On Wednesday 19th June, the History of Art SFC1 students spent a day in London exploring art and fashion.
Our first stop was the Piano Nobile gallery, where researcher Luke Farey gave us an informative tour of the paintings and drawings included in the exhibition ‘Augustus John and the First Crisis of Brilliance.' We were then introduced to Piano Nobile Director, Matthew Travers, and founder Robert Travers, who kindly showed us two artworks by Ben Nicholson, about which they were keen to hear Dr Beard's thoughts.
Following a discussion regarding the pricing of such artworks and gaining further insights into commercial galleries and the job of an art dealer, we moved on to Trafalgar Square.
We had previously studied the importance of the Fourth Plinth and the display of contemporary art in lessons, so it was a delight to see the current ‘resident’, Samson Kambalu’s sculpture ‘Antelope’.
Next, we called in at the Philip Mould Gallery where Jonathan Yeo’s portrait of King Charles is being showcased. Despite controversy, many of us agreed that the portrait appears better in person as Yeo captures both the historical and modern aspects of the monarchy whilst revealing the King’s sincere side. It was an honour to witness such a significant recent painting and it truly underlined how impactful art can be.
As Christie's was nearby and hosting an exhibition of the personal collection of Vivienne Westwood to mark the upcoming major sale of her remarkable clothing and jewellery, many of us were eager to visit. Walking through the designer’s incredible legacy, it was inspiring to see such a successful woman in the art and fashion industry be so massively appreciated and admired.
Once back on the bus to return to Cheltenham, we traded stories with the art students who were also visiting London that day and concluded that we'd love to come back soon to discover more.
Tiggy, Joli, and Amelia (SFC1)
On Wednesday 19th June, all SFC1 A Level and IB Art students went on a trip to London.
We had the most amazing opportunity to visit the studios of the painter Jonathan Yeo, who has recently painted the latest Royal Portrait of King Charles III. We spent the morning at the studio and spent time with his team who gave us a real insight into the life of a working artist from projects with different companies, commissions and personal projects.
Students then had the opportunity to meet Jonathan Yeo who took them to his working studio and talked through his processes and life as an artist. Students understandably had lots of questions and gleaned a lot from discussing processes, career pathways and ideas with him. For those students who are painters, it was such a helpful experience.
In the afternoon, we went to the Royal Academy’s annual exhibition which, as always, was very inspiring.
The exhibition was covered from floor to ceiling with artists’ work from all over the world, covering disciplines from printmaking to painting, to architecture and installation.
Mrs Freedman, Teacher of Art
Wednesday 26th June saw SFC1 art students and UC4 Art Scholars visit the Barber Institute of Fine Arts in Birmingham.
We were lucky to see a small set of works by Claudette Johnson, who is currently shortlisted for this year's Turner Prize. Her large scale, powerful, engaging portraits sat in pleasing contrast to the permanent collection.
It was great for the students to visit a small, intimate gallery, where they were able to spend time with specific works, unpicking them in relation to the formal elements and bringing to bear their knowledge of art history, materials and processes.
Mrs Coulson, Head of Art
