Darcie Hewitt-Dudding went along to the York College Creative Show 2013 …
Student creative shows are like artwork bombs. There are rooms upon rooms of walls covered with scribblings, faces, buildings – anything you can think of – and there are usually manikins in bizarre netting and badly stitched velvet. Then there’ll be the book that tells you everything you need to know about how they came up with their concepts and the process they used, etc, etc. If you’re lucky there won’t be any one screaming in the corner- that’s usually the theatre productions.
Having artists in the family means that I’ve been to a few student art shows before, and I’ve seen my fair share of the aftermath. But the York College Creative Show was a little bit different. Of course as with all art shows, there’s the good, the bad and the ugly. But the variety of art, fashion and design and the myriad of other disciplines on show meant that, even without speaking to the tutors, you got the feeling that the college was proud to be nurturing young talent into fully fledged designers and artists.
York College offers higher education courses, so along with the final year diploma and a-level students; these are the ones with pieces worth picking out. The 3D Design Crafts gallery showcased the third (and final) year student’s work. This was in the style of a ‘proper’ art gallery with clean lines, cabinets and pedestals with work proudly displayed. Some of the students already had their brand sorted; even stacking business cards neatly in a little pile next to their work, and ideas about how they would sell their products. This gallery was incredibly eclectic; showcasing the talents of future furniture designers, prop makers and jewellery makers and more. Apparently this was something of a shopping opportunity for some, as one student found out when he was offered £100 for one of his light fitting designs. This student, Joshua Gilkes to be precise, was among one of the most striking designers of the show. His pieces had a polished industrial feel to them and were constructed of items that he had found.
All of the students in this gallery already had established styles in whatever they were creating and most had degree courses, or further study, ranging from interior design to theatre lined up.
Wandering around, you overhear and chat with tutors of various disciplines and discover that their passion, pride and excitement in their students work is what really ignites and fuels the fire of the students and their art. As all good teachers do, they both encourage, and dispute the student’s ideas and help them reflect upon their work. You can see it in the artwork and the designs that these students are producing.
York is often cited as a graveyard for creatives, but I beg to differ, and so will many more. This is where creative talent is nurtured, challenged and celebrated. If you disagree, or just fancy a bit of shopping, head down to the creative show and dare to tell me otherwise.
The show continues until Tuesday 25th of June at York College.