Highlands College served up an evening mixing queer punk, scrap metal and propaganda. Hosted by the School of Art and Media, the community gathered to appreciate the hard work graduates have put into their projects this year. From magazines to architecture to fashion, the work was incredibly varied, reflecting the niches of the artist’s who created them.
Frankie Gouveia came up with an outfit inspired by a love of punk, composed entirely out of pre-loved and up cycled materials. It was a striking conglomeration of colour, lace and patterns. Reworked jeans reference the Stonewall Riots of 1969, after which protestors wore lavender as a sign of solidarity. This is referenced in the blouse, reading ‘lavender is my colour’, which Frankie included as a symbol of empowerment for the queer community.
Punk appears to be popular amongst Highlands students, because it was also the inspiration behind Amy Parker-Rann’s work.‘The Metal Men’ was based on her visions of a ‘steampunk universe’, and inspired by Beauty and the Beast alongside the work of local artist Ian Rolls. Through composing statues made from scrap metal, Amy aimed to portray a sense of the randomness inherent in a child’s imagination.
Jack Smaller got political, creating a triptych of satirical cartoons. His illustrations were based around Russia, America and North Korea respectively, depicting the leaders of these countries in a cynical way. Talking about the inspiration behind his pieces, Jack said “through wit and manipulation of existing propaganda, I wanted to challenge ideologies and invite viewers to question what these political figures stand for”. He hopes to continue similar work at university, when he goes to study Graphic Design.
Evan Dos Santos is a photographer who shot for us this issue, after we were lucky enough to find him at the Creative Arts Showcase. His mock-magazine ‘Saturn’ depicts his dad as ‘Conor Steel’ – an alter-ego inspired by a series they both love. He used the project as a way of branching out from street photography, whilst capturing his dad in all his favourite fashions.
