The students' works were selected to be projected onto the Duveen walls in a late opening exhibition called ‘Girls in Film x Tate Collective’ at Tate Britain on Friday 13 February. The exhibition connects the new generation of women, non-binary and trans creatives within the film industry and made up one part of a broader Tate Lates event showcasing the legacy of photography artist Lee Miller, an inspiration figure for fashion and French surrealist film.
Emily McIntosh shared a still from her performative piece titled ‘Peel my Skin’. The performance features Emily wearing a banana peel constructed from painted and sewn tablecloth, with polka dots extending over her body. The eclectic merging of fashion and costume pays homage to performance artist Leigh Bowery.
Speaking about her artwork, Emily said: “I used the imagery of a banana to reflect my own experience with my skin and body, and how it can feel separate from yourself. The costume disguises the vulnerability of the form beneath, using it as a shield to the world. While we look to hide our vulnerability any bizarre way we can, our true self still finds a way to seep through.
“I’m thrilled my art is featured in Tate Britain: it’s a childhood dream coming true. I’m grateful to Jody Murphy for photographing the performance, as well as to my tutors Sarah Green, Alan Duncan and Mike Shaw for endlessly encouraging and inspiring me”.
Speaking about her artwork, Charlotte says, “'Daddy's Girl' reflects on how a young woman’s identity can be influenced by the quiet pursuit of paternal approval, absorbing inherited traits as a way of belonging; an idea originally presented by Valerie Solonas in her SCUM manifesto.
Having my work exhibited at Tate Britain was genuinely surreal and something I will be eternally grateful for. Seeing my photograph on those walls, where artists I so greatly admire have shown, I felt so incredibly lucky. A huge thank you to Ben Dolman for encouraging me in second year to submit this image to competitions. A massive thank you to my dad; for the influence that shaped this piece, for unknowingly sparking the direction of my practice, and, of course, for the clothes, which I think look wonderful on me."