Transformation

The week has finally come where we had the hefty task of clearing out the studios ready for the installation of the final degree show. This was a particularly mammoth task and one that we knew would take the majority of the week. It ranged from clearing out all the spaces and the work to painting to walls, fillings the holes and scrubbing the paint off of the floor. Although it was a massive project I feel that what we managed to achieve as a group in that short space of time was something to be proud of. It is surprising the amount of space that there is once the work is removed, and I never pictured it looking as professional as it does now. I had the task of helping with clearing the main corridor and touching up these walls, filling the holes in the notice board and sanding everything back. The most difficult part was removing the paint from the floor, obviously it is an art studio so it cannot be expected to turn out looking perfect however with some hard scrubbing the results really were spectacular, particularly after the industrial buffer was brought it!

As a group we decided on having a corner in the gallery where we would set up a small reading area. Here we aim to have a space where the public can engage with some books that the students have brought in, as well as the artists dissertations. This was something that I found particularly exciting as the theory side is something I connect closely with, as well as the fact that I think it will be perfect to enable an audience to see that side to our work. We managed to recycle the furniture that was in the corridor and turn it into a corner desk where the books could sit. We found an old plinth that could be sat on its side and made into a bench as well as some smaller cube plinths for other seating dotted around the table. We really felt it would be great to have a seated space where the public could perhaps have a conversation and go through some of the texts that have inspired us as artists. 

We made such excellent progress at the beginning of the week that there is very little left to do except some smaller finishing touches which will have to be done after the majority of the work has been installed. Some of the work has begun to appear in the studio and it is exciting seeing it all come together!