Art show a chance for students to 'really excel'

Works inspired by folklore, the built environment and the human form have gone on display in an annual showcase of the talents of the island's aspiring artists.

Put together by University College Isle of Man (UCM) students over a 10-week period, the diverse collection of pieces represents the culmination of their courses.

Assistant art and design programme manager at UCM, Shelly Wernham, said it was a "a great opportunity for students to really excel in the areas they are interested in".

The course was an "opportunity to try more specialist skills" and gave students "that confidence to make the right choice" about their futures, she said.

Charlotte Micklefield said she developed a strong interest in costume design and created a folklore-inspired "giant monster suit" for her final project.

She said: "What helps with that as well is the fact that I can actually wear this and perform in it."

Taking inspiration from the practical special effects in films such as Alien and The Thing for her work, she said: "I love horror, it's so much fun, yet it's so terrifying as well to be able to bring something like this to life."

She said she was hoping to continue to explore costume design with a place at Middlesex University.

Tom Darnill's final project centred on a model outlining the modern renovation and reinvention of a Manx tholtan.

He said the derelict and often delipidated old Manx cottages lent themselves to the principles of the interior architecture industry he hoped to join, where existing spaces were "repurposed for continued use".

"I like taking something that's already there and changing it," he said.

Having just accepted a place at Leeds Beckett University, he said the wide scope of the course, which included drawing, photography and ceramics, turned out to be "invaluable" for completing his final project.

Sophie Boyde said she had had "no interest" in going to university when she was at school, but had changed he mind while "working in a bank nine-to-five".

"I love art, I've always loved art, and I wish I'd taken it earlier," she said.

With a place now secured Liverpool John Moores University, she is hoping to pursue an interest in interior design.

She said her Moroccan inspired household accessories, including curtains, tiles and a lampshade, were part of her plan to "incorporate a country's culture" into the collection.

Although she said carving out a place as an interior designer on the island could be "quite hard" she hoped social media would provide a platform to showcase her future ideas.

Lula Thomas had focussed on painting at school, but experimented with sculpture for her showpiece, which was "about anthropomorphism and how it affects our understanding of abstract art".

"I've always been really interested in portraiture and the figure, but I've always done more hyper realistic things," she said.

"I've sort of gone the opposite way to see how far I can push it away from realism to still make an impact... to demonstrate how quite simplistic forms can still convey emotions."

She said she was now "really excited" about taking up a place at the Glasgow School of Art to study painting and printmaking.

Ms Wernham said she was "overwhelmed by the personal journeys" those on the course had been on, adding: "I am incredibly proud of every single one of my students."

The showcase of the students' work is open to the public at the UCM Homefield Road campus until Thursday.

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