Guernsey Press

Trailblazers

Mobile phones, industrial landscapes, and even their school uniforms – Elizabeth College art students took inspiration from the everyday objects and sights around them for their end-of-year show. Shaun Shackleton went to take a look

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WHEN it comes to putting on a fantastic show for end-of-year art A-level students, it certainly helps if your school has its own gallery.

The three rooms of the Gate House Gallery at Elizabeth College were buzzing with activity as students arrived with their artworks in a variety of media from paintings, etchings, photography and sculpture.

Head of art Adam Stephens said that 2017 had been a bumper year.

'We have 10 students in Year 13 showing their A-level work and there are also AS and GCSE students. It's really pleasing to see people going on to so many arts-related courses and the diversity is great – photography, film, architecture and one student, Caius Bearder, is going onto Glasgow to do jewellery.'

The self-alienation of people using mobile phones was part of 18-year-old Oliver Le Marquand's work.

'Taking trips into Town I took photographs of people passing by, using their phones, excluding themselves from each other.'

Dry-point etching was another technique that he used.

'Using wide-angle photographs of townscapes in St Peter Port I then rendered these in etchings. It's a complicated process where you scratch onto copperplate. I'm interested in the complexities of buildings.'

Oliver will be going on to study architecture at the University of Kent.

An interesting series of prints makes up Matthew Stockreiter's end of year exhibition.

'The prints are taken from my old school blazer. I tore up the blazer and then used them to print distorted images. I call it poetic resonance.'

18-year-old Matthew also enjoyed working in etching.

'I did studies of a rabbit skull that I found, white onto black. It's a very enjoyable process.'

Matthew will be taking photography at Falmouth University.

The work of cult US director David Lynch inspired 18-year-old Alex Bates.

'The project involved filming a surreal industrial landscape, like in the film Eraserhead, in black and white to create a sense of isolation. There are no actors, I've just explored Guernsey places such as Victoria Tower, cars and machinery. The final film is five minutes long.'

After college Alex will be studying film-making at Leeds Beckett University.

Four pieces of concrete sculpture made up some of the work of Oliver Toussaint, 17.

'Choosing a project about the Occupation of Guernsey, I wanted to do a memorial to the forced labourers who built the fortifications. I've actually used some pieces of real bunkers that have fallen off and were lying around.'

Another piece was inspired by artist and sculptor Eduardo Paolozzi.

'I have given this sculpture figurative qualities, such as legs.'

Oliver will be going on to Plymouth University to study architecture.

'After showing my sculpture during the interview they were very interested,' he said.

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