Degree Show 2011: Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design

Saturday 21 - Sunday 29 May 2011

Dundee’s largest art and design show

www.dundee.ac.uk/degreeshow

Monday - Friday 10am - 8pm

Saturday - Sunday 10am - 4pm

(Admission is free)

Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design,

University of Dundee,

Perth Road,

Dundee DD1 4HT

Hey guys! Guess what time of year it yet? Yep, degree show time! And for anyone who can make it over to Dundee I always highly recommend you going, it's always a great show.

I was at opening night last night, after hemming and hawing about whether to go - I was scared about seeing people because seeing people means explaining why I've been M.I.A. and that I've been suffering from designer block & depression. Truth is it's always the thought of it that's worst than the actual event. As soon as I'd gotten myself not lost - jewellery design has moved to a completely different part of the uni - I walked in the room and got a huge hug off my friend Kate who said she'd been asking people if they'd heard from me and was worried. Nice to know. So I saw a bunch of the students I know and a few of my friends, which was nice. Now just to get myself back on Facebook and get back in touch with everyone else.

Anyway, my brain's hurting after last night, I didn't have anything to drink as I'd barely eaten and was driving, but I had a long day at work and then did the shopping, then rushed home to change and then over to uni...and the giant drums didn't help. Though they were entertaining.

I'm going to go through during the week and have another look around, I only got through jewellery, textiles and some of fine art before my brain felt like it was going to explode and I decided to bug out. So, when I go through I shall upload some images of my favourite pieces, there's definitely some from jewellery and textiles!

Now, again, if you can get to Dundee this week, get your butts over because DoJ Degree Shows are always brilliant!

Oh! And congratulations to this years 4th year, especially the lovely jewellers! Amazing show and well done on getting your degrees!

Em x

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Listening: BBC Six Music - Adam and Not Joe (Garth Jennings is sitting in for Joe)

V&A Dundee

In February 2009 I attended the V&A at Dundee: Making it Happen conference.

About two years before that we'd been party to Jack McConnell's announcement that it was in the pipe line - we'd spent the Friday before gutting the busy workshop of all signs of work in order to make a good impression of a working studio (ha-bloody-ha) and on the following Monday stood in line at 8.30 in the morning to shake first ministers hand. I'll leave it at that but there was a bit of stushy kicked up about it at the time.

Anyway, fast forward to 2009 and the conference kicked off and we had lectures on the way it would change the city. The lecture was interesting and informative and I genuinely enjoyed sitting and listening about the possibilities the V&A could bring to the city economically, socially and artistically. Including the unveiling of the Riverside redesign from the spaghetti junction you see on the left to the slicker and more amiable waterfront on the right.

Anyone who's driven around the waterfront on a regular basis or has seen someone go up the off ramp for the Tay Bridge will understand why this new design is ten million times better that the current design. The reconnection of the city to the river is also of great value, it is one of the city's greatest assets and there are limited ways to reach it from the city directly. If you must walk it, head to Duncan of Jordanstone and go down Roseangle towards the Railway Bridge, you're less likely to get hit by a car that way.

Now fast forward to today, when they finally revealed the six competing designs for the V&A:

Design by Snøhetta with Gareth Hoskins Architects, a team with architects from Canada, Scotland and elsewhere in the UK.

Designed by Edinburgh based architects Sutherland Hussey.

Designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma.

Designed by design firm Rex.

Designed by Vienna architect Delugan Meiss.

Designed by US based architect Stephen Holl.

Personally I like the first design by Snøhetta, as it blends in with the landscape as opposed to dominating it, however I might also be being swayed by the fact that it's ever so slightly glittery looking. Frankly they're all interesting designs and I'm really intrigued in seeing which will be chosen. It will be a dominating building whichever they decide on, so here's hoping they choose wisely.

If you'd like to see the models, plans etc there is an exhibition of the proposed designs at Abertay University from the 29th of September until the 4th of November.

via

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Listening: Otis Redding - (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay - Take 1

Degree Show 2010: Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design

A bit of well deserved advertisement for the old alma mater and the wonderful young women I know within the jewellery and metal design class. They are an incredibly bunch of young women and I'm sure I will feel every bit the useless designer when I see their work! So I urge anyone who can go to go!

Congratulations Ladies! xxx

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Listening: The Beach Boys - God Only Knows