Graduate spotlight

ABOVE Beth Simcock, The Bathers, 2021

The future's bright Three recent graduates reflect on their time at art school and how they have transitioned to life as working artists

Beth Simcock

Ruskin School of Art graduate and winner of this year's Platform Graduate Award discusses the importance of competitions, community and creating a narrative

What was art school like?

For me, it was a transitional experience. For the first time, I had several years dedicated to focusing on a craft, and it was exciting to meet other people who worked and thought creatively.

Oxford University sometimes felt like an unlikely place to be practising as an artist, but I really valued being part of a small and close-knit department at the Ruskin School of Art.

How did the global pandemic impact your practice?

As workshops had to close, I lost the community that comes from co-existing in a studio with your peers. It was also often difficult to translate my largest paintings into the format of a Zoom-call critique.

What are the benefits of entering art competitions?

The competition format can help artists reach new audiences. It’s also useful to receive impartial feedback from somebody who is unfamiliar with your practice.

The Platform Graduate Award, specifically, has given me the chance to exhibit at an influential institution [Modern Art Oxford] very early on in my career. So far, this has been invaluable.

What has helped you the most since graduating?

Making deliberate space to paint and write at home has meant that I can continue to work outside of a formal art school structure and hold myself accountable.

Maintaining contact with people whose work I find interesting is important too, and I try to see and read everything I’m recommended. I take constant notes so I can always return to things later.

Can you tell me about your latest body of work?

I recently completed The Zodiac, which is a series of 12 acrylic paintings on show at Modern Art Oxford, as part of the Platform Graduate Award. The canvases fit together into one large figuration, but each square also exists independently from the others.

Narrative has always been important to me. I often say my paintings are like a tapestry, but they could also be thought of as being like frescoes or graphic novels. When one painting runs into another, they start to become almost literary, and I’m always seeking out those intersections between word and image.

What are your art ambitions?

I hope to make art that holds a cross-section of experience and so gets close to something that simulates life. Ideally it will be able to join the local, particular and small with the large and esoteric.

I like it when somebody tells me they understood something in my work, even if what they see was not part of my original intention.

www.bethsimcock.co.uk

Ellie Lonsdale

Ranked as an illustrator to watch by the AOI, the Falmouth Art School graduate reveals how she's become a freelancer in her field

What did you enjoy the most about art school?

The people! It was so energising being around other creatives with unique perspectives. I can’t not mention the printmaking studio either. Learning the technical processes and fundamentals has really informed my understanding of image making, particularly how to be patient with the formation of an illustration.

How did you set yourself up after graduating?

A massive part has been adjusting to a new schedule. I’ve been balancing commissions with part-time work, so I’ve found it really helpful to establish some boundaries in my working hours.

I signed up as an AOI member too, which helps me feel engaged with the creative community.

What has been your proudest achievement so far?

Being featured in the AOI’s 10 UK Illustration Graduates to Watch in 2021 list was a real surprise. After a year of being mostly isolated due to the Covid-19 regulations, seeing my work alongside so many other creatives gave me a massive sense of solidarity.

Receiving my first commission was definitely a highlight too!

What projects have you worked on since graduating?

I’m currently working on a couple of book cover illustrations for the publishers, Farshore. Narrativebased illustration is a core part of my practice as I’m fascinated by modes of visual storytelling, so it’s great to work on a commission that resonates with this.

I’ve also led nature-inspired art workshops with a primary school and have been developing a landscape etching commission.

"Treat each brief as a chance to experiment and find out what works for you"

What advice would you give to current art students?

I’d say have fun and don’t put too much pressure on yourself to make every image perfect. I think it’s more important to treat each brief as a chance to experiment and find out what works for you. With the presence of social media platforms like Instagram, it can be so easy to get wrapped up in a perfectionist mindset, when mistakes can be really valuable.

What does the future hold?

Starting a personal sequential narrative project is on the cards. I’m fascinated by alternative publishing and would love to create a small run of handbound zines or books. I’m also planning a move to Brighton where I hope to develop my career as a freelance illustrator and get involved with some more community-based projects.

www.ellielonsdale.co.uk

ABOVE Ellie Lonsdale, Emergence, 2021

Charlotte Cuny

After graduating from Central Saint Martins, this French-born, London-based fine artist is continuing her practice thanks to overseas residencies and artist-led collaborations

What was your time at Central Saint Martins like?

It was very challenging. Previously I’d studied for a MA in painting at Arts² in Mons [in Belgium], but there’s a different way of thinking in the UK, it’s more pragmatic.

Although when I began studying in London, there was a sense of infinite possibilities. I was able to experiment with mediums I had never used before, like etching and lithography.

What were your steps after graduating?

The first thing was to have a big break. I needed time to integrate everything that had happened over the course of my time studying. I’ve continued to work part-time in a bookshop while keeping up my painting practice.

What is one thing you know now which you wish you had known in Freshers Week?

Actually, nothing. Like when you start to read a good book, you don’t want to know in advance what will happen.

How can students prepare for life after art school?

The best advice is to keep working on your art when university ends. In an ideal world this means having a studio, as well as the time and space to dedicate to it. But even without a studio, it’s still possible to keep practising and dreaming about your work.

Can you tell me more about being part of Slash Arts?

Slash Arts is an artist-run gallery created by Simon Hodgkinson, a student who was in the year above me at Central Saint Martins. There are now 25 artists involved and together we organise physical and online exhibitions, workshops and crits. It’s a very dynamic and collaborative organisation to be involved with; I really appreciate the sense of community and support it provides.

Do you have any art residencies coming up?

I applied to an open call to be an artist in residence at Tangent Projects in Barcelona and recently found out I’ve got a place. It starts early next year and for three months I’ll be able to fully focus on my painting. I’m looking forward to meeting new artists, discovering other practices, and painting in Barcelona, which will influence my work for sure.

Follow Charlotte on Instagram @CunyCharlotte

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