February 8, 2006
Final year students of the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art have taken over Modern Art Oxford’s café to exhibit a preview of their forthcoming degree show. With such a rich variety of media on display, café patrons are sure to find one piece to resonate with, such as the dynamic ‘Maquette’ perched boldly over the condiments. Atmospheric photographs of empty car parks on the edge of town in Oliver Smith’s ‘After Dark’ series shares themes common to Alnis Stakle’s work (currently housed in the Lower Gallery). The more traditional genre of painting is included. ‘Social Dynamics LA’ served up by Alexander Groves captures the verve of downtown Los Angeles in a large-scale painting, so much so the downtown buzz extends into the room.
The exhibition is rich in fascinating concepts although, in this busy café, a fair amount of chutzpah is required by the visitor to access all of the information over the frothing cappuccinos and steaming baked potatoes. Mandeep Samra uses the material of the very fabric of the café, namely steel, to contrast with another of its uses, within the Gurdwara (temple). An Artist previously exhibited at St Anne¹s college Post Room, displays her installation ‘postbox’, made out of plywood and glass. Claire Nichols invites fellow Artists and friends to send packages and letters from anywhere in the world for her to deliver to the box during the show at intervals determined by the Artist.
This is a tantalising taster for the main event; the forthcoming ‘100s Show’ at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art in June. If June seems a long way off, let Tova Holmes’s video installation introduce you to these hot young Artists in which Holmes explores the studio space they each work in. Soak up the funky soundtrack and let ‘The Heat is Rising’ show spice up your lunch break!
The exhibition is rich in fascinating concepts although, in this busy café, a fair amount of chutzpah is required by the visitor to access all of the information over the frothing cappuccinos and steaming baked potatoes. Mandeep Samra uses the material of the very fabric of the café, namely steel, to contrast with another of its uses, within the Gurdwara (temple). An Artist previously exhibited at St Anne¹s college Post Room, displays her installation ‘postbox’, made out of plywood and glass. Claire Nichols invites fellow Artists and friends to send packages and letters from anywhere in the world for her to deliver to the box during the show at intervals determined by the Artist.
This is a tantalising taster for the main event; the forthcoming ‘100s Show’ at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art in June. If June seems a long way off, let Tova Holmes’s video installation introduce you to these hot young Artists in which Holmes explores the studio space they each work in. Soak up the funky soundtrack and let ‘The Heat is Rising’ show spice up your lunch break!