10 February 2009

New generation of artists displays their talents at Dundee

General Foundation Showcase and Self-portrait Exhibitions 2009 - Feb 21st to Mar 6th

The newest generation of artistic talent at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design will show off its work in a major exhibition which opens later this month.

Now a successful annual event, this year’s General Foundation Showcase promises to be a celebration of creativity and diversity, with evocative work that challenges both students and audience. The exhibition, which runs from February 21st to March 6th, offers an opportunity to see the creations of 164 1st Year students 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 Foundation programme.

'The General Foundation Showcase is always one of the most exciting exhibitions of the year as we see the ideas being presented by a whole new generation of artists,' said Head of the Foundation course Roderick Chisholm.

Design students are presenting work from their ‘Film Fantasia’ project which involved developing a concept for a film and working with materials to create a key costume, prop or promotional campaign for their production. The students have been challenged to consider all aspects of their film and come up with an inventive piece of work for the exhibition.

The Fine Art students’ brief focussed on 'The Seeing Body'. This project is an introduction to the practice of Fine Art research, investigating a cross fertilisation of ideas, images and disciplines in relation to the use of the figure or body within the student's work that will manifest itself as paintings, drawings, prints, objects and sculpture, sound and video works, performances - both live and documented.

For the students employing a Media Arts approach the project aims to provide them with experience, skills and approaches typical to media-related practice with a particular focus on the benefits of collectivity. The students, working in teams, have created arresting imagery in various media for display in both static and moving sequences. The outcomes will be shown in a variety of forms including installation, projection and performance.

The annual General Foundation 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.

The General Foundation Showcase 2009 is on show in the Matthew Gallery the college’s Matthew Building. Drawing Programme Self-Portraits 2009 can be found in the Bradshaw Art Space, in the college’s Crawford Building.

Both exhibitions run from Saturday 21 Feb - Friday 6 March 2009, and admission is free. Opening hours are Monday to Friday 9.30am - 5.00pm, Saturday 10.30 am - 4.30pm.

For further information or images please contact Jenny Brownrigg or Laura Simpson in the Exhibitions department on 01382 385330 / j.brownrigg@dundee.ac.uk.

NOTES TO EDITORS
Attached image shows the self-portrait of student Steph Drake.

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