Three months into her course, we asked Graduate Diploma in Fine Art student Sarah Porter to describe us how she is getting on.
Describe you experience at Chelsea in 3 words.
Intense, satisfying, unrivalled.
What do you enjoy most about studying at Chelsea?
Having a proper break from work to really get into an academic and creative headspace has been incredibly useful.
I had so many ideas before coming to Chelsea, but no time to actually action them, so it’s been great to be given the time and facilities to do that. The workshops and technicians are fantastic too – they’re all super helpful and really friendly.
Where do you live at the moment and what do you enjoy most about being in London?
I grew up in London, moving West to East over the years. The east definitely has a different vibe – more vibrant, artistic and with a greater cultural mix which I really enjoy. Nowhere else in London can you walk down the street to find a mahogany table discarded ready to be up-cycled into a new piece of art! Plus the Pho and kebabs aren’t bad either.
My favourite thing about London though, has to be the number of galleries and its great being back in Chelsea to explore some of the places I’d forgotten existed over the years – Kennington and Lambeth in particular are really changing with new galleries popping up all the time.
Image courtesy of the artist Sarah Porter
What has been your greatest challenge so far on the course and how have you overcome it?
With cross-working amongst the years hugely encouraged and supported by students and tutors alike, the amount of information you can take in from access to all the BA and MA Lectures can be really overwhelming.
Allowing time to make in the studio and workshops by narrowing down my interests, and learning what to say yes and no to, has to be one of the greatest challenges.
What have been your greatest achievements during your time at Chelsea?
We’re only in week seven of the course so we’ve not had the opportunity to exhibit yet (we’re still busy creating in the workshops and studio) but I’m hoping to apply for a couple commissions at Hitachi and Frontier Economics in the New Year and we have a show coming up in February at the Cookhouse – one of Chelsea’s many exhibition spaces, so watch this space!
‘Through the looking glass’ by Sarah Porter
What do you see yourself doing after you graduate?
I hope to practice full-time next year, taking up residencies and putting on shows, with the intention to apply for an MA after I’ve gained some more experience outside the art school environment.
I want to enjoy this year and get the most from the course so I don’t want too much pressure on myself – we’ll see what happens at the end of this year!
What would you say to someone who is thinking about doing your course?
It’s a great opportunity to get a really condensed and broad education in Fine Art practice and theory. And with such a range of backgrounds, everyone brings something different to group discussions.
If you missed the opportunity to study Fine Art for your first degree and you don’t feel confident applying to an MA, the Graduate Diploma is a great course which allows you to catch up with your peers through lectures, seminars and studio practice. Just make sure that as well as attending the lectures you make the best use of the amazing workshop facilities at Chelsea.
Image courtesy of the artist Sarah Porter
Follow Sarah’s work on her website, twitter and Instagram account.
Find out more about the Graduate Diploma in Fine Art course.