The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
THE GRADUATES
Tatha Gallery in Newport will be using its first exhibition of 2021 to showcase the work of the next generation of artists who will be setting the standard, discovers Jennifer Mclaren
J ust like the snowdrops and crocuses springing up around us, the art college graduates exhibiting at Tatha Gallery have not allowed their creative talents to be curtailed by the pandemic.
Having had their final year of study cut short – as well as missing out on the rite of passage that is a degree show – these 12 artists demonstrate that creativity can continue to flourish even in the most trying of times.
Tatha owner and director Lindsay Bennett says the gallery decided to branch out for its first exhibition of the year, The Graduates: Four Pillars. Due to ongoing Covid restrictions, its entire run will be virtual.
“This is the second year we have done a graduate show,” explains Lindsay. “The first time we stayed with Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in Dundee. I felt we needed to move out into the wider area so we thought the easiest point was to start with the four colleges in the cities closest to us.
“That’s where the name Four Pillars came from because we are going to Dundee, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen.”
It features artists Fanny Arnesen, Hannah Barker, Emma Boiston, Catherine Eckersall, Lauren Ferguson, Josie Jones, Hannah Lim,
Eve Mcglynn, Sophie Percival, Zuzanna Salamon, Dominika Ucar and George Williams.
Lindsay and gallery assistant Clare Mackie selected the exhibitors by looking at the virtual degree shows presented by Edinburgh College of Art, Glasgow School of Art, Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen, and Dundee’s Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design (DJCAD).
“It was a challenge but I am really delighted to say it’s come together,” Lindsay continues.
Online exhibitions have become the norm and this show has both a video tour and a 360-degree virtual tour, in which you can “walk” around the calm and pristine space from piece to piece – even catching a glimpse of the stunning Tay views through the sash and case windows.
Lindsay says: “We have done an awful lot to make this one work. It will give people an opportunity to feel the space.”
The striking works vary in style, medium and size. A virtual stroll confirms these young artists as true emerging talents.
Lauren Ferguson, 22, from Edinburgh, studied for her degree at Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen. She is exhibiting meticulous works in oil and also graphite.
She explains: “It was definitely a challenge at the end of the year but I did feel like we had closure because Gray’s did a fantastic virtual degree show and that was quite a rewarding experience as they made the most of the situation.
“In the summer I was selected as artist in resident for Leith School of Art. I have a studio space so I feel like I’ve been really lucky this year.”
Josie Jones, 22, is from Worcestershire and studied at DJCAD in Dundee. Her mother hails from the city and she still has family there. Her atmospheric and colourful works are created using a range of media.
She says: “We had a really good online degree show which is nice, because then you had something to look forward to and work towards, which kept the momentum going.
“I felt really fortunate as most of my work is on paper and I am painting. Even though I had a bit of a lack of space it was a lot easier to carry on.”
One of the things Josie loved about studying at DJCAD was the freedom given to students to discover their own paths. “DJCAD is a really nurturing school,” she says.
Both artists have been selected to take part in the prestigious Royal Scottish Academy of Art and Architecture New Contemporaries exhibition in 2022.
Lauren says of Gray’s: “I loved it. It’s such a small art school and you get to know your peers and the staff so well. It’s really friendly and you feel well supported. One of the main things is the emphasis on drawing and how that’s implemented in the course. That was a big part of what I loved there.”
T it’shere’s a moment in the new Top Gear series that sees former cricket star turned TV presenter Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff having to stop and ask for directions. As with many of the high-octane segments on the BBC1 motoring series, mid-challenge and the presenting trio – Flintoff, Chris Harris and Paddy Mcguinness – are racing to see who reaches a set destination first.
Flintoff, 43, has just one small issue though – remembering the directions given to him.
He explains: “The problem is every time I ask for directions, I say ‘Oh, do you know where this is?’ and for some reason I never listen to them. And I’m being polite and said ‘Thank you’, and what did she say? I have no idea.”
Flintoff is joined by motoring expert Harris, 46, and Mcguinness, 47, to talk about the returning Top Gear series, and the friendly jibes you see on screen are ever-present.
A grinning Harris chips in to Flintoff’s explanation: “Poor old passers-by are thinking, ‘That Ben Stokes has let himself go’.”
For the second time, the series has been Uk-bound due to travel restrictions as a result of the pandemic. But Mcguinness says: “These films in the UK are really good and I don’t think the viewers will miss the big road trips this time.”
All in the same Covid bubble in order for them to film, it was a welcome relief for them all to be working.
Mcguinness adds: “A lot of the stuff we were filming, we were a little bit out in the sticks, so you weren’t really aware of shops being closed and stuff like that.
“We were always busy and it’s long days. But it was nice to get out and see the lads and have a bit of fun and kind of switch off from the news for a little bit.”
Former England cricketer and Ashes winner Flintoff concurs. “I just feel fortunate as well just to get out. You go out and you drive cars and you’re filming and you’re working, you’re a bit more appreciative of what you’re doing,” he says.
Some of the challenges they’ll face include them tackling the issue of “mid-life crisis” cars, a Highlands off-road adventure, driving some of the most-loved cars from the James
Bond films and a trip down memory lane as they take older vehicles once driven by their dads for a spin.
The discussion moves on to the Bond episode, with 007 stars Roger Moore and Daniel Craig named as their top picks.
Mcguinness explains: “I think your favourite Bond is related to the era you got into Bond – and mine was Roger Moore. He sort of did a bit more of the comedy stuff. It’s a bit more tongue-in-cheek and I really like that.”
The episode which sees them all take the wheel of the same models once driven by their fathers – including a BMW, Ford Fiesta and a Cortina – is an impactful one. For Harris, it was an intensely personal experience.
He says: “It was problematic for me – it’s a heartfelt film, and it was probably further than I ever wanted to go sharing my personal life on TV. My father died a long time ago and even though you move on with your life I still find it quite difficult to talk about him.
“I’ve got lots of cars and I’m very lucky that I can get hold of most cars I want, but out of respect for my father I’d never sat in the driving seat of that BMW model before and it took some persuading to get me to do the film.
“But I loved driving the car. I loved watching Paddy and Fred go through the same emotional journey as me and talking about how integral the motor vehicle was to your relationship with your parents.”
Is their love of cars a legacy they’d like to pass on to their children?
“I don’t know,” reflects Mcguinness, adding: “As a parent, as long as your kids are happy and comfortable in doing what they’re doing, I’m not really fussed about that to be honest.”
Flintoff adds: “I think for me, if I can be as good a dad as my dad is, that would be my greatest achievement.”
Harris says he tries to make car journeys with his children fun, including letting them having control of the airwaves.
Prompted by Flintoff as to what they listen to on the radio, the revelation that they listen to BBC Radio 4’s sitcom Cabin Pressure, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, is followed up by a string of jests from Harris’ co-presenters.
A smiling Harris says: “I just can’t win, can I? I just can’t win.”
Top Gear returns to BBC1 tomorrow at 8pm.
TV PREVIEWS TOP PICK Caroline Flack: Her Life And Death - Channel 4, Wednesday, 9pm
In December 2019, TV presenter Caroline Flack was arrested for allegedly assaulting her boyfriend. Two months later, she took her own life. In this touching documentary, Flack’s tragic story is told by those who knew her best. Her family reveal that even as a child she was prone to mood swings. She found heartbreak impossible to deal with. She suffered breakdowns and self-harmed. Like so many people do, she hid her depression. This is all discussed in a gentle, loving way. It’s a sensitive eulogy to an emotionally fragile person and a damning indictment of our callous modern age. Flack was hounded by the press and abused on social media. I hope those ghouls are ashamed of themselves.
DNA Family Secrets BBC2, Tuesday, 9pm
The final episode of this poignant genealogy series follows Stacey Dooley as she assists more folk in search of ancestry answers. Mixedrace brothers Peter and David, who were adopted, want to find out more about their biological father. They have no idea where he was from or what ethnicity he was. Meanwhile, Manuela is desperate to know if her sight-impaired son carries a gene that causes blindness, and Tink hopes to find out whether she has sperm donor siblings. Dooley is a good choice of host, she’s likeable and empathetic, but the star of the show is Professor Turi King, who explains the science and gently guides the contributors through the entire process. She radiates kindness.
Crock Of Gold: A Few Rounds With Shane Macgowan -
BBC4, Tuesday, 10pm
This documentary is a thoroughly depressing portrait of a chronic alcoholic who was once a great talent. Director Julien Temple tries to inject his usual punk-mythological energy into proceedings, but at one point he obviously realised that there’s nothing funny or romantic about this saga – a recurring shot of Macgowan today, barely capable of lifting a glass of wine to his lips, punctuates the narrative. The man himself is essentially the narrator, his drowsy, boozepickled slur and rattlesnake cackle a recurring motif. He struggles to articulate his thoughts. There are pointless cameos from Johnny Depp and Bobby Gillespie. You’ll probably feel sad, awkward and exhausted by the end.
Billy Monger’s Big Red Nose Day Challenge - BBC1, Thursday, 9pm
Four years ago, British racing driver Billy Monger was involved in a horrendous collision that resulted in the amputation of both his legs. Now, in aid of Comic Relief, he embarks upon a formidable mission – walk, kayak and cycle 140 miles across England. Preview copies weren’t available, but I feel compelled to flag this up as it sounds interesting. Monger is used to pushing himself to the outer limits of his endurance. Here he must learn to kayak, which is something he’s never done before, and get back on a bicycle saddle for the first time since his crash. Along the arduous way he receives advice and encouragement from celebrities such as Jose Mourinho and Zoe Ball.