£383,911.73 university of leeds ba fine art degree show catalogue
DESCRIPTION
£383,911.73: A publication that explores the issue of value within art and the current climate of education.TRANSCRIPT
The University of Leeds Fine Art Degree Show 2013
5
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
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The final year students of The University of Leeds Fine Art course welcome you to their degree show entitled £383,911.73. 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 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.
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
IntroductionIntroduction
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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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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,
After the Group Crit
Rebecca Jones
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
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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.
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.’
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
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.’
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.’
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,
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.’
Charlotte Garnett
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.
But within my own work, I have personal objectives, which I consider through exhibiting and assessing the visitor’s responses.’
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.’
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.
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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.’
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.’
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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.comhttp://charlottegarnettpgce.tumblr.comhttp://www.elizabethmurton.co.ukhttp://www.enginechatchat.co.uk
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.
Why Exhibit?
Harriet Wiseman
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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
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
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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 £383,911.73 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.
“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?
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.
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 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
Curate This
Clare McCormack
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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
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 life-size, 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.’
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Akeelah Bertram
Laura Feltham
£28 in library fines ½ metre of dissolvable
fabric1 bookmaker’s awl1 date stamp1 fabric canvas1 metre of PVC leather 1 pair of fabric scissors1 USB stick2 bottles of PVA glue2 bulldog clips 2 inkpads2 pairs of scissors
6 frames6 kg of Herculite 6 needles7 memo pads 7 pencils10 metres of felt 11 paint brushes15 Biro pens20 tubes of acrylic paint22 photographic slides22 stamps 24 metres of electrical tape
2 palette knives2 pencil sharpeners3 artist research notebooks3 card canvases3 craft knives 3 glue sticks3 quick unpicks3 rolls of double sided tape4 rulers4 spools of thread5 drawing books
26 tubes of oil paint33 marker pens47 books47 archival artefacts49 websites74 dried flowers 110 metres of washi tape 137 pieces of paper 184 metres of embroidery thread293 days500g of air-dry clay2271 pins on pinterest
Carrie Mallows
Rebecca Jones
Stay Hungry.
Stay Foolish.
Imogen Pring
Hannah Gomersal
Harriet Wiseman
brack·et / ‘ brakit/
NounEach 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.
VerbPlace (one or more people or things) in the same category or group.
SynonymsNoun. ParenthesisVerb. Parenthesize
Bethany Cowley
565.1 miles50 maps
742 slides20 metres of paper
3 slide projectors6 bulbs
Anna McQuillin
£ 5, Chesterfield Market, Derbyshire
Ashleigh Owen
METATHESIOPHOBIA…
No wait…I changed my mind.
Tamsin Pearson
30 early mornings20 late nights500 pricked fingers10 broken needles1000 deep big breaths
Emily Palmer
7,272 hrs436,320 mins26,179,200 secs
£45,013.68
Kim Diamond
Ellen Lapper
Matthias Höhl
Sarah Harrison
Ichi-go Ichi-e. One found frame. Two passers by.
Object: Worthless Situation: Price N/A
Phoebe Eustance
Victoria Birkett
House Value £180,000 Photograph Value £1.69My House Invaluable My Photograph InvaluableValue Economy Experience Value
Jessica Pinkus
Ilford pearl photographic paper, 55p
Clare McCormack
2 hours sourcing8 hours preparation91 hours cutting 6 hours printing on wood6 hours printing on paper
£8.25/hr average wage for elementary occupations
Rebecca Adams
Cora Grüssel
No Equivalent
Angela Johnson
Jack Bell
Cost (£)
A state education 15,940.00Three year tuition fee 9,980.00Three years rent 11,828.16Three years living 8,250.00
45,998.16
Profit on my work 5.00 Total cost 46,003.16
Ella Sergeant
See Hee Kang
Thomas Edwards
952.54 Kcal / hr
Katie Iveson
Freezing Outside The Arctic CathedralReykjavik, 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.
Alexandra Fellows
Nayoung Kang
Josh Kallenberg
Images 17Working time 30 to 35 hrsImages classified as value ‘A’ 3 Images classified as value ‘C’ 7 3A £50.007C £0.00Remaining images £15.00 Price of materials £2.50 - £5.00Total price £67.50 - £70.00
Gratitude discount for buying work £40.00Family & friends guilt and/ or embarrassment discount - £15.00 - £20.00Total price £10.00 - £70.00
Minimum hourly wage £0.29 Maximum hourly wage £2.00(Most plausible scenario)immediate family discount -£10.00 Total Price £0.00
Ellen Hancock
The Periodic Table of Elements 3.1
1
S Science
1835.2
2
Pl Play
151.9 3
Tm Time
111.6
5
Sg Struggle
635.5
6
In Ignored
297.6
7
Fs Frustration
186
8
Ab Absence
1636.8
9
Tp Therapy
232.5
10
Mg Magician
24.8 11
Sw Slowness
418.5
14
Fm Filmed
998.2
15
Bd Bodies
883.5
16
Cha Chaos
62
17
Mm Mindmap
18.6
18
Ob Observed
260.4
19
Ia Invading
502.2
20
Phm Phenomen ology
68.2
22
Cr Create
201.5
23
Ir Interaction
483.6
24
Mch Machine
102.3
25
Ac Action
837
26
Lf Life
93
27
Ae Aesthetic
279
30
Cg Come&go
455.7
31
Ad Audiences
412.3
33
Cy Cynic
145.7
35
Au Authority
744
37
Ac Action
316.2
38
Ra Reaction
1159.4
40
Lv Live
620
42
Mm Movement
1240
45
Mk Mask
83.7
47
Rt Relationship
520.8
48
Ev Environmen
ts
1106.7
51
Ts Transitio-‐nal
1199.7
52
Lt Lost 18.6
53
Er Experien-‐ tial
2337.4
54
En Event
744
55
Er Energy
852.5
72
Hy Hype
198.4
73
Lg Light
409.2
74
Tf Transferred
520.8
75
Sp Space
1258.6
77
Ex Experiment
892.8
78
Fm Form
195.3
79
Oh OOH
1193.5
80
Dn Dynamic
272.8
81
Dnt ‘Do Not Touch’
672.7
82
Vw Viewing
558
85
Pp Participate
483.6
86
Dc Documentat
ion 86
87
Rc Re-‐Context Ualised
1413.6
88
Bw Between
213.9
105
Lt Lost
18.6
106
Vc Vaccum
322.4
107
Cw Consciou-‐ Sness Of work
961
108
Ip iphone
585.9
109
St Spectator Time
731.6
110
V Void
37.2
111
Ii Inviting
694.4
112
Qe Queue
806
58
Tc Touch
372
59
Ap Altered
Perspective
1314.4
62
So Sound
1329.9
63
Mg Magic
471.2
69
It Intimate
89.9
70
Ec Enchantmen
t
223.2
Michael Burrell
Joanne Pilcher
Dominic Viall
Alexander Hunter
Unavailable Unvaluable
Sophie Noble
You can have my work for nothing.
Isabella Brinsmead
Niamh Crowley
I value the movement in a painting.
Jessica McLaughlin
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. The combined cost of the undergraduate degrees (tuition only) of the forty fine art students graduating this year is £383,911.73.2. £383,911.73 is roughly 7% of the $12 million paid for Damien Hirst‘s stuffed shark.3. The person who bought said shark, one Steve Cohen, is a very rich American hedge-fund executive. The shark cost him five days‘ income. 4. People earning over £14,000 a year are the richest 4% on the planet.5. The top 10% of artists, after working professionally for 10 years, will earn an annual income of £10,000 from their practice.6. ‘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.
Art and Value
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 IgnoranceDon Thompson, The $12 Million Stuffed SharkLeo Tolstoy, What Is Art?
Jessica McLaughlin
Contact Details
Rebecca [email protected]
Jack [email protected]
Akeelah Bertramwww.akeelahbertram.com
Victoria [email protected]
Isabella [email protected]
Michael Burrell [email protected]
Bethany Cowley [email protected]
Niamh Crowley [email protected]
Kim Diamond [email protected]
Thomas [email protected]
Phoebe [email protected]
Alexandra [email protected]
Laura [email protected]://littlebitsoflush.typepad.com/art_reflecting_life/
Hannah [email protected]
Cora Grüssel [email protected]/coragruessel
Ellen Hancock [email protected] Sarah Harrisonwww.sarahharrison.gallereo.com
Matthias Höhl [email protected]
Alexander Hunter [email protected]
Katie [email protected]
Angela [email protected]
Rebecca [email protected]
Joshua [email protected]
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Nayoung [email protected]
Se Hee [email protected]
Ellen [email protected]
Carrie [email protected] carriemallows.tumblr.com
Clare McCormack www.claremccormack.eu
Jessica [email protected]
Anna [email protected]
Sophie [email protected]
Ashleigh Owenwww.ashleighowen.com
Emily Palmer [email protected]
Tamsin [email protected]
Joanne [email protected]
Jessica [email protected]
Imogen [email protected]/imogenpring
Ella Sergeantbetterfailbetter.blogspot.co.uk
Dominic [email protected]
Harriet Wiseman [email protected]
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 HancockMatthias HöhlRebecca JonesHarriet Wiseman
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