A talented north-east artist who challenged “boy racer” culture with her degree show project is preparing for a prestigious national exhibition.
Former Peterhead Academy pupil, Gemma Jamieson, has been a racing enthusiast on the banger circuit at Crimond Airfield for years.
But when she prepared for her Robert Gordon University degree show, the 24-year-old’s provocative crashed car installation was a statement of the frightening damage that a collision can cause.
Now, Miss Jamieson’s work will feature at the Royal Scottish Academy’s eighth annual New Contemporaries exhibition in Edinburgh.
The show – which begins today and runs until Wednesday, March 30 – offers 61 graduates from Scotland’s art and architecture schools the chance to launch a career at one of the country’s most high-profile venues.
Miss Jamieson, who graduated from Gray’s School of Art with an Honours degree in Printmaking, said she was delighted to be exhibiting at the show, although she has chosen a stark alternative from the petrolhead route.
She added: “Although I received the RSA award with my crashed car, I sadly couldn’t take it to Edinburgh for the show.
“However, I am keeping with the banger theme and making numerous printed embroidery hoops all containing banger cars and parts.
“My project shows that, despite everything that happens in a race and all the money that goes into it, it is still a hobby and I’ve chosen to show that through a very girlie interest.”
Among the other Gray’s graduates chosen to exhibit is Hannah Murray from Inverness, who graduated from the Painting course last year.
The 22-year-old said: “It’s a massive opportunity to have my work exhibited at the RSA as part of New Contemporaries and I’m really excited to see my work up on the wall among all the other artwork.
“In terms of career development, New Contemporaries offers me the opportunity to expose my work to a far wider audience than I have ever done before so who knows what it could lead to in the future?”
A variety of cash grants and prizes will be awarded during the exhibition, as well as a residency and studio memberships.
For more information on the exhibition, visit www.royalscottishacademy.org
