Students exhibited their works from ten degree courses at an exhibition at the leading specialist art and design college, including fashion, fine art, illustration and creative film. The work from the talented young creatives is now on display in Hartlepool until Saturday 11th June.
As part of the exhibition, which is now a popular regional event, visitors can experience a huge array of works, including costumes, wallpapers, clothing, prints, films and illustrations.
Innovative textile and surface designer Joanne Stenberg is currently showing her latest collection of designs for dresses and scarves using the natural beauty found in not only plants and human anatomy, but also technology and circuitry uncovered using x-ray photography.
On her final year of the BA (Hons) Textile and Surface Design degree, Joanne has specialised in natural forms but with a modern twist, often taking inspiration from naturally occurring shapes and geometry and combining this with contemporary techniques, materials and aesthetics and her new collection is no exception. The use of fine art techniques and media such as encaustic wax and alcohol inks in combination with the x-rays gives a striking and unique look to her work.
The collection allowed Joanne to develop interesting partnerships with local medical imaging experts at the world renowned Freeman Hospital in Newcastle and led to Carestream (formerly Kodak) offering to sponsor her fashion collection.
Joanne said: “I really enjoy the way the x-ray imagery gives me a unique perspective, creating a whole new effect when layered with my own abstract work; they seem to shine through.
“The build up to the degree show has been challenging at times, as I’m a mature student, a busy mum of two boys and live some distance away in Newcastle, so travelling can take up a great deal of time. The show is a culmination of my study and feels like a real celebration of our work and my children were so excited to see where I’ve been going these last two years.
After the degree show Joanne will be exhibiting her work at New Designers 2016 this summer – where over 3,000 of the most promising graduate talents from Britain’s leading design courses exhibit – and is excited to see what opportunities might arise.
She added: “After graduation I will continue with my small business as a dressmaker but in addition to that I plan to design and sell clothing and homewares featuring my own surface designs. Through my studies I’ve also developed a strong interest in fine art and would love to continue my studies and create my own pieces in the future, perhaps even to exhibit in local galleries.
“Studying a degree in Textiles has given me a skill set beyond the obvious artistic ones; experiences such as writing my dissertation, being a student rep, studying Professional Practice and being on the Degree Show design team have all helped me to gain confidence and develop abilities which will be useful in my future career.”
BA (Hons) Production Design for Stage and Screen student, Emma Train, 29 from Whinney Banks in Middlesbrough, produced an amazing installation for her final major project, inspired by her family experiences in the steel industry.
Emma said: “My work is called Spectacle of Steel, and it focuses on the issue of steel making on Teesside, keeping the SOS of the cry for help to the government. I wanted to look back at our heritage and tell a story of how Teesside built iconic structures around the world. In my body of work, the Infant Hercules is stood tall on a screw, pouring out steel. The screw is iron ore which came from the Teesside hills and poured the steel is used to make the famous bridges from all over the world. I was influenced by my own family history that is rooted in the steelworks and the many friends who have recently lost their jobs.
“It has been really tough project with a lot of late nights but I have loved having the opportunity to build. The best thing about this course, I think, is that if you can draw your idea, there will always be a way of making it.”
Education and arts supporter Mike McGrother and the Infant Hercules Choir were so inspired by Emma’s work that they came to see the ‘Spectacle of Steel’ at CCAD during the Degree Show and sing songs such as ‘We Shall Overcome’ and ‘Infant Hercules’, telling the tales of the Teesside steel heritage and the passion from the workers.
Mike said: “Emma explained about her installation at the exhibition inspired by the Teesside steel industry and asked myself and the Infant Hercules Choir to come along.
Her work is absolutely fantastic and it’s great that our tradition and heritage is inspiring the new artists of today. It is lovely to see all the little details that Emma has put in and the references to the steel industry. It is a really clever interpretation.”
After graduation, Emma plans to build on her work as a community artist. She said: “I would love to get involved in the community in Teesside and work with schools and clubs creating art and exhibition pieces. I am also looking to work in theatres as a production artist.”