INTRODUCTION

It is only through the disruption of cosy conventions and the dismantling of prescribed certainties that students can start to engage with the complexity of contemporary fine art practice. The safety of the status quo with its reliance on flaccid and mannered conventions is the prelude to the demise of fine art as a challenging and speculative activity. The avoidance of the unknown leads to the adoption of outmoded academic practices that bear little relationship to the realities of the world that we occupy. The Schools’ philosophy is founded around the belief that students should confront and engage with the multiplicity of activities, conceptual positionings and technical innovations that help to define fine art practice; that they should celebrate its rich diversity and seek to locate and contextualise their own practice within it. This is not to deny the importance of historical precedent but rather to position it as a vital component of contemporary discourse and not a moribund refuge from it. Nor is it a denial of the continuing significance of “traditional” disciplines but the recognition that it is only through a dynamic interaction with other areas of practice that their forms can be tested and reinvented. In this way they can retain the capacity to address contemporary concerns in a resonant and relevant manner. Their isolation leads to repetition and visual cliché.
The lack of any preordained parameters within the course means that it is rarely a comfortable experience for students or the staff who teach them. The course is centred on the primacy of individual practice; it is questioning and challenging, it is very demanding of the students requiring self-reliance and motivation. The majority of students respond positively to this demonstrating great powers of resilience, determination and self-belief.
The work produced by the students this year is testament to this. It also evidences their imagination and creativity; it is diverse, inventive, often surprising and never dull.
The work in the exhibitions has all been produced in the last three months but is in fact the culmination of their three years of study. It is a great credit to them; it is also a credit to the academic and technical staff who have taught and supported them throughout their time on the course. The Studio and the Theoretical and Historical Studies staff represent a wide range of knowledge and understanding of Fine Art practice and the theoretical debates that inform it. Their breadth, commitment and support help give the students the confidence needed to adopt such diverse approaches to the making of their work.
The humour and dedication of the support staff allows us all to work within in a conducive and sympathetic environment.
I would like to thank all of the staff for their hard work, their tolerance and their commitment.
I would also like to thank the individuals, companies and other organisations that have supported and encouraged the students through the prizes, materials and other commodities that they have presented and donated to them. The value of such donations extends beyond their material worth.
Most of all I would like to thank the students and congratulate them on everything that they have achieved, they ensure that life is never boring or predictable; the Degree Show and catalogue are a celebration of their achievement.
We would all like to wish them every success in their future professional life.

Mike Holland
Head of the School of Fine Art