Ursula Utting - BFA (Fashion Design)
After completing bursary in English, Art History, Photography, Painting, and
Design Ursula was aware of her creative bend but did not a strong leaning
towards one discipline. She planned to attend Wellington Polytechnic and study
Graphic Design but a turn of events meant she left her home town of Wellington
to live and work in London for two years. It was while working for an
advertising co. there that Ursula met some truly inspiring people
(illustrators, musicians, and models) and became interested in a career within
the fashion industry. After travelling for several months Ursula returned home
at the end of 1999 and quickly moved up to Auckland.
Ursula found the description of the Whitecliffe Fashion Design major
inspiring and the low tutor to student ratio appealing. She knew she wanted to
study fashion and whilst Ursula knew the technical skills were important to
gain, she also knew her artistic side was what needed to be developed to
genuinely have a creative career. At Whitecliffe Ursula developed her keen
sense of personal design.
When asked what she achieved at Whitecliffe Ursula replied 'So much'.
Whitecliffe was enabling. It taught me techniques for making art, gave me real
contacts in the fashion industry and confidence to make the most of those
contacts, and most of all it taught me how much I am capable of. Now that I
have been working for four years many people I meet don't know how creative I
am, but my friends and family who know what I achieved at Whitecliffe or even
saw it for themselves at our end of year shows constantly remind me how
talented I am. They will hold me accountable to actually getting on with it and
doing my own thing one day, and they are all so encouraging. This is something
that continually buoys me and I have my years of study at the college to thank
for getting ideas out of my head and into the open.
Ursula is currently working at Trelise Cooper as Production Co-ordinator for
the 'Cooper' range.
Geoff Suvalko - Diploma Fine Arts (Graphic Design)
From Croatian descent Geoff was born in Whangarei before moving to Auckland
to attend Whitecliffe College of Arts & Design. When looking at tertiary
education Geoff selected Whitecliffe as he knew he wanted to do something
creative but didn't really know what that might be. Whitecliffe helped Geoff
see what can be achieved in the creative industries and he graduated with
honours.
From here Geoff moved to Wellington with his wife Maxine and daughter Hannah
before the arrival of his two boys, Zach and Jacob. In Wellington Geoff began
hi career at Designworks, a leading branding and identity design group here in
New Zealand. For the last 10 Geoff has been Creative Director as well as being
a principal in the firm. This has allowed him to work with a huge amount of
different clients and projects from branding beer to branding an airline. His
skill and experience has also seen him be involved in judging the D&AD
awards.
Not only is Geoff ingenious when it comes to his work but he lets that
creative streak out when dealing with his other passion, travel. Highlights so
far include diving the Poor Knights and snow mobiling the Vatnjokull Ice Cap in
Iceland.
Geoff is currently finishing up his work at Designworks before heading off
to the USA to study again. In his own words, "That was chapter one, now its
time for chapter two..."
Roanne Jacobsen - BFA
Designer of Saben accessories.
Over the last seven years Saben has carved out a niche for itself as New
Zealand's top accessories brand. The handbag label is stocked by almost 50
retailers throughout New Zealand, Australia, and now Europe. For more
information go to: www.saben.co.nz
Francis Potter - BFA
Francis is a competent artist with a flare for dynamic composition making
him a popular and successful exhibitor both here in New Zealand and England. He
has travelled and lived in various overseas countries, maintaining and
supporting is passion for the art of different cultures. Currently he is
represented in New Zealand by the Monterey Art Gallery and the Blue Orange
Gallery.
Click
here or here
to view Francis' work.
Katherine Simpson - BFA
Katherine graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Auckland's
Whitecliffe College of Arts &Design in 1997. She has gone on to regularly
exhibit her powerful compositions at dealer galleries since then attracting
attention from noted art critics such as T.J. McNamara for her show Y-Y in
Auckland in 2003.
Matt Dowman - BFA
Matt explores the rapidly expanding world of graph art and its relationship
with painterly traditions. His work is generated by a mining of the constantly
evolving languages of graph art as it is observed in the street, on tee shirts,
in magazines and on the net. Matt is represented by Vavasour Godkin Gallery,
and also teaches as a Fine Arts faculty member at Whitecliffe. Click here to
view Matt's profile.
Robin Barnaby - MAAT
Robin's thesis was titled "Developing peer friendships among adolescents
with an intellectual disability using dramatherapy".
This led to the position in Auckland of Communication and Behaviour Specialist
for IDEA Services (formerly IHC). Robin has twenty years experience working in
communities such as youth at risk, drug and alcohol and people with
intellectual disabilities. Presently, she has been contracted by the Ministry
of Health to develop a "demonstration service" that will provide intensive
support to children and young people in Auckland with Autistic Spectrum
Disorder.
Robin is no stranger to Whitecliffe College. From 1995 to 1998 she worked as
the Continuing Education Co-ordinator and Student Liaison Officer.
Carrie Skinner and Amanda Levey - MAAT
Directors of MARCO - Movement, Art, Rhythm, Creative Opportunities
MARCO, located in Eden Terrace, Auckland, is a non-profit charitable trust with
an arts therapy centre, gallery and studio space. The role of the centre is to
give people a sense of self-worth and improve their lives through
self-exploration and a variety of art practices. Group activities include yoga,
children's art, plus visual and expressive therapy classes. Founding members
are Carrie Skinner, Amanda Levey and Jill Segedin. For more information about
the MARCO Trust visit their website at www.marco.org.nz
Pam Young - MAAA
After completing a Dip FA at Whitecliffe in 1988, Pam managed the
Whitecliffe dealer Gallery in Parnell from 1989 - 1991, continued to paint,
exhibit and teach privately. In 1992 Pam took up an administrative position at
Whitecliffe at the old Grafton campus
From 1995, this role became the Director of Admissions and after completing
her MA AA Pam took up the position of MFA Programme Co-ordinator. In 2005, this
was extended to include umbrella management of all four of the Postgraduate
programmes. Pam is also involved as a Dissertation Research Supervisor.
Pam credits the MA AA degree for providing her with the means to achieve
career promotion.
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Patricia Long - MFA
When asked why she came to Whitecliffe and what she achieved here, Patricia
Long replied "I researched possible places where I could achieve what I
perceived I desired. I wanted the authority to know the theory and the practice
of art. Whitecliffe had the potential to do this. I believe that Whitecliffe
provided the climate and collegial support that was appropriate for me to
achieve my goals. I learned to walk my own path by means of very professional
studio and research and critique development, to resolve personal conundrums;
to 'know' and to have faith in my skills to use the art processes for my own
visual expression and to seek meaning in the art of others."
Since graduating in 2006 Patricia has continued her personal ongoing
research, unceasing experimentation and questioning and knowledge of what is
going on in the 'art world'. She has also had one solo exhibition, and 3 group
shows with more in the pipeline.
Sheryl O'Gorman - MFA
As a married Mother of adult children Sheryl was passionate about art with a
particular bend towards painting. She was attracted to Whitecliffe by not only
the tutors but the structure of the Master of Fine Arts programme.
During her time at Whitecliffe Sheryl not only succeeded in gaining her MFA
but also in redefining her boundaries, and in widening her horizons
intellectually.
Since graduating Sheryl has had several exhibitions in Northland and
Auckland.
Rosina Kamphuis - MFA
Rosina was born in the Netherlands, but immigrated to New Zealand as a
child. After earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in 1995 from the Royal
Academy of the Arts in The Hague, Rosina returned to New Zealand in 1998,
working on the Civic Theatre Hoardings creating the mural 'Ode to Freda Stark'
and won the Merit Award.
In 2003 Rosina was awarded the Master of Fine Arts Degree, First Class Honours
from Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design in Auckland. Exhibitions that
followed include Adultus in Aotea Centre 2003.
Rosina is a Tutor at the Corban Estate Arts Centre in Waitakere City. Below
are links to some of Rosina's art work.
Rosina invites you to her studio at 14 Lincoln Road, Henderson. You can
contact her on (09) 838-6315 or by email kamphuis@ihug.co.nz
Rosina's official website can be visited HERE
Zoe Nash - MFA
Zoe Nash graduated from Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design in 2002 with
a Master of Fine Arts degree. Prior to this, she had spent many years working
in the graphic design industry focusing on print media and publication design.
With partner, Ron Mackie, Zoe set up the successful recording studio 'Loudmouth
Productions' in 2003. 'Loudmouth' is currently the recipient of three
consecutive and successful New Zealand on Air funding applications, enabling
the ongoing creation of a weekly children's radio show called 'That's The
Story'. 'That's The Story' goes to air every Sunday morning from 7-8am on the
Classic Hits network nationwide. The programme also hosts an interactive
website at: www.thatsthestory.co.nz
'Loudmouth' also creates jingles, provides voice work, and is the team
behind many a successful advertisement. Zoe now divides her time between the
worlds of fine art, graphic design and children's story writing. She currently
works as a part-time tutor at Natcoll (design technology) in Auckland, where
she teaches graphic design and creative practices. When not there, she can be
found at her Queen Street studio further developing her recent body of artwork
based on obsession, repetition and pattern, or at the 'Loudmouth' studios.
Zoe's mixed media entry "Two Women Reminisce Over A Cup Of Tea While Listening
To The Radio" was selected as a finalist and for exhibition in the 2004 Trust
Waikato National Contemporary Art Awards. In 2003 she received the Whitecliffe
College of Arts and Design Scholarship and, together with Vicki Catlow and Akky
van Der Velde, exhibited the group show 'Peel' both in Hamilton and on Waiheke
Island. Zoe also holds a Certificate in Tertiary Teaching (MIT, 2005) and a
Bachelor of Arts Degree (University of Auckland, 1991).
Heather Hourigan - MFA
The Master of Fine Arts degree programme gained from Whitecliffe College of
Arts and Design 2001, provided me with the environment to change and become
connected with my own creative processes. This moved my art into a contemporary
style of building up and abrading many layers using pigments, rabbit skin glue,
powdered marble on marine plywood. I liked to think that the viewer got a sense
of the time that had passed in the execution of the works. In other words, each
painting has a sense of history which I see as an inscription of my journey
through that particular painting.
My new work in process is influenced by digital media, photography and the
moving image, where I am taking my layering processes hopefully to more
innovative levels. Working on the interface between the photographic and the
painted mark on aluminium and glass, is enabling me to produce ambiguous plays
with actual marks, reflections, transparencies and shadows.
I have recently been presented with a new opportunity to work with still and
moving images for 'Tarnished Frocks and Devas' 2007. A Tauranga based
performance/retro fashion show. I see this as an exciting extension to my work,
this time with manipulation of still and moving imagery and the open ended
possibilities that can be produced, through computer manipulation of digital
film. I will be working with Vanessa Hamman film maker/writer.
www.houriganart.com
Kay Scott - MFA
Kay graduated with an MFA from Whitecliffe in 2004. She is currently in
Italy completing the first of two large oil works depicting the destruction of
the town of Cassino during WWII. Following her exhibition at this museum in May
and June this year, these paintings were commissioned for the entry to the
Cassino War Memorial Museo della Battaglia di Cassino. She will complete the
second work, the ruins of the Cassino camponile, on site in 2006.
www.cassinowarmuseum.it
John Horner - MFA
John is a Senior Lecturer in the Fine Arts Department at Whitecliffe. He has
been with Whitecliffe since 1985 and offers a wealth of knowledge, experience,
insight and talent to our students. As a high school teacher from 1968-1985,
John was the Head of the Art Department at Westlake Boys High.
John is an Honours graduate from the Elam art programme at the University of
Auckland and was a student of Garth Tapper and Colin McCahon. He was made a
Fellow of the Royal Society of Art in 1995 and a Samoan High Chief in 1998.
John completed his Master of Fine Arts with Honours in 2003.
On a personal level John is interested in railways, both as models and in real
life. His Masters concentrated on the topic of railway art.
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