Degree Show 2014 set to open

For around 250 of the country’s best emerging artists and designers it is the culmination of four years’ hard work, for Dundee it is the highlight of the city’s cultural calendar, and for thousands of visitors it is a chance to see work of staggering creativity and innovation.

The 2014 Degree Show at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design (DJCAD) opens tomorrow with the traditional Preview Evening for invited guests. Saturday will see the public opening of a show that features eye-catching and through-provoking art alongside original design with the potential to shape the future and improve social, cultural and physical well-being.

The DJCAD Degree Show is the first of the flagship exhibitions held by Scotland’s four main art and design colleges each year. Students from 11 undergraduate programmes will be showcasing their work until Sunday, 25th May.

DJCAD has a reputation as one of the UK’s leading schools of art and design, and this year’s cohort will be hoping to emulate the success of alumni such as Turner Prize winner Susan Philipsz and nominees David Mach, Louise Wilson and Luke Fowler, photographer Albert Watson, fashion designer Hayley Scanlan, film director David Mackenzie, video games pioneer Aaron Garbut and the late painter Alberto Morrocco.

Exhibiting students this year include:

•             Alice Maselnikova, whose sculpture have been inspired by shapes of the human body, including a giant “womb seat” suspended from the ceiling.

•             Emma Fortnum, whose experiences of growing up on a farm have informed her study of dairy farming.

•             Jay Frazer, who painstakingly made 20,000 clay beads for an interactive installation intended to create a zen-like experience that takes visitors back to nature.

•             Molly Jacob, who has created a series of playful paintings and whimsical sculptures to explore a serious subject.

•             Rosie Holligan, who explores the idea of identity through her sculptures.

•             Sarah Calmus, who created a spectacular interactive installation using strings, lasers and lights.

Jeanette Paul, Acting Dean of DJCAD, said, “Over the coming months, thousands of talented artist and designers from across Scotland will be exhibiting the fruits of their training over the past four years and our graduands consistently prove themselves to be among the best in the country.

“Degree Show is always a special time for the University community, and indeed the whole city, and I’m sure the thousands of visitors who flock to DJCAD will once again be impressed by what they see.”

The exhibition will be open to the public from Saturday, 17th May until Sunday, May 25th.  Admission is free and the exhibition is open from 10am until 8pm (Monday – Friday) and 10am to 4pm (Saturday – Sunday).

The DJCAD Degree Show is Dundee’s largest annual exhibition of art and design, attracting some 10,000 visitors each year and generating in excess of £1million for the local economy in the process.

More details can be found at www.dundee.ac.uk/degreeshow.

It is part of the Ignite Dundee festival, which runs from 16-31 May and showcases the very best of Dundee’s creative talent. Ignite Dundee is a partnership between Abertay University; Dundee Contemporary Arts; Dundee – One City, Many Discoveries; Dundee Rep Theatre; Leisure & Culture Dundee; University of Dundee and V&A Dundee.

 

 

Notes to editors:

DJCAD Degree Show 2014
17th– 26th May (Preview May 16th)
Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design
University of Dundee
13 Perth Road
Dundee DD1 4HT
T 01382 385330
E exhibitions@dundee.ac.uk
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/djcad/degreeshow/

 

Exhibition open:
Saturday, May 17th (10am-4pm)
Sunday, May 18th (10am-4pm)
Monday, May 19th (10am-8pm)
Tuesday, May 20th (10am-8pm)
Wednesday, May 21st (10am-8pm)
Thursday, May 22nd (10am-8pm)
Friday, May 23rd (10am-8pm)
Saturday, May 24th (10am-4pm)
Sunday, May 25th (10am-4pm)

 

Graduate work on display:
Animation
Art, Philosophy & Contemporary Practices
Fine Art
Graphic Design
Illustration
Interior Environmental Design
Interactive Media Design
Jewellery & Metal Design
Product Design
Textile Design
Time Based Art & Digital Film

 

For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
MOBILE: 07854 953277