What’s new in the University Art Collection?
What does sand, a moth and a fantasy garden all have in common?
Don’t worry we won’t keep you guessing.The answer is that they can all be found in the University of Edinburgh Art Collection!  Each of these things are key components to three new acquisitions into our collection, all acquired from the 2017/18 Degree show.
 Each year we award a purchase prize to graduating artists from Edinburgh College of Art. The prize is a long-standing tradition of collecting graduate work from Degree shows. It is one of the joys of the art collection; as well as doing our small bit to support our young artists it means we get to continue to collect the creative output of ECA and record its history through the formative work of Scotland’s leading artists.
So, we thought we’d take a moment to consider last year’s degree show and share details of the works we acquired and their creators.
​Aonoql,
Karen Maxted (2018)
Acrylic and thread on linen
Interested in mark marking, Maxted collects different marks – scribbles, doodles – and creates incomprehensible and even surreal narratives. Her work plays with the human desire to find recognisable forms. Maxted’s degree show was a beautiful presentation of current work which is loosely based upon the theme of the garden, and the consideration of how gardens are zoned and their focal points. Aonoql is a good example of her process of arranging marks to create these surreal landscapes.
She was also the last student taking ECA’s Combined Studies BA (Hons) -another compelling factor in collecting work from her.
We are delighted to say that Aonoql has already found a permanent home on campus. The work is on display in the University’s newly redeveloped Lister Building. Go and see it in person!
https://www.karenmaxted.com/
Brass Bees and Flocked Moths
Jessica Gasson (2018)
Oranges
Jessica Gasson (2018)
The Art Collection acquired a number of pieces from Gasson; a print, 2 brass bees and 3 flocked moths. Each of these works take their departure from Gasson’s interest in museum collections, medieval manuscripts and tapestries and interrogating the notion of classification and collecting. Conceptually these works a very appropriate fit for the University Collection and we had great fun scaring our conservators and collection managers when we told them we were collecting moths and bees!
The cast moths and bees, traditionally the enemy of collections, tapestries and books, sit somewhere between biological specimen and an ornament and highlight the historic dual aspect of collecting for knowledge and pleasure.
Using the processes of printmaking and casting Gasson also plays with her interest in physical trace and tactile nature of objects. The direct casts of moths are not simply representational of the original moth but echoes them and are ‘flocked’ to make them feel like the real thing.Â
https://www.jessicagasson.com/
And last but not least...
Untitled (Gothic Finial)
Jack Handscombe (2018)
Sodium Silicate cast and bonded sand
Made using the process of bonding sand with Sodium Silicate and CO2, this Gothic style finial is one result of large body of research and making by Handscombe.Â
The finial’s appeal comes from the tensions and contradiction at its heart. Although the bonding process creates an incredibly robust object, it still appears fragile;  traces of erosion in the surface suggest that any movement or the first gust of wind will return the finial to a formless pile of sand. We love how it seems to defy gravity!
Although casting as a product of industrial manufacture, Handscombe turned to natural models of casting and fossilisation in this work. The finial, also seems to play between the natural and man-made. To this end moulding the finial in a gothic style is a conscious decision. For Handscombe, of all our constructions, the Gothic cathedral and the society that formed seems to provide the human form that comes closest to touching the organic in form and its function.
 https://jackhandscombe.com/
So there you have it!
These works are an extraordinary example of the quality of work that is produced every year by graduating artists. As well as being beautifully and thoughtfully made, each of these acquisitions reinvigorate our collection in new and exciting ways. We are delighted to have acquired them and to share them with you!
To find out more about the University Collections or to come and see these works in person visit:Â https://www.ed.ac.uk/information-services/library-museum-gallery/crcÂ