Art Ambassador Hannah looks at some of the work on display in the Winchester School of Art Westside Foyer until 7th December 2018, created by BA and MA Fine Art students.
I think people think that because I study at an art school and do illustration that I understand art. More specifically, contemporary art. I am willing to put my hands up in the air and say that I’ve always been baffled by it. Personally I don’t like spending the time to actually think about what’s in front of me – I like a definite image of something like a portrait, which you don’t have to consider. I’m trying to get myself to look deeper into the artworks I see around me, so I used this exhibition as a chance to really understand what it’s all about.
This is my favourite piece in the exhibition, created by Kate Mullender. I really like the way it has been presented, especially the path of images that leads up to the table. The way I see it, is as many different drawings created by not looking at the paper while you are drawing, which creates this surrealist effect, where the body parts don’t line up. Alongside the book presented on the table for me this is talking about how we represent ourselves on social media, and how it is not a true version of ourselves. I think this is an important issue that is being raised due to people feeling worthless compared to how they see others on social media and trying to compare themselves to this “perfect image”.
At the Opening event on Thursday 29 November two artists, Beth Gibbs and Jessica Mann doing a live performance of themselves painting, mark making and gluing marshmallows onto a wall. The way they created it seemed carefully thought through, and every mark made appeared considered. So although at first glance it may seem like a giant mess, it is really a well thought out piece. However, this is where I personally struggle to see what this is representing, I initially thought it was a comment on human waste (e.g. wasting the food by sticking it on the wall), and how we are messing up the world around us. I’m not sure about it though, what do you think?
To make up your own mind about this, and all the other pieces up at the BA/MA show, check out the free exhibition on in the Westside Foyer at Winchester School of Art, open daily until 7th December.
Arts Ambassadors is a paid opportunity, supported by the Careers and Employability Service’s Excel Southampton Internship programme, University of Southampton
