A y ear in the Art department
Art title page: IB work by Matthew Caiger, Upper Sixth
Left: IB work by Hebe Reynolds, Upper Sixth
Clockwise from top left:
The shape of the year in the Art department is largely dictated by
the exhibitions of pupils’ work that form the climaxes to the various
exam courses. This year was no different, with a large cohort of IB
artists staging an exhibition in the Bargehouse at the Oxo Tower. The sense of liberation from constraint is tangible at this level,
as students are able to experiment and innovate. Indeed, the
possibility of specialising in a fairly narrow area of creative interest
allows for a depth of investigation and maturity in the work.
The richness and flexibility of the gallery space offers students
both challenge and opportunity in curating their work, and this
seems to foster a further independence in how work is presented
and interpreted. As ever, technique varied wildly; while painting,
drawing and printmaking remain popular avenues of exploration,
video installation, unconventional sculptural processes and digital
techniques were equally valued. Artists-in-residence have been a most welcome addition to
the department and Georgie Low continued to work effectively
alongside pupils. Her highly considered and subtle work has
intrigued and challenged students. The printmaker Katherine Jones
joined us for a shorter residency in the Summer term. A group of
Year 9 and Year 10 pupils joined her for a workshop that explored
the collagraph process. Their outcomes were exhibited in the
Kaleidoscope Gallery in Sevenoaks as part of the PrintFest7 events.
Katherine also produced some of her own fine work for display
within the school.
Charley Openshaw, Head of Art
The SSC Art course is designed to nurture this freedom and
independence. As a result, work displayed for this exhibition
celebrates the diversity of students’ interests and approaches.
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ART REVIEW
Henry Hollingworth, Year 9
Megan Handy, Year 9
IB work by Harry Carley, Upper Sixth
SEVENOAKS SCHOOL 2017-2018
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