“The specificity is the reason I chose this course over my other choices, and it was one of the best choices I have ever made.”
Tell us a bit about your work and influences.
I’m an oil painter. I work a lot with traditional pigments. I like how the usage of certain materials can tie my work into a wider art historical context. In terms of subject matter, I’m very passionate about scientific images and the way they are constructed for a specific purpose. Art images can have a variety of purposes, whereas Science uses images for documentation and description of subjects, much like past Realism movements. I like to take the scientific into my work and allow it to exist in a context where its main function is aesthetic and emotive. It becomes foreign to both artists and scientist alike and in its strangeness, bridges a gap between our disciplines.
How have you found your course and what made you choose it?
The Fine Art: Painting course is one of the last of its kind in Britain. As budgets are slashed, art courses are often merged to pool their resources, studio spaces and staff. This results in homogenisation of Arts in the UK and I’m very glad that Brighton Uni has yet to succumb. The ability to study exactly the area of art I was interested in, along with students and staff who were also dedicated painters has really pushed by practice, in terms of technical, practical, and theoretical knowledge that I wouldn’t have been able to experience elsewhere. The specificity is the reason I chose this course over my other choices, and it was one of the best choices I have ever made.
Was the location more important than you thought it would be?
Prior to the course, I hadn’t ever visited Brighton. I knew it to be a very progressive place, where I could really come into my own and find my people. Over the last three years, I’ve come to really love the city and I do think of it as home. I’m not certain that a different city would have grown on me as fast or as deeply. I do intend to return to Brighton after further studies.
What advice would you give to your 16 year old self?
Apply for things early. Always ask for feedback. Put everything in your schedule, even if you’re certain you’ll remember it. Don’t bother making notes during the lecture. Watch the recording back later and make notes then, otherwise none of it will actually go in. You don’t like cooking right now, but you’ll grow to love it. Just have a stab at some recipes and see what happens. The pandemic is going to be awful and disruptive of your first year, but everyone is feeling the same thing. You’re all in it together. Look after your friends and look after yourself and everything will work out. Have fun! You’re going to love uni!
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