For my last 2 years at college (2016 – 2018) I studied Fine art. Here are some of the projects I worked on during that time.
Simulation
For this project we were given the theme of “simulation”, which I used to explore concepts such as simulated reality and the idea of living in a “Post truth” society. These subjects appealed to me as I created this project not long after the Brexit vote in the UK and during the US general election, allowing me to tie the political climate of the time into my work. This led me to create 3 politically charged collages that explore themes such as media sensationalism, the loss of freedom and identity, “fake news” and the self destruction of mankind. I also made some drawings based on the album At War with Reality by At the Gates (namely the song The Book of Sand), as it deals with the idea of magic realism which I briefly wanted to explore.
Printing
This project involved experimenting with print-making techniques. I utilised a variety of techniques to create print-plates; some were made by creating patterns using different materials, others were made using my own photos or other people’s artwork as a template. The resulting designs were made by covering the plates with ink and printing them onto paper.
Arcade mural design
This was a project commissioned by the Bedford Borough Council to design a new mural for the Bedford Arcade. This was a group project where me and my fellow students all worked together in accordance with a singular creative vision. By the end of the project however we each made our own variation of our design idea to pitch to the council. Unfortunately mine wasn’t chosen to be the new mural but these are the designs I created.
Painting and film
This project focused around the relationship between painting and film. We were given a selection of films to watch and created paintings inspired by them. I painted a selection of stills from films made by Maya Deren and Peter Greenaway onto canvas, namely Meshes of the Afternoon, At Land, and The Cook, the Thief, His WIfe and her Lover.
The Hedonistic Imperative
During March and April of 2018, me and my classmates hosted an art exhibition at the Bedford Arcade based on The Hedonistic Imperative, which is a theory created by David Pearce that suggests that all human suffering, both physical and emotional, is unnecessary in a modern society and can be removed via the use of genetic engineering and nanotechnology.
My overall stance on the Hedonistic Imperative was fairly mixed; there is no doubt in my mind that the goals of the Hedonistic imperative are noble and good, but the implications and methodology used to put it in practice could be considered unethical and amoral. When it comes to altering the future in such a way through the use of genetic engineering and nanotechnology, there is a large moral grey area to be considered. This provides the setting in which I have created my artwork.
