Hundreds flocked to the Edna Manley College campus to celebrate the work of forty four final year degree and diploma students, at the recently held School of Visual Arts Final Year Show.
Under the theme Lateral Minds, the exhibition presented different techniques, concepts, themes and genres from varying perspectives, daring patrons to think and venture deeper than their normal perception of the visual arts. Director of the School of Visual Arts Ms. Petrona Morrison noted that the students have spent at least a year developing their work in areas such as painting, visual communications (graphics, illustration), ceramics, jewellery and art education. The quality of the work was not missed by the Guest speaker, Dr. Sonjah Stanley Niaah from the Insttitute of the Caribbean, who noted that the students’ talents underscored Jamaica’s immense talent as a cultural super stake.The show also underlined the College as one of the few tertiary institutions that teaches students to create jobs for themselves.
Marketed as elegance beyond the ordinary, Visual Communication student Alvin Ferron’s concept cars were fascinating. Made from plaster, the Ferron branded cars were carved on curvaceous lines to give them a sleek, elegant and futuristic aesthetic setting them a part from the average cars. The interesting thing about Ferron’s work was that they were designed from some of Jamaica’s indigenous species like the iguana and the humming bird.
His colleague Lionel Thompson’s Liquher Lingerie represented the marketing genius of the EMC visual communication students. The working concept was about edible alcohol base flavoured lingerie as a stimulant to evoke interest and enjoyment. However, Thompson must be congratulated for his tasteful and artistic presentation on a subject that for some may be viewed as raunchy. Thompson’s space was accented with soft lights, sensual aroma, live mannequins, delectable posters, and product samples.
Melissa Green states that “Growing up with a pastry chef as my father, I have developed a love for pastries and throughout my years at Edna Manley College I discovered my passion for advertising and packaging.” It is the blending of these passions that led to the Twist Café and Bakery concept, which transported patrons from the School of Visual Arts into a modern 21st century café complemented by scrumptious pastries and sophisticated but homely art décor.
Jewellery major Donna-Gaye Uter and Visual Communication major Melissa Green also commanded the attention of many patrons at the opening ceremony. Uter’s jewellery balances artistic strength with every day relevance as noticed in her array of pieces spanning rings, bracelets, necklaces and lockets.
An echoing feature of the exhibition was the non-traditional presentation by most of the painting majors. Using materials such as textile, leatherette and other mixed media, the painting technique was presented by many, without the traditional means of paint and brush. “This is referred to as representational work which is a breaking away from tradition and experimenting with other materials such as paper, sponge. Painting major Greg Bailey interestingly examined abuse through a monochromatic burnt leatherette material mixed with sponge and putty, exhibited in a 3D format. The beaten and burnt leatherette highlighted the concept of abuse emphasizing the characteristics of being battered and bruised. “The piece went in and out of convention in terms of how it is displayed as instead of hanging a traditional painting in a frame, I let the [burnt] material speak for itself.”
For those patrons who were looking forward to viewing traditional paintings, Abbebe Payne’s documentation of birth did not disappoint. Though provocative, Payne‘s traditional paint and brush technique graphically explored the process of home birth through the investigation of colour, light and composition. His incredible capture of the birthing process was intriguing, narrating the anguish, joy and contentment that come with the method.
It is amazing what can be produced when the human mind is creatively stretched. The Edna Manley College’s School of Visual Arts Final Year Exhibition is a testimony to the depth of talents and entrepreneurial skills that the Jamaican youth possesses. The students were forward thinking, producing works that were thought provoking and even mind boggling. The Edna Manley College, through Lateral Minds, has once again stamped its mark as a leader in the visual arts and defined its commitment to producing forward thinking art visionaries. The Exhibition closed on Tuesday, June 22, 2010.
Marketed as elegance beyond the ordinary, Visual Communication student Alvin Ferron’s concept cars were fascinating. Made from plaster, the Ferron branded cars were carved on curvaceous lines to give them a sleek, elegant and futuristic aesthetic setting them a part from the average cars. The interesting thing about Ferron’s work was that they were designed from some of Jamaica’s indigenous species like the iguana and the humming bird.
His colleague Lionel Thompson’s Liquher Lingerie represented the marketing genius of the EMC visual communication students. The working concept was about edible alcohol base flavoured lingerie as a stimulant to evoke interest and enjoyment. However, Thompson must be congratulated for his tasteful and artistic presentation on a subject that for some may be viewed as raunchy. Thompson’s space was accented with soft lights, sensual aroma, live mannequins, delectable posters, and product samples.
For those patrons who were looking forward to viewing traditional paintings, Abbebe Payne’s documentation of birth did not disappoint. Though provocative, Payne‘s traditional paint and brush technique graphically explored the process of home birth through the investigation of colour, light and composition. His incredible capture of the birthing process was intriguing, narrating the anguish, joy and contentment that come with the method.
