A-level Summer Exhibition Online 2018
All Eyes On Me
12 June - 19 August 2018
Online
Free
Selected from over 2,000 submissions, the A-level Summer Exhibition Online is a showcase of the UK’s young artistic talent.
This year, over 1,400 aspiring artists attending sixth form colleges or schools submitted their work to the A-level Summer Exhibition Online 2018 to be judged by our expert panel: Royal Academician Mali Morris, curator Desirée de Chair, and RA Schools student Hamish Pearch.
Having work chosen to appear in the A-level Summer Exhibition Online is a great achievement for young artists; many will go on to develop their talents at art school and in their careers. Students from all over the UK enter their works and the exhibition showcases a rich variety of styles and media: from drawing and video to sculpture and prints, painting and photography.
Held to coincide with the world’s largest open-entry exhibition, the Summer Exhibition, this online equivalent for artists aged 16–18 signals an exciting future for art in this country. Be among the first to discover these artists now.
Mali Morris RA, judge for the A-Level Summer Exhibition Online 2018, said:
"Our thanks to every student who entered – all contributed to the excitement of this project. We were amazed by the strength of the shortlisted works, by their energy, inventiveness and sense of exploration. Every kind of feeling was here, from tenderness to rage, solemnity to hilarity, in a wide range of materials and processes. We discovered that some works related visually, others by theme; the exhibition and gallery titles [All Eyes On Me, and At Ease; Smile, We're Watching; Squids] are borrowed from the artists – they seemed to suit, and we liked the ring of them. Congratulations to all the students and their teachers, and cheers to the schools that believe that art is still a vital subject."
See the exhibition below, and browse our gallery of the further 19 commended works shortlisted by the judges.
The A-level Summer Exhibition online gallery
At Ease
January,
The Tiffin Girls' School
I captured this moment early one morning in Amsterdam, when an elderly man stopped for a moment to sit at a tram stop, with his dog beside him. It was a short, still moment, but I felt there was a power in his quiet contemplation. It made me consider how sometimes it is important to stop and allow ourselves to think, and to be alone
Golden Hour,
The Tiffin Girls' School
The photograph this painting is based on was taken on a warm, sunny day, when the subject was unaware of the camera. It is this candid, everyday nature of life that I have aimed to portray in my piece, using soft, warm colours and highlights to create a portrait which captures the easy, relaxed nature of the moment it depicts. I was influenced by the work of Cristina Troufa, who uses portraiture to explore big questions in life. My piece, however, focuses on simplicity, and the small, everyday aspects of life
Curves,
Guernsey Grammar School
Ever since I started photography I have looked at landscapes. As I have moved forwards I have started to look deeper into landscapes and look at different areas. For this image I was looking at curves in different landscapes
Untitled Portrait,
Haringey Sixth Form
This is a portrait of a friend. I was trying to create a piece that explored the theme of viewpoints and chose this composition in part due to the interesting angle of the shot. I wanted to look at people in a casual way rather than make a strong statement
Origins of Eve,
Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School
Behind this body of work is an extensive amount of research into the figure of Eve throughout culture and history, and articles on the true scientific origins of humanity and race. Across history, Eve is a figure that has been used to oppress women within society, and so I set out to create a piece celebrating and empowering the legendary first woman, based on an accurate biological depiction of Eve. In this piece of work, I am influenced by the work of Kehinde Wiley in his blended painting, and have also been inspired by the photography, creatively directed by Moshoodat Sanni
Mom,
King Edward VI College Stourbridge
For this piece I was inspired by Lucian Freud's depiction of the larger figure. After considering Mom for the subject of my project; I explored her relationship with body image and how she viewed herself versus how she wished to be perceived. I chose to paint on such a large scale in order to highlight how I see her as beautiful, and to allow her to confront her insecurities, hopefully viewing herself as the same
A Mother's Creation,
The Thomas Hardye School
When documenting my choreographed interpretation of my mother's influence over my brother, the works of Nan Goldin, Sian Davey and Corinne Day caught my attention, due to their fascination with children, family and the raw truth. These are three elements I strove to expose. With Lydia Panas's compositions in mind, I dressed my brother in women's clothing – mainly my mother's and my own – to represent the gradual manipulation of his character. He seemed unaware of how at ease he was in the clothing, and how used he was to being bent to the will of others
A Mother's Creation,
The Thomas Hardye School
When documenting my choreographed interpretation of my mother's influence over my brother, the works of Nan Goldin, Sian Davey and Corinne Day drew my attention due to their fascination with children, family and the raw truth which are three elements I strove to expose. With Lydia Panas' compositions in mind, I dressed my brother in women's clothing – mainly my mother's and my own – to represent the gradual manipulation of his character. He seemed unaware of how at ease he was in the clothing, and how used he was to being bent to the will of others
Land Use – Master Thatcher,
The Thomas Hardye School
When exploring the topic of 'Land Use', I focused on the place I call home. The county of Dorset is known to have kept its connections to traditional crafts and trades. For centuries, the area has produced generations of skilled craftsmen and women who to this day continue to practice their profession. In this series I investigated a selection of people; a hurdle maker, a blacksmith, a master thatching company, a crocheter and a chimney sweep. My intention is to inform the advancing society of where all forms of industry originated, and how important they still are
Syrian Refugee Tent Net (1),
The Grey Coat Hospital
Being immersed in the theme of the refugee crisis, I became fascinated by the structure of tents, and the ways in which they can be alternated between a 3D and a 2D form. I produced refugee tent nets out of scraps of fabric, and then proceeded to make collograph prints of them using a printing press
'At Ease',
Southport College
Attention!...Stand at ease! This photo is of a line of veterans all following the call of the sergeant in the memorial service of Remembrance Sunday."you can take a soldier out the military but you cant take the military out of a soldier"
Camp 57,
Bedford College
This whole piece of work is rather close to me, as it's all based on my great grandfather who escaped from an Italian war camp, my idea was to create a first person view of how he escaped. This is one of the images I used, and it is meant to look like a war camp cage
This Is England,
Holland Park School
This series of plaster pieces is inspired by my exploration of British culture and its place in the modern world - something especially relevant after Brexit. Through creating these pieces I asked myself "What makes a British person British?". After being inspired by the work of Martin Parr, I conducted a photoshoot of far right group Britain First, and was inspired to create a work that reflected their harsh views, views which society deem abhorrent and immoral. I combined plaster and crockery to present alternate representations of Britain, a merging of the traditional and modern Britain, the exclusive and inclusive aspects to our society
Village Kids,
The Thomas Hardye School
The project focused on the idea of 'place', the meaning each person ascribes and what makes a location unique. Many assume village life is isolated and dull but, through this portrait, that stereotype is challenged. This photograph is part of a survey series, inspired by photographers such as Alec Soth. The portraits play a significant part in revealing the story of this place by attaching people to it. People have the ability to experience, interpret and shape a location which then, in turn, influences and shapes others' interpretation of a place. That is what I hope to achieve through this photograph
Smile, We're Watching
His and her's,
Cambridge Tutors College
This photograph is from a series which I photographed where I tried to show how the roles of the sexes are seen within the home. This young couple, despite education and emancipation still conform to traditional roles with the woman continuing to performing the majority of the housekeeping
Taboo ,
The Thomas Hardye School
This image is part of my series titled 'taboo'. I covered a range of issues that carry stigma from feminism to racism, all from the perspective of myself, a white male. This resulted in inappropriate, uncomfortable and controversial images, the aim was to be uncanny visually and mentally. I was inspired by the work of Torbjorn Rodland. This image was inspired by trophy hunting. The hippo foot can be seen to be crushing the subject showing the natural power of this animal, a role reversal of classic trophy hunting photographs
JOE,
King Edward VI School
This painting explores the relationship between humans and isolation. I was also experimenting with all the possibilities of portrait painting, including the impact of negative space on the canvas. I was inspired by my surroundings, at school and at home, and so the painting features my doorway to my room and a school uniform. I was influenced by the work of painters Euan Uglow and Robert Bevan, and artists such as the Impressionists, who relied on friends and family to model for them
The Supper,
The Thomas Hardye School
Exploring the concept of angst and alienation, I was influenced by the German Expressionists and painters including Harald Metzkes and Karl Hofer. My painting is about isolation and estrangement, emphasising the bleakness and despair that pervades humanity. I wanted to convey this through the closed off figures and austerity in the dearth of colour. It is a reflection on the self and on society
Scars.,
The Holt School
My father had a bike accident and suffered a broken wrist, and cuts and bruising to his face, which have left permanent scars. I first photographed him using angled lighting. From the photograph, this observational portrait was drawn in pencil to allow me to capture the detail of his swollen, distorted features and pained expression, particularly in his eyes, and to show how his face merged with the shadows that appear to cling to him
Mothers grasp,
Burford School and Community College
This piece features the hands of my mum grasping my brother's face tightly, which pushes the cheeks to create an interesting composition. The contrast between the rough drips of green and the calm and unwilling face of my brother are to show the difference in emotion of the two subjects
Dreadful,
ACS Hillingdon International School
Investigating themes relating to race, gender and sexuality, this piece is inspired by the sense of fear and prejudice experienced by people when encountering the unknown. In this photograph I am modelling the sculpture as an extension of my hair and identity as a young, black woman
Torso ,
The Thomas Hardye School
I created this piece using scrap wood to give the piece tonal and textural variety, and copper pipe which defines the form
Emaciated figure,
Cheadle Hulme School
My A-level project discussed the theme of emaciation and the effect that the world surrounding us has. I get particularly frustrated with narcissism in society due to people's obsession with the presentation of themselves and the whole facade that comes with social media and youth culture. This was my final piece made out of clay, based ironically of myself, which I find adds a personal aspect to the issues I am discussing in my work
Suffocating Stereotypes, 3,
The Grey Coat Hospital
I've been tackling the under-representation of Asians in the media, including the stereotypes and prejudices that we are confronted with. I decided to interview many young Asians, which gave me insight and inspiration to create visual content. Some things were particularly striking- someone had used the term 'suffocating' to describe how they felt about these issues as an Asian. I began creating work that evoked these feelings of suffocation, vulnerability, and oppression to demonstrate just how offensive and demanding these prejudices are; we internalise this racism and begin to doubt were we are from, and who were are as individuals
Fragility and Decay,
Thomas Rotherham College
I gathered inspiration from my own experiences with mental health as well as from Dutch still-life paintings that focus on deterioration of physical substances. The mind is extremely temperamental and can deteriorate very quickly, which I have portrayed by incorporating decay in my portraiture
Smile, We're Watching
George Offenbach
Holland Park School
We are watched by the mechanical eyes of our city for every moment we exist in public. I can't help but feel a cold stare as I go about my business, day to day, wondering who it is sitting behind the screens; observing. A feeling of intrusion, like I am living in the lens of a camera. Practically 'CCTV' has a purpose, but I find metaphorically it represents some form of controlled, institutionalised voyeurism. I wanted to explore and portray the city under the watchful eye of 'CCTV', (inspired by the work of Sun Xun) questioning the position of the voyeur – the Big Brother.
Adam's Apple,
Truro and Penwith College
This is a portrait of my friend Tom who identifies as a gay man, I have used photography to capture a piece of ephemeral performance art. Inspired by the costume art of Leigh Bowery I worked with Tom to present him in an outfit reminiscent of LGBTQ club kids in 90s New York. I have then appropriated the biblical story of Adam and Eve as a reference and response to the homophobic remark 'God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve'
Self Portrait with Headdress,
Bideford College
This photograph came as a result of a Robert Mapplethorpe inspired photoshoot. After taking multiple planned shots recreating his work I moved onto my own images, and this was one of them – a spontaneous pose simply taking inspiration from the mood and style of his portraits. I also aimed to create images which reduce perceived differences between genders, this image included, with an androgynous visual tone
White-wash,
The Thomas Hardye School
After watching Dunkirk, the movie, I read an article by Sunny Singh titled: 'Why the lack of Indian and African faces in Dunkirk matters'. This article angered me and acted as the initial spark for 'White-wash'. I was inspired by Christopher Chiappa and Mona Hatoum to create a performance piece to illustrate the removal of non-white narratives from the dominant account. Pouring the white cream slowly makes the individual disappear against the white background – masking them and removing their existence. The photographs are documentation of the performance
I Am
Angelica Cresswell
Barnet and Southgate College
This video is an autobiographical response to my experiences with mental health and hospitalisation. My previous diagnosis of Body Dysmorphic Disorder caused me to distort my self-perception resulting in delusional beliefs about my appearance. As a coping mechanism, I would isolate myself and fantasise of a 'better' reality in which I had undertaken many cosmetic surgery procedures. I used CGI to simulate this negative head space to demonstrate the deluded, artificial reality I felt trapped inside. Influencers were Louise Bourgeois and Gillian Wearing, who both used art as a device to communicate personal experiences and self-healing.
Squids
Springtime Symphony,
The Harrodian School
For my piece, I explored the theme 'Limitless' in Abstract art and Automatism. I focused on Kandinsky who was extremely suitable as his work does not have a beginning or end, nor does it depict explicit scenery. He removes all recognisable objects forcing the eye to continually move around the work. Kandinsky suffered from synaesthesia thus was able to express feelings and music through shapes and colours. By accessing my unconscious I created biomorphic shapes floating in vibrant colours, whilst being influenced by music and my current mood
binge,
Bideford College
I created a large scale sewn piece depicting the scenes of a table, post bingeing session to depict the day to day reality for someone who suffers with bulimia
J'adoube,
Thurston Community College
This piece, like my other works, is a communication of my internal experiences. The imagery is taken from my sketchbooks, and translated into the format of a chess game. The pieces become characters that I conceived, while the board becomes a map of my mind. The drawing started from a comic-strip depiction of the human brain, and now references the insanity of the likes of Where's Wally and Heinz Edelmann's 'Yellow Submarine'. Chess is a classical game of war, depicting a medieval battle. I have taken this meaning and twisted it into a metaphor for the mind, in particular mine
"Drawing",
Lady Margaret School
This piece is an embroidery on stretched canvas. It is based on my investigation of how we define drawing, during which I looked at accidental marks and drawings that we make subconsciously as we go about our lives. The image I embroidered is cropped from part of an essay which I wrote out and left out in my workspace to be marked and 'drawn' on, as a record of my everyday living. I wanted to contrast the strenuous process of embroidery with the instantaneous marks made without thinking. I was influenced by artists such as Tim Knowles who explore the nature of drawing
Black and white,
Concord College
I was inspired by transparency of white textiles and the symbiotic relationship between black and white. Dotwork style used helps to highlight the fragility of the structure and how lightweight this piece of white netting is. As a reference I've used two photographs taken by me and used both of them so that one flows into the other, which makes the piece look even more abstract
Femininity ,
Brighton and Hove Sixth Form College
I was inspired by Beckmann's use of the chaos and the macabre to draw attention to brutally real depictions of vulnerable people. In this image my mum is the tired performer representing how overworked she is as a GP, and yet how she is still expected to carry out domestic responsibilities. I am the clown because of my obsession with control. The girl on the ground is meant to be vulnerable in her own sexuality, but for herself not for patriarchal society. The disconnected phone represents the loneliness of how images of contemporary women owning their own vulnerability, and being complicated, are not present in society
space,
The Grey Coat Hospital
When wearing this piece any sounds made inside, even screams, become muffled whispers to listeners on the outside. This piece explores the juxtaposition between the freedom of self reflection, and the restricted perspective of the outside world as well as the obtrusive shape one develops when wearing the piece
Squids,
The Thomas Hardye School
In this series I wanted to explore the abstraction of natural form by creating a repeating motif but varying the colouration and texture. I achieved this through the use of Raku firing to get varied vibrant colours and smoking over a porcelain glaze for a matte grey finish. The tentacles of are made from copper pipe that has been heated to give it a coloured patina
Interior Architecture,
St Benedict's Senior School
Within this piece I wanted to explore the internal architectural spaces created by urban environment I live within. It was inspired by Anthony Caro's Early One Morning and the ability of his sculptures to explore space through both horizontal and vertical lines
Pedestrians,
Radnor House School
This photograph is of a number of tourists in Salzburg, in a central square. The shapes of the tarmac are reminiscent of an abstract composition, and the pedestrian's shadows act as slender caricatures of the person they mimic. I was most interested with this interaction between shapes in this photograph
Savium,
Queen Elizabeth's (Boys) School I became interested in examining the link between the clinical and the personal using an unconventional material. The intimacy yet inaccessibility of the word Savium also alludes to my ulterior (and superior) interest in the dichotomy between the clinical and the personal. I became intrigued in how the personal space of the body might be examined in a forensic manner. In the end this strange display successfully evoked the fundamental tension at the heart of dentistry; that of intimacy and distance, the personal and the sterile
All Eyes On Me,
Twyford CE High School
This photograph is one of the first I had ever taken on film, having been inspired by the likes of Robert Frank. This photograph captures Henri Cartier-Bresson's 'decisive moment'
Period Blud
Eva Nunney
Truro and Penwith College
In this film 'period Bud' I am exploring the stigma surrounding menstruation within society and the common opinion that this 'ugly' topic should be hidden, despite it affecting 50% of the population. This is majorly inspired by Maisie Cousin's photography, her gruesome presentation of women and grim honesty is brutally beautiful. This is something I have tried to convey through the use of truthful bloody imagery whilst also embracing the generic theme of glitter and pink that is thrust on girls.
(Song: 'Boys keep swinging', NO ICE)
Now online: the Young Artists' Summer Show
From lobster robots to cats in space, the first ever Young Artists’ Summer Show is filled with inspiring artworks by talented young artists aged 7-19 from the UK and beyond. Selected by artists from over 6200 submissions, enjoy the 329 artworks in the online exhibition.