Artist talk: Lydia Braithwaite

Lydia Braithwaite is our creative in residence for the sculpture strand. I remember her work from last year s she was in the year above me, so this was a great opportunity to hear from someone who is close to where I am as an artist, and to gain some advice. Since graduating she has been applying to competitions and galleries to get her work on show and gain experience, the creative in residency is a great opportunity to gain advice and a stepping stone to heading out and 'making it' after university. Continuing to develop her work in the studio and workshops.
It was great to hear encouraging advice from a recent graduate about third year and the dissertation. She was really nice and supportive of us, great sympathy! Encouraging us to look forward to extended practice and degree show. She said she would highly recommend taking part in Free Range exhibition in London as well as it was a great learning experience. She had a brilliant artist's website and blog that she had developed since first year showing a chronology of her experience and development at LCA.

Her work in the first term in third year worked with copper and her main material as it had associations with her Dad who is a plumber, working with that relationship to develop her own material practice and subverting the traditional use of copper and creating body extensions and wearable sculpture.

Taking this idea further in her extended practice module and creating wearable sculpture, developing the use of light and photography to break up the image of the body with reflective material often found on hi vis jackets, no longer working with copper but more mono chrome material.

Artist talk: Paula Chambers

Paula Chambers is the new head of sculpture on the Fine Art course at LCA, so it was really interesting to hear a new perspective as a sculptor student.
Her work is inspired by her own personal experiences as a woman and a mother, breaking down the stereotypes of women in revealing the taboos of woman and motherhood and the issues faced, such as psychological effects and the pain women go through, which is often brushed under the carpet. Looking at particular cases where women have committed crimes that have been called 'monstrous' but in fact if it was a man they would have been treated differently.
Using different materials that create connotations of the domestic but subverting our perceptions through unusual interventions to question what we see and what we know. Such as the knitted bonnet, which is stereotypical image of motherhood is transformed into an image of pain as she used copper wire instead of wool, a painful process and a physical struggle to complete, she says her hands were covered in cuts by the time she had completed it. For me there is a quiet struggle, something that a lot of new mothers go through.

He later works look at the woman and the domestic, subverting what women are expected to be like, not soft and vulnerable. Using everyday objects that traditional from a distance don't look threatening, but up close small alterations that had deceived the viewer. Images of women from pattern shapes for sowing from the 1950's have been altered slightly, still in their feminine 50's dresses but now holding weapons such as large kitchen knives, rope and blood stains. There is a difference between what is seen of women in the media and presumptions, and the reality behind closed doors.

Artist talk: Ope Lori

Our new tutor Dr Ope Lori gave an artist's talk this week. It was really interesting to find out about her work. In her practice she deals with racial and sexual stereotyping through the medium of video, text and performance art.

Talking about her most recent work she did for her PHD at Chelsea School of Art, she broke her work down into four sections:

'Know the game, be the game, play the game, change the game.'

Working with her own personal experiences and portrayals of women in the media, she rewrites ways of seeing and asks the viewer what are they really looking at. Changing positions of power, destabilizing the norm and evoking consciousness in the viewer.

Creative Networks event: Giles Deacon

I went to the creative networks event where Giles Deacon was the speaker. He was great to listen to and had great advice for future creatives wanting to make their own way in the industry. Although he is from a different discipline it was still useful to hear how he got sponsors for his shows and gained contacts, working his way up the ladder and finally starting his own company. Inspiring talk and a great event.

Graduate Forum: Martin Darbyshire and Lydia Brockless artist talks

Martin Darbyshire graduated from Leeds College of Art last year, so I knew his work quite well, but hearing what he's been up to since then was really interesting and useful thinking ahead to when I graduate. He is now studying for his MA at Glasgow School of Art, an internationally recognised art school.



Lydia Brockless graduated from Leeds College of Art two years ago, and has since gone on to become a working artist based in Kent. She is currently exhibiting as part of Bloomberg New Contemporaries at ICA London. A fantastic opportunity showcasing up and coming artists.

Graduate forum: Georgia Lucas Going artist talk

The graduate forum 2015 was a great success this year, I really enjoyed Georgia's talk, who was the creative in residence when I was in first year. Other than the fact her intro music to the lecture theater was awesome her talk was funny, informative and inspiring. Hearing from someone who started in the same place as you is truly heartening. Especially as she has achieved so much since she graduated 5 years ago. She is now on the Fine Art MA at the Slade School of Art!! Even when things didn't always go her way, she kept going with a lot of determination. If I am anywhere near where she is now in 5 years time, I'll know I'm doing the right thing!

Her advice:

• Contact artist's you would like to work with
• Get ready for no's
• Try and make yourself stand out
• Your portfolio takes time
• Organise your own events

"You will make shit art, but then you will make amazing art"

Best artist talk I've been to!

Curating exhibitions at Inkwell Arts

I am part of the exhibitions team at Inkwell Arts, it's been a great exhibition as they run exhibitions of students work from Inkwell. Giving the students the opportunity to show their work and gain confidence and experience in their own artistic practices. I help out by arranging the works on the floor first in the order we want them in, then work out the center point of each work and measuring it onto the wall in pencil which is rubbed out later. I also help write up and print out exhibition information such as labeling each piece and mounting them on foam board. It's been a great learning experience to help organise and curate exhibitions with the exhibitions team.

I'll Show You Mine exhibition

I recently took part in an exhibition held in a house in Leeds. I really liked the idea that the exhibition was held in a house because it allowed the audience and the exhibitors to communicate and break down the barriers that normally separate the two in White Cube galleries. The exhibition was a great success, the show looked brilliant and the collective Leon Co, who organised the exhibition did a great job curating the whole thing. It was a great chance for LCA students across strands and year groups to come together and exhibit what they've got.

Venice Biennale

Volunteering at the British Art Show 8

I've volunteered to invigilate at the British Art Show 8 at Leeds City Gallery, it's been a great experience to see how they have put it together and how the exhibition is organised throughout the time is is on display. I've met some great people while volunteering at the gallery as well, and what their roles are and how they all work together as a team to manage the gallery. I learnt a lot about the pieces on display in the exhibition as well and was able to confidently talk about the artwork to the public who asked questions about the art. Sorry about the picture, but this is me looking very excited on my first morning shift at the gallery in the staff room!!

Royal Academy of Art: visit from current students

This was a fantastic opportunity to hear what it's like studying at MA level at the Royal Academy. They were very down to earth and were happy to talk with us as a group and individually giving tutorials and advice.

Sculpture strand visit to Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Tuesday 27^th October

Schedule

11:00 – 11:30 with Natalie Rudd Viewing the Arts Council Collection

View exhibitions:

·         Anthony Caro

·         Bill Viola in the Underground Gallery and Chapel

·         Rob Ryan in the Restaurant

·         Bob and Roberta Smith in the Garden Gallery

·         The poppies on The Cascade Bridge

·         Eileen Adams in NAEA Building

2:00pm - NAEA building for an introduction to the Archive with Anna Bowman

This was a really good day getting a chance to see behind the scenes at Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Finding out about the Arts Council Collection and how it runs was very interesting. It has been going since 1946 (70 years next year!) and has been show casing artist around the country making art accessible to everyone. With nearly 8000 works by over 2000 artist, when it is not on show somewhere it is all kept save in storage at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park in a building at the far side of the site. The talk that Natalie gave was really interesting but I would of loved to see how the collection is actually stored but it was till amazing to hear about The National Collection in Yorkshire!

The NAEA- or the national arts education archive, was really interesting to see the history of how art is taught in the UK, they have gathered work by children and students as well as educators and relevant artists. The wide variety is brilliant collection that tells a story of art in this country. Being able to walk through the collection as well was a brilliant experience, to see how the collection works and how it is managed an kept safe. There was so much in there we had to go in two separate groups and in single file around the collection, shelves stacked high of papers, books and art. A fascinating history all in one place.

Visit to the Henry Moore Foundation.

We visited the Henry Moore Institute and got to look at the archive collection which was an amazing experience because you could see the original works of artists. They even bought out the tools of an artist, which was very exciting seeing the actual tools he used to carve his sculptures. We has to wear white gloves when handling the archive material, it's all very professional. It was an exciting opportunity and an invaluable experience. I will definitely be heading back there for further primary research!

Artist talk: Rachel Maclean

Rachel Maclean, one of the exhibiting artist's in the British Art Show 8, came to LCA to give an artist talk. She was a brilliant speaker and explained her ideas behind her work in the BAS8 'Feed me'

Third and final year at Leeds College of Art!

Thinking about going into my final year at Leeds College of Art, I need to start thinking about what's next and start planning for when I leave University! I've started volunteering over summer at Inkwell Arts, a fantastic charity based in the area of Chapel Allerton in Leeds. Their ethos is to support mental health and well-being through the arts. They run a variety of different classes from song writing, painting, pottery and jewelry making. Starting out there has been a great experience and everyone is very welcoming and friendly. I am in talks about starting up a sculpture class at Inkwell that I could run monthly, I also help out at the Craft Cafe on a Thursday afternoon where I help support students to create there own jewelry or pottery. It has been a great experience and I look forward to continuing volunteering there!

LCA summer school

I took part in the Summer School Workshop which was a great opportunity to get some information on how to be a professional creative in the UK. We talked with leading professionals who work in the creative industries and they gave us great advice on how to start your own business, how to sell your work, how to publicise your work and get feed back. There was a lot on and it was only a week long course but I got a lot out of it! There was great advice on giving talks too a great chance to practice and receive feed back. There was some great legal advice as well on contracts you sometimes sign when exhibiting your work, and information on insurance, what to do if your work gets broken and who is legally responsible for it in different situations. Handling fees and costs. All the nitty gritty information that you don't normally get these guys were great!