5 September 2008

Breaking down walls at Masters Show 08

A collapsed wall of 1400 bricks - each made out of recycled Yellow Pages - forms a dramatic centrepiece to the Masters Show 08 exhibition which opens at the University of Dundee today (Friday).

Artist Richard Webber collected out of date copies of the Yellow Pages from around the University and had them shredded and shaped into the bricks. He then used them to build a ten-foot wall in the gallery and then toppled it over.

Throughout Richard’s time on the Master of Fine Art course his practice has been a personal study of the processes that he undergoes as a dyslexic every time he wants to access written language.

'The bricks and the wall represent how the information held in a book is of little value to a dyslexic, despite the fact that this information has constructed our society,' said Richard (39), who lives in Cupar.

'Inscribed on some of the bricks are words expressing hidden emotions. These represent the barriers we all have inside us to problems we want to overlook - the work is a metaphor for asking the viewer to look anew at the nature of hidden disabilities.'

Richard’s work is on display as part of the Masters Show 08 exhibition which highlights the work from one of the UK’s most vibrant and innovative arts programmes.

The show, which opens to the public tomorrow (Saturday September 6th) provides an exciting and vibrant mix of exhibitions, from the conceptual to the pragmatic, from beautiful to thought provoking.

More than 40 students from five Masters courses, run by Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, will be showing their work. They include the Master of Design, Master of Science in Media Arts and Imaging and Master of Fine Art . This year for the first time, work is also on show from the Master of Sciences in Forensic Art and in Medical Art course.

The exhibition will take place across three venues - Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design; the Centrespace at the Visual Research Centre, Dundee Contemporary Arts; and Generator Projects, Mid Wynd Dundee.

Exhibition preview: Friday 5 September, 7-9pm.
A series of live artists' performances will take place during the evening.
Exhibition: 6 - 18 September. Opening times: Monday - Saturday 11am - 5pm

For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk