Welcome to Sevenoaks School ’ s IB Art Exhibition 2022
What is the Sevenoaks School Art department ?
Those who have been fortunate enough to spend time there , even just a few minutes during a school tour , will agree that this is a genuinely valid question . To me , it isn ’ t about students fulfilling course requirements or developing particular skills . In fact , there isn ’ t much teaching in the traditional sense of ‘ sketch this , sketch that ’ to be found in the department . Rather , it is an incubator for ideas , for pushing boundaries in creative aptitude . The Sevenoaks art education is ambitious in elevating the practice from being a mechanical activity to a rigorous intellectual pursuit . The highly experimental nature of the work produced is the result of this daring approach . My classmates and I always considered our relationship with our tutors as one based more on mentorship , transcending that of merely providing instruction , as we sought guidance to develop not only as artists but as thinkers . I myself still return for advice , despite having left the school . Hopefully the Bursar doesn ’ t bill me !
The foundation for my passion for art was laid at Sevenoaks . The thought-provoking exchanges with my friends and mentors were the girders while every little failure or success from my experimentations were the building blocks . The art rooms at Sevenoaks would easily be the envy of some of the best universities . This is not only because of how well equipped the department is , from its printing press to its dark rooms , but because it is a place where we can dare to dream , where imagination can be translated into realised vision . I ’ m indebted to the staff for their constant encouragement and unwavering support , especially at times when I doubted my own ideas . I once wanted to build an outdoor sculpture without realising the complexity of the production process and was on the verge of scrapping the idea . A few months on , engineers enlisted by the department were busy ensuring the sculpture was structurally sound . A summer later , the work eventually became a permanent fixture on our idyllic campus . Another time , I ... the list goes on and on and on .
Whenever I get asked the question ‘ Why Sevenoaks ?’, you may have guessed by now that the Art department is in itself a compelling enough reason . Though realistically , the same can be said about any other aspect of the Sevenoaks experience . I might be too young to say this . Here it is anyways . For the lucky ones still roaming the art rooms , it is too easy to take what has been made available to us at Sevenoaks for granted , so I ask that you seize , or even create , as many opportunities as possible for yourself , your peers and your community . As for artists from the Class of 2022 , I ask that you never stop experimenting , never stop creating and most importantly , never stop inspiring . Finally , congratulations for producing this exhibition , sharing your ideas and works publicly in a display of exceptional courage .
Sean Lee ( OS 2019 )