Gray's Degree Show: Sculpture, Product and 3D Design

In my bumper degree show weekend the second show I attended was that of Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen. This was the first time I'd attended one of their shows so I was interested to get a look at the uni and see what the students had to offer. I was slightly disappointed by the lack of map to guide me but the building was small enough so it was easy enough to figure it out. Plus there were some brightly coloured dots leading the way to each section. The first display I found myself in was Sculpture and I was pretty much in love with the first pieces I saw.....

Kerr Rodgie
These pieces by Kerr Rodgie were definitely my favorite sculpture works. They are made from metal and found objects with an enamel finish making them look like paintings brought to life. I love the colours and how it looks like the flowers are almost melting.
After a quick look round the rest of the Sculpture I ventured onto the Product and 3D Design spaces. Usually these types of courses don't capture my imagination as much as the more visual art based displays but there was plenty that caught my eye.

Jamie Brown

Natalie Naylor
I really liked Jamie Brown's display and the whole concept of customisable table tops. Such an interesting and inventive way of introducing more elements of design into the kitchen or dining room. Table cloths seem to be a bit old fashioned so I loved this modern twist on table top coverings. Plus the tops are removable so if the room is redesigned the table can be too!
Natalie Naylor used strong ceramic pieces to investigate jealousy. I loved the mix of designs she created and the use of text and typography.
And, of course, I was very attracted to those students who had used their design skills to create jewelry variations. With no dedicated jewelry course at Gray's it was nice to see these pieces popping up.

Lucy Jamieson

Angela Mattern
The different shapes of Lucy Jamieson's pieces and how they interacted with the hand was really interesting. I loved how the metal was shaped around different parts of the fingers and how they balanced on them. I also loved the glass hands she'd made.
Angela Mattern's looked at a different way jewelry could be worn, with pieces becoming part of clothing. I really liked the subtlety of these pieces but how they also added a different dimension to the simple garments.
Gray's definitely impressed me with the work on display so I have plenty more to come. Watch this space.