In review: BA (Hons) Photography Degree Show

Read a review of the BA Photography Degree Show 2019 by London based Photographer and NUA graduate, Kane Layland.

At the pinnacle of St. Georges building on campus, you find the Photography Degree Show. An elevated position to be held for high quality work, which was evident throughout the show.

It’s natural for the standard of work each year to surpass the previous, and this year’s photography course is no exception, having set the standard even higher than last.

The diversity in the year’s work as a whole was impressive, branching from macro advertising work, to landscape, and into the world of fashion & portraiture.

The work pushes the boundaries of the modern mindset, helping to promote forward thinking and broadening the minds of some viewers who perhaps wouldn’t be subject to such imagery in day to day life. None more so than the work of Ellie Andrews (pictured above), embracing the drag community and elegantly portraying them through her final work.

The flush mounting of the large scale prints helps elevate the standard of work even higher given their stature. Even the smaller size imagery in collective groups have impact next to the larger prints, thanks to the delicate selection the students have undergone, selling the narrative of said sets.

I thoroughly enjoyed the variety of work, in particular the delicate fashion work of Hannah Drew, the light palette landscape work of Lara Chandler (pictured above), the atmospheric work of Katie Greengrass, the ambiguous and seemingly grand scale macro work of Joe Prendergast and the captivating documentary work produced by Ben Leach (pictured above) (to name a few).

I experienced the exhibition through the eyes of looking at professional work, forgetting that the creators are students, further proving the standard of work on offer. All in all the BA (Hons) Photography Degree Show 2019 was a polished and professional representation of the young artists involved and who in my opinion will make a welcome and impactful mark on the industry they look to join and help progress photographic art in a positive and uplifting perspective.

NUA Degree Shows run until Wednesday 3 July

BA Photography