ARTS & R EV IEWS
Broadening Horizons 2015/16 Exhibition Programme
Archie Franks
This was my first year as Co-ordinator of Visual Arts for the College, and looking back at the programme for the Mount House it is surprising to see how much has happened. The gallery has hosted twelve shows, there have also been three different displays in Common Room and two exhibitions within Heywood.
ART EXHIBITIONS
Archie Franks Fresh from his residency at the British School at Rome, the new Artistin-Residence Archie Franks brought a sophisticated display of only five oil paintings and nine watercolours for our opening Mount House show. I think some people were bewildered to see so few works, but it was a clever move by Archie, to make us look deeply at his painting and not be overwhelmed by a tsunami of imagery that one can barely take in. It was a collection of serious painting with a comic and endearing calm that won over the art students. Archie combined his time at Marlborough with a fellowship at the Jerwood Visual Arts Foundation, which has supported some of the UK’s most successful artists.
Fragile Rachel Bruce curated a show of past and present students’ ceramics, which showed a breadth and variety of skill that illustrated why ceramics is such a popular and wellused resource area.
In the Marlborough Night Garden Tyga Helme (MM 2003-08)
Drawing In Five OMs (Tyga Helme, Emilie Pugh, Rose Arbuthnot, Freya Wood and Zanny Mellor) provided us with an excellent exhibition of drawing. It was great to see how some of the old Art School faces have developed their work. There was inspiring variety of subject matter and techniques within the range of work displayed.
Archie Franks
Ami Jackson (MM)
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Ceramics Exhibition
Photographer Gavin James and Jonathon Genton took us on to the astral plane with images of deep space. The film illustrating how Gavin made these incredible pictures from a Marlborough back garden was fascinating. Classes from all yeargroups came to the show and joined in the interactive displays. The Friends of Swindon Museum and Art Gallery visited and were amazed by the show and the hospitality at the College which included a tour of the telescope by Charles Barclay.