Hasta La Ideas

Though installed in a new venue, D&AD’s graduate talent hypermarket, otherwise known as New Blood, is as overwhelming as ever. Patrick Burgoyne battled through the private view crowds to find some favourites

Both the D&AD Student Awards and its New Blood show, in which visual arts courses each take a stand to display the pick of their graduates’ work, are in London’s Spitalfields market this year. It’s a great space, which no doubt will attract some valuable passing traffic, but the New Blood show itself is very cramped. Colleges sit cheek by jowl, the fruit and veg stalls of the old market replaced by tutors and grads hawking their creative talents.

Here are a few who stood out for me, but, with the show open until the evevening of June 28, I’d recommend a trip down there to se for yourself if you are in the vicinity. I’ve deliberately avoided colleges whose shows we have either already covered on the blog or who we know we will cover separately in the coming weeks and concentrated on institutions whose shows we may otherwise not have been able to see.

So let’s start with the Illustration course at UCA Maidstone where the vivd, quite aggressive work was a counterpoint to medium’s tendency toward the twee. I particularly liked Ian O’Shea‘s project on Tom Crean, a survivor from the 1912 Scott expedition to the Antarctic

And Aleksandra Jablokova‘s bizarre interpretation of Beauty and the Beast was memorable, if disturbing!

This is from her version of Little Red Riding Hood

At the Dundee illustration stand, Sally Hackett‘s ceramic tribute to notorious streakers, including Erica Roe, was hard to miss

Staying with illustration, Southampton Solent impressed, notably Christopher Todd‘s series of circular works on notable people, places and events related to the city.

And Nate Kitch‘s project on the patient studies of psychiatrist Oliver Sacks as related in the book The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, including this piece on an elderly ex-submariner who could not remember anything between the second world war and the early 70s.

I also liked the vivid work of Jack ‘Ren” Reynolds of University College Bournemouth

Simon Cheadle‘s project on mistakes at the Kingston illustration stand was beautifully presented: “Drawing tools that generate mistakes were designed and used to reinterpret objects and ideas that are considered perfect. By then printing and manufacturing the results, these notions of perfection are pushed back into the realm of creativity and the imperfections of the object are celebrated.”

You can download and print out paper versions of the tools here

At the Arts University College at Bournemouth graphics show, Kudzai Dyirakumunda attempted to tackle the topic of the London riots using messages about the events that had been posted on Twitter. Some were etched into News Blocks presented in a wooden tray, giving permanence to these digital communications.

Others were immortalised in poster form

Also at Bournemouth is Peter Smart who is behind the hugely impressive 50 Problems in 50 Days, which he describes thus: “I’m on an adventure – to explore the limits of design’s ability to solve social problems, big and small. To do this I attempted to solve 50 problems in 50 days using design. I also spent time with 12 of Europe’s top design firms.”

Each day, Smart attempted to use design to tackle a different social problem, from easing tube congestion to improving translation tools, while also interviewing and visiting top design firms around Europe. A really strong piece of work.

On to the UWE graphics stand and CJ Brown who applied to Facebook to see all the data it had on him. The massive file he received in return was made into a hardback book.

Brown also created One Country Two Systems in response to an ISTD brief. The book is split into two sections “with each focusing on the attitude and objectives of the two major countries involved in the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong. This concept of having two books originated from the term given to China after the handover, ‘One Country Two Systems’. Although each book is intended to be read individually there are certain occasions when the chapters and content relate.”

In a strong UWE stand, I also enjoyed Magnus Hearn‘s book OMG in the OED about new words admitted to the dictionary

Liam Roberts‘ film on football celebrations

Andrew Duncan‘s film on the formula for the perfect romatic comedy

And Sam Stefan‘s The Waitress, created in response to an ISTD brief on “tales to change the world”. Presented as an iPad app, the book responds to its location.

At the Stockport design and visual arts stand, Helen Porter wrapped various iplements in coloured twine, making a striking display

The project was in response to a GF Smith brief which asked ‘ If colour was something physical, how might it interact with objects?’. Porter created a hand-boound book showcasing her work.

Last but by no means least, what would a degree show be without some Risograph action, this time prodiced by Gabriella Marcella Ditano aka Risotto of Glasgow School of Art

This is just a small selection of the work on show. Get down to New Blood if you can – details here

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