Enlisted

Art students are curious creatures. Not just creatures we should be curious about, but creatures that are curious about the world and their position within it. They can snatch up the opportunity to use art as a mode of thought and push it to its limits. They explore where boundaries and parameters lie, which rules still exist and where the edges are that mark where a work of art ends and the edge of the world begins. A.A.Milne once said, “One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries.” Perhaps it is this disorderly nature that people find intriguing about artists. But at art school, we are all so alike, so disorderly together that it isn’t disorder any more. Instead it becomes the status quo, a way of working. Systems develop which from the outside may seem hectic and disjointed, but for those on the inside are cohesive, incorporating work, play and exploration. Art schools are those few remaining places in society that both encourage and refine diversity and imagination through a dedication to expression and creativity. As a result we see students who are critical thinkers and problem solvers, making work that responds to current situations and checks itself against the constant flux of the art world. We see students who stand up and say “yes” to opportunities to help, to learn, and to gain experience in order to develop competence and confidence in their practice. As for those students who volunteer their time behind the scenes, becoming an integral part of the seamless machine of the gallery, we too wanted to say “yes”. Yes, we see what you do, and yes, we are thankful. This show is a selection of works from these students, a mix of traditional influence and bold inventiveness. While the works shown here may be provisional in nature, they are quietly self-assured, as if they know it is just going to take some time, but something great is coming. Alix Rogerson.