Falmouth BA show is a fantastic opportunity to see what students have been doing on a huge variety of of courses and I wish it was more advertised.
I saw the BA Fine Art and BA Drawing shows and that’s such a lot to take in I was exhausted although revived by an interesting lunch, having had to email to make sure the cafe would be open.
There were very young people about along with their parents for interviews and information which reminded me usefully that most of these graduates are also very young. Having done a variety of work over 3 years they present only one project
Some staff member must have decreed that Fine Art students would not make their identity clear by having their names and statements next to their stuff. Instead you had to find leaflets just outside the rooms which you were asked to put back if you read them. This makes it less likely that names will be remembered or anything sold - no prices either. Are any art dealers even invited? Business cards disallowed this year?
Is any advice given about how to progress in the ridiculous art world, how to organise an exhibition etc? Or do the tutors as in my day not touch on these subjects?
Hopefully the male staff no longer prey on the students sexually and hopefully they encourage rather than standing in a group around one student tearing into them with criticism until some burst into tears.
In Drawing they had the gumption or funds to make an informative free catalogue with even the names of the staff who run the courses. Here one artist was actually present - most of the show has not even student invigilators.
Students show little interest in Falmouth- perhaps earlier course work required them to look around where they live?
There is hardly any painting although the shop still sells the materials.
Instead there are a lot of installations. These range from a fridge containing a few melting ice molds of foodstuffs to a detailed construction of a snooker club with a feminist message.
Another would be feminist thought, wrongly in my view, that she could further this by constructing a sleazy night club booth with neon and a revolving female leg.
There is hardly any obvious politics beyond interest in nature’s importance, one controversially using young trees taken from their habitat.
One piece, by Farah Bhatti, I found eloquent was a presumably Palestinian floor design with irises made to emerge growing through its smashed surface - life despite destruction.
There are quite a lot of students taking the opportunity for self reflective examination and here the most powerful was a room with obligatory warning of upsetting content, Inside a slide show clattered relentlessly in the centre showing the clinical notes about the artist , Francesca Pease, who was sectioned and treated for anorexia. Around the outside were expressive drawings showing patients holding hands between their beds or a circle of naked people.
It was the contrast between the lively inner life and the matter of fact records kept that was brilliantly poignant.
Another piece I liked , by Amy Higginbottom, was the only one depending on active audience participation and was unfortunately closed when passed - but it was a Photo Booth using old fashioned developing of film - you could see this done through a window in the shed - and photos from it were exhibited along with a box of slides - oh the nostalgia of past hands on tech!
And the nostalgia for those happy days seriously playing around with art before working to live usually intervenes - but still a creative basis for life - unhappily now open to fewer from less wealthy families who don’t want to incur huge debt.
Best wishes to them all - as they leave the paradisiacal Wood Lane campus with its palm trees by the sea.
