News

Artwork created by Brookes alumnus presented to outgoing Chancellor Jon Snow

22 July 2008

A distinctive piece of photographic art created by Oxford Brookes Fine Art and MA graduate Marc Allen ’02 ’05 has been presented to Jon Snow, to commemorate the veteran broadcaster’s term of office as University Chancellor.

Jon Snow stepped down as Chancellor on Friday 11 July, to be succeeded by Shami Chakrabarti, and Marc was on hand to personally present his artwork. Marc creates Light Plays, drawings with light which are concerned with “removing light from fixed-form meanings”, as he explains on his website.

Since completing an MA in Contemporary Arts and Music in 2005, Marc has exhibited his works in a variety of locations, from local galleries like Modern Art Oxford to more distant destinations like Florida or Colorado. Marc’s studio is based in Oxford.

Marc said: “It was an honour to have my work selected as a gift to Jon Snow, and even more special to be there to present it to him. Jon’s response to his gift (my artwork!) was extremely positive and he seemed enthralled by the work and the visual philosophy behind it.

“I developed the art process I use in Light Plays during the years following the completion of my MA at Brookes. Essentially, I am painting or drawing with light, using the camera’s position and movement as my paintbrush. I do not manipulate any of the images after they are taken.

“The kinds of images I aim at creating are those where the image does not in any way evoke the original object and where they also stimulate an emotional response. It is like freeing light from fixed-form meanings.”