This year’s BA (Hons) Photography and BSc (Hons) Visual Effects students held their graduate show at the Coningsby Gallery in London’s Fitzrovia, between Tuesday 11 June and Friday 14 June.
Photography on display included depictions of night-time walks along the Thames, explorations of cultural heritage, collages of the metropolis and botanical still life. The course encourages a practical and critical exploration of photography, helping students to develop their own vision through tackling modules which challenge their understanding of the medium.
Visual Effects work on show included images and animations showing cinematic shots of simulated tsunami effects crashing into cities, neon-drenched streets of cyberpunk computer-generated environments, digitally sculpted game characters, and the ethereal exploration of chakras.
The show was part of the University of West London’s (UWL) annual Artsfest – which showcases the creativity and coursework of final year students from the London College of Music (LCM) and the London School of Film, Media and Design (LSFMD) in venues across London between May and July.
“It is the first time we’ve exhibited in the West End and we’re at an established gallery,” explains Photography Course Leader Peter Bennett. “Coningsby Gallery is in a very central location and a great gallery and the work looked really good.”
“Taking the exhibition into central London, an area at the heart of the visual effects industry, has given unprecedented exposure of our graduates’ art to major employers,” adds Visual Effects Course Leader Angus Luscombe. “We even had LiDAR Lounge, a scanning company, take a break from filming in the area to pop in to see the show.’
Visual Effects student Yas Patel says: “My goal is to become a junior VFX compositor for a big studio.
“I have enjoyed exploring my creativity – the course has taught me a whole range of skills and software and working on our final project brings these all together.”
Photography student Irina Limar’s project depicts the historic Shoeburyness Old Ranges in Gunners Park at night. Located along the Thames Estuary and built in 1856, this location was once a military training and testing area for the British Army.
“I aimed to explore and photograph the remarkable remnants of the Shoeburyness Old Ranges using light painting techniques,” she explains. “Seeing my work displayed is an amazing feeling and incredibly rewarding. It’s satisfying to see how the images resonate with viewers in a physical space.”
Her course mate Rui Garcia also took inspiration from the city for his work. “I created collages that put many different aspects of London into one image,” he says. “I love doing street photography and I use photography to express the things that I feel.
“Preparing for the show was fun – going to the gallery to put up our work was like the final chapter of our three years at university.”
