The Royal Academy hosts one of London’s most prestigious art colleges and their students benefit from the ability to display their work in the Burlington Gardens galleries in this free exhibition. It’s only the post-graduate students on display and it’s at the halfway point in their studies.
As these are student works and not even the final products of their study, it’s unfair to be highly critical of any particular artist but my views are definitely a mixed bag. There are some works that feel derivative and uninspired but there are also pieces that show real potential and these are the artists I’ve chosen to focus on.
There is a risk with using lenticular prints that the work may appear gimmicky or cheap but Sofie Alsbo has struck the right approach and has created something subtle that lends itself well to this medium.
Josie Cockram takes fabric and introduces dynamism and texture through a video work. It’s a piece that has instant visual appeal yet is also sufficiently nuanced to hold the viewer’s attention throughout.
Henry Coleman has created a large structure that resembles an outer wall of building, thus generating anticipation as to what could be on the other side, yet rounding the corner reveals nothing. The anti-climactic nature of this work also injects a sense of humour into this installation.
No one artist truly stood out for me but these three artists, out of the 17 on display, have shown a lot of potential and it will be interesting to revisit the works of these artists at the end of their course.
Premiums: Interim Projects is on at Royal Academy until 19 March. Entrance is free.
