Hasta La Ideas

In the latest of our Talent Spotters series of guest reviews of this year’s degree shows, illustrator and creative Gill McPhee visits the Brighton graphics show

Dubbed one of the UK’s most creative cities, and well-known for its alternative scene, The University of Brighton always promises to deliver an abundance of talent at its annual Arts Faculty degree show. This year’s graphic design students delivered a predictably diverse collection, with visible fashion influences, 3D interpretations and various moving image pieces. Mostly project-based and doing away with portfolio exhibits, the intimate exhibition showcases a snapshot of this year’s graphic design talent.

One of the stand-out pieces comes from Graphic Design student Sarah Todd. Blurring the boundaries of the creative disciplines, Todd’s imitation store interior (pictured above), complete with hand-crafted, boldly-coloured apparel, accessories, prints and product catalogue, successfully builds an original brand identity. Whilst her portfolio showcases a plethora of interests across the creative spectrum, each discipline with individual merit, Todd’s clear passion and skills lie in the design and production of bold, statement apparel and she’s sure to be one of this year’s graduate success stories.

In stark comparison, Florence Wood‘s 7ft installation, a stacked collection of sprayed-white food containers, portrays conditions in one of Brighton’s impoverished suburbs and is unavoidable at the show (pictured above). Representing the consumables needed for 40 families in the Whitehawk region, the structure brings attention to our social behaviours and community attitudes, highlighting Florence’s engagement with socially conscious design.

Dan Mountford‘s elegant typography and brand exploration work on display at this year’s show provide only a glimpse of his intricate graphic style. Look further and Dan’s real talent lies in the creation of unique double exposed compositions, in which new life forms are created through the amalgamation of two individual subjects, all without the aid of Adobe software. Dan’s work provokes intrigue; a very intentional approach as he invites us to explore his visual thoughts. More here

Producing some of the Show’s identity artwork (above, along with Melita Pupsaite), Lina Rumbutyte‘s bold typographic and monochrome illustrations demonstrate a strong individual style. Angular and dramatically executed images, her practice focuses on celebrating reality through visual expression.

Keep up to speed with details of the show via the official Twitter account: @BrightonShow

There will be a separate review of the illustration component of the show. See profiles of all the students’ work here

If you’d like to volunteer to be one of CR’s Talent Spotters at this year’s degree shows, please sign up here