GRADUATE SEASON OF ART, DESIGN & PHOTOGRAPHY SHOWS AT OLD TRUMAN BREWERY
15.06 - 17.07, 2017
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Our yearly behemoth graduate exhibition season, FREE RANGE, is here and we couldn't be more excited!
Over the next 5 weeks more than 3000 exhibitors from art colleges and universities across the UK will descend upon the Brewery to showcase their work in almost every space we’ve got. Work on show will span the disciplines of photography, art, graphic design, illustration, interior design, architecture and much more. Free Range is a culmination of many years of hard work for exhibiting students, and a major springboard beyond education.
In 2016, the FR Awards were introduced to celebrate outstanding talent, with weekly winners being selected to receive mentorship and funding towards solo exhibitions.See if your picks are the same as the esteemed jury panels by keeping a close eye on the FR instagram.
If you’re interested in the freshest creative talent, then these are absolutely the faces to watch out for in the coming years.
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Omar Khaleel
Interview with emerging photographer, videographer and graphic designer
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Omar Khaleel, so far featured on Vice, Hypebeast and Highsnobiety, is elevating through the ranks of emerging young photographers, focusing on streetwear and multiculturalism predominantly shooting on film. We spoke with Omar about his work and ambitions for the future.
We noticed that the majority of your work is shot on film. Which analogue format do you prefer, and do you feel that film is having a resurgence in popularity? Would you still consider the format relevant today in a digital age?
I've only started shooting my editorials on film since last year. I find film brings the images to life and that, for me, is making my audience interact and engage with my work more. I still use digital a lot, however I would say film is definitely a hot property for shooting with.
How do you feel you convey your own personal identity in your work?
I am bi-cultural and have been blessed enough to have grown up with and be around people from all walks of life. All these have had a huge influence on making me who I am. So I use my work to highlight issues and convey stories that are important to me.
Where do you see your work developing, is there a particular medium (photography, video, graphic design) you feel like you connect with most?
I see myself mainly as a conceptual artist. I love the creative process, coming up with a theme and using visual communications to tell stories. I would say photography is my main medium but I also use video and graphic design every now and then, depending on what it is I am trying to say and show.
Is there anybody you would like to work with in the future, or any publications you would want to shoot for?
In terms of people whose work I admire, I would love to work with Tim Walker, Harley Weir, Fanny Latour and Rebecca Naen. In terms of brands and publications, I would say Urban Outfitters, Adidas, Top Shop/Man, Size?, Fader (magazine), Brick ( Magazine) and i-D. I would love the opportunity to shoot fashion and portrait based campaigns.
Omar will be exhibiting with Birmingham City University in Photography Week One, on 22.06 - 26.06.
Website //
Instagram //
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Mollie Clothier
Graduate photographer exploring mental health
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We spoke to Mollie Clothier, fashion and fine art photographer, graduating with a BA (Hons) Photography from Falmouth University this summer. Mollie takes the medium of photography to explore her perspective and experience of mental health to create tangible imagery.
What pushed you to explore the theme of mental health through a visual medium such as photography? Do you feel mental health has been wrongly appropriated within the fashion industry?
Throughout my practice I have continuously explored psychological themes surrounding mental health. From personal experience, I have seen that there needs to be an increased awareness and understanding around the issue. ‘Perplexity’ therefore aims to represent the emotive responses and subconscious actions that occur as a result of an anxiety disorder. By using fashion styling and coloured borders I have demonstrated the internal afflictions that are often invisible to the non-sufferer. The idea of push and pull became a predominant neurological gesture in this body of work, continuously looking at the cause and affect of the anxious mind on the body.
Whilst creating this series, I was conscious of the fashion industries potential to glamorize such concept, as they often represent mental health through the use of a pretty ‘damsel in distress’ image. I have therefore tried to simulate this through a stylistic approach, using colour and movement to both conceal the emotions associated with anxiety - as fashion and beauty typically does – and to construct a tension through the figure and prop in order to create a subtle discomfort and angst.
Are there any historical or contemporary photographers work you admire and incorporate into your own practice?
Richard Avedon and Irving Penn have always been significant influences in the way that I apply movements into my images. They remain a constant source of inspiration when looking at the exaggeration of the body, and the placement of fashion and props. For my latest series (as well as Avedon and Penn), Izima Kauro and Miles Aldridge have influenced the use of vibrant colours and discomfort of the body, as both visually provoke disconcerting and questionable atmospheres.
Are there any other subjects you’d like to explore in your work, or experiment with other mediums such as moving image?
Having focused specifically on anxiety disorder here, I am interested in exploring other areas of mental health in order to create an increased awareness of the different forms and psychological struggles that individuals face, on varying levels.
Where do you see your work developing post-graduation?
After graduation I am hoping to work within the industry, evolving my practice alongside this. At present, I have been sending out my work to publications and competitions as an initial stepping stone from University. I’m open to the idea of pursuing a job within a magazine, working as a photographer/retoucher or within marketing.
Catch more of Mollie's work between 22.06 - 26.06 with Brik exhibition by Falmouth University.
Website //
Instagram //
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Charlie Smith
Winner of 2017 Free Range catalogue cover competition
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Charlie Smith, a graphic designer, typographer and print designer, is the most recent winner of the Free Range 2017 Catalogue Cover Competition, with his piece titled 'Erratic Creativity' snatching the top prize. Inspired by Free Range's branding, the rainbow coloured egg, Smith's personal take on the creative mind, the abstract image reflects the "constantly thinking" creative minds will be on a 10,000 print run. Pick up your copy of the catalogue at any Free Range exhibition!
View more of Charlie's work here.
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#91selects
91 Bricklane E1 6QL
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Last Summer we launched a new Truman initiative - #91selects - this outdoor gallery wall project displays a range of diverse creative work on the glass windows of 91 Brick Lane. We're always up for supporting and promoting new talent, any artists are invited to submit by simply tagging work on Instagram with #91selects to potentially be featured. A range of work has been presented - from art, design and photography to the most recent giant fashion illustration mural painted up on the glass.
Since 2001 our in-house project Free Range has been providing a platform for art and design graduates to come together and showcase their work at The Old Truman Brewery. Free Range has curated the summer edition of #91selects, choosing artists' work from the online portfolios to be pasted up large scale. The next round will be going up later this week, keep an eye out for work by FR exhibitors Daniel Flynn, Natalie Welham, Omar Khaleel, Belinda Jayne, Zoe Barber, and Anjalee Peiris (featured image above).
With thanks to our #91selects print partner, C3 Imaging.
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Art Fund is collaborating with Free Range, bringing the leading industry professionals, artists and curators to Truman with a series of talks to inspire, create and develop graduates artistic futures, including internationally acclaimed artists such as Lawrence Lek and Jeremy Deller.
For more information, learn more here.
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Jack are a huge supporter of emerging talent. This year the creative agency have partnered with FR to curate Jack Selects, their top picks of exhibiting grad work scooped out from the Free Range portfolio pages. Keep an eye out for work plastered around East London in the coming weeks.
Check out more from Jack here.
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British Journal of Photography Breakthrough Awards
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Fancy a glimpse into what really happens in Truman graduate studio Gallery Six? Join the current members in G4, hosting talks and workshops. Highlights include a zine making workshop with the guys from Bricoleur Mag, who will also be launching their first edition here, too, focusing on free education and the current status of creative graduates!
Find out more on the event here.
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BJP return to FR in 2016 with the Breakthrough Sessions, providing graduating photographers with all the tools and information they’ll need as they start their careers in the industry. They’ve invited leading curators, publishers, writers editors & agents to share their insights & practical advice. Talks will be running in the Shop 13 partnership space throughout Photography Week One & Two.
Find out more here.
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