“A university is not a home”
NOTE: At the original time of writing this article, and the original time of deciding to make this project, I had some resentment towards the university. Since then, and having continued with my studies, and reject the notions that lead me to create this project. This article and project is in no way to offend the University as an institution, if anything I feel these images are a celebration of it, and a relflection of the journey it has taken me on.
The following article has been revised.
In my time studying at university, I found myself becoming increasing frustrated with the culture that surrounds universities today. I found myself at the time studying in the Fine Arts department, perhaps the department where culture has the strongest of influences on the work it’s students create and values they hold.
I often label myself as a socialist [or anti-centrist], being in an institution which is generally left leaning had my hopes up that others would share my ideas. However on occasion I did experience fear (as well as many other students whom I had talked to about this exact issue) of being cast out for my opinions. Everyone want’s their peers and lecturers to politically align with them, as it simply makes the process of conversing on day to day topics more simple.
It is clear there is a strong left leaning attitudes in the arts side of university institutions, nobody is debating that. I am not against this at all. However as a center for learning, it does feel like sometimes attitudes are not allowed to be challenged, despite often being on the far left of politics myself.
The University of Canterbury’s Brutalist architecture style is drawn from the roots of Russian Constructivism. I created this collection of images to poke fun at the idea of this institution having many strongly left leaning attitudes housed within it, as if a section of the soviet union still stands, but living on the other side of the world to where those events took place.
A University isn’t a home. That’s not what it is. It’s a place to be confronted by, often, horrible ideas. You want to learn about history? You think that’s going to be safe? Do you know what human history is like? It’s and endless BLOODBATH with a certain amount of hopeful progress underlying it. It’s a HORROR SHOW. And great literature is like that. And Biology is TERRIFYING. And Physics is TERRIFYING.
~ Author Redacted
Max Killoh Creative 