The Illustration Animation course at Kingston University has an enviable reputation for producing some of the best practitioners in their subject areas. The course combines two essentially narrative subjects to make a diverse, exciting and demanding studio based experience. Illustration is prominent in many current forms of communication media, from advertising and design, newspaper and magazine editorials, through to children’s publishing and graphic narratives.
This year, two Kingston films have been nominated for best animation at the RTS Student Television Awards. The shortlisted films are Emma Ehrling’s ‘Mint’ and Markus and Tommy Vad Flaatens’ ‘Bluebarry’, both graduate films from the class of 2015.
The winners will be announced on Tuesday 9 February. Good luck to Emma, Markus and Tommy!
Second Year animation student Katy Wang, has been awarded Best Experimental Animation at Tofuzi Festival in Georgia, and Best Abstract Experimental Animation at Tindirindis Festival in Lithuania, for her film ‘Mind the Gap’.
The film, made whilst Katy was just in her first year at Kingston, has also been screened at a host of other international animation festivals.
‘Mind the Gap’ portrays the sights, sounds, and movement of the London Underground, inspired by its iconic seat patterns.
This Christmas, The Old Vic Theatre is “speaking for the trees” as they put on their first ever production of the Lorax on stage. In line with the environmental themes of Dr Seuss’s The Lorax, the Old Vic invited a team of BA Illustration Animation students from Kingston University to design an ‘alternative’ Christmas tree. In the words of the designers, The Knitted Tree illustrates the morality of deforestation, reflects that which we take for granted, and represents the space which is left behind when a tree is chopped down – thereby reflecting the morals of The Lorax himself.
Kate Varah, CEO of the Old Vic is very thankful for the incredible work that Kingston students did on their ‘alternative Christmas tree’ brief. She says, ‘it was inspired as an idea and all of those designs that came back to us could have been used. As it was, the ‘tree’ eventually selected is now in pride of place in our foyer and looks spectacular. We couldn’t be more thrilled with both the way that this came about, and the design itself.’
Over 100 students put forward 26 proposals, and 3 ideas were shortlisted. The winning design students were Laura Brown, Martha Halliday and Denisa Costing, all level 5 students. The staff who organised this were Mark Harris, Rebecca Davies and Nat Wyle.
The Knitted Tree consists of over 250 strands of wool suspended to create a negative shape of a tree. It took three weeks to make, many late nights, lots of helpers from Illustration Animation and Foundation students and lots of problem solving.
It will be seen by over 30,000 people who will see the Lorax this Xmas.
Find out more about BA Illustration Animation at Kingston University.
This weekend Second Year Illustration are part of the Handmade Art Market at Mick’s Garage, Hackney. Go and take a look!
Weapon of Reason is Human After All’s 4 year publishing project, a magazine that hopes to tackle the tougher questions. Their second issue features illustrations by Kingston Graduate Eve Lloyd Knight for the article Metropolis Now which also features in the article by Its Nice That on the magazine.
You can read the article here.
Degree Art named Kingston Graduate Sophie O’Connor as an artist to watch this month. Here’s what they had to say about her work,
“Sophia O’Connor’s close observations of people and place infuse her artistic practise with detailed insights. O’Connor’s dynamic use of colour, line and composition creates a strong sense of atmosphere and narrative in her imagery in a recent series of prints she create while travelling in South East Asia. ”
New book Trauma is Really Strange written by Steve Hains has been beautifully illustrated by our very own Kingston Graduate Sophie Standing.
What is trauma? How does it change the way our brains work? And how can we overcome it? When something traumatic happens to us, we dissociate and our bodies shut down their normal processes. This unique comic explains the strange nature of trauma and how it confuses the brain and affects the body. With wonderful artwork, cat and mouse metaphors, essential scientific facts, and a healthy dose of wit, the narrator reveals how trauma resolution involves changing the body’s physiology and describes techniques that can achieve this, including Trauma Releasing Exercises that allow the body to shake away tension, safely releasing deep muscular patterns of stress and trauma.
The book is available for pre order from all major book retailers and out at the end of November.
Kingston Graduate Assa Ariyoshi’s latest work for Money Matters magazine about mobile payments and selfies.
Have a look…
Jez Pennington and Matt King, both ex Kingston students, created these idents for the most recent Bar Shorts on the theme of Haha. The 5th ident was made with the help from a number of 3rd year Kingston Animation students.
Jez Pennington
