OCA BA (Hons) Photography final year show in partnership with AOP
Open College of the Arts
Final Year Show 2020. 20 July to 7 September 2020
We are proud to announce the launch today of our OCA BA (Hons) Photography final year show in partnership with Association of Photographers (AOP). Ten of our final year OCA BA (Hons) Photography students are exhibiting online 20 July to 7 September inclusive. This gives welcome additional exposure to students for whom options for physical exhibiting may well have been restricted through no fault of their own. Exhibiting students are:
Hazel Bingham
Melanie Black
Bryn Davies
Sarah Deane
Sarah Gallear
Anna Goodchild
Karen Gregory
Philip Sliney
Rob Townsend
Selina Wallace
Congratulations to all the exhibiting students and to the tutors who helped support this work in development. As the only fully distance learning and open-access Photography degree in the UK, we’re proud that these final year students are getting international exposure via this online show.
The cover image for the show is by Selina Wallace, Perfectly Imperfect (Lasso), selected by Programme Leaders Gina Lundy and Dan Robinson for its intrigue and impact. In her artist statement for her Perfectly Imperfect series (2018-2020), Selina Wallace writes, ‘Domestic implements connote housework, and in turn; women’s work. Subverting the viewer’s expectations via the use of performance and humour are critical elements of Perfectly Imperfect. When I am at a geographical distance from my home and domestic responsibilities, I am creatively inspired by the natural world. The detritus of abandoned household objects discovered on suburban footpaths drives me to make images outside of accepted norms. Travelling to remote parts of Australia, I do not need the domestic items I carry, but they are a reminder of the societal expectations that weigh me down.’
The rest of the Perfectly Imperfect series can be viewed at Selina Wallace website.
We’re also excited that this BA Photography online show also coincides with our AoP Student Award finalists gallery, including work by Anna Goodchild, Stefanie Gadow, Kinga Owczennikow and Elizabeth Woodger. Elizabeth actually won Gold in the ‘Places’ category for her moving image work Diagenesis. Watch the piece here.
Myself and a number of tutors attended the AoP launch event and tutor Clive White summed it up very nicely, “it was a fantastic affirmation of the quality of Elizabeth’s work and that of all our finalists, measured against photography students across the whole country. As was pointed out these are long time established awards, run by an institution with a more than fifty year history of actively representing the interests of professional photographers in the UK and as such have great credibility.
Elizabeth made a great acceptance speech and commented,
“I need to thank everyone at the OCA as well. I would never even have entered the awards if not for the support and encouragement that I’ve received from the OCA over the years.”
Part of her prize is a portfolio review with Awards Judge, galleries, curator and writer Laura Noble— @lauraannnoble —to take place soon.
Follow @BAPhotoOCA on twitter
Related news and links:
- Earlier WeAreOCA post for a wider round up of recent Photography successes
- Student Story by Philip Sliney about a BA Photography Source Magazine feature (special thanks also to Philip for coordinating the AoP final year show)
- All OCA Photography and Moving Image students can get free student membership of AOP, read more here https://www.oca.ac.uk/weareoca/photography/why-enter-awards/ and https://discuss.oca-student.com/t/free-aop-student-membership/8128/
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