A YEAR IN THE ART DEPARTMENT
REFLECTIONS OF AN IB ART STUDENT
The Art department has a different atmosphere from the rest of the school ; something that stands out to me is the sense of community . The staff and students create a welcoming , vibrant and eventful space filled with passion and learning .
For me , this year was marked by the change to the IB . Although it is just a change of curriculum , it also felt like a bigger shift in the mentality of those in the Art department . I certainly felt more obligated to really dive deep into my artistic passions and talk candidly about my thoughts and processes with my peers . One peer who stood out this year was Nikita Ivaniuta . He ambitiously held his own solo exhibition in The Space , accompanied by a speech over Zoom by Dmitry Muratov , a journalist and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize . The show expressed Nikita ’ s experience as a Ukrainian , dealing with the turmoil that the war had thrown him into . The artworks showed his passion in a breathtaking way , with his body of work representing and expressing the struggles he has endured . The event was a wild success , raising thousands of pounds that went to charities that aided war relief . You can read more about it in the Service and Partnerships pages .
On a lighter note , another big moment this year was the Art trip to New York . Witnessing the bright lights of New York and observing the brilliant artworks we had previously idolised from afar really was a wonderful experience that will shape any art I produce henceforth . Touring all the major art museums , from the MoMA to the Guggenheim to the Met , was a tiring but wholly worthwhile experience . More importantly , simply wandering through the streets of New York was an exciting endeavour , especially in the meatpacking district where we visited many local galleries ; it was as if the life that ebbed and flowed in the city was partially infusing into us .
One of the final highlights of the year for me was the IB exhibition in the Oxo Bargehouse . The annual exhibition is the pinnacle of the Upper Sixth ’ s body of work . The countless hours and vast amounts of energy spent during the two previous years is concentrated in this final presentation . It was truly a splendid moment where all the artists could proudly display their work , and friends and family could meet and celebrate the peak of the students ’ artistic careers so far . As usual , the student-made artwork has been astoundingly beautiful this year , but seeing the artists explain the processes and recall the memories surrounding the pieces made the exhibition all the more special , giving it that final human touch .
Overall , this year in the Art department has been fun , eventful and although a lot of hard work has been sunk into it , I am thoroughly looking forward to picking up my brush next year and continuing to create .
Mac Raymond , Lower Sixth
30 ART REVIEW