As an artist as well as someone working in the (cringe) creative industries, I always feel it’s important to see what the students coming out of art school are creating. (And to prove I’m still in the painting game, thats my most recent work above) Although I try to get to as many degree shows as possible, they all seem to be on at the same time and to be honest, I’ve been that busy that it’s been difficult to get to them.
This year I only managed to get to the degree show at MMU ( http://degreeshow.mmu.ac.uk/ ) and I was really pleased that I made the effort.

First big tip: Avoid preview night. While its great for free beer/wine ( this year provide by little known and obscure barkeeps The deaf institute www.thedeafinstitute.co.uk) you never get to really see any work.
Second big tip: take regular breaks. I’m all about loving the art but it’s really easy to succumb to art fatigue and simply stop looking.
Although it was a bit of a pain, I’m glad in the end that that show was part at the uni and part at spinning fields because it gave me a chance to clear my mind before seeing all of the design work (which was great)

I popped down on Saturday morning and found the time absolutely flew by as each room had a fair selection of excellent work. There will always be things you don’t like or work you don’t quite get or understand, i think if there are few things that catch your eye than its been worthwhile. I also took advice from arts journalist Jessica Lack at the www.creativetourist.com  #blognorth event, I tried to approach each work with this in mind: when the artists decided to exhibit that work they must have felt there was some value to doing it and that this was the piece, or pieces, that you should see.

While adding a number of things to my list of art school cliches to avoid ( the top of which is Paper dresses! Every year!) I was genuinely surprised and impressed by the variety and quaility of work that was being produced over all areas. In the past I have found the fine art a little weak while the design and more craft based work has always been strong. In the past I have been annoyed that “fine artists” don’t seem to  understand that the need to try and sell this work, it is a arts business after all, while the craft and, design student do seem to get that. This year it was a little better but perhaps part of the course needs to be focused on how you actually make a living as an artist. You can’t eat kudos guys.
I won’t go through everything as there is too much but these were my top picks.
 Check out the work, and if you have a bob or two and they have the sense  to be selling their work, why not support a young artist.

Rafal Topelewski www.rafal-topolewski.com. Bit of a downer but this site doesn’t work on mobile devices but take the time to have a look. Or try www.topolewski.daportfolio.com  Strong confident landscape/object painting that takes the mundane and elevates it. Loved the fact that he had a stack of one-hour paintings that were available to buy which were priced at minimum wage. £6.08 for a painting which I’m really pleased with and is now part of the ever growing Minta collection.

Frederic Garcia Trujillo http://federicogarciatrujillo.tumblr.com/.  Wonderfully strong painting. Images of refugees from the Spanish economic crisis based on the work of Dorthea Langes photographs of economic migration in the 1930’s The painting mixed a photographic quality with a strong painterly quality which had a wonderful style and effect. Loved them. I also liked the use of an early event and the way it was recorded to create work on a current crisis, connecting the themes through the creation of these new paintings.  Prices? Works for sale? (picture above)

Jason Edmunds http://jasonedmunds.tumblr.com/. Illustration gay sailors. I loved these daring images of semi- nude sailors rendered in watercolour and fine point illustration.  In part they reminded me of the photographs of Robert Mapplethorpe and part the detailed illustrations you would find in an old manuscript. This description doesn’t do them justice at all. They felt at once modern and ancient and the skill of the fine point work was phenomenal.

James Green works on rust and stone. Excellent portraits and architecture executed on rusted panels or by gouging out stone, plaster or wood. Really stunning work and One of the few artists who was on hand to discuss his work. Lack of website is a bit of a fail but is no website better than a crumby one??

James Lencki. www.jameslenckiart.wordpress.com.    Sound installations…that I liked. I usually can’t stand sound installations and tend to pass by the noise as soon as possible. This however was great. Set in a dark room with bright lit circles on the wall the sound, a low resonant humming, responded to your movement through the space. It’s was disorientating, interesting and playful all at once. Well done that man.

Leanne Richardson. www.leannerichardson.com  These collages of Leanne’s were made up of fashion/lifestyle magazines, overlaid with animal heads made up from shredded fragments of magazine. I loved the construction of these pieces and also the mash up between the beautiful models (made headless) and these beautiful animals. I was sad to hear that Leanne just missed out on a first for this work which seemed a little harsh. It is a subjective thing but I felt these works were not only excellent but stood out, and stood their own in a pretty talented field.

Mark Robinson http://www.artistmarkr.moonfruit.com/. Graffiti style, words, stencils, black on black. Great. Loved these huge canvasses produced by an artists confident in their style and ability and not afraid to be direct. These works just had an incredible sense of energy. (picture above)

Jane Elizabeth Taylor. www.janeelizabethtaylor.wordpress.com.  Overplayed photographs these delicate works were made up from a number of overlaid images and documents. Beautiful captured moments that while small and seemingly fragile had a beauty and complexity which was stunning. Love love love these. (picture above)

Rebecca Sampson- Jorge www.rebeccasampson-Jorge.tumblr.com   I usually avoid the sculpture section as although I am aware of the history and validity of automatic sculpture I feel that re-arranging some things you have found in a space or the workshop is just a little bit lazy. It’s been done. Unlike these works, which were part embroidery part geometric architecture/sculpture that looked fabulous in the space. A piece started in an embroidery hoop, struck out and through a hole in the wall, and commanding the space and demanding your attention. Stunning, well thought out and well executed.

Thomas Harnett Omeara www.thomasharnettomeara.com  the site seems not to be working at the moment but I seem to recall these were intricate pattern drawings, sometimes patterns inside figures.

Sarah Fisher www.sarahfisherillustration.com    Excellent portrait illustrations. Simple portraits works, beautifully executed and going beyond the “this is how the thing looks” and actually capturing the person. Really difficult to do and done really well.

Joanna Houghton www.joannahoughton.com strange other worldly pencil sketches that brought together lone creatures, architecture and people in a sort of Hollywood suburbs gone bad dreamscape. Reminded me of the tv series Wild Palms which I bet no-one else has ever seen as wells the work of Rachel Goodyear ( as one of my favourite artists this is high praise in deed and in no way meant to suggest the work by Joanna was derivative, it wasn’t, it’s was aces!)

Martin Wilson www.herearephotos.co.uk  Loved these bacon-esq heads in motion by Martin. I love it when someone takes the idea of portraiture and (to use a hip and oh so current  sounding phrase)  re-mixes it. Great photos, and when I was lucky enough to meet Martin a few days later at an exhibition opening, he was a lovely chap and it was great to hear that some of this work was off to an exhibition in London. Great stuff. Wonder if he would be up for doing a show with a painter who is working with/remixing portraiture?? Hint hint (picture above)

I did also visit the college shows from Holy Cross and Bury college, both of which had some really promising work
You have to get out there, see what is being produced and support the talent. I have my list and next up I’ll be contacting these artists and asking for my bloggers discount!

(note: I took these pictures at the show on my phone, if any of the artists arent happy with me using them, let me know, I’ll cry, and then take them down)