20 February 2007

General Course Showcase 2007

Preview &Photo Opportunities - Friday 23 February, 3.30 - 5.30pm.

One of Scotland's largest exhibitions of fresh artistic talent goes on display this week at the University of Dundee General Course Showcase 2007.

Now a successful annual event, this year’s exhibition promises to be a celebration of creativity and diversity, with evocative work that challenges both students and audience. This exhibition offers an opportunity to see the creations of over 160 1st Year students from Fine Art, Design, and Media Arts and Imaging as they embark on their chosen specialism at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design.

Fresh ideas and unique approaches illustrate how artistic talent continues to be successfully developed through the General Course programme.

Design students have tackled the theme of ‘Future Products’- creating forward-thinking products and promotional campaigns. One student has looked to the past for inspiration for the future, bringing down an old wheel from Shetland, taking it apart then making it into a futuristic chair. Another student felt the future will be more stressful, so has created a design for an anti stress collar, which would locate and monitor your pulse, automatically playing relaxing music upon detecting high stress levels.

The Fine Art students’ brief focusses on their first experience of researching their own ideas. Key objectives for the students were to research other artists and begin to see where their work could fit in to the wider art world. Three students have taken their brief literally. Recognising travel as an important part of their research they are putting on a series of fundraising performance events to raise money to travel to Berlin to explore museums and galleries there.

For the students entering into the School of Media Arts & Imaging, their project aim has been to investigate the broad skills shared by Animation, Illustration and Time-Based Art. The students, working in teams, have created arresting imagery in various media for display in both static and moving sequences. The teams’ individual outcomes will be complemented by a show-reel high above the exhibition space.

The annual General Course self-portrait project will also be on show in the Bradshaw Art Space. This project is a long-standing part of the course, spanning at least three decades, where students are asked to make a self-portrait over the Christmas period. The students and staff portraits will be on show together displaying an exciting range of approaches to the classic subject of self-portraiture. With over 160 interpretations in one space this promises to be an impressive display.

Both exhibitions run from Saturday 24 Feb - Friday 9 March 2006.

General Course Showcase 2007 - Matthew Gallery, Matthew Building, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, 13 Perth Rd, Dundee. Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9.30am - 5.00pm, Sat 10.30 am - 4.30pm

Self-portrait - Bradshaw Art Space, Crawford Building, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, 13 Perth Rd, Dundee. Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9.30am - 5.00pm, Sat 10.30 am - 4.30pm

For more information: University of Dundee Exhibitions Department, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, 13 Perth Rd, Dundee DD1 4HT t: 01382 385330 f: 01382 385538 e: exhibitions@dundee.ac.uk FREE ADMISSION