Graduate Profiles

Jo Langford

Painting/Sculpture Pathway

I studied painting and sculpture in the Media Arts programme at Wintec. During my time at Media Arts I really appreciated the openness between departments (painting, sculpture, film and design). This flexibility allowed me to branch into various areas, tailoring my education to suit my own practice and interests. Technically this was good as it gave me opportunities to access equipment from across departments.

I appreciated the critical feed back from tutors and the new work and artists that they introduced me to. I found it beneficial to observe how the tutors managed their own art careers and found practical information that they provided about practicing and exhibiting very helpful.

Media Arts supplied me with an excellent basis for further study and I have gone on to pursue a career as a practicing artist. I have participated in solo and group exhibitions around New Zealand. Some of my recent exhibitions have included The Big Rock Candy Castle, a house constructed from Hundreds and Thousands biscuits and Beyond Nowhere, a work constructed from plastic bags, skewers , fans and electrical components.

I really enjoy using temporal materials and my work often appears fragile and transitory. I like creating installations that grow from simple elements and create networks of playful spaces, evolving into their own world and set of governing rules.

After media arts I went on to do my masters at Canterbury University. I found it very beneficial to do the extra few years of study. I found this time helped to cement some of the habits of practicing and it was great to create a community of friends, a lot of whom are still fellow practitioners. I find it very important to have these friends to discuss work with and to get critical feedback from.

I have found that there are many residency opportunities and these can financially allow me to do studio work for longer periods of time. My most recent residency 'The Olivia Spencer Bower' supported me for a year and provided accommodation and a studio.

I am currently working on a solo show for the Jonothan Smart gallery and a show curated by Emma Bugden at Te Tuhi in Auckland named 'Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf'. I am then hoping to go to Europe in June to catch the Venice Biennale and Documenta then I am doing a residency in Wanganui 'Tylee Cottage' for a few months.