ADT DEGREE SHOWS '07 Rich Variety Of Creative Exhibits To View
7 June 2007
Sam Williams with the Motorsport department's Global Light
I think Sam has a real product on her hands. It has all the credentials to appeal to a niche market of like-minded car enthusiasts – she could even incorporate motorsport branding on the tyre walls
John Angus, Director of Textiles Studies
The University of Derby’s annual Arts, Design and Technology Degree Shows, taking place in the new University Quarter for the first time this year are drawing ever closer.
Members of the public are invited to see the exciting work of talent from students studying on these courses across our three sites in Derby which forms the Quarter: Kedleston Road, Britannia Mill and Markeaton Street.
The shows represent the culmination of the dedication and talent of this year's new graduate designers and artists at the University of Derby.
A flavour of some more of the other exhibits on show:
Textile Studies
Treads and Threads
Student textile designer Sam Williams from Solihull is frankly a committed petrolhead. She has now successfully combined her design instincts with her love of motorsport.
At the Degree Show - and later at the New Designers exhibition in London - she is launching her own range of modular seating units that recycle and remould used car tyres with a revolutionary knitted second skin.
The high relief fabric is engineered on advanced industrial machinery to fit the profile of the tyres in rugged Shetland wool yarn. It is then finished through a variety of processes to closely mimic the appearance of tyre tread, whilst retaining a comfortable textile handle.
A display of her design work, and that of her course peers is currently on show at the University’s Kedleston Road site during the Arts, Design and Technology degree shows, until June 12.
The University of Derby student is also aiming to become one of the top female motor racing drivers in the country – this ambition has clearly inspired her design work for her BA(Hons) Textile Design degree.
In motorsport, she has already made it to the final 100 of Formula Woman, and competed in the recent Silverstone Ladies Rally Quest.
Sam said: “I got into motor racing about the same time as I began my degree course, three years ago. I enjoy both and hope people like what I have created.”
Her tutor, John Angus, Director of Textiles Studies at Derby, said: “I think Sam has a real product on her hands. It has all the credentials to appeal to a niche market of like-minded car enthusiasts – she could even incorporate motorsport branding on the tyre walls.
“Perhaps ironically, as a product it also has green credentials – the tyres underneath are recycled and many environmentalists see wool as the perfect sustainable product since it is essentially made of grass.”
Electronics and Sound
Exciting Cathedral Project
Students and staff from the Electronics and Sound Subject Group will be playing back excerpts from their recent recording made at Derby Cathedral, for the forthcoming commercial CD: ‘Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day’.
The recording was made in “surround sound” format, and the playback will reflect this, being played back with an array of 24 loudspeakers.
You will be able to walk through the soundspace as if you were walking through the cathedral, or even actually through the choir as it sings.
Simultaneous video clips from inside the cathedral will enhance the overall experience. Surround sound recording and reproduction is one of the research specialities of the Subject Group.
Also on display will be a selection of ‘Derbots’ (Derby Robots), as developed by a group of students this year. Sound-seeking, motion-sensing and line-following robots will be in action, applying hi-tech sensors and digital processing to determine the actions they take.
The events will be staged within the Law Court at the Kedleston Road site, this Friday evening only, from 6pm until 9pm .
Fine Art
One For The Collectors
Timothy Liscumb Morland, from Ilkeston, Derbyshire, is a self confessed lover of collectables. The 53-year-old has this theme at the centre of his exhibit: ‘Number 22’.
Tim has created three rooms running along the collectables theme with some fascinating objects on display – with a twist.
For example, there is a glass case of ammonites – but look closely and one is actually a liquorice sweet! And the rows and rows of fossils intriguing features one mounted in an empty shell cartridge.
That’s not all, there are collections of screws and ornaments and even a collection of milk teeth – a goldmine for the budding tooth fairy!
Tim says he hopes people can explore ‘the psychology of collecting’ when they view his work.
Andy Stanley, 38, North Parade, Derby, has created an exhibit called: ‘Freedom with restrictions’ which features a Rover Metro in the gallery space with a custom built fish tank inside.
The tank has been made to fit into the interior of the vehicle and visitors can clearly see freshwater tropical fish swimming around, which Andy is careful to feed and clean out on a regular basis.
He said: “The subject matter is in reference to, how in life we have the freedom to choose our daily routines, but are restricted by governmental laws and policies: the car can go anywhere, but the fish are imprisoned within the tank.”
Andy is a former British army soldier, who then worked for the Home Office in close protection. He changed careers due to permanent disability.
You can’t take Rachelle Mabboire’s work with a pinch of salt – she is using more than 120 kg of the white stuff as part of her exhibition for this year’s ADT Degree Show at the University of Derby!
Rachelle, 30, Nottingham, has taken inspiration from the Bible with the story of Lot for her show which will feature a giant pillar of salt compressed with water.
The story goes that Lot and his wife fled from Sodom and Gomorrah, they were told not to look back but his wife did and was turned into a pillar of salt.
Rachelle has three parts to her exhibition and the pillar exhibit, entitled ‘Death of a Star’ will see the salt ‘mountain’ slowly melted by a dripping water feed from the ceiling.
Her other works include an exhibit called ‘Sky’ with more than 200 cups of saturated salt solution lined up on a metal table and the effects of the crystalisation and ‘rusting’ process on display for visitors to observe. Finally, Universe will see 100 jars of salt pinned vertically to a wall.
‘52 degrees north, two degrees west’ is the title of work undertaken by student Angela Pressley. Angie, 43, Worksop, Notts, has drawn inspiration from fond memories of the Dorset landscape for her work.
She has created an interesting structure which features led, mild steel and plaster all welded into an exciting web of intrigue, featuring chalk faces, carpets and other objects.
Product Design
The Bike Generator
Paul Smith has created a design concept model for a sustainable trailer for a bicycle which is also a generator. His product, ‘Navitas’, means Latin for energy.
The internal solar panels constantly charge the internal battery allowing for continuous energy to power the rear lights on the trailer and to power small appliances such as mobile phones, LED lighting, SAT NAV and laptops.
The BSc Product Design Innovation ECO-Design student is 39, from Mayfield Road, Derby. He is also a former recycling officer for Derby City Council and is keen on environmental issues.
He said: “The principal design piece is the rear wheel which splits three ways into a vertical axis wind turbine, which is affixed to the towing arm. This is set up once the cyclist has made camp and the turbine aids the solar units giving energy throughout the day and night.
“It’s ideal for the serious cyclist or tourist, but also for domestic settings in developing countries, and is an off beat answer to today’s sustainable travel policies.”
(Click thumbnails for larger versions of each image)
There will be plenty to interest the public across the whole University Quarter:
Our new £21m Markeaton Street building, part funded by HEFCE and European funds, and supported by the Derby City Partnership, will be the central focus on Friday night where David Joyce, Chief Operating Officer, VINCI PLC, officially opens proceedings at 6.30pm.
Also welcoming guests will be Professor Musa Mihsein, the University’s Pro Vice-Chancellor for Academic Development and Professor David Manley, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Design and Technology.
As well as the Private View, on Friday, June 8, which runs from 6pm until 9pm, the Degree Show will be open at the following venues on the following days, from 9am until 5pm to showcase work from the following courses:
The Sheds, Britannia Mill: June 9, June 11-15
BA (Hons) Fine Art; BA (Hons) 3D Design (Crafts); Year 0; Learning Through Work Ceramics (Diploma).
Open Studios, Markeaton Street: June 9-12
BA (Hons) Graphic Design; BA (Hons) Illustration; BA (Hons) Illustration for Animation; BA (Hons) Design for Digital Media; BA (Hons) Photography.
Lower Atrium, Kedleston Road: June 6-9 and June 11-12
BA (Hons) Textile Design.
Upper Atrium, Kedleston Road: June 9
BA (Hons) Architectural Technology and Digital Innovation; BA (Hons) Product Design; BA (Hons) Architectural Conservation; BA (Hons) Architectural Design; BA (Hons) Architectural Venue Design and Digital Innovation; BA (Hons) Music Technology and Audio System Design; BA (Hons) Sound, Light and Live Event Technology.
Metro Cinema, Kedleston Road: June 7
BA (Hons) Film and Video.
Room OL2, Kedleston Road: June 9
Electronics and Sound, Music, Media, Technology and Electronics.
Students studying on our Foundation Degrees and Top-Up Degrees are also exhibiting work at the degree shows between June 9 and June 11-14. For more details about this and other aspects of the degree shows, visit: www.derby.ac.uk/degreeshow
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For more details please contact Simon Redfern, Senior Press and PR Officer, University of Derby on 01332 591942, or email s.redfern@derby.ac.uk.