Peter J Evans: Visual Performance BA(Hons) graduate
For Peter J Evans, creating art is all about ideas. His unique multidisciplinary approach encompasses sculpture, drawing, installation, writing and performance and has taken him all around the world. But it was in the South West, at an open day, that his path became clear.
"I remember very clearly why I chose the College," Peter explains. "We were immediately given a freedom that I hadn't seen anywhere else. After the open day interview we were allowed to look around and see what was going on, and every door I opened there was someone doing something different, totally engrossed - it was a real draw."
That initial freedom Peter experienced carried through to his studies. "What really appealed to me was being able to do everything and anything," he says. "We weren't restricted by course title, and instead were taught simply to have a really clear idea of what we were doing and how to place it. This enabled me to explore my ideas through all artforms; something I really valued."
In 2006, an unexpected vacancy in the programme at the Baltic Gallery in Gateshead gave Peter the chance to exhibit his work - a real turning point in his positioning as a multidisciplined artist. This led to a residency in Beijing, where he experimented with mediums and ideas before returning to the UK to work on a large-scale solo exhibition, Feedbacker - currently touring the country. "It's about the interlacing of all things - tracing lines and interactions through moments," Peter explains of the exhibition, and ultimately his practice. "There isn't one single underlying theme; rather it considers the totality of life - an attempt to understand things through a visual language. The freedom of artistic exploration is essential for that."
With another exhibition currently at the Henry Moore Institute in Leeds, a print portfolio in progress and plans to publish a book later this year, Peter is resolute that being a successful exhibiting artist doesn't have to mean being a specialist. This is something he is happy to trace back to his time at the College: "For me, the grounding I gained through learning that artforms aren't mutually exclusive and that I could explore and use them as I see fit couldn't be more significant," he concludes. "It positioned me to move freely and that is something which underlies every aspect of my practice today.
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