Final year Art Show Opens on Campus

June 1, 2010

The work of some of Wales’ top new artists will be on show this weekend (5th – 10th June) as the end of year art degree show opens at the University of Glamorgan.

Final year students in art come together in an exhibition being held on the main University campus in Treforest. The show is well recognised for the high standard of the work on show and many of its former student artists have gone on to forge top careers in their field.

Calwyn Glastonbury, 52, from Gilwern near Abergavenny is one of the BA Hons Art Practice students exhibiting at the show.

A professional bee keeper, Calwyn uniquely mixes a caustic, made from the wax produced by his bees, with paint to create his abstract landscape paintings.

“I spent 34 years working in the steel works and decided to give it all up to pursue my two hobbies of bee keeping and art. I have studied part-time for this degree course, so this show is the culmination of six years of work. I have had a great experience as a mature student, this course has really pushed my imagination and realized my talents.

“The inspiration for my work comes from the countries I have visited as part of my travels. I paint abstracts of landscapes that interest me mixes with the weather and my emotions of the place. Using my own bees’ wax in the paintings makes it even more personal.”

Calwyn hopes to go on to work professionally as an artist and has a studio set up in his home in Gilwern.

Fellow student Sian Leung, 44, from Rogerstone in Newport is also graduating this year after leaving a 22 year career in nursing to pursue her interest in art.

Her ceramic work depicts the fragility and strength of the human condition. She balanced bringing up her children now aged 13 and 18 with the demands of being a student.

She explained, “Throughout my career as a nurse and through events in my personal life, I have experienced the great strength that people show to the outside world when they are at their most fragile. My work, which consists of tall ceramic towers made out of strips of material, conveys this. I have also included bandages in the work to show how people hold themselves together.

“I have enjoyed all aspects of the course at Glamorgan, particularly the opportunity to work with different types of media in producing art work. I hope to go on to work in art therapy in the community.”

25 year-old Natalie Thomas from Aberdare has created an installation art piece as part of the exhibition. A computer gaming enthusiast who enjoys online virtual world games, Natalie has created her own 3D space which illustrates the relationship between an object being two or three dimensional.
Made from invisible fishing wire, Natalie has filled an impressive space with crossing wires lit by a single light bulb.

She said, “I am a big fan of online computer games and am fascinated by the environments which are depicted on screen. Through my work, I have tried to explore the relationship between 2D and 3D space. My work can be viewed from all four sides and everyone will see something different. What is interesting is that the work is deceptive. Some of the lines you see are not there, by the mind assumes that they are.”

Natalie hopes that her art career will take her into arts in the community projects, in particular on-line communities.”

The show will be open to the public from Saturday 5th June until Thursday 10th June the Treforest campus (10am – 4pm).

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