Art Department Update

presents a large tower of second hand radios to represent the biblical story of a tower tall enough to reach heaven, god became offended and cursed the builders to only speak in tongues. The tower of radios are played at a low level which makes the tower seem as if it is speaking in tongues. It showed me that a complicated and intense idea can be represented by a physically simple construction and composition."

Dasha:

"What I particularly enjoyed about the trip was the striking contrast between the nature of art in the two galleries. The Tate Modern had greater focus on more contemporary works while the Courtauld houses more traditional art.

I also found the visit a perfect opportunity to discover new artists and art styles. I noticed that some of the artworks which I was particularly drawn to were ones I would not normally use for inspiration and often by artists who I hadn’t previously heard of. Finding new inspiration is very useful when starting a new project and often difficult to do without the exposure to new art which you get through gallery visits.

Year 12 & 13 Trip to the Tate Modern and the Courtauld Institute of Art in London

Katie:

"Starting a new project consists of an endless search for inspiration. As a class we started this process by visiting the Tate Modern and Courtauld exhibitions. As art students we aim to seek out pieces that speak to us individually. The vast variation of styles, art eras, techniques and concepts between the two exhibitions allowed everyone to find something to inspire and start a flurry of new ideas for the project.

Our title, ‘Simple or Complex’, was displayed perfectly in the two galleries. We saw, analysed and experienced both types of work. The Tate Modern consisted mainly of the more simple compositions yet complex concepts, contrasting to the overwhelming complexity of every piece within the Courtauld.

The trip enabled the class to understand new techniques and ways of showing complex ideas. One piece that stuck with me was the Babel by Brazilian artist Cildo Meirele. This installation

In addition to this, seeing art up close and in person allows you to see the techniques used to achieve them. This is particularly useful in understanding how artists use brush strokes in paintings, for example. Overall, the trip proved to be a useful and enlightening experience in terms of gathering inspiration."

Year 11 and 12 Art and Design trip to the Tate Britain and V&A

By Lucy G

"I really enjoyed the GCSE Art trip to Tate Britain and the V&A. The aim of the trip was to gather inspiration and ideas for our own artwork. I enjoyed trying to interpret each piece in my own way in order to mould the meaning behind it to the theme of ‘Lock’. During this trip I was able to see a range of different artists and the styles they favoured.

It made me curious to explore some of their work more thoroughly. I was particularly taken with Margaret Harrison’s piece entitled ‘Homeworkers’, as I felt it was a piece that really drew me in.

The piece explores the exploitation of women homeworkers and how many are stuck in their situations without a voice or means to escape. I feel inspired by this emotional piece to interpret this year’s theme in my own personal way."

By Frank OM

"For me the aim of the trip was to explore and develop different ideas involving our GCSE theme of 'Lock', as well as broadening the range of artists I'm studying in preparation for my final exam piece. The trip was a fun and worthwhile experience, giving us the opportunity to enjoy artworks from the V&A and the Tate Britain, and I think one of the most useful aspects was producing drawings and studies in response to paintings and sculpture first hand from the galleries. My favourite artworks were the drawings of Henry Moore, who I was previously aware of as a sculptor.

I found it really interesting to be able to compare the mark making techniques he used with the form and shape of his three dimensional pieces. His artworks also provided me with inspiration on how to develop my own pieces depicting character like figures, whilst conveying ideas relating to the theme of Lock; being locked in a society and the dehumanising nature of aspects of this, as well as the positive idea of being locked in a family and the relationships and emotions surrounding this.

Overall I thought the trip was an inspiring and enjoyable experience, extremely beneficial for the development of ideas in this stage of the final GCSE exam piece."

By Rebecka M

"I was excited when I discovered that we were visiting the London V&A and the Tate Britain, as I realised this would be the perfect opportunity to broaden my understanding of this year’s GCSE theme, ‘Lock’. The two museums provided me with a range of textile examples incorporating ‘Lock’, from which I was able to take inspiration and develop my own ideas.

The art helped me to formulate ideas around what my development towards a final piece would look like. One piece that stood out to me in particular was a brightly coloured woven armchair on display at Tate Britain. The weaving and knotting technique creates a ‘Locked’ effect within the chair, in keeping with the theme. Overall, the trip was a helpful experience and lots of fun."

Year 8 visit the Principal’s office to see their work on display

Selected paintings by Year 8 are currently being exhibited in the Principal’s office. The artworks depict local buildings that pupils visited and photographed as part of their ‘Built Environment Project’.

Buildings included the Cambridge Judge Business School, The Fitzwilliam Museum, King’s College Chapel, and The Church of Our Lady Cambridge. Student photographs were then used as the starting point for their A3 acrylic on canvas-board paintings.

The Principal, Mr Girvan commended the pupils for the quality and maturity of their artworks.