I remember Kane Calì from my Foundation Diploma days at MCAST Art & Design. He left for the UK a year before I did in search of “a higher standard of education”. Even though we barely see each other anymore, his constantly evolving work posted on Facebook is hard to ignore, which is why I’m sharing it with you here along with his “journey”.
Since many Maltese students aspire to study abroad, I asked Kane to tell me a bit about his experience from studying 3D Character animation in Middlesbrough to 3 Dimensional Design: Ceramics in Farnham.
I just wanted to leave the island
As far as I can remember it was in 2004 that I and another student decided that it would be a good idea to leave MCAST and go study abroad. Back then, being the impulsive hypocrite that I was, I didn’t really put much effort into looking at different universities.
I just wanted to leave the island in search of a ‘higher standard of education’. Little did I know how far from the truth (or the expectation) this was to be! With applications through, and a place on the course guaranteed, I found myself packing my bags and making my way to the airport. I was off to the UK to read for a degree in ‘3D Character Animation’ at the University of Teesside in Middlesbrough.
I found myself in the middle of a place where you had to watch your back at all times.
I remember leaving on the 1st of September (being my birthday makes it hard to forget). Having gone to the UK before on holiday, this ignorant fool was expecting to receive a similar vibe to that felt in central London. Little did I know that being in the North of the country changes everything! The accent in this place was so strong that I could barely understand a thing of what was being said and had to ask people to repeat themselves countless times, making me feel a little bit more out of place than I was already feeling. I knew that I’d eventually pick up the accent and be fine with it; the only thing I probably wouldn’t, or rather, didn’t get used to, was the depressed state that Middlesbrough found itself in.
Until I got there no one had mentioned what a hell hole Middlesborough really was. With one of the highest crime rates in the country I found myself in the middle of a place where you had to watch your back at all times. If you walk, you walk in groups, if you talk; just put your phone in your pockets or they’ll mostly likely be snatched by some Chav on bicycle. I basically felt that I was part of a regeneration project where a massive university was placed in the middle of a town that desperately needed students to provide a better circulation of monetary funds.
Tutors wouldn’t show up on a regular basis, come in to class looking like they drank too much
Not only was the place horrible, but the course (supposedly the 1st/2nd best place in the country to study Character Animation) was very poorly run, where tutors wouldn’t show up on a regular basis, come in to class looking like they drank too much and where teaching techniques where taught through the software’s ‘help’ button. It was ridicules, unsafe situation and I was not staying for it! I spent 2 years in Middlesbrough where in the 2nd year I decided to start looking yet again for another university that would offer this ‘supposed higher education’. At the time I was in contact with a few old friends from MCAST who had also moved to the UK to study.
They suggested looking into the university they were studying as well as a few others so I went on a little road trip around the south of England in search for my ‘dream’ university. I looked at places such as Central Saint Martin’s, Bath University and UCA (The University for the Creative Arts). Having had a bad experience with 3D Character Animation I somehow couldn’t envisage myself re-applying for a similar course. This time I was looking for a more design based course that involved hands on interaction with the creation of ‘things’. Being impressed with the atmosphere and facilities at the UCA in Farnham, as well as the added bonus of having friends already studying there, I chose the UCA above the rest.
This small quaint town situated in the south west of England felt safe and gave me the atmosphere to focus on what was most important to me, my studies
I started my new degree in 3 Dimensional Design: Ceramics in September 2007, instantly feeling the difference in Farnham. This small quaint town situated in the south west of England felt safe and gave me the atmosphere to focus on what was most important to me, my studies. In the first year of my course I remember being bombarded with a ton of information on ceramics and the techniques that pertained to the discipline. It was vast, and I loved it!
By the second year however, things took a turn for the worse due to the economic climate. Jobs were being cut and most of our tutors where being put on a part time employment basis, thus demoralising them and affecting their attitude at university. I can only say that this was definitely the case with the head tutor of ceramics. He became distant and lost the enthusiasm he was so well known for in the first year. He was no longer spending time with use disusing ideas, technical issues and so on.
Again, I was faced with a course that was falling apart; so once again I had to adapt
Again, I was faced with a course that was falling apart; so once again I had to adapt. Since glass and ceramics are both closely related on a chemical level I decided to give glass a try. So for one of the units given I chose to produce an artifact in glass (to test the waters, as it were). I felt instantly drawn to glass for its translucent, smooth, sharp, reflective and dichroic(changes colour) seductive properties. After the unit was completed I had a word with my tutors and decided to move to the glass department. My 3rd and final year would prove to be challenging since I had a year to learn what took most students 3 years to accomplish.
Driven by sheer enthusiasm for the material, I was in the studio every day
Driven by sheer enthusiasm for the material, I was in the studio every day experimenting with different types of glass as well as new types of digital technologies. Having a background in 3D modeling due to my previous (horrible) experience, I thought it would be great to combine the virtual with the tangible, or rather, bring the virtual into the tangible spectrum of ‘reality’. With machines such as rapid Prototypers and Laser Cutters, all this was made possible. This sort of interaction with technology creates work that is very controlled and great for architectural use.
As a designer/maker, I plan to keep on pursuing new ideas that involve digital technologies simply because I am a control freak and aside from that I love simple yet complex organic/geometrical designs. In saying that, I do hope that this is apparent in my latest work. For it is not only important for me to see this, but also for all to see this, such is true of the actor that not only feels the emotion but is also able to portray it to his audience.
All I have to say to my experiences over the past 5 years of my short existence, is that a lesson is always learnt, but more importantly it is best learnt the hard way, just don’t make it harder than its supposed to be.
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