Thoughtful and innovative

The Degree Show is one of the highlights of the University calendar and this year, Giles Bailey, Head of Fourth Year, says it is going to be one of the best ever.

“It has been so inspiring to see this thoughtful and innovative body of work come together,” he says. “ The building is full of mind-bending energy and beautifully crafted artworks, making it a real joy to explore.”

Among the students exhibiting is Kathryn Lunt, who is using waste products from the University’s Dental School, as well as textiles to create her mixed media pieces which explore narratives around teeth. Her Toothbox looks like a monster from a child’s nightmare come to life, with its long arms and hidden teeth, which are actually a 3D print of her own bite.

“There’s something very unsettling about teeth outside the body and I wanted to play around with that idea,” she explains. “One of the pieces is a bed which I’ve constructed, partly out of metal denture plates and plaster casts of teeth. Beds and teeth are linked usually in our minds through fairytales, but I wanted to explore the more uncanny aspects too."

Sandy Kiralawella

Sandy Kiralawella’s installation is made of large cut-outs of polo players on ponies, which are juxtaposed with paintings of football, men celebrating and the English flag. “I’m exploring ideas about contemporary masculinity, gender, sexuality, race and class.” says Sandy. “The paintings consist of stills from Abercrombie & Fitch advertising, pornography, war archives and football match stream. This diverse collection of sources discuss how I perceive British society around me and how divided it has become.”

Molly Sale

Using around 2000 metres of seatbelt webbing for her degree show, Molly Sale creates textile sculptures that become alive when embodied by a person. She will perform with four others at the opening night.

"These works are an extension of the body that inhabit the space they occupy. I want the viewer to feel as though they are stumbling across an organic happening. There is no extravagance or spectacle," says Molly.

Oliver Boniface

Oliver Boniface’s large-scale paintings are dreamlike landscapes as psychological terrains. “I was fortunate to go on an exchange to Bologna for five months during my degree,” he says. “It really opened my eyes and the art and the architecture I saw there, these giant frescoes, have influenced my painting.”

Eleanor Jones

Eleanor Jones’ work features flags and wooden radiators. They explain: “I am interested in the aesthetic presentation of objects which communicate status within systems of power and of more forgotten items which convey a subtler message: the grease stain of a head against a wall, a radiator which no longer works.”

Giles Bailey adds: “This year’s cohort has come up with some truly ingenious ways to reimagine our department as an exhibition space and worked collectively to ensure their Degree Show is an unmissable event.”

The Fine Art Degree Show will take place from between 10am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday, from 23 May to 5 June in the Hatton Gallery, King Edward VII Building and the Boiler House at Newcastle University. It will head to Candid Arts Trust, London, from 10 to 14 July.