Earlier this term FdA Graphic Design and FdA Illustration students were set a live project to submit mural proposals for the college’s pop-up cafe. Students spent time developing designs with tutors, and then pitched their ideas to a panel of judges. After careful consideration, the abstract and graphical work of student ‘Kyulx’ was selected and will be applied to the cafe walls next term.
At the start of this project, tutors Angela Hogg and Matthew Hawkins presented students with a brief and wall plans of the cafe space. Students were requested to design a mural that reflected an element of Camberwell’s past and future as a leading art school. The brief also outlined that the selected design would be awarded £500, plus an extra £150 to cover material costs.
Murals require careful planning and consideration, and for many students this was their first experience creating designs on such a large scale. Once initial ideas were drawn up, students met with tutors on a weekly basis to develop their ideas. Each pitch needed to include a budget for materials, a clear idea of method, and details of any practical difficulties that were likely to be encountered.
Students then presented their designs to a panel of college staff including Nick Gorse (Dean), Amanda Jenkins (Associate Dean), Agne Burneikaite (University of the Arts London, Retail Buyer), Rachel East (College Shop Area Manager) and Matthew Hawkins (FdA Illustration Tutor). After discussing both aesthetics and practical applications, ‘Kyulx’s’ design was chosen by the panel. Nick Gorse commented:
“The design that Kyle has produced is ambitious, with a clean designed aesthetic. The strong use of colour and abstract shape that follows a visual narrative is something that stood out to me within the design.”
‘Kyulx’ will now spend time working with tutors and catering staff to continue to develop his design and apply the mural next term. Speaking of his design he said:
“I wanted to create a mural that would be interesting to view, something that would not get repetitive each time you saw it. I stuck to brief requirements but adopted a more abstract approach. This wall mural allows the audience to naturally follow the timeline, which is represented by colour and shape.”
Related links:
www.arts.ac.uk/camberwell/courses/undergraduate/fda-graphic-design/
www.arts.ac.uk/camberwell/courses/undergraduate/fda-illustration/