Art, Philosophy and Contemporary Practices is a subject that gives students scope to push the boundaries often inflicted on art in popular perception. Inspiration and a deeper understanding of art are sought through philosophy, and as a result some fascinating abstract concepts are addressed in an impressively varied collection of installations. Each artist has employed Read More
The boundaries of drawing, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture are blurred in this very strong show of Fine Art. Landscape provides one predominant cluster of work. Ellis O’Connor’s powerful mountain-scapes evoke both the sublime and the menacing aspects of the Scottish Highland landscape while both Kate Cunnigham’s ethereal cloud paintings and Jacinda Chan’s constructed lotus Read More
Despite the fact that the five extremely individual films which were exhibited at this year’s Degree Show are the result of collaborative efforts between many of the same artists, they showcase a remarkable variety of artistic vision and style. Working in both 2D and 3D in contributory roles of varying sizes, 2014’s animation graduates were Read More
Hayao Miyazaki’s The Wind Rises has an air of bitter-sweet finality about it in more ways than one. Miyazaki is no stranger to the demands of morality and duty; add the film’s content and context to the mix and you can see why this animated film has had such mixed reception. Whilst not lacking any Read More
Reviving Toho’s gargantuan behemoth for his 60th birthday was always going to prove a tall order, and with Bryan Cranston, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ken Watanabe among the cast, director Gareth Edwards set expectations high for an action packed summer blockbuster to dwarf all others. However, as the old maxim runs, “the bigger they are, the Read More
The illustration exhibition is as one expects: quirky, kooky and full of eccentric pockets of interesting bits and bobs dotted around the entire room. To the left of the entrance it’s hard to ignore the Armitage Shanks urinal shamelessly mounted on the wall (a nod to Duchamp perhaps) with a gilded mirror positioned above. The Read More
Visitors anticipating small cases of tight, traditional jewellery will be surprised by this very varied show, vibrating with a multi-media, interdisciplinary joyousness. Arguably Angelia Santangeli is the only student showing Silversmithing (as opposed to jewellery ) in her smallware, and her unified ‘cakery’ of ceramics and graphics show that her fun mix is destined for Read More
It’s not often that a genre film manages to go beyond the norm, yet Jeremy Saulnier’s low-budget and action-packed Blue Ruin does just that. As a revenge thriller it provides all the gory violence and retribution expected, but it is Saulnier’s focus on the consequences of this violence that breathes new life into the genre Read More
Victoria Hendry’s debut novel explores aspects and perceptions of national identity against the background of the Scottish independence movement and the development of the Scottish National Party at the time of the Second World War. The novel is based on well-researched historical evidence, though Hendry writes in the novel’s historical notes that some poetic licence Read More
The poem, “Kindness, you can’t accuse me of”, proffered early in Michelene Wandor’s new collection Natural Chemistry, completely fulfils its title. Essentially written about the poet as performer, Wandor certainly cannot stand so accused, but she might be charged with many less desirable qualities. Written retrospectively and with acidic disdain, Wandor describes a fellow poet’s Read More