Introducing our 1525 Collective Members
1525 Collective are a group of creative and politically-engaged young people that meet up regularly at Nottingham Contemporary. Their ambition is to connect with people across the city, develop new and exciting ways of working together, and to take on the issues that matter to young people.
Find out more about the creative practices of our 1525 Collective members below...
George Dunbar
My Name is George Dunbar. I am a local artist. I am 22 years old and currently work at The National Justice Museum in Nottingham. I graduated last year from Nottingham Trent University with a first in Fine Art.
This came about from a long period of experimentation with materials in the workshops at Nottingham Trent University. I tested how different materials would behave under stress such as acid, intense heat, and exposure to water etc. I wanted to convey a sense of history, story, time and process in the finished work. I was examining the idea of what makes something a ‘completed’ artwork, and wanted to show the textures and materials of the media I used.
I was really inspired by Anselm Kiefer and his expressionist pieces using multi media and mark making. I loved the atmosphere he created in his work. He uses materials in a way that conveys their unique qualities. I was also greatly influenced by early photographic techniques which used chemicals on metal to develop the image. This made me think about the meaning of creating an image like a photograph. I wanted to convey the process of creating an image by having that process apparent in the final work.
Alessandra Centorbi
I'm a Decorative Arts student from NTU, I'm currently developing my skills in ceramics and 3D modelling, as well as illustration. I'm interested in learning and portraying different cultures around the world, but specially those where I come from, the Andes region of South America.
I made this digital illustration inspired by culture in South America, as it is a theme that I always enjoy to explore, my idea was to create three pieces that in someway represented the colonisation and the lost identity of the indigenous people of South America. In this series of illustrations I decided to portray three things, an indigenous woman from Brazil with a palm leaf hat, a mask and a hand holding some blueberries.
I think the only piece that needs some explanation is the hand that holds blueberries, this was the main symbol of colonisation as the woman is ripped of her traditional clothes, wearing a ruffled shirt and holding a fruit that it's not very common on her lands, blueberries.
My intention with this series was only to portray this part of history which for me seems very important, as recently we have started give importance to our indigenous past, no matter where we come from.
Sophie Chester-Nash
I'm Sophie Chester-Nash - a video artist and film director born and bred in Beeston, Nottingham. I studied Film Direction in Transforming Arts Institute in Madrid, Spain, and before that, was a Physics undergrad in London, and now still use scientific connection and foreign language in my films. Everything I make is a poetic interpretation of a significant social and political reality; and I don't care to be indifferent about it. I'm proud to bring the frame rate to the 1525 Collective.
@sophiedirector