Michael Kenna

Michael Kenna was born in 1953 and is a English photographer known for his black and white landscapes. His photographs have an ethereal light which has been achieved through taking the photographs at night or the early hours of the morning. He now works in San Francisco.

Images courtesy of Sterin
Photographs by Michael Kenna

Images courtesy of Sterin
Photographs by Michael Kenna

Images courtesy of Sterin
Photographs by Michael Kenna

Joe Bradley: Example of Portfolio for University Interview.

When applying to art and design based courses at university you will usually be asked to present a portfolio of work, and sometimes you will be asked to publish this portfolio online in the form of a blog.

Joe Bradley is a current A2 Fine Art student at Thomas Rotherham. He is in the process of applying to study Architecture at university and has been asked to put his portfolio online.

Joe has kindly agreed to let us use his blog as an example of how to create an excellent portfolio- so please follow the link below and take a look!

Joe Bradley: Architecture

Example Project: Unit 2 (AS exam)

Here is a great example of an AS Unit 2 Fine Art project by Joe Bradley, comleted in 2012.

Title page. Initial brainstorm.

Artist research: Joseph Cornell. Primary source photographs.

 Primary source photographs.

Artist research: Alberto Giacometti with own study of work.

Experimentation: dry point printing plates and outcomes.

 Artist research: Andrew Wyeth. Current summary of project.

 Experimentation & development using dry point printing. Artist research: Anthony Gormley.

 

Developing ideas by experimenting and responding to artists.

 Further development. Summary of project so far.

  

 Artist research: Tate Modern visit, J.M.W Turner.

Turner studies.

 Experimentation: digital photograph manipulation. Mock final piece plan.

Mock final piece process. Mock evaluation.

Revised final piece plan. Development of final piece.

Revised final piece evaluation. Photo of final piece.

It's back: Forgotten Spaces

It's back! Forgotten Spaces is a competition run by Sheffield Hallam University in conjunction with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) which challenges teams from schools and colleges to redesign a 'forgotten space' within their local area. Taking part in this competition is an amazing opportunity for anyone interested in studying architecture as it gives an insight into what it is like to being an architect and will be an impressive addition to your UCAS personal statement.

Last year Thomas Rotherham entered the competition with a team of A Level Art students who did astoundingly well, winning 2nd prize! Therefore we have high hopes for this year's participants who are: Jennifer Betts, Marta Kwasnieswska, Bradley Sargeson, HeatherWard, Marie Schofield, Joseph Bradley, Lucy Green, Louise Hamilton, Mona Jalili, Edward Mee, Victoria Spencer and Emily Tywnham.

The competition kicked off this week when the students attended a workshop at Sheffield Hallam University.

The workshop was lead by BSC Architecture and Environmental Design students who introduced the project and suggested concepts to consider when redesigning their chosen site such as; who will be using the space; what will it be used for; how will the space change according to season and time of day; what impact will the design have on the community and on the environment.

Team 1 working with Nathan

Team 2 working with Suki

The workshop was a great success, both teams coming up with some inventive ideas. We would like to thank Suki and Nathan for all their support, encouragement and expertise!

Now the hard work really begins- the teams need to choose their 'forgotten spaces': it can be an indoor space, an outdoor space, an unloved building, a derelict building, a patch of wasteland, or even just a part of a building or land which could be put to better use.

Any suggestions??? If you can think of a space within the Rotherham community which would be suitable please help us out by commenting on this post. Thanks!!!

Rotherham Hospital Memorial Sculpture

Rotherham General Hospital invited Thomas Rotherham College art students to produce design proposals for a sculpture which will be placed in the hospital's main foyer. The purpose of the sculpture is to commemorate all the people who have donated organs for transplant.

Each student had to pitch their idea to a board of representatives from the hospital in a nerve wracking 'Dragon's Den'-esque scenario. Everyone did an excellent job and the hospital representatives were so impressed by the students' creativity and passion that they took all of the proposals back to the hospital to agonise over whom the winner should be.

Finally the winner was announced: Charlotte Cash.

Here is her winning design! It is based around the image of the lotus flower and will be realised as a series of carved wooden reliefs.

 

Even though it was Charlotte's design that was chosen, everyone who entered the competition got the chance to be involved in producing the sculpture. Renowned sculptor and wood carver Clinton Chaloner came into college to lend his expertese.

Winner, Charlotte Cash, learning the art of carving.

Clinton and Charlotte chipping away.

The other students join in.

 

Keep checking ArtHive for photographs of the finished piece and updates about its move to the hospital!

Book and Paper Art

Paper Art has become increasingly popular in the 21st century. Artists use books as a material to create sculptures and installations, sometimes cutting into them, sometimes manipulating their shape via folding.

As books are traditionally viewed as objects of knowledge and importance, the artwork can be quite contentious as some people view using books in this way as disrepectful. What do you think?

To see lots of examples of paper art follow this link:

This article is excellent as it shows lots of different possibilities using one material, but also how fine art can be applied to more commercial contexts, such as window dressing.

ALSO- to experience impressive examples of Paper Art for yourself, take a trip to Manchester Art Gallery. They currently have an exhibition called The First Cut which is on till 27th January. Follow this link to the website for more info, and there is also a comprehensive list of the artists exhibiting with links to their websites.

Example Project: Unit 3 (A2 coursework)

Here is an example of an A2 Unit 3 project from Grace Whyers, completed in 2012.

Title page.

Initial ideas brainstorms.

Artist research and study: Joan Mitchell

Artist research and study: Cy Twombly

Further artist research.

Experimentation: Dry point printing.

Second brainstorm: developing idea of decay.

Artist research and response: Anna Gallaccio.

Further response to Gallaccio, developing idea of decaying over time.

Artist research and study: Eugene Leroy.

Experimentation responding to Leroy.

Experimentation responding to Leroy.

Primary source photos and development using Leroy as inspiration.

 

 Development of idea: taking idea of decay, using 3D materials like Gallaccio and colours/textures of Leroy.

Summary of experimentation/development. Mock final piece plan.

Mock progress of final piece. Revised final piece plan.

Final evaluation.

 

 



Example Project: Unit 1 (AS coursework)

Here is a good example of an AS Fine Art Unit 1 project from Joe Bradley, completed in 2012.

Title page. Initial brainstorm.

2nd brainstorm. Artist Research: Cy Twombly

Artist Research: Cornelia Parker. Experimentation: mark making.

 Experimentation: collagraphs.

Further development of idea.

 

 

 Artist research: John Stezacker. Experimentation: dry point printing.

 

 

Artist research: Francois Marie Banier, Leonardo DaVinci.

 

 

Artist research: Rupert Brooke, David Tress.

 

 

Contextual summary. Development of ideas responding to Tress and Brooke.

 

 

Further development responding to artists. Plan of final piece.

 

Process of making initial final piece. Mock evaluation.

Revised final piece. Final evaluation.

 

Initial final piece.

Revised final piece.