Last Saturday I went to this year’s MA art and design expo at Nottingham Trent University – this year called Work the Way the World Works. From the NTU website:
Projects, by postgraduate students from the University’s School of Art and Design, will represent a range of disciplines including fine and decorative arts, fashion design, knitwear and textiles, fashion marketing and communication, photography, graphics, multimedia and product design.
There were less exhibits (is that the right word?) than the undergraduate shows I wrote about previously, but the quality was really high. I think I must have missed some stuff too, because I took home a book that has around 120 graduates in it and I don’t think I saw all of them.
I couldn’t stay too long, but here are a few things that caught my eye.
Chia-Chia Hung
Extremely happy tea.
Isabelle Way
I thought these were great even before I read closely. Which I guess was the intention. They are nicely sly though, which appeals to me… ‘Ooh look! A nice picture of a tractor. Makes you think it’s local free range produce, doesn’t it? IT’S NOT’.
There’s more on Izzy’s website.
There was a paricularly strong showing from the Fashion, Knitwear and Textile Design graduates, as you can see below.
Jia Ye Cai whose designs are influenced by paper folding.
Yang Yang Huang who had probably the prettiest work, embellished with repeating patterns of cut material.
Nina Richardson who created a traditional look that is right at home on the allotment (there were wellies).
Last, but not least was Dimitra Grigoriou’s, well, fake self.
Strategically located next to the doors to the MA office to provide maximum double-take value, the dummy had previously been placed around Nottingham, with a hidden camera filming the reactions of passers-by. I caught a bit of it on my iPhone on the showreel that was hidden downstairs.
While I’m on the subject – what is it with the Bonnington Building? I think the architects may have been thinking too much about Escher when they designed it. I’ve been in it a bunch of times and still have no idea where I am at any given moment.
Anyway, a good show and well worth a visit if you’re able. It’s on until Saturday 18 July. Just leave a trail of crumbs behind you if you ever want to get out of the building again.
