Paul Tranter is a MA Fine Art student. He recently won the ‘Overbury Industry Challenge’ – a competition offered by the university in partnership with EY and Overbury. In this blog, he talks about what the Challenge involved and also what he enjoys about his course.

Course: MA Fine Art

Tell us a bit about yourself, why you chose to study your course and what interests you the most about the subject area?

Following my father’s death from cancer in July 2021 my mental health really suffered, and during a period off work my partner asked what I would do if I didn’t return to work. I instantly said I’d love to do an art degree. So I explored my options, was pointed in the direction of doing an MA rather than undergraduate study (I’d been a member of the Leeds Print Workshop for five years at this point), and here I am at Leeds Beckett. 

I love the process of making art, but what has surprised me most is how much enjoyment I’ve got from doing my research. Looking into the work of other artists, attending exhibitions and talks. It's all so stimulating, and always leads to more ideas to inform my own practice.

What have been your highlights of the course so far? 

Getting to experiment and play! I’ve created quite a few works in the studio and just having that space to try out ideas, experiment and make a mess, is invaluable. I also really enjoyed the degree show we were part of at the end of my first year. Again, much of my work was in response to the space and was made in the space. 

I’ve also enjoyed working in the new White Column gallery and getting to see work by Turner Prize winning artist Jeremy Deller. A new area of making for me in my second year has been the production of artists books, or bookworks, something I’m pretty sure I would never have tried if I hadn’t been at Leeds School of Arts. And, overall I guess, just having the time to fully immerse myself in art.

Can you tell us about winning the Overbury Industry Challenge? What did the work involve and what does it mean to you to be recognised for it? 

Well, first of all I feel very honoured. It’s great to have your work recognised and the competition was tough, I liked so much of the other student’s work! We were given a brief by EY and Overbury for the competition, setting out the themes they hoped the winning works would explore. That included the history of Wellington Place in Leeds where EY’s new offices are based. But also the new use of the space. I did a lot of research about the history of Wellington Place. It was a major transport hub during the industrial revolution. There were at least two railway stations alongside the current Leeds station. Warehouses and factories making everything from electric lighting to soap. The River Aire and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal also run along the south side of the site. 

I also researched the new development, creating a colour palette from the sales brochure and current images on Wellington Place. I then created two series of silkscreen prints which incorporated the images I’d found and incorporated colours from the palette I’d created. Having seven of those prints selected to be displayed in EY’s offices is just great. The effort and hard work that went into them paid off!

What are your plans for when you complete the course? 

I’m hoping to be accepted to study a PhD in Creative Practice at Leeds Beckett. I’m really interested in exploring themes around landscape and memory, around boundaries, division, migration, but very much focused in the landscape where I live in Wharfedale and the Washburn Valley. I’ve already got lots of ideas and materials, so I’m hoping to continue that area of my artistic practice.

What would you say to someone who is thinking about studying the course?

Just do it! What has been great about the MA in Fine Art at Leeds Beckett is being encouraged to try new things, to be challenged to step outside your comfort zone and to think outside the box. That’s not necessarily what you get on other MA courses. Here you are not constrained by a proposal setting out your direction of travel at the outset, it's more about a journey of discovery.