Museum exhibitions

Exploring and critically engaging with the Museum’s collections

Surface/Process/Outcome:
5 December 2025 – 3 February 2026

“What do we notice if we look closely at the surface of a 16th century writing manual? Or if we examine a 1960s wallpaper sample under a microscope?”

Over 4 weeks, BA Graphic Communication Design Print Production students examined a selection of objects from the Museum & Study Collection and produced visual responses through drawing and printmaking. This exhibition gathers work from all stages of this collective enquiry, emphasising work-in-progress, open-ended discussion and collaboration.

The 6 chosen objects comprise an extensive variety of print processes, time periods, geographic locations and contexts. Yet regardless of their function – as magazine, home furnishing or artwork – their surfaces offer traces of their history.

Students responded to these complex surfaces with observational drawing, interrogating what could be seen with the eye or Dino-Lite microscope. These initial compositions informed the production of collagraph plates, which were printed over subsequent weeks using different techniques: relief prints were taken from the plate’s surface, and intaglio prints were taken from the incised lines and sunken areas below the plate’s surface.