A story should have a beginning, a middle, and an end...but not necessarily in that order. Jean-Luc Godard
Millie Ross from Jotta.com recently paid a visit to LCC’s Media Postgraduate Shows. ’Les Petit Mortes’by MA Photography student Heather Miller caught her eye and is featured on the Jotta website.
Read the full interview on Jotta.
Jotta explores collaboration in contemporary art and design as well as bringing artists and designers together to create new work, exhibit and critique.
Joe Hughes
Since graduating from the BA (Hons) Design for Graphic Communication (DGC) in July 2011, most students are finding great success in securing employment.
Joe Hughes, one of the graduates, has relocated to Rotterdam in the Netherlands where he is working with various agencies and designers such as Mwah, 75B and assisting the artist Helmut Smits. Hughes says: “I moved to Rotterdam due to two internships and also because I needed a change from the pace of life in London and R’dam is more gezellig (cosy). I plan to stay at least for the international film festival 2012”. Examples of his work can be found on his Flickr account.
Another graduate, Obie Campbell, is currently teaching at LCC as an Associate Lecturer on the Foundation & BA DGC course. Campbell says: “For my final year project I directed my studies towards exploring how design can inspire young people in Secondary Schools. Darren Raven (Course Director) provided me with great advice and inspiration for this project. He also kindly offered the job being an Associate Lecturer on the course. It’s great to have the course lecturer’s support and I can always ask for advice about teaching. Inspiring young people and offering them guidance is a great motivator.” More information about Obie’s work and inspiration can be found on her website.
Obie Campbell
Graduates of the LCC BA Graphic and Media Design (GMD), pathway Typo/Graphic, show they are highly employable.
Karl Askill has been appointed Junior Designer at Peter Willberg Studio and graduated this year. Katie Smyth has been appointed programme education assistant at The School of Life and also finished her course this year. Kathryn Lewis, graduated in 2010, has left her current company and is moving to Visual Editions as Studio Manager & Eric Parry Architects as Lead Graphic Designer. All roles start in October 2011.
More information about the BA (Hons) GMD Typo/Graphic Pathway course can be found on the course page.
Carina Levitan's A Bike, A Suitcase And An Umbrella
A floating weather forecaster, a performing bicycle and ringside seats at the circus… it could only be the cream of the Best of Ten crop. For the uninitiated – where have you been? – Best of Ten is 21 pieces of work selected from this year’s LCC graduate shows. Public voting cards and industry figureheads picked out work from a variety of disciplines, including photography, sound arts, surface and graphic design and photojournalism.
This week, the final exhibition was officially unveiled in a private view at the college’s new basement gallery space. After a summer of diligent and devoted work from staff and students, the finished product was a sensory treat. The room abuzz with whirring cogs and self-playing violins, a visual onslaught of touching images and thought-provoking film and animation truly showcased the new generation of talent housed within the hallowed walls of LCC.
Richard Harvey's Floating Forecaster
There was a palpable sense of enthusiasm from graduates and current students alike, typical of the forward-thinking encouraged by the college and, without sounding like a Sunday supplement ‘Ones to Watch’ list, we’re pretty certain the artists in question are destined for big things.
We caught up with photojournalist Francesca D’Ascari, whose work Diaries of Kurdistan was selected for Best of Ten by a public vote after her initial final show back in June. The project focused on the plight of Kurdish women in the UK. Francesca says her interest in human rights and women’s rights drives her to produce such engaging work.
Asked of her thoughts on Best of Ten, she said: “I think tonight shows the future of art, how different disciplines can and should work together. You have so many things to look at and interact with, and that’s the key for modern art – using all the mediums available. For example, I traditionally work with print, but am looking to branch into multimedia.”
Nicola Ryan's Growth Through Complexity
It would be ever so biased for us to pick our favourite, so we implore you to stop by the gallery and decide for yourself. The show runs in the new gallery from 19 August to 15 October, 11am – 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Big congratulations to all involved and keep up the good work!
Words: Natalie Hardwick
Another arts competition and another nomination for an LCC graduate. This time it’s the turn of MA Graphic Design student Amandine Alessandra. Her work has been chosen by the Emerge graphic design showcase as one of ten finalists in a national competition.
Her brand of installation-based typographic graphic art will be pitted against work from her counterparts as they each design a poster to be displayed around East London. The winning designer will be invited to work with the London Design Festival – quite the achievement for people just off the starting blocks of their career.
Emerge is partnership which was set up by LCC postgraduate students Jane Trustham (MA Graphic Design) and Holly McConnell (MA Enterprise & Management for the Creative Arts). It acts as a showcase for young, emerging designers. Their annual graduate award is judged by a panel of industry leaders who look out for the most innovative work.
As well as the chance to have their posters displayed in The Cube London, the finalists will have their handiwork dotted around London Tube stations such as Old Street, Liverpool Street and Bank.
Amandine has already made headway since graduating from LCC with her masters. She set up a practice in January this year and already has a client portfolio that includes Selfridges and DesignMarketo.
It was attending the Futurising event held by LCC in July that alerted Amandine to the competition. “I first encountered the very approachable Emerge team at Futurising,” she told us. “I went there just a day before the closing date for the Emerge 2010 submissions, and I remember sending mine just a few minutes before midnight.”
“I’m really glad I did, as I was of course delighted that my work had been selected by Domenic Lippa from Pentagram, but also loved the idea of working on a common brief with other designers.”
Emerge’s manifesto to display as much new graphic design work as possible is something that appeals to Amandine. “The idea of having work displayed in public spaces is also particularly attractive to me, as a lot of my typographic work is installation-based and reflects onto its environment.”
Amandine’s final entry uses East London as an appropriate setting. “My answer to the brief is a micro-performance photographed in an East London tube station, where it is to be shown from September.”
Winner or not, Amandine is thankful to the Emerge team for their enthusiasm and invaluable assistance in raising her profile.
“I’m amazed by how eager the Emerge team is to push us forward, of course with the Tube show, but also with The Cube London show event, which seems to have grown a lot further that what I initially thought it would be.
“We’ve been offered to show some more work, typographic installations and performances, and to be part of their shop. I’m really looking forward to the opening, happening right during the Design Week.”
To have a look at Amandine’s work, visit her website. If you’d like to get involved with Emerge take a look at their website, and keep updated with their latest news and views with their blog.
Words: Natalie Hardwick
Three years of hard graft and a whirlwind of university fun later, this year’s LCC third years and postgraduates celebrated their graduation this week.
Held on Tuesday in the grandiose setting of the Royal Festival Hall on the sunny Southbank, students gathered in their caps and (specially CSM-designed) gowns for the pomp and ceremony of receiving their certificates and being sent off into the real world.
For the first time, UAL issued Honorary Doctorates and Fellowships to its prestigious alumni. LCC itself bestowed an Honorary Doctorate to designer Agnès Trouble, founder of the Agnès B clothing line.
Honorary Fellowships were awarded to journalist Rebekah Brooks, chief executive of News International, and graphic designer Neville Brody, both of whom previously studied at the College.
The graduation ceremonies came in two waves, the morning session being for the Faculty of Design and the afternoon for the Faculty of Media.
The ceremonies had a general air of optimism, as graduates and their friends and families were addressed by students and academic staff who asserted that this year’s graduates displayed talent, resilience and determination and that the real reward of a UAL degree was the journey itself.
Altogether now: “hurrah” for the Class of 2010.
Words by Natalie Hardwick
