With the continual debate over the financial feasibility of studying in England, Launch Collaborative poses a series of questions to four artists in order to discover their experiences and expectations of post graduate study at Royal College of Art.

Name David Fletcher

Short description of your practice

Small scale figurative painting

Why did you decide to go straight into an MA?

I thought it would be pretty cool if I went to the RCA, and didn't for a second consider the possible advantages of letting my practice develop further. Also I didn’t want to get a job.

What benefits do you think there are of doing an MA straight after your BA?

Having come straight from BA you are in a position of being extremely focused on your work, not having had the distractions of the ‘real world’. Related to this, I think perhaps not having had to struggle between making work and holding down a job etc gives you a certain disregard for the unique situation you are in. This can help you be less precious about the work you are making; I think in many ways this can be a positive thing.

Having completed your MA are you in the position you hoped you would be?

No. Obviously I hoped that I would get representation by a good gallery, and that I would be able to live off my work. This didn’t happen.

Do you feel your MA has helped you in your chosen career path, if so how?

Yes. I met a lot of people, both staff and students who by providing friendship, support and opportunities, have been invaluable in helping me to continue to focus on my practice

If you put yourself back to years, would you do anything differently?

Probably not. Although if I could just have that platform provided by the degree show right now, now that my work is so much more refined, more developed, maybe, just maybe I could…

Do you have any advice for those thinking about applying to do an MA in fine art?

Watch your waist. I put on two and a half stone through canteen food and beer. I think this was perhaps the manifestation of a kind of insidious laziness. Get your work done.

                                  

Name Nadia Visram

How long was it between completing your BA and starting your MA?

Two Years

Having completed your MA are you in the position you hoped you would be?

Having completed my MA I am not sure that I am in the position I expected to be in, but I am in a place where I feel much better equipped to deal with the art world, and much better prepared to attempt to make a career in it. I definitely feel better prepared for life after the institution than when I finished studying for my BA, and I feel in a totally different place - in a positive way. Immediately after my BA I felt slightly like I had jumped off into an abyss, and I wasn’t really sure what the next step was or how to practically sustain my practice outside of the institution. Whereas, after my MA, I feel I am prepared for the reality of sustaining my practice in the outside world, and I am prepared for the long haul and long slog of attempting make a career for myself in the art world. I feel more confident in the work I am producing, far more committed to my chosen career path, and I feel I have a realistic impression of the amount of work required in order to be able to maintain my practice after the institution. Honestly, I am not sure I knew where I hoped to be after my MA when I began studying for it. However, the course helped this become clearer throughout its duration, and I feel I am in the best position I personally could be in, in order to approach a career in the art world in the immediate future. I don’t regret studying for my MA at all.

Do you feel your MA has helped you in your chosen career path, if so how?

Yes, undoubtedly. My MA has given me the confidence to stand by the work I am producing, to interrogate it, and to be committed to it. After graduating from my MA I feel in a much more realistic position from which to continue my practice and to continue a career in the area I have chosen.

One of the most positive things I have experienced since graduating has been the opportunity to exhibit, present and discuss work with groups of friends I had been studying with. This has been a really great, and taking part in group shows has helped to keep the ball rolling and to maintain a routine of making work on a regular basis. Working with and staying in contact with people who are in the same position also helps to keep things in perspective and to keep my commitment going – working with and being able to talk things through with people struggling with the same things helps. Its also good to keep discourse around the work going, which is really important. Its also fun and much easier to get things done as a group. It’s also proved it is possible to keep things happening after, it just requires a lot of commitment, and hard work.

My current practice is related to the performative, and I am currently working in various mediums including film, video, installation and sculpture. Much of my work is site-reliant, and changes fundamentally once it has been removed from the site it was originally installed in. Due to the ephemeral nature of many elements of my practice, it can be difficult to access the commercial elements of it. However, I don’t regret this, and I don’t necessarily equate the success of my work or career with earning money from it. It can be difficult to balance my employment with my studio practice, but Im attempting it. My MA has given me the belief in my own practice needed in order to want to attempt it.

If you put yourself back two years, would you do anything differently?

No. But I would come into it with less fear. At times its easy to put yourself under a lot of pressure about the course - which is necessary sometimes - but at times it can prevent you from enjoying certain elements of it. I think an MA should be fun and enjoyable as well as hard work, not continuous fear and stress, which can happen at times if you don’t keep the pressures and stresses in proportion with why you’re there in the first place.

Do you have any advice for those thinking about applying to do an MA in fine art?

My advice would be to do it. I don’t regret any of it, and I am proud of what I achieved. My advice would be to research the course and place in depth. Find the right course for you and visit the place - the environment you’ll be studying in is important, make sure its somewhere you feel comfortable and able to work in. I took 2 years out before applying to study for an MA, and I initially regretted this gap. However, being on the MA course has made me appreciate this gap and the experience I gained whilst out of education. During these 2 years I gained experience working and volunteering in various art and design fields, but each of these experiences made me realise that studying art further and continuing to practice as an artist was what I wanted to do. Having a break after my BA did create a break in my practice, but having this forced break for a period of time did allow me to reflect upon my practice and realise what about it still interested me, and helped me to discover the work I really wanted to make. The application process for the MA also got me back into making work more consistently again, and made me feel enthusiastic about making work again too. The application process can be a good spur out of a lull too, and the 2 years out helped me gain some perspective on my work, and allowed me to realise that an MA was what I really wanted to do and that I genuinely wanted to be committed to trying to study for it. I was very lucky and had a lot of support whilst applying for my MA, and this helped immensely. A painting tutor from my BA, Claire Carter, helped and supported me a great deal, and I think discussing your application with anyone is extremely beneficial – it enables you to see what is coming across from what you are putting forward. My advice is to do an MA, but to do it at the right time for you, when it will be beneficial to you and your practice - whether this is straight after BA, or after a period of time out, however long this may be.

 

                           

Name Neil Ayling

Short description of your practice

Abstracted constructions examining the relationship of image and structure, exploring parallels between architecture and the ephemeral nature of both temporary structures and graffiti.

Why did you decide to go straight into an MA?

I actually took two years out between BA and MA. I would definitely do the same again if I went back in time. It was a great chance to live in the World outside the bubble of an institution. I gained a lot of experience in the field working for Anthony Caro. Also, it made me want it more (doing my MA) you really appreciate the time spent on your own work and realise what a privilege it is to do so.

What benefits do you think there are of doing an MA straight after your BA?

I quess you would have the chance to carry on directly with the work you had been doing on the BA. You'd be on a roll!

Having completed your MA are you in the position you hoped you would be?

I would say yes. It was really from my time doing my MA that my worked developed 10 times quicker than if I was doing it amongst a full time job. The tutors and fellow students at the RCA made it the perfect environment to work.

Do you feel your MA has helped you in your chosen career path, if so how?

Again I would say yes, absolutely, without my MA body of work and end show I wouldn't have been seen by a gallery- I'm now with Eb&Flow gallery who represent me and they saw my MA show, saw what I was doing after my MA and signed me. I do think there are more opportunities gained by doing an MA. That's not to say those same opportunities wouldn't be available to artists that haven't done an MA but perhaps might take longer or certainly wouldn't come in such a concentration of time (the 6 months after an MA).

If you put yourself back to years, would you do anything differently?

No not really. I'm glad I didn't go straight on to an MA after BA. It wasn't a shock leaving as I had already worked in the field in the 'real World'. Others on my MA who had come straight from BA did find it hard to adjust and perhaps found it an anti climax.

Do you have any advice for those thinking about applying to do an MA in fine art?

Research the institution, research the staff. They will be the ones guiding you so you need to get on with them and the place needs to be right for you and your work. Otherwise you won't get the most out of it! You don't want to realise that a few months in and then just ride it out. That would be a waste of time and money!

Also don't worry about the money. Get in and worry about that after... There's always career development loans and grants and bursaries once your there. And part time work. Getting a part time job is good along side your MA- it makes you manage time effectively and sometimes it's not healthy being in the studio 6days a week!

 

                                    

Name Wayne Adams

What have you been doing since you completed your BA?

I moved to London, I have worked for various art institutions and galleries, also ran my own gallery for a couple of years - recently i have set up a recording studio.

Have you managed to continue with your artistic practice as you had hoped since completing your BA? And if so how?

At first I did, then I ended up having to make a choice between art and music for a couple of years. recently it has been on my mind again to make new work.

What do you think are the benefits and draw-backs of having a break between your BA and MA?

I really don't see any drawbacks of taking a break. You benefit from having time to reflect on what you want from a MA, also going back into an institution after time out gives you perspective on what you can get out of a course/institution.

What prompted your decision to apply for an MA now?

After leaving a gallery manager roll in London 6 months ago, it felt like the right time. I had ended up in a position where I was helping others show work that I wasn’t particularly interested in, I felt the need to have some time to refocus on what I am interested in, and an MA is the perfect place for this.

What do you hope to gain from your MA?

Focus.