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Central Saint Martins

       London College of Fashion

       Blueprint Cafe

        High Holborn

Video Project, Brentford

The Crypt Exhibition  

Chelsea College of Art Exhibition

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Coco's Room

The Ugly Duck Exhibition

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What's next ? 

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MFA Exhibition Wimbledon

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 Central Saint Martins 

In early March I registered with the agency Art-temps, this organization helps student across UAL to gain employment opportunities surrounding their areas of expertise within the field of art and design.

My first assignment took me to the UAL College of Central Saint Martins at Granary Building, 1 Granary Square King’s Cross, where my role was to derig the Foundation Show.

The Foundation show involved the Art and Design of the final exhibition showcase work from students across four curriculum areas,

embracing 3-dimensional design, architecture, fashion and textiles, fine art and graphics and communication design.

My duties included taking down the end of year show for the foundation students, ensuring that the work was carefully packed and exhibition plinths were ready to be loaded in vans. This took place by the moving and manhandling of furniture before the packing of delicate and fragile items.

Reflecting on this opportunity has led me to the realization of the vast amount of time work and energy, that not only goes into organizing an exhibition, setting up an exhibition, but the importance to respect fragile or refined items while removing artists work from an exhibition space.

I have also learned valuable lessons in organization and working as part of a team when removing artists work from their borrowed positions within a space. For example, it is important to organize the staff in such a way as to have a number of individuals taking the work down and then passing the work on to be packed by others. This allows for the work to be removed in an orderly fashion, reducing the risk of any damage caused as a result of any mistakes or confusion, which may arise in the case of everybody doing the same thing, at the same time, with little or no organization, care, or attention.

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London College of Fashion

I applied through art temps and was offered the position of Exhibition Assistant, which was to set up an exhibition of marketing/buying and merchandising posters for a group of second-year student at the London College of Fashion on Saturday the 12th of May.

The College advertised through Art temps for a person who had experience of exhibitions, an eye for detail, able to work on their own while following an exhibition brief and to work accurately and neatly within the time available.

My duties involved the curation, mounting/displaying of students work for an industry audience.

This was such a great opportunity as the Creative Director Robert Lakin gave myself and Zsuza, my working partner who also applied through Art temps, a free reign, leaving us to curate the 200 hundred Marketing/ buying and merchandising posters any way we liked.

We started by separating the posters we thought looked the best, then we grouped the average ones together before separating the posters we didn’t like. We decide to hang the posters we thought were the best in prime positions within the space, for example in good lighting areas and where the audience would first enter into the space.

Matching the colors that worked well together and the empty space surrounding the work we repeated this process from front to back until all the posters were hung, before returning on Wednesday to take down the work.

Following this show Robert has specifically requested Art temps for myself and Zsuza help in install the LCF Fashion Business Programme 1st year ASOS collaborative project and the 2nd year Westfield Collaborative Exhibition in the Blue Print Café 272 High Holborn on the 4th 6th and 8th of June.

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Blueprint Cafe, High Holborn

 

 

As stated above, me and Zsuza where indeed given the job to install the LCF Fashion Business Programme collaborative project and the 2nd year Westfield Collaborative Exhibition, which was to be held on the 4th 6th and 8th of June in the Blueprint Café High Holborn.

Again, this was a fantastic opportunity to get some hand on experience in curation, mounting, hanging and displaying student work for an industry audience.

On Monday the 4th we mounted and hung the Asos poster installation, which consisted of 112 posters, again we sorted the posters into groups of colors and the most striking before placing these in the best light and in positions the audience would see foremost as they entered into the exhibition space.  

On Wednesday we took down the Asos posters before mounting and displayed the Westfield exhibition poster installation that consisted of 126 posters again we used the same set of techniques, the color, the light, good or bad posters, and the audience's vision as they entered into the space.

On reflection this opportunity and indeed the freedom and confidence that the creative director Rob Lakin has shown in me, has given me enormous self- belief in my own ability to curate, mount, display, hang and layout an exhibition space while following an exhibition brief.  

Video Project- Brentford

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For our video project, as a group we visited Brentford with the instructions to take video footage surrounding any interesting things, objects or situations we came across as we walked around and through some curious, attractive and noteworthy places in this part of the world. 

We were split into groups of four or five and between us we use the video footage, which we captured on our phones on the day, to create a short film. This short film was put together by each group back at the college a week later when we were introduced to the programme Premier Pro.

Within our group we decided on the theme, which was to capture people filming different things and each other as we walked through the streets and back-alleys of Brentford, this can be seen in the finished video below.

Reflecting back, I believe this project has shown and given me an introduction to some important skills including, working as part of a team, communication, listening to other and the ability to work together to produce a collaborative piece of work.

Also by taking part in this project I have discovered a number of new skills within and surrounding the programme Premier Pro, which has introduced film to me as a whole new medium that I intend to explore further and which I feel will be invaluable as I progress as an artist.      

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The Crypt

 

The Crypt exhibition named Who Will Provide at St. Pancras new Church London gave me both a challenge to adapt my practice and to produce a work that responded to this engaging and unusual space. Therefore it was an existing opportunity to showcase my work and gain experience and knowledge in a wide range of skills.

These included exhibition development and program planning, marketing, advertising, account managing, promoting, curating, and the installing of the work.

Indeed, the technician team, which included me, Renata, Cherish, Erin, and Patrick found the location challenging, as there were a number of limitations surrounding the space. In fact, we had to take into account, that no new holes would be allowed to be drilled into the restricted flat wall space, how many and where the electrical outlets were and that any paper-based work or any other water sensitive media may be affected by the humidity of the space.

Reflecting on the challenges that we faced, I believe by working and communicating as a part team we became stronger, finding new ways, ideas, and strategies, which allowed us the freedom to overcome these challenges.

Furthermore, by having these problems to resolve and by working together as part of a team, I believe we have learned and grown as artists and as a result, this has allowed us the opportunity to take so much more away from this whole experience.           

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Chelsea College of Art.

Are first group exhibition, which was held outside the College of Wimbledon, took place at Chelsea College of Arts.

As a group, we decided on the name and theme of the show, which was Conflict, at first our plan was because the space was so small we would make the works 12 by 12 inches, and as there were 36 of us we would form a grid in which the work would be placed.

But following the arrival of a new student, 36 became 37, and our plans for a grid went out the window, and then suddenly a student left, bringing the number back to 36.

This made the curating job, which was the job of myself, Magdalena, Febbie, and Bertie, just that bit more difficult and challenging.

After some stressful discussion, in which the installing team tried to influence our thinking, we came to a decision, which was to cluster the work together in groups and at different heights leaving plenty of empty space surrounding these clusters or groups, which I felt was important.

Reflecting on these issues and having to reorganize the work in a way that worked, has made me realize how much more I have learned as a result of these unforeseen problems.

Indeed, I found our first group exhibition, which was organized in Coco’s room at the beginning of the year enormously helpful, as I could use and apply the same sets of skills to this exhibition.

(See below).

For example, consider your audience, space, the space surrounding the art and how it relates to the work on show and always look for works which complement each other and work well together within the space.

By taking part in this exhibition, I have discovered a whole new set of skills, which I feel will be invaluable within my future practice as an artist. These included communication, organization, health and safety, social media, advertisement, installation and finally, curating a show.

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Coco's Room, First showing.

I Wanted to include this exhibition in my final web folio because even though it was my first introduction to exhibition life within Wimbledon college, I feel it was so beneficial, as the skills I gained, as a result, have stayed with me throughout the duration of this course. 

I and the rest of the MFA first-year students hung and exhibited our work for the first time within UAL, this took place in the hallway outside of our studio and in Coco’s room. This was achieved by discussing and deciding how the work relates to each other and worked and complemented each other within the space.

The tutors helped and encouraged us to do this by size, color, shape, and space, actually emphasized how important the empty spaces surrounding a work was.

In the afternoon we discussed in depth, how and why a painting a sculpture or video piece worked or didn't work alongside another painting, or indeed in a particular position, place or space.

I exhibited two paintings, both on un-primed board and both created with household gloss paint.

The picture's adjacent show my work, in the first of these picture's my painting is on the right-hand side aligned with another student's work. As can be seen, the two paintings complement each other and indeed worked well together within the space.

Reflecting back on this process and the lessons and skills I have learned by taking part in this exhibition include. 

It is important to consider audience space and theme when curating a space for an exhibition and to figure out which works work well together. But it is also equally important to see how the space and the surrounding environment, relates and works with the work on show.           

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The Ugly Duck Exhabition.

The Postopia exhibition at the Ugly Duck, 49 Tanner St, London SE1 3PL, I feel gave me the opportunity to learn to work with other artists in a challenging way as I found out it can be difficult bringing so many different elements together in a cohesive and meaningful show.

Therefore on reflection I have learned some new skills and revisited others, firstly it is important to have a plan, secondly, once you have chosen a theme for the exhibition you can start to take submissions from interested artists, select an appropriate venue and create a marketing buzz that will allow the work to be seen and appreciated by as many people as possible. 

Choosing a unifying theme is also important as this will tie the different pieces together. Organizing the event, this requires a large amount of coordination so it is also important to start planning the event well in advance, creating promotional materials such as a press release, pamphlets, flyers, and posters that give a brief description and nature of the exhibition.

I was instrumental in setting up the exhibition space, learning through this process how important it was to envision how the audience views and interacts with the room, then create a layout that fulfills this.

The value of getting the work mounted and situated properly before fine-tune the lighting in a way that the work, was well lit and plainly visible and which also reflected the theme of the exhibition.

Finally on reflection I have become aware of the importance to engage with the public, this includes making sure I am available to greet visitor as they arrive at the venue, I am able to describe and answer questions about the works on show, therefore giving me the opportunity to meet and talk with the people who are ultimately going to critique or buy the work. (Below can be seen my contribution to the exhibition.)

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MFA Exhibition, Wimbledon 2019

I was one of the lucky ones to find myself curating are final MFA show, along with Renata, Guilia, Fibbie, Yhishin, Erin, and Cherish.

We had our first meeting with Edwina on the 30th of April here we discussed and walked through the different spaces that were allocated to are MFA group, these included the lecture theatre, coco’s room, the corridor downstairs, the mothership, the observatory, the gallery, and the corporate room.

At the meeting, we went through all the students work in a joint effort to allocate each student the best space possible, with the emphasis directed towards giving the individual a space which showed their work in the best light and which accommodated their needs.

We looked at and discussed in detail who needed a mixed wall and floor space, who needed low light levels, hanging space, wall sockets and dark space for sound and video work.

We also discussed and talked about the fire exits for example how many and where they were and how important it was to keep these spaces clear and free of any work.

After some discussion surrounding each individual's work, we had a rough idea of the spaces that would be given to each student, this would be looked at again and confirmed at our next meeting.

At our second meeting again we discussed in detail the AV requirements, any special requirements needed, the technical support provided, the risk assessments of the work along with the workshop facilities before we looked at some concerns in relation to spaces allocated.

After some reflection we found there to be a number of spaces which we thought didn’t fit the individual's needs, or did not show their work in the best light, these included Shawn, Fibbie, Valeriya and Ren, and after some discussion, these students were moved to more suitable locations within the spaces provided.

On reflection, I feel the curating team done its best to allocate spaces which will bring out the best in the work, and gave me some valuable experience in curating a big show with a large body of works for a substantial number of different artists who use different and diverse mediums including painting, photography mixed media, sculpture, digital-based work, installation and film.  

 

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Whats Next?

 

Firstly, my plan is to try and remain in London so I can continue growing as an artist as I feel London will give me the best opportunity’s, has the best contacts, gallery’s and is the place to be to become a recognized artist.

Indeed, this will not be easy, but I have some money left from my student loan which will pay the bills for 3 months after I graduate and give me some time to obtain some sort of employment.

I have been applying for jobs in museums and gallery’s where I would love to work in some capacity, this would not only pay the bills but would give me access to the art I love and the contacts I need to forge, I have also looked at a number of residencies, which likewise would allow me to remain in London and give me a platform to progress as an artist.

Furthermore, my goal is to do a practiced-based Ph.D., at the University of London in a year’s time and following this my long term goal would be to teach part-time, giving me the opportunity to balance my time and money and allow me to continue working on and improving as an artist.

In addition, this would also help me to generate and concentrate on commissions, residencies, projects and selling my work.

Adjacent is a drawing of my timeline showing my development and where I hope to be in four years’ time. 

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 Key skill gained and lessons learned. 

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  • It is important to plan an exhibition according to visitors needs.

  • Assist with installation, including the packing, loading, hanging, and framing of work.

  • Create and monitor production and installation schedules.

  • Draw up and manage exhibition budgets and fundraise for the project.

  • Assist with the production and launch of the exhibition catalog and publicity material.

  • Arrange transport, insurance, and security.

  • Get involved in media work such as talking to art critics.

  • Coordinate between subject specialists and designers.

  • Source exhibits, research artists and select work.

  • Work closely with curators to form or plan a long-term strategy.

  • The value of regular communication, contact, and feedback when organizing a show.

  • And finally, and maybe the most important lesson I have experienced is the importance to communicate, find, maintain and develop as many contacts in the art world as possible! 

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