DUAS Newsletter: October 2021
Welcome to the first edition of the Durham University Art Society Newsletter for the new 2021/2022 academic year!
We will be updating you on:
What's been on - find out about art-related activities that have been going on within the society and further afield!
What's going on - events and activities that are happening that you can get involved with!
What's "in" - recommendations of podcasts, books and exhibitions that we think you might enjoy!
We will be releasing an edition of our Newsletter every other month. In the months between these releases, we will be publishing "Art Feature" posts. The first Art Feature will be released in early November, so make sure you look out for that and follow our social media accounts to keep updated on it's release and all that's going on in DUAS!
"I'm Sophie, your DUAS president for 2021/22! Welcome back to all our DUAS members! This year we plan to return to in-person Tuesday life drawing sessions, as well as our much loved Thursday sessions. In even more exciting news, the executive committee and I are looking forward to hosting and art exhibition in December. To make up for last year this one will be even bigger and better than ever!
Check out our instagram for events, collaborations, art history and other information - also remember to tag us in your artwork! @duas @duthurdays @dulifedrawing."
What's been on?
Over summer the exec have been working hard planning lots of opportunities for you to get involved with the society during Michaelmas term!
During fresher's week we were at the Fresher's Fair and has the opportunity to talk to lots of potential members of the society for this year! If you would like anymore information about the society please feel free to contact us through our social media accounts.
Over the summer we also saw the release of the winning pieces from the Student Art Prize 2020/2021. All the pieces featuring in the competition were to an incredible standard and if you have not yet checked out the exhibition you can view it here online: https://stories.durham.ac.uk/studentartprize2021/ .
Student Art...
Alefred Hillman is DUAS secretary and a 2nd year English student who enjoys finding time to paint between lectures.
"Throughout my school years my love of art was compelled by a desire to try new things, to learn and interpret the diverse possibilities inherent to a vast array of mediums, from watercolour to inks and pottery and printmaking. However, in recent years, I have become increasingly focused on working exclusively in oils, the only creative medium in which I have ever felt completely unrestrained by process and technique. This may seem a little odd considering that art history weighs heaviest on oils, but I have always found there to be a certain quality about the paint that remains defiantly uncontrived. It's directness, allowing you to influence each stroke and the intensity of every colour, reduces the artistic process to simple persistency. The paint itself remains unenamoured with your subject and has to be wrangled and cajoled, obliging honestly in return for sitting evenly in a frame. When I paint I can never tell whether I'm going through a process or revelation or internment. In the thick density of oily pigment the elusive actuality of a pictures subject is simply preserved fading onto a canvas as the prolonged but inevitable finite period of observation coils to its end. Consequently, oils have led me to a way of working that feel more about trying to harmonise something than it does about trying to create and be original. Indifferent to distinctions of the subjective and objective, it leads you to the substantial."
Image credit: Original artwork by Aelfred Hillman
If you are a student artist please sent us your work to feature in the Newsletter! We would love to have the opportunity to showcase as much of your work as possible over the year.
Thursday drawing...
Additionally, our Thursday drawing taster session was held last Thursday and we were so pleased to see loads of you there! The work you all produced was great and we were so pleased to see that you all enjoyed it!
Photo credit: Sophie Inkester
What's going on?
Our life drawing sessions for Michaelmas term are going to be held every Tuesday between the 12th of October and 30th of November, please do come along, all abilities are welcome! The sign up sheet for the Thursday sessions is posted in our Instagram bio weekly, please make sure you sign up so we know to expect you!
We also have an exhibition coming up in December, the theme of which will be released on our social media accounts shortly! Please enter your artwork to be featured in the exhibition, we would love to feature as many pieces as possible.
Other recommendations...
Lumiere is returning to Durham for 2021 from the 18th to the 21st of November in Durham. As the UK's largest lights festival, it is definitely not one to miss!
Tickets are completely free to the public and are accessible online.
Image credit: photo by Alice Stubbings
What's "in"?
There are two podcasts that we have been enjoying lately that we would recommend checking out if you haven't already:
The first one "Bow Down: Women in Art" discuses significant women in art throughout history as well as in present day.
Secondly, the podcast "Only Artists," which is released by BBC Radio 4, brings two artists together each episode to discuss their and creative process. It is a really interesting listen and allows you to learn more about different styles of work.
Thank you so much for reading, we hope to see many of you at the events that we have planned for this term! Remember to look out for our first Art Feature post at the start of November and to look out for the release of our December exhibition. We hope you have a great first term!
@duas @duthurdays @dulifedrawing
Edited by Alice Stubbings.
With thanks to Amana Frances.
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