Student Spotlight: Foundation Course 16/17

This week's Student Spotlight features one of our past Foundation Course students: Cameron Bridgeman

Tell us a bit about yourself:

My name is Cameron and I am 20 years old. I was born and raised in the Cayman Islands and have lived there my whole life. After finishing high school I moved to study in Edinburgh at Leith School of Art and I am still adapting to the slight change in climate. Although I do love my home country, I have had a great year away from home living and studying by myself.

Why did you choose Leith School of Art and this course in particular?

There are many reasons why I applied to study at Leith School of Art. One of them is that when I was much younger I attended the Young Artists Summer School here. I really enjoyed the courses so when I finished high school and it came to applying for courses overseas, Edinburgh was definitely a place I considered. I knew the school but not the courses it provided, I then looked at the Foundation Course and it was exactly what I wanted to do in preparation for applying to universities.

What has been your favourite project so far?

My favourite project so far has been my book sculpture project, In this project I made a series of books made out of scrap material found in junk yards and secondhand bookshops. The project was based on the fact that because of my severe dyslexia I have never read a book from cover to cover. I built these books to be seen more as objects rather than things of knowledge. This project was really exciting for me because it allowed me to not be afraid of expressing myself and making things very personal to me.

What are you working on now?

Currently I am working on my final project for the year. My project is based on mud-larking or beach combing with my family and friends. I was really interested in the idea of collecting objects and organising them. I wanted to create my own system of organising the sculptures that I had made which were based on the found objects. I like the way that the objects formed as the tide left them. I was also interested in making sculptures out of their shadows. The idea of turning something 2D into 3D and then finding a way to somehow organise the sculptures so that they make sense and are striking at the same time striking is the problem I am faced with.

How did the course help you to develop as an artist?

The course has exposed me to many different disciplines and ways of working. One of the important aspects of being an artist is the process involved in producing a project and that is something that I have found the tutors of LSA to be very helpful with. The course has also increased my confidence in being able to express myself in front of others.

What has surprised you most about your Leith School of Art experience?

Discovering a discipline that I hadn't been exposed to before, and learning how to make coffee for others!

What's next for you?

I will be going into second year of a BA(Hons) in Fine Art at The Glasgow School of Art, specialising in Sculpture and Environmental Art.

Describe Leith in 3 words:

Friendly, Encouring and Motivating.