Portfolio Year

Mandy Barker- Beyond Drifting Mandy Barker is a photographer who frequently discusses the issue of plastic pollution in our oceans. She works with scientists and organisations such as Greenpeace, travelling the world to conduct research and collect data. In ‘Beyond Drifting’ Mandy Barker conducts a semi fictional scientific study of plastics found in our ocean, drawing parallels to a study on plankton by John Vaughan Thompson, conducted in Cobh, Cork in the 1800s. Her images of different microplastics are presented as specimens in contrast to Thompson’s original work on plankton. This series draws parallels between plankton, the natural bottom of the food chain, and microplastics which are now being eaten by marine animals. Barker’s photos are specifically interesting due to the context she places them in. She gives each item a fake scientific name, and the exhibition includes an old looking science book that presents Barker’s findings with references to Thompson’s original study. ...

Bauhaus The Bauhaus was a design school in Germany that opened in 1919 and closed in 1933 due to pressure from the Nazi party. During this time the Bauhaus was at the forefront of design in Germany, and after its closure its influence continued to spread. It was started by Walter Gropius due to his belief in breaking the barrier between artists and craftsmen and bringing art and design into the post-war age of machinery. The school also became a centre of forward thinking individuals in Germany. The core belief of the school was the union of art and craft, to create a ‘gesamtkunstwerk’ or a complete work of art. The aesthetic of many leading Bauhaus artists was simplistic, functional, and geometric, while including bright colours and interesting designs. they aimed to make beautiful pieces that found their beauty in minimalism and functionality. Josef Albers studied at the Bauhaus from 1920-23, and taught there in various roles from 1923 up until the schools closure in 1933. He then ...

John Fitzpatrick began his art career studying fine art printmaking at Glasgow School of Art. After graduating in 2000 he joined the Glasgow print studio and is now on the board there. One artist that has influenced his work is Richard Serra. Serra is a New York based Sculptor who creates large-scale, site-specific sculptures. The large sheets of metal form curves and angles that allow the viewer to walk inside and through the sculpture. This allows the viewer to become part of the work and experience it in a much more personal way. The interactive component of Serra’s work allows it to move and change as the viewer moves around the work, viewing it from new angles and perspectives. This idea of the viewer’s experience being integral to the artwork was also explored by Mark Rothko. He was an important figure in abstract expressionism and painted, among other work, very large black canvases designed to ‘eclipse and consume’ the viewer. Another important figure in abstract expression...

Currently it is early September, and I am at the start of my year at the UAL portfolio preparation course at Langside. I just finished up my last year of secondary. In my final year at school, I was doing different creative subjects- like advanced art, higher design and manufacture, and higher media- but already I know this course isn’t going to be like anything I’ve done before. So far it has met and exceeded my expectations, challenging the way I view art and look at my surroundings, and that’s only in the first couple of weeks. Mostly I’m looking forward to having the opportunity, the time, and the resources, to learn to think outside the box and explore different techniques and materials. This year I really want to step away from the kind of work I was making in school- for my advanced higher art- and even my previous personal work. I’m excited to learn from experienced artists, and expand my own practice, and the way I think about art. In terms of challenge, I think staying motiva...