IB Art Exhibition 2017

since 1969

International Baccalaureate

Visual Arts, Students’ Show

2017

learning to excel

Quality British Education in Milan from nursery to university

2017 Exhibition Catalogue About The British School Of Milan

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Art at The British School Of Milan

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Selection of exhibited work

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Visual Arts student profiles

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Art department

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Support and special thanks

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ABOUT THE BRITISH SCHOOL OF MILAN

ART AT THE BRITISH SCHOOL OF MILAN

Creativity is not just an addition to school life, it represents an approach to teaching and learning - an imaginative response to the modern world, where creative solutions are increasingly required for complex problems. The British School of Milan celebrates creativity in all its forms - intellectual, imaginative and aesthetic.

The Art department has enjoyed consistent success over many years, winning annual awards with exam boards for the highest international or world grades. Last year we achieved 91% A*/ A GCSE average and a 6.2 average IB score at HL. We are committed to offering a structured and comprehensive programme of study in Key Stage 3. We deliver this over the course of three years, which consists of varied disciplines within the Fine Art framework. Our main aim is to ensure that we have taught core skills to a high level, which complements other subjects within the school. The programme is disciplined and prepares the students for further study in Art. Pupils in KS3 and KS4 are taught in class sizes of a maximum 20 with IB numbers around 10 students in each year group.

The school’s Art department enjoys an outstanding reputation in this respect. It has been recognised as a Centre of Excellence by the Edexcel Examination Board, and examples of the high standard of artwork achieved by our students are on display throughout the school.

The annual IB Art Exhibition provides the Art department with a unique opportunity to show the local and international community in Milan some of the finest work produced by our graduating Year 13 students, some of whom will progress to Art and Design courses at prestigious universities and colleges around the world.

We are delighted to showcase the art in this brochure. We hope that you enjoy and appreciate it as much as we do.

Chris Greenhalgh Principal & CEO The British School of Milan

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The IB course consists of studio work involving paintings, drawings and 3D studies executed during the five term course accompanied by a ‘Process portfolio’ which documents their research and ideas both written, drawn and painted. It is a record of their IB Visual Arts journey. The studio work and the process portfolio are both awarded 40%. The remaining 20% is awarded for the comparative study, which involves a critical investigation of three different artists. These grades are then combined to give an overall level of pass. Last year, we did incredibly well with an average grade of 6.2 (out of 7). The majority of these students then went on to pursue further Art-related studies at university.

Visual Arts are evolving continually and can challenge traditional boundaries. The work on this course encourages the respect of cultural and aesthetic differences and promotes creative thinking alongside problem solving. The course enables students to engage in both practical exploration and artistic production whilst researching contextual, visual and critical investigation.

The IB exhibition is an exceptional opportunity for students at the BSM to showcase their Visual Arts journey. This year we have a mature set of students from diverse artistic backgrounds. We have many who have completed a full cycle of study at BSM, experiencing the rigour and high standards of KS3, the demands of GCSE, and have therefore confronted the IB with full speed and determination! They have been able to support the new students who have joined the BSM at IB. These students have embraced the school ethos working hard and raising their own expectations of what can be achieved with determination and purpose. All students have made a solid commitment to the subject and developed a passion that will shape their future career decisions, with many continuing in the Arts.

The IB students this year made my role as a teacher immensely enjoyable. I have seen such a high quality of work being produced and it has made me very proud to be their teacher. This year, we are incredibly grateful to Mr and Mrs Poggio who have donated the use of their gallery ‘Galleria Michela Cattai’ in via Brera 4.

Such a wonderful space and location for this year’s event, we thank you profusely!

Kate Michael Head of Art The British School of Milan

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MADDALENA AMORETTI

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DECONSTRUCTION

URBAN MICHELANgELO

HEROES

THE CHAMELEON OF ROCK

Tempera, biro on sugar paper | 38cm x 54cm

Tempera, coloured pencil, charcoal on sugar paper | 39cm x 56cm

Photograph | 70cm x 50cm

Plaster, acrylic and nail varnish | 61cm x 55cm

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ALLEGRA COLASUONNO

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DISTORTED VIOLINIST

PHALANgES

SAN BERN

SCULPTURE’S DISSECTION

Tempera on sugar paper | 40cm x 56cm

Tempera on sugar paper | 42cm x 30cm

Tempera, chalk on sugar paper | 32cm x 38cm

Acrylic on sugar paper | 40cm x 56cm

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REBECCA FELDSTEIN PINI

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FACES

TOgETHER

ASSEMBLAgE

NOA

Oil paint on board | 51cm x 71cm

Acrylic on board | 40cm x 50cm

Acrylic and chalk on board | 100cm x 70cm

Graphite on paper | 33cm x 49cm

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LUCA LUPORINI

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DECADENT STRUCTURE Wood, acrylic, chalk | 30cm x 20cm x 70cm

UNTITLED

FORKS

SPACE AND DIMENSION

Tempera, charcoal on sugar paper | 35cm x 50cm

Graphite on paper | 25cm x 19cm

Acrylic, chalk and charcoal on board | 60cm x 60cm

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TECLA NEgRO

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EASILY FORgOTTEN Acyrlic on canvas | 100cm x 50cm

AN AUTOBIOgRAPHY

WASTED AWAY

RUBBISH

Digital photograph | 50cm x 50cm

Acrylic on sugar paper | 55cm x 39cm

Graphite on paper | 41cm x 28cm

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SARA NICOTRA

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FISH

MECHANISM

LIgHT AND SHADE

ABSTRACT COMPOSITION

Acrylic on sugar paper | 47cm x 31cm

Acrylic, black pen on sugar paper | 32cm x 54cm

Acrylic, tempera, chalk and charcoal on sugar paper | 40cm x 55cm

Polystyrene, plaster, tempera and chalk | 29cm x 34cm

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GIULIA ORSI

REPEATED MOTION Acrylic on sugar paper | 38cm x 55cm

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DUCHAMP MEETS BRAQUE

EMPTY CITY

CUBES INTERCEPTINg

Acrylic on sugar paper | 36cm x 50cm

Acrylic on paper | 70cm x 50cm

Acrylic on sugar paper | 36cm x 56cm

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DOg COLLAR Oil on board | 70cm x 100cm

ERIC PIANA

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BRUNO Acrylic on canvas | 35cm x 45cm

ESCAPE

BRAINWAVE

Acrylic on card | 46cm x 31cm

Tempera, charcoal and chalk on sugar paper | 40cm x 57cm

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JASMIN SEDgH

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DREAMSCAPE

SURREALISM MEETS REALITY

THOUgHTLESS

gEOMETRIC WORLD

Acrylic and chalk on board | 63cm x 76cm

Oil on canvas | 100cm x 60cm

Tissue paper, pva glue, tempera and chalk | 15cm x 45cm x 15cm

Oil on board | 50cm x 70cm

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YANHA YANKOWSKI

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ETERNAL BEAUTY

ORIgAMI

COMMUNICATORS

HOMMAgE TO JOAN MIRÓ

Collage and biro on card | 34cm x 44cm

Graphite on paper | 27cm x 36cm

Graphite on paper | 20cm x 29cm

Scrap metal, plaster, tempera | 15cm x 24cm x 10cm

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MADDALENA AMORETTI

ALLEGRA COLASUONNO

REBECCA FELDSTEIN PINI

LUCA LUPORINI

My experience within the IB has been an enormous struggle though pleasantly satisfying at the same time.Throughout this course I have learnt to incorporate themes and concepts within my work. My most successful sequence has been my project on David Bowie. Having been a lover of his music for my whole life, I wanted to pay my own personal tribute to him by analysing his songs and creating works based on my own perception and interpretation of his lyrics. The course has helped me on a technical level as well as a conceptual one. I have had the opportunity to experiment with materials I hadn’t worked with before, such as linoleum and plaster.

Not everything always worked out according to plan. I’ve had a lot of accidents in the art room. One particular incident was when my sculpture, which took weeks to dry, cracked in multiple pieces. At the beginning I was discouraged and thought I would need to start over, but I managed to pull through with what I had and in the end the accident worked in my favour.

To me art is a way of creating a visual autobiography, a re-creation of realism; it can be used to tell the story of your life, your inner thoughts and emotions without the use of words. Unlike the way that we as human beings have been programmed to behave and think in everyday life, there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ mentality attached to art. It can represent and stimulate the eye of the artist and the observer and can be interpreted in a range of ways. This is an aspect that personally excites me because there is no set outcome to the way that art is understood: it is a universally diverse yet unifying language.

My two years of the IB Visual Art course have been an amazing opportunity for me to gain knowledge of a range of art techniques, developing my confidence to produce outcomes I never would have anticipated prior to the course. I have enjoyed researching artists and cultures and visually adapting ideas to suit my aim. Moreover, it has allowed me to develop my skills and analysis of everything that surrounds me. I initially started my journey by focusing on still life drawing and painting, by concentrating on the observation of structures of classic every-day objects. This was an area familiar to me but from a more graphical perspective studied in the Italian educational system. What I appreciated above all from this starting point was an appreciation of the hidden meaning communicated within each piece. From that point onwards, I have always tried to look and consider the symbolism of the artworks and to convey a deeper meaning within my own work. At the beginning I was influenced mostly by Vanitas still life painting, which depicts a variety of objects that all convey symbolic biblical or Christian messages. The main message that I interpreted from the Vanitas was the prevailing message that death was indeed imminent.

I then started to analyse the aspects and features of the human skull and skeletons concentrating on the relationship between life and death. This was inspired by a visit to San Bernardino alle Ossa which is a church in Milan, best known for its ossuary, a small side chapel decorated with numerous human skulls and bones. My main objective with this series of work, aside from the conceptual relevance, was to concentrate on my composition and technique. This led to a range of experiments using the human skeleton. Attracted to the idea of developing my work and creating a more personal and complex interpretation of the human form, I began to look at artists who depict figures and objects in an unusual way. I looked at Pablo Picasso and Jean-Michel Basquiat’s artworks and then I shifted towards the distortion of figures such as human skulls and bodies.

In the past two years I have had the most productive, challenging and exciting scholastic experiences of my life. My journey in the Visual Arts course started through the exploration of architectural details, reflections and graffiti found around Milano. Through this I was able to create a 2-D relief piece, something very much outside my expertise and comfort zone. I was then able to create an abstract piece of a large size, which presented itself as a challenge, but nonetheless I took it on and the effort certainly paid off. Choosing Kurt Schwitters as an influence was very successful as it improved my compositional skills immensely, which was proven in my assemblage. Even though I wouldn’t normally create a piece like that I believe that creating it played a large part in helping build the variety of my artistic skills. Subsequently, with inspiration from Jenny Saville, I created an A3 detailed portrait of my sister, Noa, using graphite pencils. After the creation of numerous other pieces, I reached the halfway mark in the summer of Year 12, where I started my comparative study. For this I contextually and critically evaluated three specific works

by Francis Bacon, Frank Auerbach and Gustave Courbet, analysing ‘selfexploration’. This project helped me understand the veiled meaning of art, allowing me to develop a deeper understanding of something I am incredibly passionate about. Portraiture has always been my favourite type of art to create, so through the study of such incredible pieces I have also been able to improve the underlying message within my own work.

Overall I feel extremely fortunate for having been part of such a gratifying and enjoyable experience.

My journey through the IB has been a challenging and eye-opening experience that has provided me with insights on contrasting artists and cultures, which influenced my development as an artist. The chronological progress within my works was mainly influenced by the idea I intended to convey to the viewers. I took key characteristics from different art periods and moulded them to my intentions. My starting point was the criticism street art offers on our daily society, this made me discuss the way in which technology imprisons our being, leading me to create my first observational drawing.

Edoardo Paolozzi and the African mask culture influenced my interpretation of the concept. I wanted to explore how society’s dogmas were causing us to alter our personalities to meet its expectations. To portray this feeling I wanted to find a material which could be placed over the piece, which would allow only part of the original work underneath to be seen. This is when I first experimented with wax. A crucial factor in my development has been the visit to the Venice Biennale and the “world goes pop” exhibition at the Tate Modern. Both experiences introduced the concept of ordinary objects placed in contrasting situations that has been an essential idea in developing my work. This introduced my works on forks and cutlery, in which I took ordinary objects and presented them in contrasting situations. To deepen my understanding of the concept I looked into artists such as Lisa Milroy who have worked on the theory. Subsequently I had the opportunity to visit the Fundaciòn Joan Miró and the Picasso Museum in Barcelona and Boccioni’s exhibition in Milan. A common feature of both artists was the ability to convey movement through their works. This idea compelled my curiosity and stimulated me to deepen my understanding of the technique they used to achieve this effect. A deepened understanding of the techniques used by the authors and their effectiveness allowed me to interpret them and use them in my own works creating a series of dynamic, vivid pieces which enhance the simplicity of form and movement.

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tecla negro

SARA NICOTRA

GIULIA ORSI

ERIC PIANA

During these two years I improved my art skills, starting from observation drawings to using different techniques in order to define a concept.

This was possible through in-depth research across stimulating artists’ works and lives, which together with hard work produced my artistic development. I started looking at bacteria because of an experiment I did in my biology class, which led to rotten food, in particular a mouldy soup which initiated a series about decay. In parallel, I explored different materials and techniques, from painting with food and creating a sculpture made of jelly with trapped litter in it to different kinds of paint. The decay theme moved then to a study on litter, which is based on a journey I’ve taken within myself, accepting human mediocrity and finding the beauty in things that other people have thrown away. I consider my concept to be quite strong, indeed each one of my pieces was genuinely created in reaction to an emotion I personally felt. The greatest gift the IB gave me is that I learnt that with love and patience there are no obstacles in art.

I have been convinced that I was not a good drawer for my entire life, but then I was pushed to do an observation drawing which ended up being one of my favourite pieces. Art is not easy and it takes a lot of time, however I believe art is worth all the sacrifices. I believe that during this IB course I formed myself as a better person and an artist, and gave me something to be proud of.

The IB art course for me has been stimulating but also challenging as it gave me the opportunity to improve my art skills by using different materials and artistic styles and this gave me the opportunity to create different kind of studio pieces such as numerous sculptures. I saw a big improvement in my work from GCSE as I noticed I was more secure and I had the opportunity to work with concepts in a deeper, more specific way. During the course I found really interesting many of the artists I studied, in particular Pablo Picasso, Jeff Koons and Louise Nevelson as some of my work was influenced by their way of perceiving art. My work was initially influenced by Chinese culture as I created many pieces of art with Chinese logographics and using figurative symbols that are usually present in many Chinese paintings such as those of fish. Moreover, my work started to take a different direction as I looked at different forms and shapes and in fact my work is predominantly abstract. I have enjoyed developing my work as I found it interesting but sometimes I struggled to use different cultural influences in my work. However, I believe that the study I made looking at different artists had a strong impact on my work, especially talking about my sculptures. I am strongly satisfied by what this course has brought to me, because not only have I improved as an artist, but I have also enjoyed experimenting and exploring the different concepts of the artists I have studied. Likewise, I have been really pleased with my choice of undertaking this course as I learned that time management and consistency are really important. This experience has enhanced my love of this subject and has encouraged me to embrace an artistic career in the future.

Throughout the IB Art Course I have mainly focused on abstract art and artists of the beginning of the 20th century. My main inspiration Giorgio de Chirico began a style of dramatic contrasts and commanding structures.

The style of De Chirico is made of strong and irrational shadows, empty arcades, towers, mannequins and trains. Perspective is one of his most important tools that sets the edges of structures at impossible angles. His influence led me to investigate and focus on these themes, experimenting with varied 2D media. In order to amplify my knowledge and work further I took inspiration from Lawrence Gowing and Evan Walters. These two British artists broke the traditional representation of pictorial convention by painting features using a double vision technique. This technique made me shift my work towards looking at Cubism and then the Italian art movement Futurism.

I was particularly inspired by the artwork “Nude Descending A Staircase” by Marcel Duchamp. His painting depicts the mechanical motion of a nude, with faces overlapping and different perspectives which show the fragmentation of Cubism and the movement of Futurism. After looking at Duchamp, I became particularly interested in the idea of using different perspectives and developed pieces which focus on different perspectives and compositions.

Consequently my work was influenced by artists such as George Braque and David Hockney who allowed me to create a series of pieces in which the traditional rules of perspective are broken, the objects are distorted and unrecognisable. Additionally, I looked at an artist called Christopher Buoscio whose artwork represents urban environments. His influence brought me to incorporate the features of my previous influences with cities and buildings. I completed a series of pieces in which I depicted buildings that were defective in perspective, personality and reality. These non-cities began to fascinate me and like De Chirico defy reality. Overall, thanks to the IB visual art course I have been able to enrich my theoretical and practical knowledge of art.

This has been an unexpected journey throughout the IB course, one that has led me to follow a path created gradually through different explorations of artists and ideas generating unusual results. My first body of work required me to mix together themes of architecture, graffiti and reflections. From this I decided to follow a humorous path, playing with figurative allegory and metaphors such as ‘Butter-fly’, ‘Dog Collar’. This project allowed me to explore a range of diverse meanings and imagery.

I experimented with putting animal heads on humans associating how our animal traits could be reflected in a certain job, action or characteristic.

However, when creating the ‘Dog Collar’ despite not intending to, I made a statement about the church or religion, perhaps like some of the works by Maurizio Cattelan. I realised the power of imagery and how I could convey a deeper meaning within my work and this led me to follow a more interesting and fascinating path:the theme of claustrophobia. All of my work from that point has been based on the theme of claustrophobia, whether it is through the use of light or colour. My main focus has been to transmit to the viewer a sense of oppression. A key element to achieve this has been including in most of my works a human element allowing the viewer to relate and imagine himself in the subject’s position. The fascinating thing is that I have never suffered from this condition, and having to explore the various sensations and feelings that are generated by it has been enriching as I learned to fully immerse myself and so expand different horizons. I have explored may art media which have allowed me to portray different emotions and express my passion for this subject. Furthermore given that the IB course is quite demanding, I have developed the valuable skill of commitment and perseverance, which I will take with me for the rest of my life. Overall, the past two years have been life-changing and they have allowed me gather more experience and skills that I will use and bring with me in the future.

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The Art Department

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JASMIN SEDGH

YANHA YANKOWSKI

Kate Michael

Daniel Scott

My journey through the IB visual arts course started with experimental work characterised by the layering of colours, where I was greatly inspired by the abstract artist Sean Scully. I then developed my art by experimenting with paper to get different textures, which led me to research the works of Escher, in particular the Bond of Union, which was my major influence when producing the papier mâché sculpture of a mask. The final result of the mask reminded me of the surreal movement, focusing mostly on Magritte, Mitoraj, De Chirico and Dalí. The introduction of surrealism in my project conveyed the idea that art is the epicentre as well as the reflection of the dynamics of historical periods, whether it’s used as a tool for the exploration of social mobility, or the means of cultural, sexual and individual expression. In fact my focus shifted to producing works reflecting on and spreading the awareness of the tragedies and injustices, which have reached an inhumane and surreal level. To do so, I experimented with different artistic movements, juxtaposing surrealism with realism, which led me to produce a more figurative body of work. I swiftly shifted back to an abstract approach focusing on Scully’s use of lines and patterns and contrasts between a neutral colour palette and hints of bolder colours. I then continued my journey by combining political issues with contrasts in colours and investigating the different effects that lines produce.

I started my IB Art Higher Level course looking at different aspects of duality and contrast. World Challenge gave me the opportunity to embark upon an extraordinary journey to India, where I was given the chance to explore and expand my understanding beyond our traditional western views.

One thing that struck me, was the impact the surroundings had upon my understanding of ‘beauty’. I found harmony within the chaos, which allowed me to explore duality and open my mind to new concepts. Frank Stella initially played a strong role in my artwork as I took simple geometric shapes and purposefully assembled them in a way that appeared to be disarranged.

The contrast between these elements fuelled me to then further analyse geometric shapes in a large-scale painting. Through Bruno Munari, Santiago Calatrava and Japanese origami, I then created a sequence of sculptures, observation drawings and a collage development. The way I managed to use different means in order to take symmetric simplicity and experiment with it, inspired me to further push myself outside my comfort zone. I created another two sculptures by collecting technological scraps in order to create two humanoid figures. I then used De Chirico and Salvador Dalí to develop one of the two sculptures by adding plaster, making it look as if it were melting away. I looked at how ‘Love’ can be something both enriching and destructive: the humanoid structure made of technological parts represented the dehumanizing aspects of our human conduct and its ruinous effects on relationships and consequently on our inner self. Given that I had found such interest in the conceptual aspects of my art work, I focused my comparative study on how Immendorf, Hausmann and Vrubel used ‘metaphors’ within three specific art works. This project allowed me to look introspectively into my own journey as an artist. I believe I have developed technically, but more importantly as a person. This course has taught me determination, to believe in myself and develop culturally.

After studying for her A Levels at the Sir James Henderson School, Kate decided to remain in Milan to study a BA in Fine Art Painting at the Accademia di Belle Arti Di Brera. After graduating with a 1:1, Kate returned to the UK to complete her Masters in Fine Art at the UCA in Canterbury.

Daniel graduated from Newcastle University in 1999 with a combined Fine Art and History degree. He spent the following few years travelling and working in Asia, predominantly in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam.

Whilst studying for her MA, Kate began to assist with the Foundation Art course taught at the University and to visit local secondary schools to help examination groups. This encouraged her decision to qualify as a teacher in 2009 at the Canterbury Christ Church University.

She has since balanced her teaching career and her AQA Art examiner role, with her life as an artist, exhibiting in the North of Italy and the South East of England. Kate has enjoyed leading the Art department for the past two years, as well as organising the School Yearbook.

In 2001 he moved to Barcelona, where he ran a commercial art gallery, various education studios and taught History of Art at the Institute of European Design. Drawn back to Asia in 2013, he taught KS2 and KS3 Art at Marlborough College Malaysia before joining The British School of Milan in 2015. He has enjoyed being part of the BSM community, running a theatre design course and singing in the school choir.

He is currently working part-time at the BSM, teaching KS3 and Year 10 GCSE. In April 2017, Daniel will embark on a new adventure studying Theatre Design in the UK. We thank him for his contribution to Art at the school, and wish him well for the future.

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Galleria Michela Cattai presents Contemporary Art and Design works by some of the most important artists and designers of the twentieth century and collaborates with international galleries, public institutions, foundations and museums.

VIA BRERA 4, 20121 MILANO

+39 02 3651 1840

WWW.MICHELACATTAI.IT

ART+DESIGN

Special Thanks

Mr and Mrs Poggio for hosting the event.

ART+DESIGN

Mr Federico Bazzi for printing the catalogue.

San Martino Banqueting for the catering.

The Friends of the School for their support.

Miss Michael for preparing the students and organising the exhibition.

Mr Scott for photographing the work for the catalogue.

Mr Cooper for his support in preparing the 2017 exhibition.

Mrs Paola Ciullo and Mrs Ruth Greenhalgh for assistance with the catalogue, marketing and invitations.

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Quality British Education in Milan from nursery to university

The British School of Milan

Via Pisani Dossi 16 - Milan, Italy - Tel. +39 02 210941 info@bsm.school - www.britishschoolmilan.com