Monday, 13 October 2014
Art History and History Employability Conference
Art History are organising an Employability conference for Undergraduate and Postgraduate students, on November the 8th, at the Minories Galleries in Colchester. Attendance is ABSOLUTELY FREE (!), and includes talks by academics, curators, librarians, and students, on how to get into the arts and heritage sector, as well as a buffet lunch and cupcakes :)
Wednesday, 17 September 2014
Homecoming Weekend
By Simon Kaye and Suzanne Nolan
Last weekend (12-14 Sept) saw the University of Essex kick of its 50th Anniversary celebrations with the Homecoming Weekend. Alumni and previous staff were invited to spend the weekend on campus enjoying hundreds of activities, from live music and evenings out to face painting and Wii competitions. Academics were out in force talking about their research both past and present, and in the Hexagon, the exhibition Something Fierce, University of Essex: Vision and Reality opened, curated by our very own Jules Lubbock.
On Saturday, all of the departments across the University hosted their reunion lunch, a chance for alumni and previous staff to come and say hello to one another and current staff. Philosophy and Art History were hosting together, and it was wonderful to see so many familiar and new faces. We've been working on our School timelines for the last few weeks, so it was a great to see all that hard work pay off - so many people commented on how good the timelines were, and added their own memories.
Jo Harwood, director of ESCALA, was there representing CISH (Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies), which is part of the School of Philosophy and Art History.
The new Head of School, Fabian Freyenhagen, caught up with past students.
Art History's retired Graduate Administrator, Myra Offord, also attended!
Simon: One of my favourite and most expected activities took place in the Robotic Arena, where I was able to shed my art historical persona and delve into another world, full of electronics and computers. Meeting a robot was an amazing experience and allowed me to know how close we are to creating Sonny. Radically different from my academic knowledge, it was very refreshing to see what other departments have been researching on.
Suzanne: I really enjoyed visiting the Towers, and seeing all the bedrooms made up to represent the different decades. It made be think about how different styles come in and out of fashion; different music; different colours, even. Ultimately, though, it made me realise how students of today are so similar to students of the 1960's - studious, enthusiastic, curious... and looking to make the most out of their time at University!
Last weekend (12-14 Sept) saw the University of Essex kick of its 50th Anniversary celebrations with the Homecoming Weekend. Alumni and previous staff were invited to spend the weekend on campus enjoying hundreds of activities, from live music and evenings out to face painting and Wii competitions. Academics were out in force talking about their research both past and present, and in the Hexagon, the exhibition Something Fierce, University of Essex: Vision and Reality opened, curated by our very own Jules Lubbock.
On Saturday, all of the departments across the University hosted their reunion lunch, a chance for alumni and previous staff to come and say hello to one another and current staff. Philosophy and Art History were hosting together, and it was wonderful to see so many familiar and new faces. We've been working on our School timelines for the last few weeks, so it was a great to see all that hard work pay off - so many people commented on how good the timelines were, and added their own memories.
Every had a great time. Rupert Mass, alumnus of Art History and expert on Antiques Roadshow, can be seen below, meeting Matt Lodder, our contemporary art and tattooing specialist, along with Lisa Wade.
Jo Harwood, director of ESCALA, was there representing CISH (Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies), which is part of the School of Philosophy and Art History.
The new Head of School, Fabian Freyenhagen, caught up with past students.
Art History's retired Graduate Administrator, Myra Offord, also attended!
Simon: One of my favourite and most expected activities took place in the Robotic Arena, where I was able to shed my art historical persona and delve into another world, full of electronics and computers. Meeting a robot was an amazing experience and allowed me to know how close we are to creating Sonny. Radically different from my academic knowledge, it was very refreshing to see what other departments have been researching on.
Suzanne: I really enjoyed visiting the Towers, and seeing all the bedrooms made up to represent the different decades. It made be think about how different styles come in and out of fashion; different music; different colours, even. Ultimately, though, it made me realise how students of today are so similar to students of the 1960's - studious, enthusiastic, curious... and looking to make the most out of their time at University!
Friday, 12 September 2014
Frontrunners and Leaving Essex
By Simon Kaye
September 2014 marks the end of a journey and the beginning
of a new one. This year has changed me as a person in various different
aspects. The experience I had at Essex was unexpected and extremely rewarding for
a young graduate. The course of this year was unique for me, considering the
more practical background that led me to the postgraduate program in Art
History and the career I am now heading towards. I have much to look forward to
and a lot of amazing memories to base my expectations on.
In the various activities I have done over the course of
this academic year, most of them rewarded me with other favourable
circumstances. As my friend and former lecturer Duncan Wooldridge told me: it
is more important to make the most of small opportunities rather than waiting
for the big ones. Being a frontrunner at the University was one of these
opportunities, which helped me to enhance my academic CV with more professional
experience. Over these past three months I have gained various transferable skills
not necessarily related to the study of art but highly prized by employers.
Marketing the department has allowed me to step on the working ladder whilst
marrying this new expertise with my studies.
Being on the frontrunner scheme whilst doing my dissertation
was also helpful to manage my time and study harder. Instead of focusing all
the time on my writing and turning into an art historian freak, working
alongside other frontrunners in the library put a routine in place and created a
break from my study time. The three mornings per week when I took the bus to go
to campus did not feel like I was going to work. The placement was designed to
be as beneficial for me as it is for the department to hire an extra pair of
hands. Even though my role involved a greater deal of marketing activities I
was not aware of before, I still had the opportunity to apply in the job what I
have learnt during my lessons. Working on the art history student blog, writing
exhibition reviews and designing the Art History Newsletter have nurtured my
knowledge, and allow me to practice it in a professional environment.
Not only I am grateful for this opportunity, I would also like
to galvanise forthcoming students who are starting in September to consider
such activities offered by the university.
Rather than being an extra income on the top of the loans, they allow
you to set yourself up straight away with a professional background alongside
your studies. You will finish your undergraduate or postgraduate program with a
lifetime experience of working with lecturers in a professional environment and
finally you will leave Essex with more than one string on your bow.
For more information about frontrunners, and the placements available, visit their website.
Monday, 1 September 2014
Thursday, 21 August 2014
Library Extension and Student Centre
By Simon Kaye
The University of Essex is renowned for its building expansions and the famous architectural design of its square and towers inspired by the Tuscan town of San Gimignano. As the University expands demographically, it also focuses on providing the facilities to pursue academic excellence. Former students may remember the opening of the Ivor Crewe Lecture Hall in 2006 or more recently the Tony Rich Teaching Centre. Since the beginning of this year, our beautiful campus has undertaken further major building works. The architect Patel Tayor, appointed in 2011, accepted the challenge to extend the Albert Sloman Library and design a whole new building where the reception and other student’s services will be held.
Students staying over the summer have been able to witness the major development of the campus. Whether the extension of our iconic Library or the construction of the new Student Centre, this year everyone has seen and experienced the making of a “new” University. This new environment will carry on nurturing the talents of our students. When the cranes are gone and the fences brought down, the changes will finally surface and enhance the student’s experience at Essex.
More than just being aesthetically outstanding, the library extension will soon provide students access to a collection of 1.4 million books, a 24/7 postgraduate reading room, and 388 additional study desks. The new Student Centre will gather the important offices such as the University’s visitor reception, the IT helpdesk, Registry and Student Support. Altogether this vibrant building and the library extension will become the heart of the campus for any administrative enquiries as well as a quiet space to study along the lake. I remember how I got lost to find the IT people the first time I came to Essex, now it will be very accessible and easy to find.
Whilst some people may miss the ducks looking for our lunches near the Lakeside Café, don’t worry - they still meander around the other side of the lakes and on the Squares. Students will soon be able to study on the water and enjoy, through the window, the same scenery John Constable painted. The inauguration of this major building work will coincide with the 50th anniversary of the University, a major highlight in the history of our campus, which we are all looking forward to.
The University of Essex has always provided a very warm and relaxed atmosphere for its students. In my first years, I remember studying in various places rather than staying at my desk at home. I spent time writing my essays in the library but also in Top Bar in the late afternoon. More recently, for my master dissertation, I have enjoyed the quietness of the Orangery and the Art History library. For the new students, you will have more choices exemplifying an important factor we do well at Essex: providing the students with the best tools to achieve their potential. Although I will miss the overview of the lake from the library’s top floor, this will only be a nostalgic feeling, which has already been replaced by my excitement for the new students to enjoy this new incredible environment.
The fresh design, the Student Centre overlooking the water of the lake, and the large amount of new study spaces, will be available for the students next spring term. I look forward to coming back and seeing all of these improvements finished - which will make me want to study at Essex again. I wish all of the success for those lucky students starting their academic journey in September. I hope that you will enjoy this new atmosphere and make good use of those amazing facilities, which I wish to have experienced myself.
Check out the live images from the webcam...
The University of Essex is renowned for its building expansions and the famous architectural design of its square and towers inspired by the Tuscan town of San Gimignano. As the University expands demographically, it also focuses on providing the facilities to pursue academic excellence. Former students may remember the opening of the Ivor Crewe Lecture Hall in 2006 or more recently the Tony Rich Teaching Centre. Since the beginning of this year, our beautiful campus has undertaken further major building works. The architect Patel Tayor, appointed in 2011, accepted the challenge to extend the Albert Sloman Library and design a whole new building where the reception and other student’s services will be held.
 |
| How it's looking... |
Students staying over the summer have been able to witness the major development of the campus. Whether the extension of our iconic Library or the construction of the new Student Centre, this year everyone has seen and experienced the making of a “new” University. This new environment will carry on nurturing the talents of our students. When the cranes are gone and the fences brought down, the changes will finally surface and enhance the student’s experience at Essex.
More than just being aesthetically outstanding, the library extension will soon provide students access to a collection of 1.4 million books, a 24/7 postgraduate reading room, and 388 additional study desks. The new Student Centre will gather the important offices such as the University’s visitor reception, the IT helpdesk, Registry and Student Support. Altogether this vibrant building and the library extension will become the heart of the campus for any administrative enquiries as well as a quiet space to study along the lake. I remember how I got lost to find the IT people the first time I came to Essex, now it will be very accessible and easy to find.
 |
| The design of the new buildings |
Whilst some people may miss the ducks looking for our lunches near the Lakeside Café, don’t worry - they still meander around the other side of the lakes and on the Squares. Students will soon be able to study on the water and enjoy, through the window, the same scenery John Constable painted. The inauguration of this major building work will coincide with the 50th anniversary of the University, a major highlight in the history of our campus, which we are all looking forward to.
The University of Essex has always provided a very warm and relaxed atmosphere for its students. In my first years, I remember studying in various places rather than staying at my desk at home. I spent time writing my essays in the library but also in Top Bar in the late afternoon. More recently, for my master dissertation, I have enjoyed the quietness of the Orangery and the Art History library. For the new students, you will have more choices exemplifying an important factor we do well at Essex: providing the students with the best tools to achieve their potential. Although I will miss the overview of the lake from the library’s top floor, this will only be a nostalgic feeling, which has already been replaced by my excitement for the new students to enjoy this new incredible environment.
 |
| What the Student Centre will look like |
The fresh design, the Student Centre overlooking the water of the lake, and the large amount of new study spaces, will be available for the students next spring term. I look forward to coming back and seeing all of these improvements finished - which will make me want to study at Essex again. I wish all of the success for those lucky students starting their academic journey in September. I hope that you will enjoy this new atmosphere and make good use of those amazing facilities, which I wish to have experienced myself.
Check out the live images from the webcam...
Monday, 11 August 2014
A few of our favourite photos from 2013/14
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| Music in the Squares |
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| Celebrating scholarships |
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| 'My Fiction is Real' exhibition curated by the MA Students |
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| At the SPAH Picnic |
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| Sarah, Matt, and Simon at the SPAH Picnic |
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| Matt Lodder and Co' at the SPAH Picnic |
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| Saying farewell to Michaela |
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| Graduation 2014! |
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| Graduation 2014 |
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| Staff and students celebrating Graduation 2014 |
Tuesday, 5 August 2014
Frontrunners for PhD Students
University is on Summer Break, and that means around 4 months of quiet around campus until the old and new undergraduate students arrive in October. Having been an undergraduate and postgraduate (MA and PhD) at the same institution, I have grown accustom to the life cycle of the University. This year is a little different, as I am working as a Alumni Development Frontrunner Plus in the Art History department, alongside the Marketing and Recruitment Frontrunner, and Library Frontrunner.
I'm certainly not the only PhD student doing one of these placements. At the Professional Skills Workshop (part of the training for the role), I met a number of research students doing all sorts of placements, from statistical data analysis, 50th Anniversary projects, to working in the children's law clinic. The Frontrunner Plus placements are particularly suited to older students - the pay isn't bad, the hours flexible and not too long so as to fit in with study (and other commitments, like family and friends), but the experience is 'good quality'.
By good quality, I mean it's not just about filing, making coffee, and agreeing with my superiors. I get a tangible influence over the work that I do, the people that I contact, and the projects that we develop. The placement has been going on for six weeks now, and already I've organised a conference (not just helped, but organised, sorting the budget and everything), made a number of strong professional contacts, started to implement new policies that will come into effect in October, and developed my management skills. All great things for my CV (both academic and professional).
Not only all that, but the placement is still giving me time to write up my PhD (I'm in completion), and is even helping because I spend my working hours on campus, in the departmental library - close to all the resources I need to get my own work done. After a few hours in the office, I am focused. I take my lunch break, and then head to the library, or my office at home, to 'continue' work - this time on my thesis.
So - if you're a University of Essex research student, I would definitely recommend Frontrunners. If you want to stay in academic, the short placements give you great experience working within an institution (which equates to developing commercial awareness in most cases), and can fill the over-the-summer lull if you have managed to secure teaching experience!
I'm certainly not the only PhD student doing one of these placements. At the Professional Skills Workshop (part of the training for the role), I met a number of research students doing all sorts of placements, from statistical data analysis, 50th Anniversary projects, to working in the children's law clinic. The Frontrunner Plus placements are particularly suited to older students - the pay isn't bad, the hours flexible and not too long so as to fit in with study (and other commitments, like family and friends), but the experience is 'good quality'.
By good quality, I mean it's not just about filing, making coffee, and agreeing with my superiors. I get a tangible influence over the work that I do, the people that I contact, and the projects that we develop. The placement has been going on for six weeks now, and already I've organised a conference (not just helped, but organised, sorting the budget and everything), made a number of strong professional contacts, started to implement new policies that will come into effect in October, and developed my management skills. All great things for my CV (both academic and professional).
Not only all that, but the placement is still giving me time to write up my PhD (I'm in completion), and is even helping because I spend my working hours on campus, in the departmental library - close to all the resources I need to get my own work done. After a few hours in the office, I am focused. I take my lunch break, and then head to the library, or my office at home, to 'continue' work - this time on my thesis.
So - if you're a University of Essex research student, I would definitely recommend Frontrunners. If you want to stay in academic, the short placements give you great experience working within an institution (which equates to developing commercial awareness in most cases), and can fill the over-the-summer lull if you have managed to secure teaching experience!
Wednesday, 30 July 2014
Exhibition Review: Masters at the Minories
By Simon Kaye
Masters at the Minories runs from the 26th of July until the 23rd of August, 2014, at The Minories Galleries, in Colchester.
Having done a practical degree at the School of Art, I know how hard it can be to curate a show embodying such a large variety of unique pieces. As well as being successful individually, they also need to functions together to create a unique experience. The MA students and the curator overcame this difficulty impressively. They used the space very distinctly. Whilst it seems to be divided between the three professional practices, the exhibition also juxtaposed work from different area of expertise.
I first entered the Morning Room featuring the installation, What are we doing today? by Rosie Wilford and the art of Joanna Marlow from her series Being Bound. This first encounter gave me an overview of one of the overwhelming themes the exhibition implements. By looking at Joanna’s maps, not only did I relate them to my personal experience, but also the visual format of the work reminded me of a sculptural practice. In-between the flatness behind the glass and the 3D effect of the work, I questioned whether the work was a sculpture, or another, as yet undefined medium.
Most of the sculptural pieces challenged the space and hence my experience, as I had to adapt my journey through the gallery. When I stepped in The Girling Room, I did not feel alone. The ceramic works of Liam Henessy (Doppelgangër) made me feel uncomfortably overwhelmed by their presence. Despite this busy yet lonely atmosphere, I walked around these exotic humanoids to then look at the very emotional work by Samantha O’Kelly. When I first thought I was looking at a photograph, Spatium, I soon realised that again my preconceived notions were in question as the work almost entered the sculptural realm.
Katarzyna Babinska and her work Third Impression also recalled the characteristics of the medium used. Potentially made on purpose, the title reminded me of Roland Barthes acclaimed essay, “The Photographic Meaning” in which he expressed to potentiality of creating a new valence from a first and a second term (Barthes, 1977). Although focused around photography, those ideas seemed to have been a ubiquitous theme underlying most of the works.
In the Front Room and the Garden Room, Bernie Stephens and Poppy Wallis both used the ceiling as the anchor of their work. Albeit sharing visual similarities, the two projects remained extremely distinctive in their form and content. Whilst Bernie’s work disputed painting as a sculptural form, Poppy’s installation felt multi-sensory.
Finally, Karen Cooke’s work diverged from book making, to photography and silkscreen printing. The seats displayed welcomed me to sit and engage with what she had provided for the visitor. Mainly aimed at children, this particular work almost brought me back to my childhood. Overall, she achieved creating a very personal atmosphere by not using only one visual format but varying her pieces.
The Final Show of the MA students appeared to me as a must see for anyone who engaged with Bruce Mclean’s exhibition at Firstsite. During one of his talks, when Mclean spoke about his practice, he expressed an everlasting reconfiguration of his subject of study. The MA students both individually and collectively provide a fresh outlook to such debate around medium specificity.
Bibliography
Barthes, Roland., Image, Music, Text London: Fontana Press, 1977.
Masters at the Minories runs from the 26th of July until the 23rd of August, 2014, at The Minories Galleries, in Colchester.
On Friday 25th of
July, The Minories Galleries opened to the public its new exhibition entitled Masters at the Minories. The exhibition
features the work of students graduating from three MA courses run the by the
Colchester School of Art and taught at the art gallery.
Having done a practical degree at the School of Art, I know how hard it can be to curate a show embodying such a large variety of unique pieces. As well as being successful individually, they also need to functions together to create a unique experience. The MA students and the curator overcame this difficulty impressively. They used the space very distinctly. Whilst it seems to be divided between the three professional practices, the exhibition also juxtaposed work from different area of expertise.
I first entered the Morning Room featuring the installation, What are we doing today? by Rosie Wilford and the art of Joanna Marlow from her series Being Bound. This first encounter gave me an overview of one of the overwhelming themes the exhibition implements. By looking at Joanna’s maps, not only did I relate them to my personal experience, but also the visual format of the work reminded me of a sculptural practice. In-between the flatness behind the glass and the 3D effect of the work, I questioned whether the work was a sculpture, or another, as yet undefined medium.
Most of the sculptural pieces challenged the space and hence my experience, as I had to adapt my journey through the gallery. When I stepped in The Girling Room, I did not feel alone. The ceramic works of Liam Henessy (Doppelgangër) made me feel uncomfortably overwhelmed by their presence. Despite this busy yet lonely atmosphere, I walked around these exotic humanoids to then look at the very emotional work by Samantha O’Kelly. When I first thought I was looking at a photograph, Spatium, I soon realised that again my preconceived notions were in question as the work almost entered the sculptural realm.
Katarzyna Babinska and her work Third Impression also recalled the characteristics of the medium used. Potentially made on purpose, the title reminded me of Roland Barthes acclaimed essay, “The Photographic Meaning” in which he expressed to potentiality of creating a new valence from a first and a second term (Barthes, 1977). Although focused around photography, those ideas seemed to have been a ubiquitous theme underlying most of the works.
In the Front Room and the Garden Room, Bernie Stephens and Poppy Wallis both used the ceiling as the anchor of their work. Albeit sharing visual similarities, the two projects remained extremely distinctive in their form and content. Whilst Bernie’s work disputed painting as a sculptural form, Poppy’s installation felt multi-sensory.
Finally, Karen Cooke’s work diverged from book making, to photography and silkscreen printing. The seats displayed welcomed me to sit and engage with what she had provided for the visitor. Mainly aimed at children, this particular work almost brought me back to my childhood. Overall, she achieved creating a very personal atmosphere by not using only one visual format but varying her pieces.
The Final Show of the MA students appeared to me as a must see for anyone who engaged with Bruce Mclean’s exhibition at Firstsite. During one of his talks, when Mclean spoke about his practice, he expressed an everlasting reconfiguration of his subject of study. The MA students both individually and collectively provide a fresh outlook to such debate around medium specificity.
Bibliography
Barthes, Roland., Image, Music, Text London: Fontana Press, 1977.
Wednesday, 23 July 2014
Graduation Day at the University of Essex
By Simon Kaye
Last Friday marked the final day of the
University of Essex experience for the 2014 graduates of the School of Philosophy and Art History. Three years of rushing to meet deadlines and of an overwhelming
exams’ stress at the end of every year are now over. The long journeys to
London to visit galleries, the sounds of the projectors during seminars, the
persistence to make it for 9 am lectures after a night, and the late evenings writing
essays in the library are now things of the past. They will nevertheless soon
be replaced by the regular morning alarm and job applications.
Although it started raining in the morning, the
weather quickly shifted to a sultry summer heat, which graduates and their
parents enjoyed on the square throughout the celebration. Having been living
like a hermit for the past month whilst writing my dissertation, it was very
refreshing to see some of my friends graduating.
Music and barbecues were on the menu and as a
frontrunner I got to enjoy this particular atmosphere whilst taking some
pictures of joyful moments. I was wandering around campus in between
photographing and congratulating until a bell rang calling this vast crew to
make their way to the graduate ceremony. Streamed on the university website, I
was glad I could see what my ceremony would be like. Sitting under the shades
of the Pagoda I sat with a few others watching Prof. Wayne giving a very
insightful speech before graduates were called and went up to shake the hand of
the chancellor.
Following the ceremony, which took place in the
Ivory Crew Lecture Hall, graduates and parents gathered at the SPAH marquee in
Wivenhoe Park to enjoy the warm weather and share a drink with their - now -
former lecturers. Refreshments and food were provided to congratulate and
celebrate the success of the students. Perhaps a little bit nostalgic but
nevertheless embedded with a sense of completion, the atmosphere in the tent
was very cheerful and convivial.
Already, I could feel that the graduates will
soon miss their university life and the communal sense the campus has got. The
little things such as Campus Cat waiting to be stroked in the Tony Rich Teaching Centre, the paternoster of the Albert Sloman library and its check
point will always bring a smile to those who came here to study. Memories of the
sport centre and its “blades” whose students’ passion embraced on Derby Day, the
sport federation’s nights every Wednesday, Art Exchange and its private views
where students and lecturers gathered together to speak about art, will be
dearly missed by those who now enter “the real world.”
Once prizes and speeches were finished,
students made their way outside for the famous hat throw, the final and maybe
last moment of their University life. I was glad to see that postgraduate students
still came for their graduation even a year after they finished their program.
It galvanized me to make sure that I will be able to attend mine next year
where I will be standing there wearing black, red and white throwing my hat in
the air a second time.
Tuesday, 15 July 2014
Exhibition Review: Intimations by Cinzia Cremona
By Simon Kaye
The course leader for the MA Contemporary Art and Professional Practice, and Art Design and the Book, presents the outcomes from her current research at the Minories Galleries, in Colchester. The exhibition runs until the 16/07/14.
Cinzia Cremona’s installation – The Other Person (2009) – consists of a duvet and a pillow that are displayed in a dark room. It is one of the first pieces the spectator encounters. In an almost sculptural fashion, the disposition of the two objects, missing the wooden frame and the mattress, reminded me of a place where someone had just slept. The woollen fabric reveals the form of the former sleeper, yet there is no one there.
A video of the artist looking out at the viewer
– or the camera – disturbs this strange display. Half slumbering and questioning
the viewer, the character of the video suggests an active engagement with the
piece: “Come! Yes, it is for you”
The made up bed no longer appears as a mark left by someone else, but almost as an invitation to share the experience with the persona acting in the piece. This process of emancipation – from lucid viewer to active participant of the work (Rancière, 2009) – only happened in my mind as the gesture that formed the folds of the bed sheet left me dubious: in lying on the floor, I could disturb the piece.
Nevertheless, staying within this confine environment and chiaroscuro created by the photons coming out of the television screens, I turned around to see the two other filmed performances by Cinzia. Slightly different is their disposal; none of these pieces featured a second apparent component other than the videos themselves, each of them immersed in their own acoustic world. I picked up the headphones and dived into a very different encounter.
Before You Now (2013) challenged my apprehension of the act of performing presented in the piece. Even though the direct question alluded by the artist draw upon notions of identity and visual reality, another process occurs whilst undergoing the conversation. In a similar way that Bertolt Brecht encountered the performance of Mei Lei in 1935 and discovered what he later described as the Estrangement Effect. In this context ‘the . . . performer does not act as if, in addition to the three walls around him there were also a fourth wall. He makes it clear that he knows he is being looked at. . . . The audience forfeits the illusion of being unseen spectators at an event, which is really taking place.’ (Brecht 1961: 130) Even if my experience was restricted by the use of the camera, my ‘dialogue’ acquired veracity the more Cinzia questioned my role as a viewer. And the fourth wall, the glass of the television screen, had been dropped between the artist and me.
The longer I stayed, the dark room progressively became a layering of experiences: as an active viewer, while I remained listening to a particular video, I could decide to break up my gaze to look at another piece. This dystopian effect emphasized the last confrontation of the show. In Are You Talking to Me? (2011), a conflict zone appears between two distinctive selves apparently belonging to the same person. Filmed from two vantage points, the screen is divided in two parts both featuring the artist who seems to be sitting in front of a computer screen. The noisy image and grainy sound are reminiscent of the lack of quality of a ‘poor image’ (Steyerl, 2009) often used in contemporary digital culture. Here in this particular work, the conversation no longer happens as an interaction between performer and viewer but between those two distinctive personas created by the artist.
The exhibition left me with a bewildered feeling. Even if I am familiar with the screen-based life, which takes over our daily activities, I still sensed one of the question asserted by Cinzia if whether or not I was within or outside the screen. Façade or true character, the constant dichotomy of the works challenged my virtual reality.
Bibliography:
Brecht, Bertolt and Bentley, Eric., "On Chinese Acting" in The Tulane Drama Review, Vol. 6, No. 1 (Sep., 1961)
Rancière, Jacques., "The Emancipated Spectator" in The Emancipated Spectator, London and Brooklyn, NY: Verso Books, 2009.
Steyerl, Hito., "The Poor Image" in e-flux journal, no. 10, November 2009.
The course leader for the MA Contemporary Art and Professional Practice, and Art Design and the Book, presents the outcomes from her current research at the Minories Galleries, in Colchester. The exhibition runs until the 16/07/14.
Cinzia Cremona’s installation – The Other Person (2009) – consists of a duvet and a pillow that are displayed in a dark room. It is one of the first pieces the spectator encounters. In an almost sculptural fashion, the disposition of the two objects, missing the wooden frame and the mattress, reminded me of a place where someone had just slept. The woollen fabric reveals the form of the former sleeper, yet there is no one there.
 |
|
Cinzia Cremona, Before You Now, (2013)
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The made up bed no longer appears as a mark left by someone else, but almost as an invitation to share the experience with the persona acting in the piece. This process of emancipation – from lucid viewer to active participant of the work (Rancière, 2009) – only happened in my mind as the gesture that formed the folds of the bed sheet left me dubious: in lying on the floor, I could disturb the piece.
Nevertheless, staying within this confine environment and chiaroscuro created by the photons coming out of the television screens, I turned around to see the two other filmed performances by Cinzia. Slightly different is their disposal; none of these pieces featured a second apparent component other than the videos themselves, each of them immersed in their own acoustic world. I picked up the headphones and dived into a very different encounter.
Before You Now (2013) challenged my apprehension of the act of performing presented in the piece. Even though the direct question alluded by the artist draw upon notions of identity and visual reality, another process occurs whilst undergoing the conversation. In a similar way that Bertolt Brecht encountered the performance of Mei Lei in 1935 and discovered what he later described as the Estrangement Effect. In this context ‘the . . . performer does not act as if, in addition to the three walls around him there were also a fourth wall. He makes it clear that he knows he is being looked at. . . . The audience forfeits the illusion of being unseen spectators at an event, which is really taking place.’ (Brecht 1961: 130) Even if my experience was restricted by the use of the camera, my ‘dialogue’ acquired veracity the more Cinzia questioned my role as a viewer. And the fourth wall, the glass of the television screen, had been dropped between the artist and me.
The longer I stayed, the dark room progressively became a layering of experiences: as an active viewer, while I remained listening to a particular video, I could decide to break up my gaze to look at another piece. This dystopian effect emphasized the last confrontation of the show. In Are You Talking to Me? (2011), a conflict zone appears between two distinctive selves apparently belonging to the same person. Filmed from two vantage points, the screen is divided in two parts both featuring the artist who seems to be sitting in front of a computer screen. The noisy image and grainy sound are reminiscent of the lack of quality of a ‘poor image’ (Steyerl, 2009) often used in contemporary digital culture. Here in this particular work, the conversation no longer happens as an interaction between performer and viewer but between those two distinctive personas created by the artist.
The exhibition left me with a bewildered feeling. Even if I am familiar with the screen-based life, which takes over our daily activities, I still sensed one of the question asserted by Cinzia if whether or not I was within or outside the screen. Façade or true character, the constant dichotomy of the works challenged my virtual reality.
Bibliography:
Brecht, Bertolt and Bentley, Eric., "On Chinese Acting" in The Tulane Drama Review, Vol. 6, No. 1 (Sep., 1961)
Rancière, Jacques., "The Emancipated Spectator" in The Emancipated Spectator, London and Brooklyn, NY: Verso Books, 2009.
Steyerl, Hito., "The Poor Image" in e-flux journal, no. 10, November 2009.
Wednesday, 2 July 2014
Art History Higher Education and Careers Fair
By Simon Kaye
The sun shone all day on Friday 27th , and I was off to meet Sophie Dickey in London to help out at the Art History Higher Education and Careers Fair.
After leaving the old town of Colchester, I made my way to London. From Liverpool Street, I took the Hammersmith and City Line and I arrived at my destination, the Godolphin and Latymer School, a wonderful institution located two minutes away from the Hammersmith station.
Straight away, I could fell the warm sense of community of the school. With a history of more than hundred years old, I felt privileged to step into the establishment where W. B. Yeats was a pupil during his younger years. The fair was organised in the vaulted hall, whose architecture contrasted magnificently with the new buildings of the school.
Sophie and I set up our little stand and we were ready to speak to students about Art History and the University of Essex. Throughout the afternoon, we met some interesting students very attracted by the opportunities the University has to offer, especially with opportunities such as study abroad, language for all and the variety of joint degrees that we have here at Essex.
Although a lot of A-level students chatted with us, a few teachers who did not know much about our campus also took time to learn more about our institution and the School of Philosophy and Art History. Curious about the prospect of their students to potentially make a move to Essex, they left us nearly empty handed of our literature (which I was grateful for because I had to carry back with me!).
After a few cups of tea, we left the place at five o’clock and went to eat a well-deserved subway whilst watching on an outside screen Petra Kvitova defeating Venus Williams at Wimbledon. All in all it was a great day, and a lot of fun!
The sun shone all day on Friday 27th , and I was off to meet Sophie Dickey in London to help out at the Art History Higher Education and Careers Fair.
After leaving the old town of Colchester, I made my way to London. From Liverpool Street, I took the Hammersmith and City Line and I arrived at my destination, the Godolphin and Latymer School, a wonderful institution located two minutes away from the Hammersmith station.
Straight away, I could fell the warm sense of community of the school. With a history of more than hundred years old, I felt privileged to step into the establishment where W. B. Yeats was a pupil during his younger years. The fair was organised in the vaulted hall, whose architecture contrasted magnificently with the new buildings of the school.
Sophie and I set up our little stand and we were ready to speak to students about Art History and the University of Essex. Throughout the afternoon, we met some interesting students very attracted by the opportunities the University has to offer, especially with opportunities such as study abroad, language for all and the variety of joint degrees that we have here at Essex.
Although a lot of A-level students chatted with us, a few teachers who did not know much about our campus also took time to learn more about our institution and the School of Philosophy and Art History. Curious about the prospect of their students to potentially make a move to Essex, they left us nearly empty handed of our literature (which I was grateful for because I had to carry back with me!).
After a few cups of tea, we left the place at five o’clock and went to eat a well-deserved subway whilst watching on an outside screen Petra Kvitova defeating Venus Williams at Wimbledon. All in all it was a great day, and a lot of fun!
Thursday, 26 June 2014
Open Day 21st of June Essex University
By Simon Kaye
Thanks to everyone who came for the open day last Saturday, I met some really interesting people with loads of ideas and ambition. It was great to see some young persons interested in Art History at Essex.
The weekend was incredibly sunny and the squares were crowded with parents and prospective students who all came to visit our wonderful campus. With bands playing, barbecues and the student ambassadors guiding their groups, it felt like the atmosphere of the university life was still going on through the summer.
Myself, Dr Matt Lodder and Dr Lisa Wade, represented the Art History department. The taster presentation by Dr Lodder, titled The Human Body as art object? – plastic surgery in art and culture explored briefly the outlines of body modification and their representation through art, from renaissance up to today's perception of the body form.
My particular interest resides within contemporary photographic practices, but I found interesting that I could draw parallels with my personal research. Embedded by the media, the representation of the self has drastically changed and we are now involving in a hybrid world where we mainly live through the media as an extension of ourselves. It reminded me of Zed Nelson's book Love Me, an incredible photographic project underscoring the impact of media's utopian representation of the body on the society. Even though the taster was more based on contemporary ideas, the audience engaged on various level, drawing analogies with other historical period. I was amazed to hear some of the comments, already challenging with very mature questions the conversation after the talk.
Following Matt's presentation, I gave an insight of what the life at Essex University is like. From accommodation, student life style and art history at Essex, I tried to show what experience it would be to study here, in this incredible environment but also to make aware the audience of all of the amazing opportunities the University provides to its students. Personally, awesome is the right word to describe my experience. From studying a practical degree to do a theoretical master as well as working as a frontrunner, being the 1st team basketball captain and organising a graduate conference, my experience was fulfilled and I hope everyone who was there on Saturday will share a similar experience in their future study.
The day went on quickly insofar as the conversation with both future students and lecturers were really interesting and rewarding. We hope to see as many interested people in the future open events and that as well as being attracted by our Campus the students will want to further their Art History career at Essex.
University of Essex Visit Day!
By Sophie Dickey (originally published on: http://dat-art.tumblr.com/post/76944282367/university-of-essex-visit-day)
How a typical Visit Day looks for prospective Art History Students at the University of Essex!
Why not come for a Visit Day and experience Art History at Essex...?
Students and their parents are greeted by a welcome talk given by Dr. Lisa Wad on what studying Art History entails here at Essex...
A free lunch was set up by the department for the students and their parents!
Lunch and mingles are getting off to a good start. Who doesn't enjoy a nice chat over food?
Lecturers and current students have a chat over lunch with prospective students! A relaxed, informal setting to get to know one another, perfect with a great spread put on by the department.
Lunch was followed by a talk to the parents about career prospects in Art History given by Dr Matt Lodder and what a degree in Art History gives to you.
Then I followed up Matt’s talk with my own, a story of my personal journey through Art History and my current time at Essex.
So why not come to a visit day at the University of Essex and experience the great atmosphere for yourself!
http://www.essex.ac.uk/arthistory/
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