Art and Design students from Reading College and University Centre welcomed friends and families to their Art Exhibition Private View on Thursday 26 June.
The art studio classrooms at the King’s Road campus were turned into an interconnecting art gallery showcasing artwork by students studying our Visual Art and Design programmes, from Level 1 through to Art Foundation (a one-year pre-university course).
The exhibition featured a range of art styles including fine art, fashion and textiles, photography, mixed media, painting, films, architecture, games and concept art, video, art installations, interior design and much more.
Students studying Art and Design at Level 1, Level 2, or the first year of their Level 3 extended diploma were given the brief Boundaries, Borders and Edges to start their projects.
Those studying the second year of their Level 3 extended diploma and Art Foundation explored their own thematic enquiries for their Final Major Projects, individually writing their own briefs to investigate their interests.
As a result, the work on display spanned a wide range of concepts and materials. It also acted as an opportunity for these students to expand on their own artistic interests as they progress on to further or higher education, employment and apprenticeships.
The exhibition was open to the public, staff and students until Tuesday 1 July.
One of the most striking pieces was a mixed media canvas of a painted mermaid with a 3D tail which breaks the canvas made by Quin Gundry, 17, from Wokingham, who is studying the first year of a Creative Practice: Art, Design and Communications Level 3 Extended Diploma at Reading College and University Centre.
She said: “It’s been good to take part in the exhibition. I did a painting of a mermaid and to fit within the brief, Boundaries, Borders and Edges, her tail leaves the canvas, so it breaks the borders of the canvas.
“I chose a mermaid because it fitted within my interpretation of the brief, because a mermaid is a mixture of a human and a fish. It’s breaking the boundaries of the mind and combines two things that shouldn’t be combined.
“It’s very nice to see it on display because I’ve never seen my work on display before. It’s nice to see it hanging up, especially considering the tail is detachable so I’ve only ever seen it in two pieces on the floor.”
In September, Quin will return to Reading College and University Centre to continue her Creative Practice: Art, Design and Communications Level 3 Extended Diploma.
Celia Conboy, Visual Arts Teacher at Activate Learning, said: “We are so proud of our Art and Design students here at Reading College and University Centre, and what they have produced for their final outcomes.
“The exhibition this year showcases the range of specialisms and themes that our students have decided to explore for their independent projects.
“The exhibition is a brilliant celebration of the past year, and it’s so lovely to have students join with friends and family.”
Discover our Art, Design and Digital Creative programmes available to study at Reading College and University Centre or contact us via 0800 612 6008.
