The Herald Degree Show Review

In a five-star review, writer Evie Glen from The Herald reviews Degree Show 2026. The opening paragraphs read:

“How do you make your art stand out among a collection that spans six floors and 159 artists? Judging by the work of this year’s fine art graduates of Glasgow School of Art, you have at least three options: shock, confusion or a comfy seat. When done wrong, all three become cheap tactics to buy the viewer’s scarce attention with no depth or intrigue to hold it beyond an instinctual reaction. Shock becomes empty provocation, confusion becomes over-conceptualised guff, and comfort encourages us to settle with work that is too safe.

“When done right, however, an artist can usefully appeal to these instinctual reactions with the higher purpose of turning them into more profoundly moving feelings. At a time when cuts in art funding are the norm, and explicitly so in Glasgow, appealing to emotions is one of the most likely ways to make people care about art.”

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