MA Degree Show Bath School of Art and Design 2019 (Bat Spa University)

EXHIBITION CATALOGUE

CONTENTS
007
FOREWORD
009
CERAMICS
Dr Conor Wilson
Course Leader
010
012
014
016
Amy Daniels
Chen Li
Nicola Lidstone
Yixuan Lu
019
CURATORIAL PRACTICE
Dr Ben Parry
Course Leader
020
022
024
026
028
030
Alison Jane Hoare
Rachel Jones
Lucy Pidgeon
Judith Rodgers
Shubhani Sharma
Ellice Thomas-Bishop
033
FASHION AND TEXTILES
Nick Thomas
Acting Course Leader
034
036
038
040
Katie Barrass
Millie Clake
Anna David
Emma Fallon

043
FINE ART
091
CREDITS
Dr Andrea Medjesi-Jones
Course Leader
095
Herman Miller in Bath
044
William Baker
046
Zo-I Chen
048
Julie Dean
050
Jonny Falkus
052
Lucy Gunningham
054
Tomoe Higashi
056
Samantha Horn (O’Neil)
058
Anna Kot
060
Helen McCormick
062
Vicky McKay
064
Kelly O’Brien
066
Thomas Tomasska
068
Kaitlin Trowbridge
070
Nicola Turner
072
Esther Tyler-Ward
074
Shadrokh Vahabzadeh
077
VISUAL COMMUNICATION
Dr Andrew Southall
Course Leader
078
Grazia Campanella
080
Chaohan Jin
082
Andrew Jones
084
David Norfolk
086
Simon Taylor
088
Po-Cheng Yan
005

FOREWORD

Dan Allen and Kerry Curtis
Head of Bath Schools of Art & Design
Established in the 1850s, the Bath Schools of Art
and Design form an integral part of Bath Spa University,
with a proud and distinguished history of producing highly
successful artists, designers, curators and thinkers who have
contributed to creativity and society in extraordinary ways.
Through the curated Masters 2019 Degree Show, our
inaugural public event at the new Locksbrook Campus, it is
with great pleasure that we celebrate the achievements of
our masters students from our courses in Curatorial Practice,
Design: Ceramics, Design: Fashion and Textiles, Fine Art and
Visual Communication.
We are proud to see our postgraduate students
launching the first degree show in the remarkable Grade
II listed building. Sir Nicholas Grimshaw originally
designed the notable building for Herman Miller, the
American furniture manufacturers in 1976. Grimshaw
Architects have worked closely with Bath Spa University
to transform the iconic architecture into an extraordinary
facility for artists and designers to flourish.
We wish our new graduates every success in making
their unique contributions to the creative, cultural and
economic landscape of the UK and beyond as they progress
to the next stage of their professional careers, joining the
illustrious alumni of the Bath Schools of Art and Design.
007

Dr Conor Wilson, Course Leader
CERAMICS
We are interested in, and open to, all approaches to
working with clay. Our focus is on developing strategies
for practice that emerge out of material investigation and
related research. Outcomes from process might be text,
drawing, photographic image, performance, moving image,
installation, or discrete ceramic objects. Our key concerns
are with facture – the way something is made – and with
developing an intimate engagement, through making, with
materials, sites and people. We work within an expanded
field. Ceramics, as a discipline, is something to respond to;
to define, to challenge, to stretch, but not to ignore.
Our graduating students this year are from China
and the UK and each has found their own unique approach
to engaging with clay; each driven by particular interests
that inform production. The exhibition includes inter- and
transdisciplinary investigations into clay as a material, and
therapeutic touch; socio-political comment on a rapidly
changing China and a cross-cultural joy in natural forms.
It has been a real pleasure to be part of a team of
course tutors, external visiting lecturers and technical staff
all have played a vital part in supporting the development of
these exciting new bodies of work.
009

Amy Daniels
Drip, splash, drop, pour, flow, pull, crack, tear, peel,
bubble, burst…
Through systematic investigations I have developed this
collection aiming to encourage movement in the firing process.
I am drawn towards a deep exploration of the ceramic process
and the minerals that make up clay and glaze materials. I am
in search of a point of collapse, breaking, tipping, melting,
pouring or exploding; breaking rules and discovering the
limitations of my materials, in search of a transition point
between order and chaos.
The process of continual change, flow and
impermanence have become central to my thinking.
Complexity is a term that is used to describe the transition
zone within any system where multiple parts interact. I want to
capture a dynamic transition extracted from complex rules.
In his book Complexity: The Emerging Science at the
Edge of Order and Chaos, Waldrop states ‘The edge of chaos
is the constantly shifting battle zone between stagnation
and anarchy, the one place where a complex system can be
spontaneous, adaptive and alive’ (Waldrop M 1992: 12).
I am trying to capture a dynamic movement and
tension by exploring a shared interaction between myself,
the materials, and the fundamental forces that govern our
universe.
CERAMICS
010

011

Chen Li
When I first came into contact with ceramics, I quite
liked the different textures of the clay surface, but this texture
is often not reflected in many ceramic works. Coloured clay
gives me the possibility that it not only reflects the texture
of the clay but also has more opportunities in colour.While
continuing to study the coloured clay, and through it to
present my thinking and attitude become the direction I will
explore next.
475999107@qq.com
chen.li17@bathspa.ac.uk
CERAMICS
012

013

Nicola Lidstone
I am a ceramicist and a physiotherapist. I undertook an
MA curious to see if combining both disciplines could create new
ways of knowing.
My approach is that of artistic interpretation of
physiotherapeutic knowledge - bringing scientific experience into
an art experience.
My work aims to investigate how touch as a tool could
generate new approaches to mark making techniques, alongside
new methods for visualising and understanding physiotherapy.
My methods involve performing therapeutic techniques
onto clay formed upon participants’ bodies. Through this I
observe development of my own personal therapeutic somatic
gesture; thinking through drawing, ‘seeing’ with my fingers,
mapping and actualizing components of my approach.
nicolalidstone@gmail.com
nicola.lidstone16@bathspa.ac.uk
CERAMICS
014

Manucaption: visualising therapeutic touch, Nicola Lidstone
015

Yixuan Lu
I was interested in making my own tools to create work,
especially in decoration. After exploring a range of techniques
for producing texture, I made little, bespoke tools for
impressing repeat pattern on porcelain slabs. Each hollow made
by impressing same as the footprints on the ground. ‘Walking
on porcelain’ is my feeling of impressing on the porcelain slabs.
The texture and form of my work inspired by flowers.
@yixuan0v0
yixuan.lu17@bathspa.ac.uk
CERAMICS
016

017

Dr Ben Parry, Course Leader
CURATORIAL
PRACTICE
MA Curatorial Practice combines theory, history and
discussion of current practice with live projects in public
spaces. This year’s graduating students have explored a
wide range of innovative and interdisciplinary curatorial
strategies. Individual projects have ranged from costume
exhibits within National Trust collection displays to group
shows at local galleries such as 44AD. Collaboration,
collective practices and engaging new audiences has played a
key part in experimentation with discursive models including
a series of public events across the city that have begun to
further explore arts relationship to nature, climate change,
ecology and ideas of empathy and connection. This has
involved running a fortnightly art salon in a local pub, a waste
project on the Mediawall at Newton Park and two weeks of
live events around ecology and the natural world at Walcott
Chapel.
Working with other fields beyond art has been
particularly rewarding, collaborations with MA Sound Arts,
Creative Writing, Fashion and Environmental Humanities
and others, has highlighted the relevance and value of
the curatorial to the widest forms of creative practice and
research. Curatorial activism has been a prominent feature
exploring issues of decolonisation, gender, ethics, exclusion
of audiences and identity-based curating. In addition, MACP
curated its first international conference Art in the Age of the
Anthropocene and Ecocide, which explored artistic, curatorial
and cultural responses to urgent environmental and ecological
crises.
019

Alison Jane Hoare
My ongoing research is an inquiry into the curation
of time-based media arts. Recent projects have taken the
form of live sound art performance production, an in-depth
monographic study of the film-maker Charlotte Prodger, and a
look into LUX, an international arts agency that supports and
promotes artists’ moving image practices based in London.
My study at Bath School of Art and Design was
supported by Bath Spa University Enterprise Showcase Fund
which enabled me to take part a residency in France looking at
video and installation art in 2018 and returning in October 2019
for five days of classes and workshops led by Laure Prouvost.
CURATORIAL PRACTICE
ajanefrench.com
@jane_french
hello@ajanefrench.com
alison.hoare17@bathspa.ac.uk
020

021

Rachel Jones
Investigating, challenging and humanizing structures
and systems through curatorial enactments.
CURATORIAL PRACTICE
@rachfjones
rachelfjonesart@gmail.com
022

023

Lucy Pidgeon
My background of history and heritage has influenced
my interests in examining audience participation on a much
deeper level. The role that the curator plays in creating an
experience through their own collection interpretation, and
focusing on how to engage audiences by breaking barriers.
CURATORIAL PRACTICE
lucy.pidgeon14@bathspa.ac.uk
024

025

Judith Rodgers
An interdisciplinary artist and curator whose practice
combines an enjoyment of working with others and bringing
together, bridging and exploring entanglements, materials and
ideas, aiming to engender new perspectives and possibilities.
CURATORIAL PRACTICE
judithrodgers.co.uk
judithrodgers@yahoo.co.uk
026

027

Shubhani Sharma
As a curator, I am particularly interested in
curatorial activism, in curating space that calls for
more audience engagement.
CURATORIAL PRACTICE
shubhani.sharma18@bathspa.ac.uk
028

029

Ellice Thomas-Bishop
Within this Masters I have applied my BA in Costume
Interpretation with Curation, creating an amalgamation of
fashion history, costume construction and the curatorial.
With this, the combination of intricate fashion construction
and historic costume enables the curation of fashion to be
explored and displayed with captivation and understanding.
This concept was realised through a live exhibition within
the National Trust. The history of fashion was explored
through portraits of the family. Five centuries of fashion were
presented with the use of costume interpretations, historic
images, photographs of their archived costume collection and
a video. Within the image is a 1750’s sack-back gown being
photographed for the exhibition.
CURATORIAL PRACTICE
ellice.bishop@outlook.com
030

031

Nick Thomas, Acting Course Leader
FASHION AND
TEXTILES
The MA Fashion and Textiles course at Bath Schools
of Art & Design aims to nurture ambitious and visionary
minds through encouraging the development and extension
of existing knowledge and understanding of textiles, the
embracing of new technologies and craft applications, deep
investigation into materials and process, and the challenging
of ideas and traditions in the pursuance and development of
a uniquely personal practice and identity.
Course graduates are increasingly visible in the sector,
exhibiting at major shows nationally and internationally,
selling designs, products or services to agents, buyers and
retail consumers, working within commercial industries, and
continuing to innovate and move with the times, successfully
making their ways in the world.
Typically, this year’s graduate portfolio presents a
disparate range of thinking and making. Hand and digital
interfaces in knit, weave, print, and embroidery, and the
diverse vocabularies of material, colour, and surface design
and manipulation, have been explored to deliver design,
product and concept outcomes for fashion garment and
accessory, and interiors and public space, each expressing a
unique and sophisticated personal vision.
We wish each individual every success with their
continuing journeys of self-discovery, creativity and
invention.
033

Katie Barrass
Upon completion of her Master Degree, Katie Barrass
will launch a textiles embellishment business, offering design
solutions and freelance services to fashion houses and high
street. Katie has a creative design studio who’s unique style
incorporates couture and commercial embellishment. All
designs begin with hand-rendered drawing and painting.
The aim is always to translate the beautiful artisan feel of
the drawing to the work. Highly skilled in embroidery, print
and laser cutting, together with mixed process. Suitable for
placements, trims and repeats. Multiple design inspirations
from magnificent florals to technical abstracts and geometrics.
The business is an additional element to an existing
business, Katie Barrass Design which specialises in garment
design. Katie consults and collaborates with multi-disciplined
industry partners and is responsible for the entire design
process from concept to delivery, developing inspirational
moodboards, sourcing fabrics, creating tech packs and trims
and liaising with factories.
In 2016 Katie undertook a Master’s degree in Fashion
and Textiles to develop her idea of this additional element to
enhance her existing design business. Whilst studying Katie
developed skills in print, embroidery and laser cutting.
FASHION AND TEXTILES
katiebarrasstextiles.co.uk
@katie_barrass_design
linkedin.com/in/katie-barrass1/
034

035

Millie Clake
Millie Clake is a textile and surface designer with
an affinity for bold motifs. Using screen print she creates
distinctive placement and repeat designs for furnishing fabrics.
Her large scale one off prints are characterised by her unique
hand, expressive use of colour, and a lively atmosphere.
The art of screen-printing is an exciting process due
to its unpredictability, making every print unique. Millie’s
use of screen-printing allows her to achieve a sensitivity and
show her personal hand and passion. Her comprehensive
understanding of the technicalities involved in various
techniques and creating printed textiles has allowed her to
creative efficacious collections. Using various finishes Millie
creates tactile and exciting surfaces, ideal for soft and hard
furnishings. By taking a playful approach to both imagery and
colour, her printed designs celebrate the joy to be found in
oversized pattern.
Millie takes inspiration from a wide range of sources;
she is heavily influenced by her experiences and interactions,
and often works from the history of art and her ever-changing
environment.
FASHION AND TEXTILES
millieclake.com
@millieclake.print
036

037

Anna David
With a background in Landscape Architecture,
Anna’s deep and grounding relationship with nature,
environmental design and place-making guides her creativity.
Throughout the MA Anna has explored practice led research
methodologies and craft skills to refine business opportunities
for her homeware and lifestyle brand; Modern Makers.
Modern Makers comprises a collection of limited
edition homeware products inspired by British landscapes.
Committed to an honest approach, mindful craftsmanship
and timeless design, Modern Makers acknowledges the
benefit landscape brings to well-being and the influence it can
have in the home.
The Masters Project is led by an experiential practice,
underpinned by contextual research and philosophical
theorists such as Paul Rodaway, Frédéric Gros and Yi
Fu Tuan. The theory of place, observational walking,
environmental art therapy and personal reflection inform the
experiential approach.
Previous collections comprise the exploration of
the Norfolk coastline and Forrabury Stitches; a medieval
landscape, near Boscastle, Cornwall. For the final project,
Anna has focused her attention to British Ancient Woodlands,
in particular Hembury Wood, Smallcombe Wood and the New
Forest for the realisation of a new homeware range.
Modern Makers endeavours to work collaboratively to
encourage a conscious and mindful way of living and create
products that will bring joy to the everyday.
FASHION AND TEXTILES
modernmakers.design
@modernmakers
038

039

Emma Fallon
Taking inspiration from clouds and atmospheric
landscape, the work draws upon initial primary research
through photography and drawing to inform developing
textile designs. Mark making, watercolour paintings and
detailed studies of subject matter are explored on paper
before progressing into digital designs. The work celebrates
the unification of old and new through the use of both
traditional craft techniques combined with digital processes.
The hand woven collection draws upon a victorian
technique called ‘shadow tissues’ which involves screen
printing the warp threads before weaving and is a process
which is lost in industry due to being labour intensive and
combining knowledge from both weave and print which are
ordinarily two different subjects that do not cross paths.
A collection of experimental printed warp samples were
created before the final collection of samples and scarves.
Some pieces were screen printed with further layers of
embellishment after weaving.
The jacquard woven collection was hand woven on
a TC2 loom at Fiona J Sperryn’s studio. The samples were
developed from drawings and paintings and then using
photoshop to pixelate the designs so that each pixel is
representative of one thread, the different areas of colour
then represent varieties of structures. The jacquard fabrics
were made into luxury homeware products and Emma
collaborated with furniture maker Jony Pryor and Ebony
Rose Upholstery to create a bespoke, hand crafted bench
and luxury cushions.
FASHION AND TEXTILES
kulutextiles.com
@kulutextiles
040

041

042

Dr Andrea Medjesi-Jones, Course Leader
FINE ART
MA Fine Art is a studio-based programme, with an
accent on contemporary art production and contexts.
The critical nature of the course allows students to immerse
themselves into research and to work on developing and
establishing their own independent visual language and
approach to practice.
We are very proud of our efforts to maintain this
independence, and to see the outcomes of our students’
thinking and working on the course. It is life changing in
some instances, in others life affirming and inspirational.
The standard of students’ outputs and the nature of their
enquires is a reflection on the world we live in.
As a Course Leader, this is my biggest pride – to
experience the variety and the relevance of works produced,
that is visually challenging and contributes towards broader
conversations and traditions of art production.
This year we are particularly proud of the community
and the peer-ship of our students, whose self-motivation,
knowledge and hard work has not only put up an excellent
graduate show, but helped establish life long friendships and
collaborations, which will bear great successes outside the
Bath Schools of Art and Design.
Our thanks and congratulations go to the 2018 MA
Fine Art graduates. We wish them the best of luck in their
future pursuits and art practices.
043

William Barker
AKARAT
Using imagery from diverse surroundings and painting
them, places them in the context of art history, a visible
means of deciphering the symbols and signs embedded in the
mythologies of mass culture today; painted representation
inhabits the space between symbol and icon. This is a
knowing return to representational painting as a means of
showing the multiple truths surrounding an unattainable
absolute truth. Acknowledging, both the static and dynamic
image as well as the passage of time. They become markers
of the ever changing mythology of the culture of their time.
Prophecies, received from the past, about what the spectator
is seeing in front of the canvas at the present moment.
FINE ART
044

045

Zo-I Chen
I’m from Taiwan and most of my works are exploring
the concept of identity. I often used my body as the medium
to perform and record action and experience which I found
relating to the self.
Rather than provide an answer of who I am or who you
are, the works set as the dialogue that constantly interact
between me and the viewers, to present and to talk through
the struggling in identification and the frustration of living:
not belonging but belonging.
zo-i.chen18@bathspa.ac.uk
FINE ART
046

047

Julie Dean
Julie Dean is not an artist. Perhaps I’m a story-teller,
probably an animator, maybe a print-maker. I either have
too many words, or not enough. I’m looking for answers.
Do you have any? I’m trying to find the meaning of life, but
I already know that I’ll never succeed. Occasionally I think I
catch glimpses. I’m fascinated by statistics and humankind.
Profound, prosaic, trivial. Humour is integral, but viewer
beware. I’m a mess, I’m sorted, I’m all over the place. I’m a
contradiction. Walkaway now. Stay. I am not an artist. I am.
juliedeanisnotanartist.com
@jsdean_art
FINE ART
048

049

Jonny Falkus
Jonny Falkus is a painter considering:
• Chaos in systems
• Forces in process
• Organic in artificial
• Complexity in structures
• Distribution in matter
• Difference in intensity
These themes encompass reflections on contemporary
culture, politics, science and technology. They manifest
through both the physical process of making and the resultant
works, which also operate as a cross section through the
history of painting.
jonnyfalkus.com
@jonnyfalkusart
FINE ART
050

051

Lucy Gunningham
In my work I am exploring experiences of space through
moving and negotiating around obstacles. I am interested
in embodiment and movement as a tool of understanding,
how navigating a space can bring an awareness of yourself
and the relationship to your surroundings through an
investigation of moving, thinking, and feeling. I want to invite
people into a space that creates a dialogue between self and
boundaries, the physical space is not important but rather the
psychological spaces we create and perceive.
lucygunningham.wixsite.com/portfolio
@lucyjanegunningham
FINE ART
052

053

Tomoe Higashi
I am a Japanese artist, interested in reflecting the
truths about life, death and the universe in my art.
The painting, Infinity Night, is based on the idea of
death and existence after death. Through painting, I have
found a way of communication my dream image in order
to understand reincarnation more deeply, prompted by the
death of a young friend of mine.
The multiple-coloured layers are based on my
experiences since I was child. They include the joy of life and
fear of death. The written sutras express the feeling of fear
and consolation in the face of death. The stencilled flowing
water pattern is a metaphor for the idea of infinite life. I use
gold to reflect the Japanese classic art of Nihonga which
often uses gold leaf to reach a sacred atmosphere.
A girl’s eyes are open and express that she knows
the truth now she is dead. On the other hand, her mouth is
closed so she is not able to say anything. I insist that humans
can know the truth about the universe at the moment of
death. However, they cannot tell that truth anymore, so
nobody knows it. Nietzsche said ‘There are no facts, only
interpretations’. She is being covered by moss, disassembling,
becoming part of nature. After becoming part of the universe,
her molecules can become something new, probably a human
again.
FINE ART
054

055

Samantha Horn (O’Neil)
Photography is the primary way I am able to create art,
my practice is concerned with ‘truth’ and the ways in which
ideas of collective identity can fragment through the process
of ‘story telling’. In terms of material I seek content concerned
with the ‘mythologies of belonging’, such representations are
to be found within the narratives of our ‘cultural mythologies’,
traditionally illuminated by Christendom and Folklore.
I am concerned with the ‘truths’ that the ‘alchemy’ of
photography and cinematography are able to confess through
their process. The making of photography is set within a
structure of disclosure and concealment, where appearance
and being do not naturally coincide. Costume and its ‘holding’
nature is an important part of my work as it remains gestural
in its transposition towards atmospheres of temporal belief
systems.
My current work Garland, considers ideas of ‘belonging
and boundary’ and in its use of traditional European costume
explores notions about identity as being geographic and bound
to a period in time. Any genesis of ‘belonging’ is born out of
the desire to ‘hold’ something, illustrative of that which could
be discarded. My use of analogue film, costume and a camera
obscura aims to examine ways in which we seek to collectively
‘hold’ ourselves and in doing so asks “What ‘magic’ does logic
disrupt?”.
As identified by historical philosopher Louis Mink
‘Stories are not lived, but told’.
samanthahorn@btinternet.com
FINE ART
056

Borderlands, Samantha Horn
057

Anna Kot
While focusing on the compositional aspects of abstract
painting, I wish to evoke a sense of the wider context of
communication; not only inviting the viewer to engage with
the visual syntax but also to be aware of the expressive and
personalised nuances that contribute to the overall effect
and impact of what is expressed and how it’s received.
Enjoying the richness of variation and ambiguity involved in
communication, I want to interact and not merely present.
Therefore, while exploring the formal elements of colour, line,
form and angle, I am conscious too of the different resonance
the quality of each mark can bring, or the varying tonal
contrast and clarity of stroke and type of border between
shapes.
A painting sits between the maker and the receiver
and while being the vehicle for me to express ideas for you,
the recipient to consider, I want to leave room to suggest the
possibilities of what might lie behind. I incorporate evidence
of the maker in my works and leave traces of past thoughts
and maybe errors of judgement. An idea of the interface
between me and what I present, between the emotion within
and the more measured bearing in the social world. An idea of
the Transitional Space where I negotiate what to present to the
world, and how, and what to keep hidden.
annakot.co.uk
anna@annakot.co.uk
FINE ART
058

059

Helen McCormick
Utilising manmade materials, I am investigating
space, light, line and interaction. I am a maker at heart,
yet also enjoy appropriating readymade materials, both
bought and recycled.
My intention is to encourage the viewer to engage
with my compositions and consider the potential beauty,
in the unconventional.
FINE ART
060

061

Vicky McKay
I’m an interdisciplinary artist and an unreliable
narrator. I’m interested in hauntings and work with what I
remember, what I can see and what I’m told.
I mediate stories with painting, drawing, writing, and
recording. I’m especially interested in syncope, breaks in
narrative, and what becomes brittle whilst we’re working.
vickymckay.com
@ vickymckay_
FINE ART
062

063

Kelly O’Brien
The backdrop for my research has been the precarious
aspects of contemporary existence, with a focus on my
experience as an American living in the UK during a
tumultuous era for both countries.
My practice explores themes of power/powerlessness,
precariousness, resilience, and hope. I am interested in how
these dynamics are expressed through materials that I choose
specifically for their fragility and propensity to fail. I pair
minimalist strategies with organic expressive materials to
explore human issues. Much of my work plays with dynamics
of balance, tension, and agency while suggesting danger,
protection, and trust.
Through trial and error, I amass seemingly delicate
materials until they acquire collective strength. Sorting out the
inevitable falling apart of these experiments teaches me about
their resilience. I negotiate a delicate, sometimes uneasy
agreement with the materials, testing their abilities to rise to
the task at hand.
kellyobrien.art
@kellyobrienart
FINE ART
064

065

Thomas Tomasska
Always with an eye on ideas relating to the world around
us and its ethereal connections to the environment I inhabit,
my work has recently seen a surge in development as I
embrace contemporary technological aspects of photography.
I am interested in capturing the collective elements and
essential qualities we have to a time within a place, and in the
discovery of new visual territory (in relation to the landscape)
derived from rapid recording processes, which eliminate
to a minimum the diluting properties of unspontaneous
intervention. This allows perhaps more than just a simple
visual connection with the subject matter.
Directly photographing the environment/landscape with
my phone, the phone becomes a fluid gatherer of information,
a hi-tech extension to my creative palette, here technology
becomes very much a part of the connection.
FINE ART
066

067

Kaitlin Trowbridge
Kaitlin is a British Hong Kong Artist. Kaitlin previously
completed an MFA in Creative Writing from Hong Kong
University. She also studied Mandarin at The Chinese
University of Hong Kong.
Kaitlin works in the medium of art installation featuring
film, immersive theatre, and virtual reality. Her work combines
the textual with the visual. She has created a world based on
a fictional city created in her earlier film work, named Isca,
which features elements of Chinese, Japanese and Roman
culture. Her work attempts to create a place that reflects a
‘Paradise Lost’ or utopian world.
trowbridgekaitlin@gmail.com
FINE ART
068

069

Nicola Turner
In my art practice I am investigating mortality, vitality,
eroticism, mass and fusion. I am exploring the interconnection
of life and death, human and non-human, attraction and
repulsion. I combine found objects that hold traces of memory,
materials from organic ‘dead’ matter (e.g. horsehair) and the
shapes of human form. I am exploring the interconnection
of humans to objects and each other and the awareness of
death, as a way of affirming life forces, amidst confusion and
the unsettled. I have found resonance in the concept of the
abject, which I see as being about the capacity of the world
to disorient and connect to primal instinct. My research has
led me to experience an abattoir, a cadaver course and a
personal ritual burial. What interests me is the dissolution of
boundaries and looking at the in-betweeness of things. I draw
reference from the writings of Jane Bennett, Judith Butler,
Donna Harraway, Julia Kristeva and Slavoj Žižek and research
exploring how humans are ecosystems that exchange and
overlap with other ecosystems, not bounded by skin or death.
nicolaturner.art
@nicolaturner.art
FINE ART
070

071

Esther Tyler-Ward
Working mainly through drawing, writing, performance
and video, my interdisciplinary art practice places practiceas-research
at its heart, though as an experienced secondary
school teacher, this stares uncomfortably in the face of
a knowledge-based, progress centred state education
curriculum.
My work explores how the body can mediate this
encounter, creating a space that is often between thinking,
drawing, digital and performance processes. I move between
ideas, responding to current environments and experiences,
but always creating art from a feminist perspective with a
critical awareness of our ‘post-internet’, hyper-productive,
‘self-betterment’ culture.
@etw_evenmoreart
FINE ART
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Shadrokh Vahabzadeh
Born and raised in Tehran, Iran, currently based in
Bristol, UK. Shadrokh is continually using her intuitive sensibility
towards materials, alongside her rich heritage to explore
complex topics such as homeland, dislocation and identity.
She constructs her work using characteristic materials,
which have sentimental value to her and combines with other
material until the new form takes over and takes on a life of its
own.
The materials she uses are predominantly Persian carpet,
Persian Klim, copper, soil from her country of birth Tehran, Iran
and soil from her current home Bristol. By using soil from her
two homes she believes she breaks the boundaries between
two places and depicts a unity with a boundless harmony.
@shadivezvaei
FINE ART
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Dr Andrew Southall, Course Leader
VISUAL
COMMUNICATION
The Masters in Visual Communication is a practical
course for graphic designers, photographers and illustrators,
working alongside one another and also in collaboration to
produce diverse visual design. Our students are bright, open
minded and enthusiastic individuals and they often have a
wide range of experience in more than one specialism.
MAVC students develop a visual, critical & professional
context for their practice through each of their projects,
selecting a final Masters Project that reflects the skills and
particular interests they have developed in their time with
us. The course encourages students to integrate aesthetics
with legibility, encouraging individuals to consider how their
work might be read in differing locations by a wide ranger of
audiences. Our students gain from each other by sharing views
and international experience, broadening the context on which
they base their practice and refining the detail within it.
This year’s students have developed very individual
approaches to their final projects, that clearly reflect their
varied interests, backgrounds and nationalities. In the final
show you will find projects that are innovative, elegant and
distinctive.
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Grazia Campanella
Grazia is a multidisciplinary graphic designer currently
based in Bristol. Her work is primarily focused on branding,
editorial projects and typography.
During her Masters course, Grazia explored the
relationship between type design and local culture, embracing
the concept of ‘Genius Loci’, intended as the conjunction of
nature, culture and people distinct to a particular place.
For her degree project Grazia has designed Genius
Loci, a sans serif incised font aimed to inform how typography
can speak through properties of shape and form, revealing a
sense of belonging to the homeland and reflecting a particular
atmosphere. The project includes the design of four specimen
books and three posters aimed at showing the font in distinct
size and settings.
VISUAL COMMUNICATION
behance.net/grajoy
grajoy13@gmail.com
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Chaohan Jin
My design practice focuses on bookmaking and posters
designs. I enjoy using elements of my Chinese culture.
VISUAL COMMUNICATION
chaohan.jin17@bathspa.ac.uk
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Andrew Jones
For as long as I can recall, I have felt an affinity to
outdoor environments and the natural world. As a child, I
spent hours playing on boats, venturing onto local lakes and
the seas around the coastline of Britain, experiencing first
hand the ever-changing forces of nature and their impacts on
the seascape.
More recently, I have ventured further afield, becoming
entranced by mountain landscapes, their beauty, grandeur
and power, the way humanity interacts with them and how
they evolve over time. In the mountains, I feel an emotional
connection to the landscape, and a sense of heath, wellbeing
and awareness. I am increasingly struck by our impacts on
these environments, and the complex balance of benefits and
problems associated with our interactions.
As a photographer I have an interest across all genres
of photography, although my personal experiences result in a
particular focus on the outdoors and mountains. My goal is to
capture the essence of these places and I try to create images
that transport the viewer there on both an intimate and grand
scale, bringing to life both their beauty and telling the stories
within the landscape in a reflective and thought provoking
way.
During my MA, I have become increasingly interested
in the use of video alongside photographs, and the way that
these can interact to help convey a narrative, exploring this
through a number of evolving projects. I plan to utilise these
interests and skills in developing my MA show project.
VISUAL COMMUNICATION
worrallphotography.co.uk
@worrall_photography
worrallphotography@icloud.com
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David Norfolk
I am David Norfolk ARPS, and I first became interested
in photography around 1978, when I joined a camera club
in Australia. I am interested in fine art and semi-abstract
photography – in (as Klee might put it) ‘making the invisible
visible’. I want to call attention to those aspects of the real
world that people have looked at but not really ‘seen’ - my
favourite comment on my photos is something like ‘I’ve
walked past here many times and I never saw that before’.
I originally worked in the colour darkroom and learned
how to ‘develop’ images well before I met Photoshop: I see a
RAW image as a digital negative, for further development to
highlight what was in front of my lens.
As well as conventional photography, I photograph with
macro equipment and microscopes. I also use a camera with
its sensor modified to see infra-red, as well as visible, light.
I am studying the MA Visual Communications at Bath
Spa University, in order to expand my photographic horizons.
VISUAL COMMUNICATION
photographyatdavidrhysenterprisesltd.zenfolio.com
flickr.com/people/dnorfolk/
youpic.com/photographer/DavidNorfolk
facebook.com/DavidNorfolkPhotography
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Simon Taylor
My current work explores our relationship with nature
and how it can positively impact on our mental wellbeing.
The modern world is full of distractions that can remove us
from being in the present, which also significantly affect our
health, both physically and mentally. It is easy for us all to
become enclosed in micro-worlds, narrowing our awareness
on the self. However, if we can find a place and space of
stillness and contemplation, we can then allow ourselves the
opportunity to find perspective. This can be a solitary act or
a shared experience with anyone who is in the same state of
being.
The aim of my current project is to create a body
of work, that evokes a valued awareness of the natural
world, as a place and environment, for personal and
connected being. The work will, at the same time remind us
of our responsibility to look after and respect the, natural
environment.
VISUAL COMMUNICATION
simontaylorvisualartist.co.uk
@simontaylorimages
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Po-Cheng Yan
I’m a creative who explores various mediums. From
visual design, video, to ambient musical compositions, my
work is based on addressing experiences from transglobal
issues of culture and self-identity.
I originally graduated from Applied English before
coming to Bath Spa University. MA Visual Communication has
given me a better chance to explore myself and my own life.
This reflects in my work regarding individuality and personal
development.
My new work is not only a journey through selfexploring,
the struggle between id, ego, and superego,
visualizing the process, but also a challenge for myself on my
various abilities.
VISUAL COMMUNICATION
bobyen.weebly.com
bobyenkh@gmail.com
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CREDITS

CERAMICS STUDENTS
Amy Daniels, Chen Li, Nicola Lidstone, Yixuan Lu
CURATORIAL PRACTICE STUDENTS
Thuy Bui, Alison Jane Hoare, Rachel Jones, Lucy Pidgeon,
Judith Rogers, Shubhani Sharma, Ellice Thomas-Bishop
FASHION AND TEXTILES STUDENTS
Katie Barrass, Millie Clake, Anna David, Emma Fallon, Alexia
James, Zena Martin
FINE ART STUDENTS
William Baker, Zo-I Chen, Julie Dean, Jonny Falkus, Lucy
Gunningham, Tomoe Higashi, Samantha Horn (O’Neil), Anna
Kot, Helen McCormick, Vicky McKay, Kelly O’Brien, Thomas
Tomasska, Kaitlin Trowbridge, Nicola Turner, Esther Tyler-
Ward, Shadrokh Vahabzadeh
VISUAL COMMUNICATION STUDENTS
Grazia Campanella, Chaohan Jin, Andrew Jones, David
Norfolk, Simon Taylor, Po-Cheng Yan
SHOW IDENTITY CONCEPT / CATALOGUE DESIGN
Grazia Campanella
Simon Taylor
EXHIBITION CATALOGUE
Sponsored by Herman Miller
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The new Bath Schools of Art and Design campus
Herman Miller
in Bath
Our goal is to make a contribution to the landscape of
aesthetic and human value.
LOCKSBROOK CAMPUS
The first Herman Miller factory in Bath was located across the
river from the Locksbrook Road site, in what is now Lidl. It
did not take long before the company outgrew the site and the
search for a new building and design began. Max De Pree (son
of Herman Miller founder D.J. De Pree) found the answer in
a kindred spirit, architect Nicholas Grimshaw, this led to the
Locksbrook building design that opened in 1976.
The building was called ‘WoodMill’ and mainly
focused on creating items from wood such as desktops and
specifically, Action Office panels, which was a revolutionary
product from its launch. Gradually the company grew and
new buildings were added in Chippenham. In 2015 a new
factory and offices were opened in Melksham, which was
also designed by Grimshaw. The latter brought all of Herman
Miller’s operations for Europe, Middle East and Africa under
one roof, leading to the eventual closure of the Locksbrook
and Chippenham sites.
Herman Miller’s design philosophy can be summed up
in their mission statement ‘Inspiring designs to help people
do great things’. This is something that is considered in all
Herman Miller product designs and developments. It is also at
the centre to all of their external design collaborations.
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The Herman Miller ethos is to be people-focused; this
was something that the De Pree family felt strongly about.
Nicholas Grimshaw was chosen as the Locksbrook architect
as he understood this principle and created an architectural
design space that was ‘human-centred’. This company concept
towards design continues to this day.
Whatever we do must be constructively involved with the
neighbourhood and civic community.
Sir Nicholas Grimshaw CBE, PRA, RIBA, AIA, thinking back
to the Bath Brief, decided to write a new chapter in the
architecture of a 109-year-old design company.
LOCKSBROOK CAMPUS
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LOCKSBROOK CAMPUS
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It is Herman Millers goal to create an environment that:
• Encourages an open community and fortuitous encounter.
• Welcomes all.
• Is kind to the user.
• Changes with grace.
• Is person-scaled.
• Is subservient to human activity.
• Forgives mistakes in planning.
• Enables this community (in the sense that an environment can) to
continually reach towards its potential.
• Is a contribution to the landscape as an aesthetic and human value.
• Meets the needs we can perceive.
• Is open to surprise.
• Is comfortable with conflict.
• Has flexibility, is non-precious and non-monumental.
In our planning we should know that:
• Our needs will change.
• The scale of the operation will change.
• Things about us will change.
• We will change.
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