The Headspace exhibition brought together the work of students of Photography, Fashion, Graphic Design, Surface Design and Industrial Design in an explosion of colours, textures and shapes.
The exhibition, which was spread across three floors of the Design Building on the Cape Town Campus and two floors of the adjacent Student Centre, opened on 18 November 2008.
The title ‘Headspace’ alludes to the idea that, regardless of the discipline in which a student works, the creative process starts in the same place – the mind.
Dean of Informatics and Design Prof Johannes Cronjé opened the exhibition with a reminder that for the local design industry to flourish, South Africans should make a concerted effort to purchase the work local students. “It is part of our mission not just to be doers of jobs but to be creators of jobs,” he said.
The Industrial Design display exemplified the importance of students being able to both express their creativity and produce work that is functional and marketable. Vikki du Preez, who teaches History of Design, referred to two third-year projects – a prototype of an alarm clock and a model of a gaming console – to illustrate this point.
For the console, students were encouraged to come up with the most unusual concept they could imagine, and did not need to fit the device with working parts. For the clock, however, they had to work within the constraints of actual technology, and bring creative energy to a fully functioning object.
At the Graphic Design exhibition, artwork was not only on display but also being created. Third year student Kyle “Van Eck” Pase, whose interest lies in finding connections between graphic design and graffiti, was at the opening to paint his interpretation of the Headspace concept. Fellow third year Justin Poulter, who designed the poster used to promote the exhibition, created a dynamic accompanying mural on the opposite wall.
One of the primary features of the Fashion exhibition was the focus on providing a sound theoretical underpinning to commercially viable work. BTech student Nadia Lemmer created a sensuous range of garments for the fuller figure, influenced by the writings of Naomi Wolf. Also responding to the needs of contemporary women was Saara Jappie. Her vibrant Eastern summer clothes were conceptualised so that young Muslim women could wear stylish designs without compromising their values.
The Surface Design exhibition demonstrated the path that a student takes to developing a personal style. The first and second year displays saw students exploring the basic elements of design such as contrast and movement. The third year work brought the focus back to the designer as an individual. Students placed drawings of birds in an environment that represented the space in which saw themselves, and printed the results onto fabric. The material was stretched over three-dimensional frames resembling Herero figures. The overall effect was that of an African Village of surface designs.
The Photography exhibition also presented the results of individual creative journeys. In many cases, students travelled to remote locations in the country to capture the atmosphere of a place or a sense of the people who live there. The displays covered a variety of genres, including documentary, portrait and fine art photography.
“Each student has a body of work that speaks of personal development,” said Photography Lecturer Colin Adonis.
Jewellery Design opened its exhibition on 17 November 2008, prior to the Headspace launch.
Many of the students who exhibited at Headspace are in their final year of study and will enter the industry in upcoming months. The exhibition provided a taste of the exciting work that can be expected from this new generation of young designers.
By Ilana Abratt
Written by CPUT News
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