degree show 2014 - Central Saint Martin . part 1

The annual degree show season has started, it's time to go spot the next super star graduates before they get affiliated with the noble house galleries.

We walked through CSM's show last weekend and found the works this year are as controversial as usual, although one would wonder how the visitors could understand the student's intention without their presence or any explanatory note most of the times. Or do they believe only the VIPs in private view evenings are worth their dedication and the general public should only appreciate their works by second guesses? It is puzzling that some artists still behave like this, and complain about nobody paying attention to their works when people give up their valuable weekend time to go see their works. We can perhaps only wish this 'tradition' would gradually change.

Here we are going to showcase a few highlights we found in the show, in no particular order and of no particular reason, since we are simply applying the same tactics as the students that do not present their works with their concepts -

2five8's installation '48 sheets' is a billboard controlled by motion sensors. The message is revealed when you walk across in front of the board.


'four letter words' by Claudia Klaus Rowland. Claudia left a comment on the vimeo page to explain her concept - please spend a minute to go read her words.

Isabella Cammareri's oriental-cross-romanticism 3D collages

Christina-Shelagh Mongelli's Gulf Prokupkin. There is a blue soldier that is en-gulfed by the black and white sea, suggesting a movement thats prone to fail as he is stuck on a rock. A rock that used to be close to the sea, a closeness suggested by its wavy shape. Yet their closeness is a reactionary one, as there is a 'gulf' between them.  An unbridgeable disparity, due to the lack of understanding.

Gwennaelle Cook's red-white-blue simple geometric exercise

Octave Marsal - Theo de Gueltzl's amazing etching on perspex

Kristian Kragelund's 220 pieces of steel forming some 70 leaning figures under the sun - he told us that the heat in a certain time of the day from the direct sunlight would make the sheets expand and adjust their balanced positions. Very interesting fact and hope there would be a time-lapsed video to reveal this happening

Ellen Rose turns kitchen towel roll into this wonderful chiffon or silk-liked fashion masterpiece with all the colourful strokes

Jack O'Brien's sound installation

Another visually stunning piece made by simple daily objects. by Majella Dowdican

Emma Vidal's intriguing sculptures are both sold

Dynamic sculpture by Matthieu Romet-Lemarchand

Poetic ceiling intervention by Valentin Dommanget

Last, we also like Sarah Jacqueline Hamilton's Mount Me which you would see a person climbing up a pile of foam when you put your eyes into the viewfinder - it's a pity that cannot be captured and reproduced here.

Full photo album here

Further Readings -

Page - Central Saint Martins degree show 2014 – in pictures on the Guardian, 21.05.2014

Page - official page for the Part 1 show

the season of graduation shows - Central Saint Martins

Central Saint Martin MAFA Show
01-04.09.2010

This is the last year Central Saint Martin MAFA graduates would have their graduation show in Charing Cross Road. Course Director Joanna Greenhill would be leaving th school as well this year. While nobody knows what would happen when the school re-opens next year in the transformed Granary & Transit Shed in King's Cross, we could all look back in what the MAFA students have done in the past year to mark the end of an era -

the show poster - lacks the eccentricity and edge of an art school in London?

The followings are some of the interesting finds in the show -

Josh Baum's Installation (flash clip)

a corner of the MFA show - video link

Walking up & down the Charing Cross Road building, you cannot stop reminiscing the student life in this historic block would be disappeared forever - 


panorama of internal courtyard - video link

And the luxury of being in the centre of West End, the sweeping panoramic view across the city from almost every windows facing outside is argurably the greatest asset of being a CSM student!

Full photo set

Let's hope CSM future students would have an even-brighter life in the regenerated neighbourhood, together with its many sparkling neighbours such as St Pancras Station, Kings Place, Gagosian Gallery & the Regent's Canal!

Further Readings -
Official page for CSM MFA Show 2010
Official website for Central Saint Martin
A preview of CSM's King's Cross campus opening in 2011
CSM Time #7 - King's Cross Special
Gwen Yip's blog - Working Holiday in London

art january in london . part 1

Central Saint Martin MA Fine Arts Interim Show
29-31.01.2010
Bargehouse Oxo Tower Wharf

ma-fine-art-2009

The show is curated by students from MA Critical Writing and Curatorial Practice, Chelsea College of Art and Design. They designed 7 itineraries for visitors if they select 1 to follow. The followings are samples of the iteineraries -

Due to limited time, we didn't really follow the suggested itinerary but go up floor by floor instead. The show included works from both full-time & part-time students. The space inside the building is quite interesting and each student seem to have sufficient space to display their little 'unfinished' masterpiece(s) -

Video / Installation

Sound Art

Installation

Sound / Installation

Illustration

Installation / Performance (the performance is not available when we visited)

This is the piece I like most - 3 metallic balloon hold in mid-air by their own strings:

central saint martin MA interim show 2010 by you.

The venue itself is full of surprises, too -
 
Keen to see how their final masterpieces turn out later in September...

Full photo set here