Clara Rider | Sculpture
Being the huge degree show fan that I am, I made the trip from Dundee to Edinburgh especially for the Edinburgh College of Art show. I spent an afternoon wandering around the corridors and being inspired by the work on show. There was plenty to catch my eye, with the Textiles and Intermedia departments being particularly strong. Of course, it's whittling down all of my favourites into a top five that's the hard part. Here goes...
1.) Lauren Dodds | Textiles
As I mentioned, the Textile section was really strong at ECA. The quality and vibrancy of the work on show was of a really high standard. I was particularly drawn to this display with its bold colour choices, fun prints and interesting textures. Inspired by glitches and the idea that imperfection within art results in beautiful design, Lauren used screen printing, knitting and embroidery to create a collection of statement streetwear. I want every single piece and really like how she did both a fashion and a street style shoot to show the pieces in both contexts.
2.) Eunsung Kim | Jewellery & Silversmithing
These pieces were a definite favourite of mine from the Jewellery section. I enjoyed finding the tiny figures within each item and love how their silhouettes contrasted with the straight lines. Taking inspiration from her own private diaries, these rigid maze shapes represent the struggles Eunsung has faced in life, with the figure being a mini self portraits.
3.) Eleanor Jones | Intermedia
Through sculpture, printmaking and video work, Eleanor created an installation that I was immediately drawn to. I was initially attracted to the bright, bold colours and surreal shapes and loved how these were placed around the room, but under the cute and humorous aesthetic lies some intriguing and interesting issues. After having one of her ovaries removed in an emergency operation, Eleanor has become fascinated with reproductive systems and fertility worries, which comes across strongly in her work. I love the mix of mediums and seeing so many influences coming together into such a cohesive outcome.
4.) Elle McKee | Illustration
I do enjoy it when illustration and fashion collide and Elle has managed to do just that, all with the added layer of political statement. Inspired by the flags of the countries effected by Trumps travel ban, she created a collection of bold scarves. Whether worn in protest or in support of those effected, all profits from the sale of the scarves goes to ACLU - Fighting the ban. Not only do these scarves make a statement they also look striking to. I love the bold blocks of colour and the long skinny shape, I definitely want to add one to my collection.
5.) Clara Rider | SculptureWalking around Clara's sculpture is like stepping into a Piet Mondrian painting, the colours and shapes capture that abstract feel perfectly. I loved the way the light from the windows hit the coloured blocks, giving the whole room a wonderful atmosphere. With each shape taken from elements from the room itself, there was a beautiful subtle symmetry to the piece. I really enjoyed wandering around and seeing the different angles and how the colours worked with each other.
So there you have it, my top 5! I haven't included any of the Performance Costume in my list because Kim already compiled that list of favourites after we watched their show. Also the Fashion work was all down in London for Graduate Fashion Week so I wasn't able to get a closer look at that. But, even with those two out of the picture, there was still plenty for me to choose from. I've sneaked some more of my favourites onto our Facebook page because I'm a cheat like that. Or why not head along to the show itself to see it all - the ECA degree show continues until Sunday 11th June so there's still time. And, if your a degree show nerd like me, you can catch up with my top 5 from this year's DJCAD degree show here.
