space just isn’t relevant to me. I work domestically.’
John has had vast experience of the crit and enjoys engaging in another artist’s work, ‘The most important thing is that an individual has to be ready to detach themselves from the work and consider it constructively, in both positive and negative lights in order to further their ideas. Often, if the individual isn’t ready for this, debate and discussion can be taken as a personal attack, having the reverse effect on the student.’
When asked how he attains feedback on both his work and that of Woolgather’s activities he replied that the general public were his main critiques. He feels that everyone should be able to enjoy art and that you
We spoke about how he ensured the continuation of his practice beyond university, ‘We started Woolgather whilst we were all studying - it was a natural progression to continue what we had already begun and our teachers helped prepare us for the first step. In regards to my own work, I am considering further study abroad, 11
probably an MA in Film. I would like a new cultural experience and film moves me in a way that no other art form can.’
But within my own work, I have personal objectives, which I consider through exhibiting and assessing the visitor’s responses.’
Charlotte Garnett
Charlotte continued, ‘gaining feedback is an integral part of both my development as a teacher and as an artist. I always find any negative feedback more helpful than the positive, as this gives me new targets to work towards.’
Upon graduating from the University of Leeds in 2011, Charlotte Garnett went on to complete her PGCE. Charlotte dived straight into teaching art at Kendal College whilst continuing with her own creative practice. Through email correspondences with Charlotte, I learned that sourcing helpful criticism for her professional development was divided into two areas; her role as a teacher and her capacity as an artist. ‘As a teacher, I work towards an OFSTED criteria - it is easy to gather verbal feedback from the students after lessons and through observations from my colleagues.
As a former student of the University of Leeds and through hosting critiques at Kendal College for her classes, Charlotte is well versed in the rituals of the group crit. When asked about her style for chairing critiques, she described that she preferred facilitating them in an informal way, creating an open discussion for the group. Often she will ask each participant their opinion in order to give everyone a chance to put forward their thoughts and feelings.
Charlotte currently makes her own art from home and misses working in a larger studio space with other artists. ‘Availability of resources and working with highly motivated individuals are vital ingredients to a productive practice, but I find being self driven and having a passion for learning is more important - I constantly seek new knowledge and experience, which is how I ensure I develop both as a teacher and as an artist.’ Elizabeth Murton Elizabeth Murton has a studio at Bow Arts, London. She studied Psychology and Italian at Lancaster University before moving to Goldsmiths to study art, completing her degree in 2006. In 2007, she initiated Engine Chat Chat, an informal and supportive peer critique. ‘When I left Goldsmiths, I missed the studio environment and the peer conversations. At this point I didn‘t have a
studio and wanted to continue talking and sharing both my own and other people‘s work and ideas. That is why I started Engine Chat Chat soon after leaving Goldsmiths.’ Elizabeth explained that all artists were welcome to join the conversation or present a piece of work. She keeps the groups small in order to create a relaxed setting; this often allows for a closer and more intimate engagement between artists and encourages constructive conversation about the ideas and content of the presenter’s work. Prior to the crit, she requests that the presenter comes with a question they wish to ask of their work or that they wish to direct to the participants. This helps to get the discussion going and focuses the dialogue towards a specific concern. ‘The peer crit has the potential to be a learning tool for the people responding, as much as the people presenting. It is about asking the right questions that help the presenter engage with their work, and move it forward. You need to question your questions.’ 13
To ensure the development of her own work, Elizabeth attains her feedback from studio artists and peers. She has also received a ‘Re:view’ bursary for professional development from an: The Artist Information Company, which allows her to receive tutorials over the next 18 months from professionals she has selected. We moved on to discuss the significance of a studio space and the working dynamics at Bow, ‘I think being in an active studio group, like Bow Arts, does give you access to more opportunities- such as residencies in The Nunnery Gallery you can apply to, also the Open Studios are really well attended. In terms of art work, I find having dedicated space and time does help in terms of making and developing my practice.’ When asked if her approach of reflecting and gauging feedback changed in any way when analysing individual pieces or an entire exhibition, she answered, ‘In terms of the work it is about how successful I feel the work is, and feedback from others. In terms of the exhibition, it
may be a case of how I think or feel the exhibition went, and how much it was right for my work. Both responses may change over time as I reflect.’ Many graduates embark upon further study or seek further training to enhance and improve their skills, Elizabeth explained that she loves to learn, ‘I have completed a module in Philosophy at Birkbeck, University of London, which was very interesting. As well as other informal courses for specific creative skills, and I am doing an arts mentoring course this week. My professional development bursary I see as further study; continued learning is important to me. Whether I do another HE course, like an MA, would depend if I saw it as beneficial and that it offered something I need that I can‘t get somewhere else.’
What can be learned from John, Charlotte and Elizabeth is that the artist’s practice comes in many shapes and forms. No matter how different their practice’s are they all share one thing: they proactively engage with others about their work. Each spoke of the importance of the group crit and elaborated on the many ways in which feedback can be sourced. A key lesson learned was that the crit should not be taken lightly. All participants carry an equal responsibility in guiding the presenter or student. Each person must tread carefully; criticizing constructively. In all three artists‘ cases, each strived to learn new skills and develop their abilities, subsequently achieving their goals and stimulating their creative practice. For an art graduate to flourish, it is essential to continue critically discussing and exploring their work with others. They must also replace or substitute the elements that have helped their work develop inside the
institute by seeking tools, organisations and resources elsewhere. And perhaps, if any of those systems or resources are not already in place. Why not be the one to initiate them? Start a group crit. Create a book club. Host an event. Put on an exhibition. Continue to discuss and you will develop.
Further information on the artists covered in this article : http://woolgatherart.com http://charlottegarnettpgce.tumblr.com http://www.elizabethmurton.co.uk http://www.enginechatchat.co.uk
15
Why Exhibit? Harriet Wiseman
As forty emerging artists, there are many reasons for us to exhibit our work, but what are they and what does it really mean to be part of an exhibition? We know that this degree show is not a conventional one, due to the fact that it is completely organised by the final year students on the University of Leeds BA Fine Art course. The theme, the curation, the design of the publicity material, the marketing, the fundraising, the symposium, the website and the catalogue have all been conceived, created, chosen and executed by us. Through this experience we have learnt valuable skills that will help us propel ourselves into the competitive job market and it has given us the confidence to believe in our own capabilities. But what else does it mean to show our work within an exhibition and what can an exhibition do for our art practice? On the most superficial level, an exhibition helps to promote and find a market for the work of an artist; it
helps them to gain financial support in order to continue on their creative journey. An artist’s solo show allows the viewer to stand immersed within that singular point of view, following the threads and seeing the many aspects of the artist at once. A group exhibition, on the other hand, speaks more of the zeitgeist, highlighting commonalities in concern, or a combined engagement with a particular idea that is shared by a cluster of artists. The group show facilitates debate on a collective mindset and elucidates the differences between the multiple perspectives that are being presented. For the artists themselves, the exhibition is an opportunity to develop a critical eye on their work, to sharpen their analytical dexterity through deciding what to include or exclude within a show. This can become an opportunity to reflect rigorously on how they want to be seen as an artist and what kind of statements are the most important to make through their work.
The opportunity to exhibit can create a chain of development for the artist and the work that they make. Firstly, it can act as a goal to work towards, pushing the artist to consider their pieces outside of the studio and motivating the creation of new work. Subsequently, the introduction of the work to an audience aids the artist in assessing the effectiveness of their piece. This can provide a type of feedback that has a unique exteriority to the criticism or advice that the artist might gain from elsewhere. The chance to be able to observe the piece’s interaction with the viewer and gauge the different responses that it might provoke is invaluable. The artist may be able to receive direction and ideas of how to further advance and develop their practice from the very audience that they are trying to communicate something to. This knowledge can then be used by the artist in their making and preparation for the next exhibition that they might have, as well as helping to elevate their practice overall.
There are many consequences that arise from the exhibition of a work of art. There is a way in which the piece is able to receive a certain amount of autonomy, there is a transference, it is handed over in a sense, entrusted to become something more than just a symbol of the artist who created it. The work is able to move from being in a singular relationship with the maker to a more multidimensional existence in which it may be able to connect with a variety of people on many levels. It is important for the artwork to interact with the public and to actively address the viewer. An exhibition is a public stance; it positions the work and the artist into a contextual framework and may be able to stimulate a dynamic relationship between the piece and the society in which it is situated. The presentation of an art piece within an exhibition also connotes significance, it says that this work is ready to be discussed and considered. Many artists create in order to express something that 17
they are perhaps unable to communicate using the conventional tool of language. Therefore the exhibition acts as a subtle translating figure, highlighting to the viewer that this is the arena in which the intangible may become physical, or the inaudible heard, somehow. It presents an opportunity to get involved within that process and to add a voice into the conversation. The definition of what art is (and could be) has always been a complex one. However, it has been made even more multifaceted with the invention of new technologies and artists who are keen to complicate and push the boundaries even further. This is something, which is rare, and to be championed in a society where the answers to millions of queries are just a Google search away, requiring no more thought than which link to click. The exhibition signals a place in which to challenge this ‘one click’ mentality, a place where the viewer and the artist could both attempt to push their thinking and confront the assumptions that we make
about the world around us. It is a space in which we can open up a dialogue and question both the marginal and the major issues within our society and beyond it. Thus, to exhibit becomes a way in which to enter into a discussion that has no fixed answer or subject, where different forms of expression can be shared, explored, tested and disputed. This indefiniteness is so exhilarating, it presents a place in which imagination, subtlety and playfulness can coexist with difficult examination, radical thinking and confrontational gestures. Instead of these characteristics being divided or mutually exclusive, as they are normally perceived, the exhibition as an event is able to create the possibility of thought that is a little more fluid and open-ended. Exhibitions come in all shapes, sizes and formats but they all encourage and celebrate the idea that we, as humans, are thoughtful beings, able to reflect on, and interrogate, our own thinking and the mindset of the world around us. It is through this incredible exercise
that we might be able to intervene and alter how we live, both as individuals and as a society. This is something we must value, activate and protect. The ÂŁ383,911.73 show is being held in the studios of the School of Fine Art; we are inviting the viewer into the heart of where we have studied and developed over the course of our education here at the University of Leeds. So let us be proud to instigate a conversation between the viewer, the artist and the society that we are all a part of and let us revel in the opportunity to open anything up for questioning. May this show be both a celebratory occasion as well as a platform from which to spring from and grow.
19
Curate This Clare McCormack
“No curator in their right mind would take that on.” The encouraging words of one of our lecturers to the curation team. What do you do with these forty people who create very disparate work and have very different visions in terms of presenting that work? If one of the things that art is about is making connections, then what connections can we, as curators, notice and make visible between the artists showing here?
Our motivations for choosing this course were varied as are the feelings about what we have taken from it, but we have spent three or four years together trying, for whatever reasons, to make art. That proximity is noticeable in concerns and interests that make themselves apparent in the work. Influences of lecturers, tutors, technicians and visitors to the school seem to be there too. The closer we look, the more patterns seem to emerge.
The whole group had decided quickly to keep the show on campus and to spread it across the three sites of our studios. This decision eased some curatorial problems for us – in breaking the pack down into more manageable chunks, it would surely be easier to get an overview and find commonalities, not to mention easing communication (you should have been at some of those first meetings). But it also created new complications: three shows in three buildings must still work as one show and be coherent as one project.
The most obvious connection, and the reason why we are exhibiting together at all, is that we are all hoping to graduate. We started this course post credit crunch and to a soundtrack of economic and social upheaval that seems to have faded into a background hum of austerity measures that are no longer referred to as cuts. We‘re leaving this place with what appears to be the usual amount of uncertainty for arts graduates these days, and with the usual amount of hope too. Because of course we‘re optimists – doesn‘t it take an
optimist to study art? The certain way, the secure way, the safe way are roads best suited to pessimists. To risk, you have to hope. As uncertain as we are about our futures, we‘ve often felt just as little certainty throughout this course about what exactly it is that we are studying. Art is elusive. There is enough unspoken agreement about the meaning of the word for it to suffice in general conversation, with each of us knowing what the other means and taking it as a given. But who doesn‘t break into a sweat when asked to define more closely, to draw a line? Art‘s elusiveness is one of the reasons why we are drawn to it. The paradox of the easy familiarity with which we use the term, and the difficulty of defining it opens up a space for imagination. It is this space, away from specific exclusions, that allows us to formulate a language that can be indefinite, yet precise in its expression.
Talking about the value of art for the Arts Council‘s youtube film, What Matters?, the author Jeanette Winterson notes, ‘… people set up binaries that are completely untrue. So they say, “It’s the arts or the health service”, as though those are equivalents. In fact, the way we have this conversation is entirely propositional. These are not truths, these are propositions. And we can change them.’ Such setting of equivalents is tempting. Margaret Thatcher‘s recent state-funded funeral turned out to be a bargain at just 3.6 million. Though much less than the 10 million first predicted, it‘s a figure still very close to the 3.9 million cuts made to the Arts Council of England this year. But then again, these are nothing to the 30% cut to their funding in 2010 or the 7.7 million reduction planned for next year. You see how it goes. When defending the arts, it‘s also easy to be drawn into attempting to express their value in, even if not 21
directly monetary terms, then to offer some other numeric answer – bums on seats, tourists attracted, employability improved or town centres regenerated. Then art might be something worth investing in. And art might well contribute to those areas, but we don‘t really think that that‘s what it‘s about, do we? There are those other, more elusive values, more difficult to express, partly for what they might reveal about our inner lives. That it enriches and nourishes the place in us that, as a secularist, I struggle to find words for. That it reminds us that we are connected to one another, much as we try to ignore or deny it. That life can be lifesize, larger than the everyday dullness it‘s so easy to get bogged down in. That we are moved and touched and curious, not just cynical and apathetic. It lets us imagine how things might be different. It can give hidden things a shape and a form. I‘ve exposed enough of myself and my pretentions to do us all for a long while, so I‘ll end with someone else‘s
thoughts on the value of art education. This time, it‘s the painter George Shaw. ‘The whole point of education is change, same as drinking. You don‘t want to end up the same person at the end of the evening. That‘s a waste of money.’
23
Akeelah Bertram
£28 in library fines ½ metre of dissolvable fabric 1 bookmaker’s awl 1 date stamp 1 fabric canvas 1 metre of PVC leather 1 pair of fabric scissors 1 USB stick 2 bottles of PVA glue 2 bulldog clips 2 inkpads 2 pairs of scissors
2 palette knives 2 pencil sharpeners 3 artist research notebooks 3 card canvases 3 craft knives 3 glue sticks 3 quick unpicks 3 rolls of double sided tape 4 rulers 4 spools of thread 5 drawing books
6 frames 6 kg of Herculite 6 needles 7 memo pads 7 pencils 10 metres of felt 11 paint brushes 15 Biro pens 20 tubes of acrylic paint 22 photographic slides 22 stamps 24 metres of electrical tape
Laura Feltham
26 tubes of oil paint 33 marker pens 47 books 47 archival artefacts 49 websites 74 dried flowers 110 metres of washi tape 137 pieces of paper 184 metres of embroidery thread 293 days 500g of air-dry clay 2271 pins on pinterest
Carrie Mallows
Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.
Rebecca Jones
Imogen Pring
Hannah Gomersal
brack¡et / ‘ brakit/ Noun Each of a pair of marks used to enclose words or figures so as to separate them from the context. They create a paradoxical space in which the text inside them is both present and absent, informative and peripheral. The mark is transitional, creating both fluidity and enclosure. Verb Place (one or more people or things) in the same category or group. Synonyms Noun. Parenthesis Verb. Parenthesize
Harriet Wiseman
565.1 miles 50 maps 742 slides 20 metres of paper 3 slide projectors 6 bulbs
Bethany Cowley
ÂŁ 5, Chesterfield Market, Derbyshire
Anna McQuillin
METATHESIOPHOBIA…
No wait… I changed my mind.
Ashleigh Owen
30 early mornings 20 late nights 500 pricked fingers 10 broken needles 1000 deep big breaths
Tamsin Pearson
7,272 hrs 436,320 mins 26,179,200 secs ÂŁ45,013.68
Emily Palmer
Kim Diamond
Ellen Lapper
Matthias Hรถhl
Ichi-go Ichi-e. One found frame. Two passers by. Object: Worthless Situation: Price N/A
Sarah Harrison
Phoebe Eustance
House Value Photograph Value My House My Photograph Value Experience
Victoria Birkett
£180,000 £1.69 Invaluable Invaluable Economy Value
Ilford pearl photographic paper, 55p
Jessica Pinkus
2 hours sourcing 8 hours preparation 91 hours cutting 6 hours printing on wood 6 hours printing on paper ÂŁ8.25/hr average wage for elementary occupations
Clare McCormack
Rebecca Adams
No Equivalent
Cora Gr端ssel
Angela Johnson
Cost (ÂŁ) A state education Three year tuition fee Three years rent Three years living
15,940.00 9,980.00 11,828.16 8,250.00
45,998.16
Profit on my work Total cost
5.00 46,003.16
Jack Bell
Ella Sergeant
See Hee Kang
952.54 Kcal / hr
Thomas Edwards
Freezing Outside The Arctic Cathedral Reykjavik, Iceland
It‘s that feeling when you get off a plane and you are in a world unknown. You feel the heat‘s intensity and your nerves start to take control as you walk down the steps. Nothing is planned but hell you are excited. Katie Iveson
Alexandra Fellows
Nayoung Kang
Images Working time Images classified as value ‘A’ Images classified as value ‘C’ 3A 7C Remaining images Price of materials Total price
17 30 to 35 hrs 3 7 £50.00 £0.00 £15.00 £2.50 - £5.00 £67.50 - £70.00
Gratitude discount for buying work Family & friends guilt and/ or embarrassment discount Total price
£40.00
Minimum hourly wage Maximum hourly wage (Most plausible scenario) immediate family discount Total Price
- £15.00 - £20.00 £10.00 - £70.00
£0.29 £2.00 -£10.00 £0.00
Josh Kallenberg
The Periodic Table of Elements 3.1
1
1835.2 3
111.6 11
S
2
9
151.9 10
Pl
Science
Tm
Play
5
Sg
Time
Sw 418.5 19
Ia Invading
502.2
37
20
Phm
Phenomen ology
68.2 38
Ac
Ra
Action
55
88
93
Mm
72
73
Hy
74
Lg Light
Ellen Hancock
107
Lt
Sp 1258.6
106
Vc
59
Tc
77
Consciou-‐ Sness Of work
961
8
Fs
Ab
Frustration
Absence
78
Fm Form
St Spectator Time
62
V
Ii
Void
Inviting
Mindmap
998.2
883.5 33
Cy
Qe
82
Dnt ‘Do Not Touch’
Vw
694.4
806
63
Au Authority
53
Lt Lost 18.6
Participate
483.6
69
En Event
744 86
Dc
Documentat ion
86
70
It Intimate
89.9
54
Er Experien-‐ tial
2337.4 85
Pp
Viewing
558
Magic
260.4
744 52
Mg 471.2
Ob Observed
Queue
37.2
1329.9
24.8 18
18.6 35
Cynic
51 Transitio-‐nal
672.7
62
145.7
1199.7
Dn 112
731.6
Mm
Chaos
81
Magician
232.5 17
Cha
186 15
Ts
Dynamic
272.8
111
So
OOH
1193.5
110
Sound
Oh
195.3
Ap Altered Perspective
79
Therapy
1636.8 16
Bd Bodies
Environmen ts
1106.7 80
Mg
Fm
Ad
Tp
Filmed
Ev
109
Ip
1314.4
Relationship
520.8
Ignored
297.6 14
Audiences
412.3
48
892.8
iphone
Cg Come&go
Ex
585.9
31
455.7
Rt
Experiment
108
Cw
Vaccum
322.4
58
47
Mk
Space
520.8
105
Touch
Tf
409.2
18.6
30
Aesthetic
45 Mask
75
Transferred
83.7
372
Ae
279
Movement
198.4
Life
1240
Lost
27
Lf
837
42
Bw 213.9
Ac Action
102.3
Between
1413.6
Mch Machine
26
483.6
Lv
Hype
Rc
Ir Interaction
25
40
620
Energy
Re-‐Context Ualised
Cr
24
Live
1159.4
Er
23
201.5
Reaction
316.2
87
22 Create
852.5
7
In
Struggle
635.5
Slowness
6
Ec
Enchantmen t
223.2
Michael Burrell
Joanne Pilcher
Dominic Viall
elbaliavanU
Unvaluable
Alexander Hunter
You can have my work for nothing.
Sophie Noble
Isabella Brinsmead
I value the movement in a painting.
Niamh Crowley
Art and Value
Value is an interesting though difficult theme to address in relation to art. In approaching this topic, it might be helpful to consider some facts and figures: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
The combined cost of the undergraduate degrees (tuition only) of the forty fine art students graduating this year is £383,911.73. £383,911.73 is roughly 7% of the $12 million paid for Damien Hirst‘s stuffed shark. The person who bought said shark, one Steve Cohen, is a very rich American hedge-fund executive. The shark cost him five days‘ income. People earning over £14,000 a year are the richest 4% on the planet. The top 10% of artists, after working professionally for 10 years, will earn an annual income of £10,000 from their practice. ‘Mother-in-law’ is an anagram of ‘Hitler woman’.
That last point may not be relevant. So: what does this mean for the art students exhibiting at this year’s degree show, as well as appreciators of art who may go and see it? Each of the above points is shocking; especially for the likes of me, as I have a vested interest. The stereotype of the starving artist appears to be a reality (although it remains unclear exactly what percentage live in garrets). Likewise, many who love art are unable to afford to buy any for themselves. Yet both gallery attendance and art school application numbers have never been higher. The artist who is able to command $12 million from the sale of a single work and the patron who is able to buy it are striking anomalies, useful fodder for bilious exclamations of how outrageous the art establishment, but of little relevance to most who are interested in art, from a making or viewing perspective.
Jessica McLaughlin
This is reassuring. It seems to confirm what we would all like to believe about art: that any value it may possess is not monetary. For me, value lies in the hope that in painting I might achieve, for at least one viewer, that which Tolstoy described as the business of art, ‘to make that understood and felt which, in the form of argument, might be incomprehensible and inaccessible.’ Art celebrates what we, as humans, are capable of. I hope I will be able to keep trying to make art for a very long time to come.
Sources: John Lloyd and John Mitchinson, QI: The Book of General Ignorance Don Thompson, The $12 Million Stuffed Shark Leo Tolstoy, What Is Art?
Jessica McLaughlin
Contact Details
Rebecca Adams rebecca_adams18@yahoo.com www.rebecca-adams.webstarts.com Jack Bell jacko_419@hotmail.co.uk
Kim Diamond kimdiamond@hotmail.com Thomas Edwards Tedwards1991@live.co.uk
Akeelah Bertram www.akeelahbertram.com
Phoebe Eustance phoebeheeustance@gmail.com www.phoebeeustance.com
Victoria Birkett birkettvicki@gmail.com
Alexandra Fellows alx_fellows@hotmail.com
Isabella Brinsmead isabella.brinsmead@gmail.com
Laura Feltham laurakayefeltham@gmail.com http://littlebitsoflush.typepad.com/ art_reflecting_life/
Michael Burrell michaelrburrell@googlemail.com Bethany Cowley beth.cowley16@gmail.com Niamh Crowley niamhacrowley90@gmail.com www.niamhcrowley.weebly.com
Hannah Gomersal hvlgomersal@hotmail.co.uk Cora GrĂźssel m.arielle@live.de www.cargocollective.com/coragruessel
Ellen Hancock ellen2251@gmail.com www.ellen-hancock.com Sarah Harrison www.sarahharrison.gallereo.com Matthias HĂśhl hoehl.m@gmx.de Alexander Hunter warpslave@hotmail.co.uk www.fh8888.deviantart.com Katie Iveson cogito-ergo-sum@hotmail.co.uk Angela Johnson angelalucinda06@gmail.com Rebecca Jones hello@rebeccajanejones.com www.rebeccajanejones.com Joshua Kallenberg Joshuakallenberg@hotmail.com
Nayoung Kang violetrip@gmail.com
Ashleigh Owen www.ashleighowen.com
Dominic Viall dominicviall@hotmail.com
Se Hee Kang ahkeuro89@gmail.com
Emily Palmer emily.a.d.palmer@gmail.com
Harriet Wiseman harriet.wiseman@gmail.com
Ellen Lapper ellenlapper@gmail.com www.ellenlapper.tumblr.com
Tamsin Pearson pearson.tamsin@googlemail.com www.tamsin-pearson.com
Carrie Mallows carriemallows@hotmail.com carriemallows.tumblr.com
Joanne Pilcher jpilch@hotmail.co.uk
Clare McCormack www.claremccormack.eu Jessica McLaughlin jeiclin@gmail.com Anna McQuillin annamcquillin@gmail.com Sophie Noble w.e.j.noble@hotmail.com
Jessica Pinkus jessicapinkus@gmail.com www.jesspinkus.tumblr.com Imogen Pring i.pring@hotmail.com www.ipring.tumblr.com www.vimeo.com/imogenpring Ella Sergeant betterfailbetter.blogspot.co.uk
67
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank all the staff and students in the school of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies at the University of Leeds. With special thanks to Pete Morton and David Sowerby for their dedication, expertise and continued support throughout. Designed and edited by: Ellen Hancock Matthias Hรถhl Rebecca Jones Harriet Wiseman
Sponsors