On Friday, the big day for all Hull School of Art&Design Year 3 students finally came in a shape of a Degree Show. So did BA (Hons) Photography course exhibition “Lasting Impressions”.
For those who need a bit of a clarity – the Degree Show is our exam. The big task [sounds like an easy task, but hey – ask everyone – not as easy] is to have an idea/project free of choice and using skills gained in previous years, create a body of work that must be exhibited at the end of the year.
My thoughts, ideas and projects have been open to public throughout the year, as I frequently use “da blog” to share my research, projects, photographs and most important factor – I have shared my journey through struggles, ups and downs, success and failures.
The end of the degree course has come to an end, but I am not ending my photographers journey.
I have grown in to a confident and highly-skilled photographer thanks to the Hull School of Art&Design, teachers [I’m definitely naming them] – Nathan Pidd, Alison Field, Matt Winterlich, Andrew Gillatt, Mark Terry, Anna Bean and Jane Jones. Off course, it has always been me – I have “miked the cow” as much as I possibly could and have climbed my way up driven by passion and hunger for success. I have joined ridiculous projects, written a dissertation, worked up to 30 hrs a week [bill money], moved house and taken care of my life.
I have also tried many different photography genres, so I have plenty of skills to choose from, when looking at my future.
And here I am, finishing my “official project documentation” for two modules, editing images and planning my future.
Ohh, did I mentioned the Degree Show?? haha…
Sorry..
We had our struggles as a group to compromise so many different photographer and personality needs, but got there at the end.
All week before the show we were there, hung up the prints and finished all the “little” jobs.
We also invited people that supported us, hired us and showed their interest..
The Degree is really important part of the third year, so the expectation was high, nerves and butterflies in tummy …
People started to arrive before 6 pm and the small reception area filled up quickly with members of public, teachers, staff and students.
For the Degree Show I had a dilemma – be a photographer or just enjoy the night and celebrate the fact that I have been a photographer for three years. As you can imagine, I struggled to make my mind up, so I took the camera “just in case”. When I was approached by Rachel from Sowdens-Sowdens in question regards some photographs from the night, I quickly turned the camera on and tried to capture the moments, people and the mood of the opening night.
Although I am the master of multitasking, I must admit that it was difficult to photograph when you have to make sure that the show is going well, everyone who has come to see “Lasting Impressions” are greeted properly and that I get a chance to mingle with everyone…
I also only left the “Lasting Impressions” around 8:30 pm to have a quick look at the Fine Art “Fabricate and Form” exhibition, so I didn’t had the full coverage of the whole Degree Show..
Felt like I have let myself down a bit, but maybe I just gave myself a task that is just too big considering the circumstances.
For the official part, the poet Douglass Dunn had a little speech and we had a chance to hear his poems about lost communities in Hull.
When the official part finished, I was starting to feel the buzz, the happiness and sadness.
Throughout the night, I must’ve been in the autopilot, because a lot of these images are taken with my camera, but clearly not by me…it was a storm of people, conversations, gatherings, mingling and posing.
This is BA (Hons) Photography 2016 graduates and their teachers Mark and Andy, missing Aimee and Anna Bean…Oh Kate and Laura, Erin’s interpreters should be in the group photograph too. Kate and Laura been beside Erin, helped to blossom in to a confident photographer and been really awesome people to meet.
Oh, here they are:
As we invited quite a few people, we had to keep an eye for them to come.
My biggest supporters this year have been eskimosoup and John Gilbert.
I was really to pleased to see them at the show and hear more inspiring words.
I also invited David Burns, as I was on his show BBC Radio Humberside David Burns Show and shared my project “End Of Life” and Funeral Photography with his listeners.
He was really lovely and encouraged me to come on the show again when I get my project going with Dove House Hospice.
Regards to the Dove House Hospice – Linda and her sister from the hospice came to greet and congratulate me. I was surprised and happy to see their lovely faces there.
Laura Senior invited Peter Levy to “Lasting Impressions” and she succeeded. he came and it was really lovely to see that he was interested in Laura’s work, story and spent some time with her.
The group and I were not missing an opportunity for a group photo and show him other student achievements.
He seemed to love AJR Photographs panoramas covering subject of revisiting Constable paintings and the locations where they were painted.
Here’s other student creations:
Natalie Hill and her awesome ideas about how the body image of women are perceived in this decade.
Gina Watts and her surreal photographs themed around hallucinations and alzheimer’s.
Erin Ridsdale and her obscure long exposure “star-eyed” photographs.
And me – celebrating “End Of Life”
When looking at my final three photographs, I can see effort, struggles and success, but I don’t feel like “Final Best” have been displayed. I try to keep in mind my journey and how I have developed the idea and what my future plans are, but it feel’s like if I just had more guts and time…if…
I don’t have Walter Schels-like images up on the wall, I haven’t changed world with these photographs and haven’t fully discovered my Latvian heritage through the medium…
The good news – this kind of torture gives my project big future and heartbeat, but the patience and dedication will give me the result eventually.
Around 8:30 pm I tolled down the Fine Art “Fabricate and Form” exhibition and took a few snaps, congratulated girls.
Also I had a little look at the hand made frames that Shauna have done herself.
And than the kind security of Hull College asked us to leave…
It was an amazing night, overwhelming is the most popular word of how to describe it.
The next day I had no time to recover as I had to have a look at the full exhibition and two other Exhibition Openings at the Princess Quay Shopping Centre.
Evaluation – good quality, high standard and some rally interesting new artists hopefully will impress potential clients.
This probably is not the only blog post about the exhibition, as I attend to refer back to great things, but for now a one big THANKYOU to everyone and I hope that this post will encourage you to go and have a look at the exhibition within next two weeks!!!
ANETE SOODA PHOTO 