Kingston University students showcase their art and design talents

Posted Friday 3 June 2011

Vogue magazine covers recreated in cross stitch by Inge Jacobsen. Kingston University's Knights Park campus is set to become a hive of activity as it opens its doors to the public as undergraduate artists, designers and architects unveil the fruits of three years' work at the University.

The degree show, which this year runs from June 5 -10, traditionally generates a wide range of projects encompassing fine art, photography, film-making, fashion, illustration and animation, graphic, interior, product and furniture design and architecture and landscape.

One of the displays expected to attract significant attention is work produced by architecture students, who have been working with Design for London on its High Street: London project - and come up with their own take on our capital city. They have identified some of the defining qualities of London's high streets and found ways they could be developed to the benefit of local communities - including conjuring up the idea of a new shopping palazzo in Peckham. Look out as well for some tiny treasures - cardboard models of street furniture shrunk down to just one twenty-fifth of their normal size.

Kingston's architecture students have created miniature street furniture. "Kingston is unusual in that all students studying architecture at undergraduate and postgraduate level are given the opportunity to contribute work to the end of year show," Head of the School of Architecture and Landscape Daniel Rosbottom said. "It means students from all levels get to talk to each other and allows them to contribute to ongoing discussions about the future of our city."

Sticking with the London theme, Jon Warren has come up with an idea to help visitors navigate their way around the city - directions on manhole covers. "Each cover has five spokes, each pointing towards the nearest tube station, or other landmark, in that particular direction," the product and furniture design student explained. He hopes the idea could even find favour with Mayor Boris Johnson who recently called on councils to get rid of signs "that ravage our streets".

Inge Jacobsen is exhibiting three reproduced Vogue magazine covers, which she has painstakingly cross-stitched. Each tapestry has taken about 50 hours to complete. "I've taken something that is mass-produced and turned it into something that is unique and individual," Inge said.

Jon Warren has designed manhole covers which give directions to nearby tube stations. Visitors will also get a chance to see what is possibly the world's first wall-mounted computer printer, a new take on the humble vacuum cleaner and a radio station that's been operating out of a garden shed for the past three years.

"Our students are producing challenging and remarkable work," the Dean of the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture Dr Simon Ofield-Kerr said. "The next generation of creative practitioners is working towards a better world tomorrow - more stimulating, more effective and much more fun."

The degree show is open from Tuesday 7th June to Thursday 9th June, 1pm - 7pm, and on Friday 10th June, 10am - 5pm at Kingston University's Knights Park campus, Grange Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 2QJ.

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