The five artists have been resident in the School of Design and Creative Arts since October 2024. The work on display at the Martin Hall Gallery showcases a selection of their diverse projects that they have been working on during their residencies.
Jessica Mason has mainly worked in the ceramics workshop and print workshop during the residency. Exploring the art of mark making within her practice, from drawing to mould to finished piece. She has made a small series of platters, using the vacuum former and plaster hump moulds to translate marks across different mediums.
Theo Miller is a visual artist whose work examines printmaking. His motivation for taking part in the AA2A scheme is to connect to new artists, and spaces and to explore papermaking in relation to his practice, exploring and celebrating the very materials that he makes his work with.
The Sower motif, painted by Jean-Francois Millet in 1847, exists in various iterations throughout the history of art. During the AA2A residency, Andrew North has attempted to expand upon the theme of a Sower by producing a series of cartoon etchings depicting scenes that could feed into the narrative.
Jamie Seymour creates performances, sculpture, drawing and painting. During their residency, they have been focusing on printmaking and painting as well as interacting with students and staff on the Foundation art course.
Ruby Waage Townsend is focusing on writing and illustrating their own fairy tales. These stories, initially developed through drawings, have expanded into paintings, performances, and the beginnings of a fairy tale book. This body of work reveals their personal experiences as a domestic abuse survivor, shedding light on the subtle forms of coercive control, with the aim of eventually creating a resource that can support and empower other survivors.
During their time at Loughborough, Jessica, Theo, Andrew, Jamie, and Ruby have worked in a variety of settings and interacted with a range of practitioners and researchers. They have collaboratively designed this exhibition, as part of a process of reflection on the work they have produced and where it might lead them.
AA2A (Artists Access to Art Colleges) provides artists and designer-makers with access to workshops, equipment and expertise in host universities and colleges across the UK, offering them the opportunity to develop their work by undertaking a period of research or realising a project. It also aims to benefit students by supporting interaction with practising artists and providing them with information on self-employment, bridging the gap between studying and building a creative career. It is funded by Arts Council England and the host institutions.
Testing Ground will be open 12pm-2pm (weekdays only) with a special late night opening as part of Lboro Lates on Friday 23 May from 6pm-8pm.
Read more information about the exhibition on the LU Arts website.