Art

'The Dog Lady Considers Her Options' by Christine Aerfeldt

There was a time when art degree shows were mainly about grades. Work was hastily hung up for assessors on studio walls smelling of a recent coat of emulsion, not quite covering the marks left by years of previous artistic experiment. The private view was mainly attended by friends and family followed by a few open days visited by a minority of art-world insiders. Not any more. Now degree shows are more like coming-out parties: launching the next generation of creative talent to the commercial art-world, showcasing the college and offering collectors, galleries and an increasingly art-aware public the opportunity to buy what could be lucrative works of art and design at introductory prices. Feature continues

For the first time this year, work by Royal College of Art postgraduates from all disciplines will be displayed together in a huge tented pavilion in Kensington Gardens under the title of ‘The Great Exhibition 2007’. More slick Frieze Art Fair than shabby collection of studio cubicles, this show has a group of high-profile sponsors, including the Conran Foundation, Deutsche Bank and Apple, plus a series of evening events for supporters and potential funders, charitable bodies, galleries and collectors.

'The Obelus' by James Wright

The RCA’s Director of Academic Development, Alan Cummings doesn’t deny a commercial aspect to the the event but is keen to emphasise other reasons for such a high profile show: ‘We’re not only celebrating the 150th anniversary of the founding of the college on its current site, following the Great Exhibition of 1851, but also the lease on a new location in Battersea which, when it’s refurbished, will signal a new future for the RCA,’ he explains. ‘But the main motivation for this exhibition is to be able to show all the disciplines together and promote the inclusiveness of the college. Without sponsorship this isn’t something we could do every year.’

At Central Saint Martins, course director of BA Fine Art, Jane Lee, acknowledges that the shift from assessment degree shows to something more professional is also partly the result of an increased emphasis on the vocational aspects of art education. ‘Most art courses now have a “Professional Practice” strand to them,’ she says, ‘exploring how to build up networks and a studio practice after leaving college. It’s a university-wide initiative to standardise qualifications for a European labour market. The degree show is an important part of that. It’s about getting as much attention as possible for the students so we arrange for critics to come and talk to them and invite collectors in. Of course collectors were invited round as far back as the 1960s but on a much smaller and more informal scale; then it really only happened between a professor and his favourites.’

But beneath all of this there’s no denying the effect of the ever-expanding art market. ‘It simply means that all the stakes are just that much higher now,’ says Andrew Renton, director of curating at Goldsmiths. ‘There’s a much greater demand for new art at a consumer level because everyone sees the legacy of Brit-art as being art-school led, and everyone thinks that they can discover the next Damien Hirst. Art colleges know that degree shows are their front line and audiences have higher expectations of how art should be presented. It’s not commercial or cynical, it’s about recognising how art is seen.’

In a world where, at one end, galleries operate ranked lists of preferred buyers, degree shows, at the other, provide the opportunity for anyone to buy through forging a direct relationship with the artist. ‘Art may be a prized commodity,’ Renton continues, ‘witness the 30-year-old hedge fund managers flying in to the recent Damien Hirst preview in their private Lear jets. But we also live in a world where we value creativity. In America corporations are now hiring art graduates rather than business graduates because they want their ideas. We live in extraordinary times for art.’

This week's degree shows
Camberwell College of Arts
Peckham Rd, SE5.
June 19-23, Tue-Fri 9am-8pm, Sat 11am-4pm.

Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design
107-109 Charing Cross Rd, WC2.
June 16-21, daily 12noon-8pm.

Chelsea College of Art and Design
16 John Islip St, SW1.
June 16-18, Sat-Sun 10am-4pm, Mon 10am-8pm. For the above three college shows see www.arts.ac.uk/degreeshows2007.htm

Free Range 2007
Various venues
Ends July 31.  

Goldsmiths
Ben Pimlott Building, St James, SE14 (020 7919 7671)
June 15-18, 10am-5pm, Sun 12noon-4pm.
 
The Great Exhibition 2007
Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore and Kensington Gardens, SW7 (www.rca.ac.uk)
June 15-28, daily 12noon-9pm.

London Metropolitan University
41-71 Commercial Rd and 59-63 Whitechapel High St, E1 (www.londonmet.ac.uk/art)
June 13-17, Wed-Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm.

RA Schools Show
Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly, W1 (www.royalacademy.org.uk)
June 13-24, daily 10am-6pm, Fri until 10pm.