Saturday 28 August 2010

Lacoste, France. Student Exhibition



Exhibition Summary


I came across this exhibition whilst visiting Lacoste in Provencal, France. The exhibition was in a tiny town which had been taken over by the Savannah Art School, an American university which had set up their own study area within the town. The students spent a certain part of their semester studying in this picturesque area and held an exhibition with their conclusive works for sale at the end of their stay.


My Thoughts and Experiences


I found this exhibition particularly interesting as it was by students my own age or younger. Although the exhibition was fantastically diverse, showcasing sculptures, painting and textiles I found that the location is what made it so spectacular. The exhibitions were either in small rooms off a central pedestrianised hill or outside on the pavements. The work really set into its surroundings and a lot of the students work seemed completely affected by their environment. Many students showed images of landscapes and people they had come across on their stay. The exhibition showed real diversity between the students and fantastic views across the landscape. One piece I particularly liked was a wall which previously had been ruined with graffiti, painted to look like brickwork to make it blend in with the old, traditional walls. The exhibition as a whole was a great thing to stumble across and I enjoyed exploring the vast rooms of work. In terms of my own work the media was so diverse that it became easy to find certain pieces that related to my own practice. I also came away inspired to draw and paint, whereas normally I make things this had me wanting to try something different.