Lindsay Pritchard - on Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year 2017

Lindsay Pritchard, Illustration alumni has been a contestant on Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the year 2017 and the following post comes from her proud daughter and graphics alumni Jessica Pritchard:

Early this year my Mum (Lindsay Pritchard) entered Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year and got a call back to go on the show - she was so overwhelmed. 

Her episode was filmed at Knaresborough Castle in Harrogate on the 21st June. We headed up to Yorkshire the day before and detoured to the castle where they were filming the first day of the competition. On the day of filming, it was an early start, everyone was nervous and excited. All the artists competing that day had a few hours to set up their pods and decide how they were going to capture the space in front of them. Once started, we weren’t allowed to disturb them and had to try to keep out of as many shots as possible which was virtually impossible given the amount of cameras around. The presenters, Frank Skinner and Dame Joan Bakewell, went around the artists one by one to interview each of them and check on their progress. 

Now for the judging… my Dad and I had spoken to the judges earlier in the day and they couldn’t emphasise enough how difficult it was to judge correctly and put their emotions aside. The judging took a few hours and then it was time for the line up to see who had made it to the final. It was such a tense moment for all the artists and their families! Unfortunately my Mum didn’t make it through the final but Fadi who was in the pod next to her did. He’d focused on painting the other contestants rather than the castle grounds with my mum right in the middle of the painting so in a way, she still made it to the final. I’m so proud of my Mum, out of thousands of entries she managed to make it onto the show.

Congratulations Lindsay

https://www.lindsaypritchardart.co.uk

Content source: www.pritchart.co.uk/blog

Sandra Schirm - MA Show

Despite the ubiquitous use of storytelling, for example in books and the advertising industry, the interactive form portrays a new direction. I want to explore this topic further, which is why I will develop an interactive augmented reality short story. Particular scanning software will enable the viewer to watch short, animation scenes out from my illustration. With this project it is my intention to show the advantages of interactive augmented reality, where the focus lies on the observer as becoming an active part in the story. Furthermore, I want to draw attention to use augmented reality more frequently as it could widen our everyday perception. Moreover, in my MA project I want to take the opportunity and improve my ability in illustration. Combined with my interest in animation, I want to create a unique experience and refine my skills in both subjects and also explore the possibilities of augmented reality.

Contact Email: sandra_schirm@gmx.de

Find out more about the 2017 MA show at https://www.wlv.ac.uk/mashow/

Bonnie Schiemann - MA Show

“I can’t explain myself because I’m not myself, you see?” – Lewis Carroll

Everyone carries within themselves the eternal image of the opposite gender, a definite feminine or masculine image. For a woman, the average risk exuding from the oblivious originates from above, from the otherworldly circle represented by the animus, the masculine part of a woman's personality.

For a man it originates from the subterranean domain of the world and woman, the anima anticipated on to the world.

My MA project is exploring this in the designation of Pagdoonism, a word creation of Paganism and Voodoo. It is an umbrella term in which I explore elements of Paganism, traditional Witchcraft and Voodoo, thus correlating to diverse spiritual and religious paths. The puppet refers to different occult aspects of Paganism and Voodoo, in which I represent a separate being, the animus of myself. It constitutes a vessel for this unknown being that lies within all of us, whilst the related music video tells the story of the puppet and how it came to be – how it’s a part of me and how it connects to the religions. This shall unveil a bit of the mystic behind it, taking away fear and wrong depictions and showing that there is actually more than meets the eye.

Contact Email: bc.schiemann@web.de

Website: cerricrimson.wixsite.com/crimsoncrafts

Find out more about the 2017 MA show at https://www.wlv.ac.uk/mashow/

Kai Sauter - MA Show

For my MA project I have created a modern, innovative and interactive advertising campaign for Sugru. Sugru is the world’s first mouldable glue that sticks to almost anything and turns into a strong flexible rubber overnight. Invented for people looking to repair and improve stuff, it’s used by people in over 160 countries – from homeowners planning DIY projects through to people making small improvements to gadgets, appliances and even toys. Created by a young product designer, Sugru is made to stick to as many materials as possible forming a strong bond to aluminium, steel, ceramics, glass, wood and other materials including some plastics and rubbers.

This campaign includes print and digital advertising as well as augmented reality. I have also designed an app that allows the user to bring the advertising to life.

Contact Email: mail@kaisauter.de

Find out more about the 2017 MA show at https://www.wlv.ac.uk/mashow/

Sarah Munz - MA Show

During my studies, I found a fascination for photographing jewellery. Since I prefer personalised instead of traditional jewellery, I started to experiment with creating my own jewellery using various techniques. For my MA project, I decided to design more pieces of jewellery and to present them in my photographs.

Because photography is a multifaceted medium, I decided to show two different styles of it. I would like to demonstrate a contrast that exists in fashion photography. I designed 3D printed jewellery to photograph in a high fashion style in a photo studio. In contrast, I made jewellery out of wood with the help of a laser cutter, which I photographed outdoors in a natural setting. Showing these two different styles of photography can give an impression of the varieties this medium can offer.

Contact Email: kontakt@sarahmuenz-fotografie.de 

Website: www.sarahmuenz-fotografie.de

Find out more about the 2017 MA show at https://www.wlv.ac.uk/mashow/

Canxin Kong - MA Show

East Meets West.

After living in the UK for almost a year, I have found that there are huge differences between Chinese culture and thinking and that of the UK.

Sometimes cultural differences can cause inconveniences, misunderstandings and even conflict.

Nowadays, modern communications technology has compressed the world into a small “global village”. Intercultural communication has become the part of international life in each country. However, due to the cultural differences between the various countries, cross-cultural communication still has big barriers which need to be overcome. What I want to do is explore how we can improve cultural exchanges through the medium of a video game.

Contact Email: C.X.Kong@wlv.ac.uk

Find out more about the 2017 MA show at https://www.wlv.ac.uk/mashow/

Serpil Ismihan - MA Show

Trees are witnesses of our history and I believe that trees are also connected to our lives. I live in Cyprus where there are many ancient olive trees. In Greek mythology olive trees represent peace. 

Cyprus has not had a peaceful past - from 1974 it has been divided by a wall into two different nationalities - Greek and Turkish, who share the same capital city, Nicosia. For my MA project I want to use the tree as a metaphor for exploring the cultural similarities and the friendships that can still exist on a divided island.

Contact Email: serpilismihan15@gmail.com

Find out more about the 2017 MA show at https://www.wlv.ac.uk/mashow/

Carla Hieber - MA Show

Surrealism in a Box- Surrealism inspired fashion in Landscape Boxes.

My Master´s project consists of two parts. The first part is the design of four surreal, bizarre costumes. Just like the surrealist artists, I wanted to create work that looks like it jumped out of a dream, no matter if a good or a bad one, and that is bizarre and unconventional.

The costumes or outfits are not for everyday wearing and certainly not for everyone but are supposed to address a special group of people that like to present and stage themselves in a way that is different and remarkable.

For the second part, I conceptualised a photo shooting with models wearing my created costumes. As a setting, I chose to digitally manipulate landscape images to frame and surround the fashion images. I edited and folded the landscape into a box-like shape to evoke the feeling of the model presenting the costumes in a closed surrealistic space.

Contact Email: ccarlahieberfotografie@gmail.com

Find out more about the 2017 MA show at https://www.wlv.ac.uk/mashow/

Johanna Guettener - MA Show

Print isn’t dead.

Even though everything happens online in our digital age, I am of the opinion that print can add a certain value and can offer more possibilities in terms of individuality, memory and existence. 

This is why I want to explore the impact of print in our digital age. The emergence of the internet, and a shift towards online news have caused a decline of newspaper sales. This decline constitutes a challenge in finding a new purpose for the reinvention of print media.

My aim is to encourage younger people to buy newspapers. The idea is to create an interactive medium which focuses on making print come alive, allowing the reader to experiencing the value of print.

ContactEmail: post@johannaguettner.de

Website: www.johannaguettner.de

Find out more about the 2017 MA show at https://www.wlv.ac.uk/mashow/

Kulbir Entwistle - MA Show

The Circle Of Life 

The natural circle of life is birth, life and death: a perfect circle. Circles can overlap, create intersections and unity, but also break. There is a loss, and more specifically a loss of control, two themes I will explore through circles.

Loss

Losing my own mother and hair not only highlighted awareness of ageing and mortality but also a desire to carry on traditional handicrafts. I will create a series of works through mixed media techniques (threads and nails), featuring circular patterns which will be visibly created and lost.

Control

I also come from a culture where the head is bound either by turbans or chunis – a suppression, a control of freedom. The action of winding a turban occurs in a controlled circular motion. I want to explore this theme of controlled binding and unbinding of the head through a series of six headdresses using wire, wool and twigs.

ContactEmail: Kulbir.Entwistle@wlv.ac.uk

Find out more about the 2017 MA show at https://www.wlv.ac.uk/mashow/

Cemre Dora - MA Show

DNA is an individual genetic code, making each one of us unique. Nowadays, with the technological advances in the analysis of DNA, many past crimes can be solved. But what would happen if we were all on a DNA database, and this technology could be used to link us to crimes, but also relatively minor misdemeanours?

For my MA project I have combined science and visual art to explore a future world where this technology is taken to an extreme. By using various communications and advertising media my projects presents suggestions for what could happen with the use of this technology. 

Contact Email: C.Dora@wlv.ac.uk

Find out more about the 2017 MA show at https://www.wlv.ac.uk/mashow/

Debbie Crump - MA Show

My MA project seeks to acknowledge the hypothesis that suggests there is an intrinsic connection between Nature and human life, known as biophilia. Many children today learn about Nature in a digitalised environment; yet rather than portraying modern technology in a negative light, I want to invite viewers to think upon another alternative: that of a child learning directly from Nature itself. Whilst the wire sculpture represents the part of us that is concerned with modern technology, the papier mache embodies the natural world, and the imaginative growth as a human being. Coupling these installations together demonstrates a rekindling of the curiosity humanity can have for the natural world. Due to the interest in modern technology, much of humanity has lost this intrigue of nature; my MA project seeks to inspire older generations to be reignite that childlike, inquisitive mindset about the natural world which is so part of us.

ContactEmail: debbie17292@gmail.com

Find out more about the 2017 MA show at https://www.wlv.ac.uk/mashow/

Tavis Booth - MA Show

Aenigma

Cryptography and encryption have been thrust into public view with ransomware attacks affecting large public bodies, whilst the Conservative party have proposed to ban encryption, allowing access to an unparalleled amount of private data. But do the public understand the importance of cryptography and encryption? Aenigma is a puzzle which aims to explore the above notions by using a mixture of media and technology.

Caelum

During my Master’s degree, my father was diagnosed with Parkinson's. His condition has declined, resulting in him not being able to leave the house without assistance, nor recall places he has visited. Caelum aims to capture various destinations via 360° photography which can then be applied into a virtual reality space. I wish to be able to capture the entire destination and give those who are unable to visit locations for whatever reason a chance to explore from the safety of their own home.

ContactEmail: hello@mynameistavis.com

Find out more about the 2017 MA show at https://www.wlv.ac.uk/mashow/

Charlotte Bence - MA Show

A boy racers point of view.
Cruising in cars and hanging out on car parks, threatened by police telling them to move on, not allowing them to park up. The council have put signs up on the dual carriage ways saying “NO CRUISING” which then means they cannot drive around in groups anymore. My aim is to portray why they hang around such places as McDonalds car parks late at night in their cars. I am documenting true stories by photographing them and creating a short film, following them through their journey as they battle for their rights, to be able to keep meeting up late at night. Inspired by photographer Susan Meiselas and her documentary called Prince Street Girls. The objectives of my documentary project will be to educate and give an inside perspective from the Boy Racer’s point of view.

ContactEmail: charliebence@hotmail.com


Find out more about the 2017 MA show at https://www.wlv.ac.uk/mashow/

Mark Allsop - MA Show

The Troubles (Na Trioblóidí)

The human cost of the Northern Ireland Troubles 1968 – 1998

The Troubles were a violent thirty-year conflict, set against a complex political background. During the period 1968 – 1998 over 3,600 people were killed, up to 50,000 physically injured and countless others psychologically damaged by the conflict. This legacy continues to shape the political landscape of Northern Ireland.

My work will consider and explore the human cost of the conflict, analysing the historical context of the Troubles and the impact on lives that continues to this day. The images will include historical and contemporary video and photography that is at times uncompromising and explicit in content. The installation will create a demanding yet reflective narrative that considers themes of memorial, documentary, truth, understanding and reconciliation. It will address the human cost of The Troubles with regard to death and bereavement, physical and mental injury, the scale of the conflict in terms of numbers of people affected and the social deprivation experienced.

Contact mark@yarrington.co.uk

https://www.wlv.ac.uk/mashow/

Find out more about the 2017 MA show at https://www.wlv.ac.uk/mashow/

Students Enjoy Gallery Visits

Visual Communication students have visited 3 great Midlands galleries and enjoyed shows by Kathe Kollwitz and Sophia Hulton, as well as the seeing the Staffordshire Hoard Collection, Knights of The Raj, and Beyond the Battlefield:Faces of Peace and War shows.

Details of these exhibitions can be found at:

Barber Institute of Fine Arts
http://barber.org.uk

What’s On Ikon Gallery
https://ikon-gallery.org/whats-on/

What’s On Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
http://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/bmag/whats-on