Rethink.Refund.Reboot

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The work of the students in this exhibition/event/zine represent the views of the students themselves. The work is uncensored. Students are exploring their own responses to the social, cultural and political moment they find themselves caught within. The work is provocative and challenging. The history of art and the history of protest is filled with work/events that deliberately sought to light a blue touch paper.

The students value the right to challenge and offend. We hope readers will understand.

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contents Introduction

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Lana Gaskell

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Our Manifesto

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Lucy Smith

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Laura Socas

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Abbey Callaghan

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Megan Joynson

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Alfie Lane

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Olga Mun

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Ava Manley

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Paris Anne Thomas

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Caitlyn Moore

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Phoebe Adams

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Chantelle Sandland

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Phoebe Morris

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Chloé Smith

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Rhi Hibbert

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Darcy Ganson

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Sophie Turvey

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Eloisa Pope

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Yusuf Butt

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Emily Pearson

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Zahara Nawaz

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Evie Russell

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Zoë Hoyle

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Jack Taziker

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Jay Simpson

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Afterword by Laura Robertson

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Jordan Cannon

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Credits

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INTRODUCTION ‘RETHINK. REFUND. REBOOT.’ is a zine exhibition by second year BA (Hons) Fine Art students at the University of Salford – kicking back against the UK government’s heavily criticised and demeaning 2020 advertising campaign ‘RETHINK. RESKILL. REBOOT.’ The ill-thought-out recruitment ad enraged artists by suggesting that they, and other workers, would need to adapt after the Coronavirus crisis. For many, this highlights the devaluation of an industry chipped away at over a decade of Conservative leadership, through austerity and a lack of funding. The message hit students particularly hard, in the face of rising arts school fees and rents, restricted access to university facilities and teaching, and the dire lack of opportunities facing graduates. Despite contributing £10.8billion to the UK economy, art venues lose funding year on year, and art and design in state schools has decreased by 16.5%.

The campaign posters encourage ‘Fatima’, a ballerina, ‘Jahmal’, a supermarket employee, and ‘Justin’, a barista, to retrain in a cyber-related field, and to follow careers which are most needed in the UK, rather than allowing freedom of choice in their working lives. Similarly, since 2010 the Baccalaureate system has only allowed room for one creative subject and resulted in a sharp decline in the study of art, dance, music and drama.

Throughout the pandemic, we have been drawing attention to key workers, like Jahmal, by clapping on our doorsteps. Meanwhile, their jobs have been undermined by low pay (look to the paltry 1% raise that NHS staff will receive this year).

There’s a fundamental hypocrisy here: a façade of respect and a reality of disrespect.

‘RETHINK. REFUND. REBOOT.’ showcases a diverse range of responses by 26 talented artists. We feel passionately about the importance of creativity and each have a strong desire to celebrate creative expression within our culture and society.

However, given the current state of funding within education for the arts, this is beginning to feel impossible.

– The artists of ‘RETHINK. REFUND. REBOOT.’

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our manifesto NO TO DEFUNDING THE ARTS, SCHOOLS, GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS! ART IS FOR EVERYONE! HALT THE CLOSURE OF FOUNDATION COURSES! ENCOURAGE INCLUSION FROM ALL COMMUNITIES! CREATE A NEW MODEL OF SUSTAINABLE FUNDING FOR REGIONAL ART SPACES! ENCOURAGE CREATIVE THINKING AND INDEPENDENT STYLES! ART IS INTERNATIONAL! ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE!

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ABBEY CALLAGHAN @ abb.eyy_art

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‘Untitled’ is inspired by dolls I used to play with when I was younger, particularly a range of career Barbies. They came with a range of uniforms, presenting her as an aspirational woman rather than just a pretty face. But Barbie’s ‘careers’ mean nothing; they are a change of outfit, and no work goes into earning each job role.

This is how I believe the Government sees creative jobs: as something that can just be dropped and disposed of, disregarding all of the hard work that actually goes into them. But we aren’t dolls and can’t just change our profession with a change of uniform.

My work often uses make-up to explore my self-image and societies’ standards.

The uniforms are costumey, emphasising the lack of respect they are treated with, and I have depicted myself as a Barbie, a doll infamous for the unrealistic standards it promotes.

Through the Government’s actions, we may slowly be taking on this position of the doll. Do we really have control over our lives and futures when underfunding and lack of opportunities are forcing people out of the creative industries? Due to ads like ‘RETHINK. RESKILL. REBOOT.’ and the attitudes it promotes, many people don’t feel like a creative job is even an option anymore, which is so damaging. It is important that people are encouraged to express themselves, particularly in such challenging times.

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‘Untitled’

Makeup on paper 42.0 cm x 59.4 cm

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Alfie lane

@ alfielaneart

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I’m drawn to visionary and shamanic art. Through painting and printmaking, my work investigates systems of power and control within the West, combining various cultural art motifs to communicate a personal perspective. This oil on canvas explores the pervasiveness of corporate influence in Western society. Taking inspiration from iconography, I envision a dystopian future in which the logos we encounter in our daily lives form fragments of a past civilization.

My own relationship with consumerism aided the formation of my ideas. Monopoly businesses like Google, Facebook and Amazon are at the heart of a soulless machine of surveillance and a ‘profit over people’ approach. Propelled by a rhetoric of inevitability, the quasi-religious presence of these tech giants saturates every corner of our lives; our sense of fulfilment measured through material values and the ritualistic accumulation of products.

Identifying the systems of power and control in our post-Imperial society and attempting to creatively visualise them is central to my practice. Art is integral to the way we experience the world. It returns you to something much more primal and provides a powerful means of expression. I believe art should be supported and encouraged. Yet, the arts will never receive adequate funding until we can cut the ties between government and corporate interests.

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‘Corporate Consciousness’ Oil on canvas 40cm x 60cm

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AVA M A N L E Y

@ avamanley2000

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Currently, I am experimenting with glitching, distortion and deliberate errors – using PDF converters to create imagery that is inspired by everyday screen use.

I have also started to create moving gifs, using photoshop edits – I love that I can bring images alive in this way. I am keen to address the impact of technology on people’s search for identity in a digital era, showing how social media has become an indispensable part of our everyday lives.

We are so reliant on technology, and Lockdown has pushed us even further towards a dependence on digital communication. But what are the unintended consequences of tech on mental health? People may be ‘present’, but not fully, and this is something I try to capture in my work. In a recent survey, I asked, ‘Is social media use heavily integrated into your daily routine?’ 95% of respondents said yes.

‘Have you experienced depressive symptoms within the past year?’ 78% said yes. I want my work to highlight these factors, showing people that they are not alone

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‘The Fixation’

Acrylic on canvas 40cm x 50cm

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C A I T LY N M O O R E @ c.moorsie

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There has always been a stigma surrounding art degrees; I often hear comments about how ‘it isn’t a real degree’ or ‘anybody can create art’. This negative attitude has inspired me to focus some of my work on questioning the boundaries of what qualifies as art. My artwork is generally politically motivated and addresses current issues within the United Kingdom.

This sculpture is inspired by the lack of criticism from the UK Labour party leader Kier Starmer against the current Conservative government. His previous job was as a human rights lawyer, and he has pledged to uphold human rights in the UK and abroad. However, as leader of the opposition, Starmer seems to be sitting on the fence and dismissing Tory wrong-doings. His recent actions have been questionable: dismissing the BLM Movement as a ‘moment’; failing to hold opposition party members accountable for their actions; credited for eliminating anti-Semitic Labour members, but not eliminating transphobic members from the party. The text on the sculpture is located on the right hip bone, to signify a shared political opinion that he may be more right wing than left.

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‘Lost Spine’

Ready-made sculpture 32cm x 13cm

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Chantelle sandland @ chantellesandland.tumblr.com

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I love to use shapes, thick textures and the colour blue. I cannot explain the excitement that rises when I work with the colour… My love is abstract. I hope to express the feeling that you do not have to be perfect to be loved.

Art is very subjective. Many people believe that art is not a ‘proper’ career, or that it is useless, but the concept of art is so misunderstood. As an art student, I have witnessed people looking down upon the creative industries due to a lack of understanding and biased opinions. Many do not understand why art is important.

Art allows us to create meaning beyond our language. It can be expressed in many ways. Artists create their work through thoughts, imagination, emotions and desires. It is a means of communication that embraces drawing, painting, sculpture, architecture, and photography; that combines materials and forms. We use our platform to express ourselves through our work. The work is limitless. Nevertheless, the emotion behind the work is what people do not take seriously. I hope my and my peers’ work opens up a discussion about how art is just as important as other careers.

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‘Untitled’ Acrylic paint on glass 61cm x 20cm

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Chloé smith @ salmonycoralart

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I am a creative from London with both English and French roots. I value and embrace the paradox of strengths that both cultures bring me; they allow me to stand up for what I believe in and not be scared to fight for a better world. The creativity that stems from my neurodiverse mind allows me to ignore social norms and make art that confronts the viewer.

I use my body in my art to reclaim its strength and beauty for my own narrative. I focus on feeling through my creative process and allow my art to heal me. It is an incredibly vulnerable way to create work, but this guarantees a level of authenticity.

I feel like a clown spending so much money studying Fine Art at university, only to be told that I should retrain for a career in cyber.

I branded my body like the Extinction Rebellion protesters. The Post-Its provide an element of humour to counter the censorship of the female nipple that sexualises my body; using humour to cope with difficult situations is how I have survived this pandemic. I was inspired by the article depicted in the background of this collage.

Capitalism does not value the creative arts because it does not focus on the mental health of the humans it exploits. We are treated like machines in a society built for profit, and the detrimental effect on our mental health is undeniable. In this time of crisis and isolation, the role of art becomes more central to our lives, whether we realise it or not. We can easily take for granted the grand buffet of media that is available to us, leading to the irony of saying artists are non-essential using a graphic created by one. pe torquatos dissentias.

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‘Apparently, I’m not essential’

Body paint - Post-its - Photography - Photoshop 59.4cm x 84.1cm

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DARCY GANSON @ dgart26_

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I’ve always been told that my differences are wrong; to lose weight, dress appropriately and to reconsider my career. As a plus-sized, working class, pansexual woman, I wanted to depict people who were different, to show how powerful that is, despite living in a society that is judgemental, under a government that tells us to not only be a certain way, but to have a certain job. The people in my work are all totally unique, no one subject is the same as another – yet they each radiate a power and beauty that is inspiring. Their individuality is a prominent part of their being.

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‘Unapologetic’

4 x Acrylic Paint on canvas 42cm x 59cm

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Eloisa POPE @ eloisa_art_

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I see my work as a historical continuation of art being used as a form of activism, that also speaks out against the defunding of art as another way to silence freedom of thought, and an ever-increasing influence of this sado-masochistic, authoritarian UK government. I want to create controversy with my work, to evoke a strong response and even offend, just to spark a debate; even if it’s seen as leftwing propaganda, we need to confront the establishment.

‘In Bed with the Tories’ depicts Boris Johnson, Priti Patel and Kier Starmer having a threesome, underlining popular opinion that Starmer is more Tory than socialist.

The recent police, crime, sentencing and courts bill has been a particualr catalyst for this artwork. It restricts the ability to protest in England and Wales, and has been labelled as a ‘Tory-led coup without guns’. It is a bill that gives more jail time for removing a statue of a slave trader than committing rape, and to which there seems limited political opposition.

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‘In Bed with the Tories’ Acrylic painting on paper 21cm x 29.7cm

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E m i ly p e a r s o n @ emily_eccentric

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‘Vehemence’ means an intensity of emotion, and reflects the many difficulties I’ve faced trying to make artwork during the Pandemic (in my case, a lack of facilities or space in which to paint or to make casts). This event has affected many places all over the world that value the arts, and in a lot of cases, people in power have begun to neglect the importance it holds. The production of this zine allowed me to think carefully about the impact of art being devalued, and my own experience of Lockdown as an emerging artist trapped at home. The dismissive remarks artists face regarding their careers or jobs have a strong negative impact on their lives. The government’s critical opinion on individuals in the arts is no exception. They imply that specific job roles would need to be reconsided in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, that the arts won’t be enough; ravaging the mental and emotional stability of those singled out by the advertisement campaign and already feeling alone.

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‘Vehemence’

Acrylic paint, air-dry clay and glue 30cm in diameter

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Evie russell @ evierussellart

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I primarily work in the realms of surface pattern; this can incorporate abstract painting, textiles and collage. I would describe myself as a mixed-media artist, whose practice takes inspiration from many sources – but at present, is primarily influenced by gender roles in the context of craft and domesticity.

‘Deceit’ is a large-scale textile banner – influenced heavily by the political nature of protest art, and the work of artists such as Tracey Emin. It reflects the frustrations felt amongst students, regarding high tuition fees and the finiancil pressure of student loans felt throughout the Pandemic, when universities have had to close.

The treatment of students and the creative sector throughout the Coronavirus crisis has been nothing short of appalling, and we must continue to push forward for the recognition that the arts as a specialism deserves.

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‘Deceit’

Calico fabric, appliquéd black felt, machine-stitched text

100cm x 200cm

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J A C K TA Z I K E R @ jack_taziker

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‘Fever Dream’ was painted as a response to COVID; the idea of a fever dream being a disturbing or unpleasant experience, much like the Pandemic itself. My preferred method of working is through painting, and the multiple mediums this can lend itself to. I have also recently begun to branch out into digital imagery.This zine called for a reaction to the government and their handling of the arts programme during the national Lockdown, and what to expect post-pandemic. I allowed myself to take an intimate approach to this painting, learning how to use oil paint and the challenges it presents. I was able to mentally engage myself through the process as a form of catharsis.

Painting is an outlet where I develop and blossom, both technically and mentally.

I want my art to allow me to understand issues that affect me when considering society’s expectations of who I am, and what I could be. Toxic masculinity dictates every move a male-identifying individual makes. To even suggest taking away the expressive release of an arts practise is devastating. It could prove to be damaging to men who feel they cannot voice or physically express their emotions.

I feel that the British Government needs to reconsider some of its views on the arts.

The mental health of their citizens could be severely affected due to cuts in funding, regardless of gender, race, sexuality, or any other identifying factor that allows us to develop and express our individuality.

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‘Fever Dream’ Oil on canvas 50cm x 60cm

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J AY S I M P S O N @ gombelin

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Art is something I have always done, and I enjoy bouncing between mediums to create vibrant and personal works, primarily about my own experiences with sexuality, gender expression and mental health.

I wanted this artwork to be straight to the point – simple and unambiguous.

Everyone has the means to create art. I used my phone camera and free downloadable drawing software on my laptop – two items that the vast majority of us own. However, the means to be creative are infinite. Whether aware or not, everybody exudes creativity everyday through their own self expression: what they chose to wear, listen to, read, the television shows they watch. The examples are endless.

The Government’s decisions to try and diminish the importance of creativity fails to realise that creativity is something inside every individual on earth. A world without creative minds simply would not have evolved and developed into the world we live in today. As long as there are humans, there is artistic expression, and this expression enhances all qualities of life.

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‘EVERYBODY IS AN ARTIST.’

Photography and digital drawing 50.8cm x 43.18cm

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JORDAN CANNON @ jcannonartblog.tumblr.com

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What I like about playing around with words is that they can evoke emotions and imagery. The texts included in my past works have been deliberately random, like small talk with a stranger. I would use strips of newspaper, letters or book pages to produce collages. For this specific work, they have a meaning: ‘Why don’t you…’ is a sum of all the patronising comments, snarks, and negative words people have said to me and others about studying art, or working in the creative industries.

The vibrant colours make the space appear as though it is not reality; it is, in fact, the space of my mind and dreams. Dreams that people, such as those that work within the UK Government, want to crush. Even though these words were said to me and others a while ago, they stick with me, and they keep repeating, making me angry and dispirited. With this work I intend to express my frustration towards the stereotypical comments and the stigma around art.

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‘Why don’t you…’

Digital Image - Adobe photoshop 20.73cm x 27.64cm

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LANA GASKELL

@ lanagaskellart

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I’m a portrait artist that works with multimedia, particulary graphite and watercolours, to accentuate features, textures and colours of the face. My work focuses mainly on realism in an attempt to portray the female and male gaze.

Expressing emotions through my work is very therapeutic for me. My reason for being an artist is to express myself and I study it to understand its meaning and history.

‘Melancholic’ is based on my negative emotions felt during the Pandemic. The idea of my work is to express a feeling without any description, opening up a window into a more surreal view.

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‘Melancholic’

Graphite and watercolour on paper 21cm x 29.7 cm

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LAURA SOCAS @ lulabox

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I consider myself to be a multidisciplinary artist, although I have a background in illustration and most of what I do is an extension of that. I create fantasy characters and narratives and give it a twist of surrealism, whilst still speaking of my own personal issues navigating through life.

I recently got interested in Grayson Perry’s work, as well as the kitsch qualities of some traditional English pottery, therefore I wanted to do my own cartoon-like take on that. My practice is heavily inspired by animation and TV shows that nurtured my childhood, and it is embedded in nostalgia as well as a childish sense of wonder.

‘La gota que colma el vaso’ is a painted air-dry clay vase with the eyes cut out. Water drips from them, resembling tears, when it’s overfilled. The title is a Spanish expression that translates to ‘the drop that overfills the glass’ and means something like ‘the last straw’. This vase represents the moment when you cry when you feel overwhelmed by your emotions, and that’s how many creators feel after this insensitive campaign that further neglects an industry that’s already been dealt a heavy blow, after the Coronavirus crisis. Fiction and fantasy allows us to see further into our reality, it educates us in our human nature and helps us shape our future. It’s hard to imagine how the world would be without the fictional stories that sparks our imagination (and even harder to imagine what would we have done during Lockdown with all our extra time).

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‘La gota que colma el vaso’ Air-dry clay and acrylic paint.

22cm x 21cm

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LUCY SMITH

@ midnight_rose_98

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The message that I am trying to deliver with the piece is that anyone can create art. This zine is trying to change the way that we view artists, and to give them a chance to be seen and heard. It is important to give artists a space to share their creativity and be appreciated in a time where our Government is telling us to retrain. We need the world to see that art needs to matter

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‘Art Needs To Matter’ Digital drawing 52cm x 39cm

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megan joynson

@ mjartx

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I mainly focus on a mix of street art and abstract styles within my work. My main inspirations stem from tattoos, and anything in general that takes my interest, as I don’t like putting a barrier on what I can include in my work.

‘Stolen Identity’ alludes to how the Government is trying to strip away artists’ identities, even though for some people art is a crucial part of their lives. I wanted to incorporate something that represents having your identity and creativity stolen away, in a painful, dramatic process.

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‘Stolen Identity’

Acrylic and watercolour 50cm x 40cm

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olga mun

@ mun_olga

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In the centre of my work is a person with a complex inner world. I pay close attention to the psyche, with individual perception of the world and being.

I believe that the artist’s goal is to enlighten the true meaning of things, while my creative process is a penetration of the natural, transcendental, subconscious sphere. My work acquaints viewers with my view of the dualism of the world.

Our Universe is the result of the interaction between world forces of order and chaos, the divine and demonic, and the masculine and feminine. I use images from the Internet to reflect on the human condition. Sometimes they are riddled with threats, losses, or questions about roles. I try not to ask why I am attracted to something and just work with it.

I am a multinational citizen – a Russian, Iranian, English artist living in Manchester. ‘The Walking Gods’ is primarily focused on redressing the Government’s view of artists. We deserve art that understands us; that it is directly related to our health and our future; we deserve art that knows no fear and acts as a strategic projectile and teaches innovation and solves problems.

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‘The Walking Gods’ Oil on canvas 61cm x 76 cm

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pa r i s - a n n e t h o m a s @ parisannethomasart Scan Me!

I mostly work with fine liner, watercolours and acrylic paint, and am inspired by nature, landscapes and natural elements. I like the contrast between the lovely and fragile, and the very powerful and resilient. ‘Wilted vs Blooed’ depicts the Prime Minister Boris Johnson. There is so much creativity around the world, however, the UK Government can’t see its importance. There is a negligence towards people in the artistic fields.

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‘Wilted vs Bloomed’ Drawing on paper 42 cm x 29.7cm

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phoebe adams

@ p.adamsartistry

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I have created this painting after a scene from Remembrance Day (11/11/2020), at which point, the whole of the UK was in a national lockdown. My sister-in-law, who is a member of our local town band, presented herself on the street in her full uniform and played the last stand. The song could be heard from a great distance, with the sound projecting through the streets. This scene felt really powerful to me, despite people not being able to gather as they usually would on Remembrance Day, her playing this music connected everyone who was separated. I want my painting to show the resilience of people in the arts, and how determined we are, as a community, to carry on throughout the Pandemic.

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‘Resolute’ Acrylic on canvas 20cm x 24cm

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phoebe morris

@ ph0ebe_art

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‘Queen of Hearts’ is part of a watercolour series that I have been working on that shows images of people taken during the height of the Pandemic. It explores how comfortable or uncomfortable you are when you find yourself alone, and with only your thoughts for company. In this year of absolute trauma, art has become an outlet for people to be able to express themselves without interacting with another human being, and has been an invaluable source of comfort for many.

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‘Queen of Hearts’

Series in pencil and watercolour 21cm x 29.7 cm

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RHI HIBBERT

@ rhirhat

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This piece is an installation in my bedroom, which has been acting as my studio space during the COVID-19 Pandemic. It is inspired by the idea of identity loss, and how work life has trespassed into personal space.

The prints show my ‘ideal’ self. The white mark-making is my artistic self, and the red ‘RETHINK’ overtakes the prints, drowning out my idea of self in both the ideal and artistic senses. It represents the sacrifice of my personal boundaries to facilitate my practical studies, which have been deemed non-essential during the Pandemic.

The Cyberfirst advert felt like it was made to shit on me. It told me that the course I have dedicated myself to and the creative influences I surround myself with are irrelevant. The idea that I should retrain, or re-think my identity as an artist, affects how I perceive myself. It is as if I was told directly by higher authorities that I’m not good enough, and that the work that I produce just isn’t worth it.

How can the Government tell me that one of the most important things in my life, that I pour all my energy into, just is not cutting it? Art is my niche and voice and a huge part of my identity, and it feels like it is being taken away from me.

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‘Bedroom Reject’

80 A5 size printed images, acrylic paint, printing ink, photography of installation.

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sophie turvey @ sophieturveyart

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‘Mickey Mouse Degree’ is composed of hidden symbols such as paint brushes, palettes, and musical notes to represent the arts. My use of colour deliberately evokes happiness and expresses joyfulness.

Although this campaign was nothing but obstructive to those pursuing a career in the arts, I wanted to do the opposite and bring positivity. Mickey Mouse is an iconic character and represents my childhood, but is also used as a term for an irrelevant or worthless degree. Without the arts, I’m unsure how I would express myself as an individual. Unlike many, I rely on art as a form of therapy, as an escape. I paint to feel at one with my emotions, and I turn to painting when I feel overwhelmed or anxious.

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‘Mickey Mouse Degree’ Acrylic on canvas 91cm x 60cm

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yusuf butt

@ yusuf_art_photography

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‘Put a STOP to this!’ uses distortion over text and pictures to symbolise the degradation of society through fractured imagery. I use vintage effects to create a dramatic atmosphere, and a shattered typography. The stop sign is an icon of attention-grabbing power, and it’s used here to represent urban life. The affect that restrictive government policies regarding art will have in urban areas is unknown. If the passion for the arts is lost, the streets across our country will soon be stripped of the joy and happiness that aspiring artists bring. ‘Put a STOP to this!’ doubles up as a call to action for the public to take an active part in other socio-political debates, such as climate change, to ‘stop’ its effects on our planet.

Our government is not making enough effort to address these matters.

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‘Put a “STOP” to this!’

Digital photography - Lightroom - Photoshop 54.1cm x 36.1cm (each photo)

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zahara nawaz

@ creations.by.zara

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Being born in a Muslim family in Pakistan and growing up in Italy has made me aware of issues related to diversity, such as the lack of representation of SouthAsian culture. In my practice I aim to highlight this issue, glorifying my heritage, garments, and traditions through photography. My style is somewhere in between fashion and fine art photography.

The ads for this government campaign are sadly one of the many cases where POC and ethnic minorities are used in demeaning contexts; whereas, when it comes to advertising something more mainstream, the majority of the models cast are white.

For this work I was inspired by Barbara Kruger who gave me the brilliant idea to take my photos to the next level by adding text to them and adding a political value to them. In my native language Urdu, ‘Kamyabi’ means success.

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‘Kamyabi’

Digital file. Photo taken on iPhone 12, edited in PicsArt and Lightroom 54.1,cm x 40.6cm

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zoË hoyle

@ azoe.art

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‘Summer Normality’ is a response to the Government constantly pushing the idea that COVID-19 will be gone in the summer, and everything will go back to normal.

Will it?

I recently saw another campaign poster by the Government about COVID-19. It featured dying elderly people with the caption: ‘Look her in the eyes and tell her you never bend the rules.’ I think this campaign and the campaign that our exhibition is based upon link very well together, as I see them both as an attack on the public, almost like propaganda. These ad campaigns put further blame on the public, perhaps to distract from their own appalling mishandling of the whole Pandemic. For over a year, our Government has pushed a false narrative that if we all follow their guidelines and wait it out, the virus will disappear. Once again, I expect that we will be left disappointed when there is no ‘Summer Normality.’ saepe torquatos dissentias.

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‘Summer Normality’ Mixed Media 70cm x 50cm

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AFTERWORD How do you study the ‘gallery’ when galleries and museums are closed? How do you approach exhibition-making when you’re not allowed to leave your home for anything more than a jog, or to post a letter, or for a trip to the local supermarket?

The conditions that the students have been working under this year have been exceptional. They have had to adapt, and quickly. When I first met with the Professional Practice: Gallery Live group back in September 2020, we at least thought that an exhibition the following year would be possible. Restricted, yes, and different, most certainly, but still possible.

In the face of challenges ranging from ill-health and stress, to financial hardship, and a fear of what may come next, they persevered. They hoped for the best, and prepared for the worst and discussed, in detail, how they might adapt what is an intense work-experience module for a new, Pandemic-led world. This zine, and an accompanying evening of celebratory talks, is the result.

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I commend the students. They have dedicated themselves to a fulltime, intellectually challenging undergraduate course of study from home. They’ve developed ingenious working methods, during periods of lockdown between home and the studios . They have dreamt, designed, planned and delivered an ambitious publication as a team, that expands what it means to exhibit your work as a 21st century artist.

And, perhaps most crucially, they have found their ‘voice’. The Gallery Group have voiced their frustrations, fears and anger at their situation, and their hopes for a better future. Throughout the whole process, they have encouraged and supported each other – at times through great difficulty. This zine is a statement of emergence, of solidarity, and a declaration of love for art; for all the possibilities that art represents, to let ideas in, to touch hearts and minds, to sooth and to comfort, and to see, truly see, how others feel. It reminds us of art’s power, and why we make it in the first place.

– Laura Robertson, Lecturer in BA (Hons) Fine Art, School of Arts and Media, University of Salford

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CREDITS This project has been created, designed and delivered by the Level 5 cohort of BA (Hons) Fine Art at the University of Salford

Project Manager

Design

Chloé Smith

Alfie Lane Ava Manley Caitlyn Moore Chantelle Sandland Lula Socas Megan Joynson Olga Mun Yusuf Butt Zoë Hoyle Emily Pearson Jay Simpson Lana Gaskell Lucy Smith Micaiah Buckle Jordan Cannon

Curating

Zahara Nawaz Evie Russell Jack Taziker Phoebe Adams Zoë Hoyle

PR and Marketing Abbey Callaghan Paris-Anne Thomas

Social Media

Treasurer

Darcy Ganson Sophie Turvey Phoebe Adams Laura Socas

Rhi Hibbert

Emails

Lana Gaskell

Printing and Publishing Ellie Pope Caitlyn Moore Zoë Hoyle

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With special thanks to Laura Robertson Brendan Fletcher Jill Randall Angela Tait David Hancock Paula Barrett

and the University

of Salford

Printed by Mixam

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