Degree show time means the chance to experiment, says artist Andrew Hunter.

I LOVE fine art degree shows! Three years of tears, torture, and a healthy dose of debauchery (or so you’d hope!), all channelled into one final show, the BIG stab at attracting attention, and wooing the world with a feast of visual wonderment. Degree show time is upon us.

Unleashed from the shackles of tedious timetables and curfews, art students get three years in a studio, cocooned in creative energy, critical debate, and sufficient space to explore their practice, develop a personal direction, spread their wings, and fly.

Kicking off Oxford’s season of fine art degree shows this year is Brookes Fine Art 2009, an exhibition that opens this evening with works displayed in and around the Richard Hamilton Building on Headington Hill Campus.

I met exhibiting student Andrew Hunter to find out what’s in store for the visitor and what makes Oxford an appealing place for budding artists.

Degree shows can be mixed bags, with little curatorial input, and with each artist pursuing his or her own direction, they are frequently quite dislocated exhibitions. Three years is a long time to spend doing one thing; ambitions change, abilities shift, and it’s often easy to differentiate the good from the downright dreadful, but art’s subjective anyway, isn’t it!?

Commenting on the type of work we can expect to see in the degree show, Andrew explained: “The degree show will be a spectacle – all manner of bizarre things will be going on. Giant letters, tiny fruits, post apocalyptic depictions of the world.”

Quite a statement. It seems that there might well be something for everyone, and that visitors will certainly be entertained at this show.

“It’s been a fairly gratifying experience,” said Andrew. “You're able to pursue almost anything you want, any way you want.

“If you’ve an open mind and a desire to explore and develop your art practice then it is certainly a good place to foster this desire.”

Whilst such freedom might put off some students, it requires a disciplined and dedicated individual to prosper in such a self-directed environment, and in my opinion, it’s that steadfast commitment that makes artists the special creatures that they are. Apparently, it’s exactly that freedom to explore that attracted Andrew, and many of his peers, to Oxford in the first place.

With no ‘house style’ the 27 exhibiting artists in Brookes Fine Art 2009 have expertise in a range of technical processes. With works encompassing animation, artist’s books, drawing, installation, painting, performance, photography, printmaking, sculpture, sound, and video, I am told that the exhibition demonstrates a reflective and critical approach by students who possess engaging, diverse and well-developed emerging practices. These students certainly talk a good talk.

So what of the future, what of walking the walk, where do these graduates go from here? Is there the infrastructure to retain the talent that the city’s art schools cultivate?

Said Andrew: “In an industry where anyone that wants to make it flocks to London, I decided to do the opposite and leave London for somewhere smaller and a bit more refreshing.”

Refreshing to hear, but can we keep you here?

“Oxford has enormous potential – and despite its lack of ‘hipness’ or ‘trendiness’ in comparison to other cities, new galleries are opening frequently. All with a real interest in promoting Oxford artists.”

So it seems that it’s a case of watching this space, and waiting to see if Andrew Hunter’s name crops up as part of future exhibitions in or around Oxford. Brookes Fine Art 2009 exhibition continues until May 28th, Oxford University’s Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art Degree Show 2009 will open daily to the public for one week from Saturday 20th June from 10am - 4pm.

* Richard Hamilton Building, Oxford Brookes University, Headington Hill Campus, Oxford, OX3 0BP. Email art@brookes.ac.uk * Oxford University’s Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, 74 High Street, Oxford.