About

BA (hons) Fine Art Painting is a well-known and highly respected course, based on the principles that the material act of painting is an essential aspect of being human, central to our creativity and well-being, and as relevant in the 21st Century as it was a millennium ago. The course, one of the few subject specialisms in the UK, is studio based, enabling vital ‘hands-on’, learning by doing. It has fostered some of the UK’s leading artists, and many of our past graduates have made significant contributions to the fine art arena and related cultural spheres.

The course develops a wide knowledge of contextual, social and historical awareness. Critical and theoretical debates challenge and develop painting as a practice, while taught methods and materials techniques allow for the possibility for traditional painting skills to be re-animated within contemporary contexts.

Rather than teaching a “house style” Painting at Brighton offers our students a diverse and dynamic learning experience that prepares them to make a contribution to the world of contemporary Fine Art Painting by allowing individual approaches to flourish.

We aim to foster independent artists and thinkers who engage through experimentation, exploration, risk taking and critical reflection. The student experience is at the heart of everything we do.

I am proud to present this year’s 2021 graduate exhibitions, by 31 new artists about to step forth into the world or artistic practice. Each has had an extraordinary and individual journey, and the works you will see are a living testimony, not only to their remarkable creativity, but also to their courage and tenacity in making art in these most challenging of times.

 

Christopher Stevens
Course Leader
BA (hons) Fine Art Painting
University of Brighton

June 2021