Investigating materiality: BA Fine Art: Sculpture graduate Ross Pole

Our #CamberwellClassof2021 graduating students have been busy preparing for the UAL Graduate Showcase which launched on 30 June 2021.

Ross Pole, a BA Fine Art: Sculpture graduate, feels that the circumstances of making work in lockdown has resulted in a more refined practice. He has found the process of autonomous making compelling, increasing his passion and drive.

Ross told us more about his Showcase submission titled Tracks, in which he investigates the notions of materiality, analysing synthetic manufactured objects through a series if ephemeral sculptures.

Please tell about your UAL graduate showcase submission:

My submission is a large set tracks imitating are conveyer-belt system. Placed on the tracks are a number of square trays which then have my small-scale sculptures sitting on top. The track starts with the work exiting an oven like structure, the tracks bend round in a looping fashion culminating in a container filled with packaging peanuts which houses remnants of ‘failed’ extra small sculptures of details not used in the work directly.

In the small-scale sculptures there is a range of over 30 different materials used, so I categorise them as mixed media. The large track system is made entirely of polystyrene, the small trays are also made of polystyrene. The floor piece is made up of upholstery foam, styrofoam, MDF and aerosol paint.

I felt a drive from my earlier series snacks (in which Ross created a series of small abstract sculptures producing 1 a day for 30 days). I wanted to continue trying to highlight the autonomous and highly personal relationship I have with materials.

The work Tracks explores the value of synthetic manufactured materials which I use to examine my own materiality within our society. My work not only examines value on a material basis but furthermore scrutinises our capacity for consumption. Inspirations for the project were to highlight a more exciting and fun way of creating and presenting art, the piece may seem bizarre at first, but I feel it retains a certain indulgent charm and absurdity.

Did you overcome any challenges during the process?

One aspect of this project which I feel was a major learning curve was the

amount of planning which went into the project. To give myself the most accurate representation of what the work would look like and feel like visually, I created 3D modelled drawings, using the rendering tool on Blender.

This also gave me help when deciding what type of material would be most appropriate to achieve certain requirements within the work. When I came to a problem or query, consulting tutors and technicians really helped me to overcome these problems. This, partnered with my own knowledge of materials, provided me with a balanced range of options when creating the work.

View Ross work on the UAL Graduate Showcase

Find out more about BA Fine Art: Sculpture