GCSE, AS and A2 Art students enjoyed a recent visit to London visiting The Royal Academy’s ‘Summer Exhibition’. The exhibition’s tradition spans 250 years providing opportunities to both leading artists and emerging talent. Students viewed art work from contemporary artists such as Tracey Emin and Grayson Perry alongside members of the public who had been successful in applying for their work to be exhibited. Students studying art are required to devise personal coursework themes and the exhibition provided a wealth of inspiration.
The overarching theme ‘Rediscovering Magic ‘, was curated in part by renowned British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare. The additional architecture room provided inspiration for our budding architects where they could view live models and architectural plans from a range of architects and young graduates. The focus for this year was ‘Climate and Geography’ and the display of more than 100 exhibits managed to engage both architecture students and general visitors.
We also visited The National Gallery which showcases some of the world’s most important historical paintings. This provided a historical contrast to the contemporary work viewed in the morning and students were able to appreciate a selection of famous paintings.
Taking in the architecture and sights of London on foot between venues gave students added inspiration to kick start their creative ideas. Students interested in design degrees such as Graphic Design and Fashion Design appreciated stopping by Liberty – the iconic department store opened in the late nineteenth century. Open calls are regularly held to encourage new designers and the original founder, Arthur Liberty, built personal relationships with some of England’s most famous designers.
The trip provided students with a great opportunity to see both historical and contemporary art work on display from fine art to design work. They came back fuelled with inspiration to generate their own creative ideas successfully.
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