Canterbury sculpture students' show opens 19 July

Canterbury sculpture students' show Heavy Pattern opens 19 July.

The sculpture students of the University of Canterbury are proud to announce that the 18th annual group show of student work, Heavy Pattern, will open on the 19th of July at the Ilam School of Fine Arts. The opening preview is at 5pm.

On show at Heavy Pattern will be a thrilling diversity of approaches to sculpture. Tim Middleton re-examines traditional materials and casts a baleful gaze over masculine subcultures like heavy metal fandom and boxing with his fragile and monumental plaster punching bag, Phallic Tantrum. In a less macho vein, Alissa Gilbert will operate a fully functioning curio store during the show's run, taking a quirky look at the vogue for vintage and the difficulties involved in making it as an artist.

The annual group show is a opportunity for students to show their work to the public. Student Rebecca Scott says: ``being an artist is all about having a conversation with the public, and this show is a great chance to kickstart that conversation. It has been hard finding spaces to show post-quake, so we're all really happy to have this happen.''

Heavy Pattern is the 18th annual group show. Since the first show, 1993's Small Change, was held at the Loft Gallery the annual sculpture show has become a fixture on the Christchurch arts calendar. Highlights have included 2000's Open Homes and 2009's controversial Penthouse Suite which triggered a storm of press criticism. The show is entirely organised by the students of the sculpture department.

The University of Canterbury School of Fine Arts was established in 1882 and is the oldest art school in New Zealand. The current lecturers in the Sculpture department are Neil Dawson, Rob Hood, and Louise Palmer and Bronwyn Taylor.

The folowing students are showing: Philip Aitken, Lana Burtenshaw, Alissa Gilbert, Marela Glavas, Ana Iti, Sophie Jones, Keir Leslie, Mat Logan, Lucy Matthews, Tin Middleton, Thomas Reveley, Rebecca Scott, Jenny Valoric, Steve Walsh, Jason Ware, Charlotte Watson, Liv Worsnop, Greg Yee.

ENDS.

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