What do you sea?

Why are things shaped the way they are? This is the question that drives MFA Art Science & Visual Thinking student, Georgia Crook, to look closer at the natural forms in our landscape, and one that she hopes visitors to this year’s Masters Show will take with them to look more closely at the shapes in the world around us.

“I am delighted that my work was selected to feature in this year’s marketing campaign for the show,” Georgia said. “I hope seeing my image creates a curiosity that encourages people to visit the show, and perhaps look at the natural works in a new way after they leave.”

Inspired by kelp (seaweed) viewed under a microscope, Georgia’s sculptural work is created using an experimental technique using paper and wax that she has explored in her previous work to create a 3D mould that is cast in bronze in the ’s on-site foundry at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design (DJCAD)

Molten bronze can reach temperatures of up to 1000C, however, the greatest challenge in producing the piece was how the molten metal would completely fill the mould without cooling down. To achieve this, Georgia included wax runners and risers in the mould to allow the gases to escape as the bronze flowed. 

Georgia is fascinated by morphology – why things are the shaped the way they are – and how this affects the way we perceive and experience our world. She has a particular affinity with the coasts, where one world meets another, so looking at a recurring feature of these marine environments under a microscope was an obvious starting point.

A microscope is a key tool to further our visual understanding of science, so much so that it has become an image synonymous with the idea of scientific discovery and advancing our knowledge of the world. 

Georgia’s work in the show is a continuation of exploring different forms over several years, however, she pushes this idea further to question exactly why she was drawn to these forms. 

“I hope that viewing my work will encourage greater curiosity about our natural environments, especially those which may seem alien or unknown,” she added.

“The more we know about them, the better we can live with them, and appreciate their unique, often invisible, qualities”. 

The annual exhibition will showcase the work of over 100 students from a range of disciplines covering Animation & VFX,  Art & Humanities; Art, Science & Visualisation,  Comics & Graphic Novels, Curatorial Practice, Design for Business, Drawing, Fine Art,  Forensic Art & Facial Imaging, Medical Art, Product Design, and Spatial Planning. 

The Masters Show will be open to the public from Saturday 24 August – Sunday 1 September in the Matthew and Crawford Buildings of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design (DJCAD). Opening times are Monday to Friday 10:00 – 16:00, with a late opening until 20:00 on Wednesday 28 August.

Entry to the exhibition is free, and no tickets are required.