S1 Bursary Holders: 2011

03 Sep –
10 Sep

Press release

To mark the completion of the S1 Studio Bursary Programme 2011, S1 Artspace is pleased to announce S1 INTRODUCES, a week long exhibition presenting new work by four recent BA Fine Art graduates from Sheffield Hallam University: Natalie Finnemore, Darren Johnson, David McLeavy and Sara Pinfold. The exhibition includes drawing, sculpture, photography and installation.

The four students were selected to take part in S1 Artspace’s professional development scheme earlier this year and have been involved in a number of mentoring sessions and group crits with S1 Artspace studio-holders and associated artists including Simon Bill, James Clarkson & Haroon Mirza.

The S1 Studio Bursary Programme is specifically aimed at supporting graduating Fine Art students at Sheffield Hallam University by providing a valuable opportunity for younger artists to experience and benefit from working in a professional artist studio complex during the later stages of their fine art programme and into the preliminary stages of professional practice.

Natalie Finnemore creates abstract sculptural installations which illustrate her interest in creating architectural interventions. These often draw influence from the structural conventions and nuances of a space, line, colour and composition. The work develops through Natalie’s use of photography and printmaking as an investigative tool in which to construe and consider her environment. Such studies seem to mature and flow seamlessly into the creation of sculptural forms.

Through his paintings Darren Johnson develops abstract images through a system of predetermined rules and methodologies that explore and restrict the levels of artistic control adopted for creating his paintings. Utilising techniques such as cross-hatching and compositional interplay Darren’s paintings fluctuate through slight variants of his systematic technique. This rigorous process combined with a methodical approach creates formal compositions of geometry and colour and delicacy. The beauty in this work lies in the unpredictability of human error – tiny faults and slight spillages of watercolour make the works – which at first appear flawless and mechanical – possess a more human touch.

Sara Pinfold creates sculptures through formal arrangements of domestic and kitsch objects. Her aim is to deconstruct ideas about the function of an object, attempting to re-appropriate an objects capabilities and inherent purpose. Often using soft fabrics and familiar day-to-day objects, Sara’s work evokes a sense of surreal domestic familiarity.

David McLeavy’s sculptural installations are a product of his on-going arrangement of selected sculptural objects and ‘artefacts.’ Each arrangement is carefully considered within its context, redefining the work’s narrative in each specific location. Through the integration of cast objects within his installations, David’s work makes reference to historical practices, examining the way we view and encounter spaces and their apparent visual boundaries.

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