Harrogate College exhibits work of MA Creative Practice students

Harrogate College celebrated the work of its MA Creative Practice students with exhibits from students from year 1 and 2 of this part-time course, featuring the work of artist in residence for 2018 -19, Angela Hall.

The college welcomed the mayor and mayoress of Harrogate to the event which made it extra special. They expressed their admiration for the high quality work and diversity of creative practice on display and offered their continuing commitment to supporting the Higher Education art and design courses at Harrogate College.

Danny Wild, the new principal of the college commented on the high standard of work and took the opportunity to talk to students about their experiences on the course.

MA Creative Practice offers a diverse collection of art practice and the show was indicative of that extraordinary diversity with students producing an extremely high calibre of work across their specialist fields.

Photographer Christopher Mainprize showed his mesmerising landscape photographs where he created photo-impressionistic pictures, embracing alternative ways of depicting time and space in a photographic based medium.

Stacey Sinclair, another photographer, utilised traditional analogue photography and historic dark room techniques to create two series which explored General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and depression. Her photographs are hauntingly beautiful hand-painted art pieces.

Robyn Barratt in complete contrast focused on millennials who in the future might adopt a more positive attitude towards the threat of ‘stuffocation’. She designed furniture of the future that would be returned to a warehouse where items are upcycled and recycled to reproduce new furniture which is on trend and incorporates up-to-date technology.

Sasha Bilbija’s final MA exhibition was a sensory and hyper-real showcase influenced by 19th century design theory and her son Theo, who has autism. The colourful and lively designs were a playful modern interpretation of iconic patterns by William Morris.

And finally, Gordon Wheatley’s intention with his Aerial photography was to show how nature if left alone was reclaiming disused industrialised areas. By using drones he showed these landscapes from a different perspective.

Also attending were alumni of the college now working on their own professional practice and students taking up places on the course this year.

Simon Hill who has done various photography workshops with the students in 2018-19 kindly offered to take photographs of the evening for the college.

The exhibition is open for viewing at the college until 13 September.