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Tess Pirrie

Profession
BA Fine Art student
College
Central Saint Martins
Person Type
Student
Tess Pirrie

Biography

Tess Pirrie is from Glasgow, Scotland, and is a second year student on BA (Hons) Fine Art, at Central Saint Martins.

Interview

Why did you choose to study BA (Hons) Fine Art at Central Saint Martins?

I always knew I wanted to do a fine art course rather than specialise in something specific, e.g only painting. As I know my interests can vary so widely, I wanted to be on a course that encourages and accommodates that. CSM just seemed like such an exciting place to be, there is such a range of courses on offer that you’re guaranteed to be creatively influenced by everyone around you. Seeing the work of students on courses like graphics, fashion, product design etc. can be so inspiring in itself.

What’s the most interesting project you’ve worked on so far?

This year I’ve been making a lot of work inspired by a particular hill I’ve walked with my dad which has a plane crash wreckage on it, and all the storytelling that goes with that. I’ve gone from painting and printmaking to bookbinding and zine making, pushing my technical skills and combining them all to create a body of work I’m really proud of. Bringing in themes and ideas that are important to me personally and being able to share them with an audience feels very special to me.

Have you completed any work placements whilst being on the course?

Not yet, but next year I’ll be doing my Diploma in Professional Studies (DPS) and I’m planning to do some varied placements - assisting in a gallery, working in a film archive, and ideally working in a professional print studio. I’m also hoping to get the chance to do one of them in the USA or Canada, to experience a new landscape, something that would feed into my practice before starting my final year.

What important piece of advice would you give to students thinking of studying this course?

The most obvious, but important, thing is to come in every day! Other than that, go to every single workshop you have access to, ask any tutor if they could come talk about your work for a few minutes and read books in the library that have nothing to do with your course. Everyone there wants you to do well, and you would be doing yourself a disservice not to take full advantage of all the opportunities and facilities available. Try and experience everything you can because the time goes way faster than you think!

What has been the highlight of your Central Saint Martins experience?

The printmaking workshop is such a joy to work in. The technicians are incredibly helpful and encouraging, and I’ve met students from other courses I never would have otherwise. I had barely any knowledge of the countless printmaking processes there are, and in such a short time it’s become a major part of my practice. Every time I go in, I’m guaranteed to feel like I’ve done something productive, even if it’s just having a good chat with the people there.

What are your career aspirations?

This is the question everyone asks! I do see myself moving back to Scotland by then, and as for my career I hope to have a more solid answer after my DPS year. I’d like to keep making my own art, but perhaps be working in a museum’s archive or library, conserving and cataloguing other people’s work.

What is the most important thing you learnt on the course?

To not be afraid to put myself out there and commit to enjoying everything I can. There is so much to experience, people to meet, facilities to use that I might never get the chance to again. I’ve learnt to be disciplined with myself to take advantage of everything I can get my hands on. I know I’ve not got long left at CSM, and I don’t want to have any regrets about missing out on things once I’ve left.

Links

View more of Tess' work on her Instagram

View the BA Fine Art course page

Central Saint Martins

Contact

Telephone

+44 (0)20 7514 7444

Address

1 Granary Square
King's Cross
London
N1C 4AA