The work, which has been displayed around the communal spaces of AUB’s Foundation area, is an instance of ‘unintentional or incidental art’ whereby materials adorning student working areas used during Foundation’s first term project chance, have been collected and curated into an exhibition that demonstrates the thinking processes involved in art development.
Developed over the course of eight weeks, around 300 students have contributed to the musings, which among them feature sketches and doodles of a variety of objects, designs, maps and textures.
Luke Jackson, Lecturer of Theory and Contextual Studies and Academic Study Skills at AUB, said: “With the exhibition, we really wanted to demonstrate the psychological space of the maker; as well as the ideas expressed within our studio – a site of layered thoughts and reactions.
“It’s almost cartographic and there’s a real sense of cognitive exploration and the oscillation in the work. These are emerging narratives that offer the opportunity to see, on the page, how meetings of chance can lead to other work, with students collaborating with one another’s thoughts, feelings and expressions.”
Speaking about Foundation and its role in the nurturing of budding artists, Roland Dry, Pathway Leader of Illustration, said: “This first unit delves into lateral thinking and develops creative practice, challenging preconceived ideas and encouraging skills in self-development and investigation.
“The Foundation course exposes students to many new experiences, offering them the opportunity to make informed diagnoses about their futures. The course also leads to the acquisition of new skill sets that enable students to develop ideas with greater maturity. These skill sets are further developed and used in specialised pathways later in the year”.
He added: “We’re looking at problem-solving, new ways of thinking about, questioning and interrogating the creative process.”
The artwork will be hosted by the Foundation Team for the remainder of the term, and is available to view for both students and members of the public.
