Year 11 Work at Home
Many Year 11 art and design pupils have continued to complete their exam projects at home. Before the enforced closure, pupils were working on the development of their individual ideas for a wide range of artworks and design outcomes and would love to have the opportunity to share their artistic discoveries. Pupils have developed concepts around the environment, photomontage, race, gender and dealing with trauma. These are just a few examples of the work being produced. To say we are proud is an understatement!
Year 11 Concealment Project
Christian explored the topic of Concealment for his GCSE graphics project. Through his research he explored the use of camouflage patterns in fashion design. As a result of looking at artists and designers, Christian created his own tie dye inspired camo, made from photography of the school site. He used a cyanotype technique to transfer his image onto fabric. Christian, inspired by his interest in utility fashion, redesigned the school uniform to be a pair of dungarees!
Year 10 Development Through Artist Research
GCSE Fine Art and Graphic Communications are portfolio courses that require pupils to build a large body of art and design work over 2 years. During this time of remote learning Year 10 art & design pupils have been working strategically to continue to build excellent portfolios by researching and responding to the work of a wide range of artists and designers. They use the understanding and skills they develop by doing this to inform their own, individual artworks and products. During online classes pupils have been discussing and sharing their ideas, while supporting in each with feedback and advice. Pupils have the opportunity to think critically about their projects and respond in ways that are truly personal to them.
Year 9 Collections and Obsessions
Year 9 have been researching and making artwork in response to a GSCE project title “Collections and Obsessions”. They have had the opportunity to further explore how artists use a variety of techniques to communicate ideas and meaning through the work they make and the objects that are included.
As always, pupils started the project with artist research and response, followed by a conceptual photography task, in which the had to take a photo called “My Shelfie.” Their shelf had to have an arrangement of objects that represented them and their thoughts at that time. The image was accompanied by a ‘curators text’ outlining the concept behind the work. From these images pupils have gone on to develop artworks in a wide range of media. Through this project, pupils are starting to build their own artistic language.
Year 9 Food Festival
DT in year 9 continues to build on the graphic design elements introduced and developed throughout key stage 3 by giving pupils the opportunity to develop and design their own graphic materials for a food festival of their choice. Pupils works independently to research, develop and design a range of products relevant for their own food festival. They can choose from a range of ways of working, including using digital methods, illustration and mixed media to produce genre and audience specific designs.
Year 8 Circular Economies
Continuing the enjoyment from Year 8’s vegetable growing and bed design project, pupils have had the opportunity to deepen their knowledge and understanding of the role that design can have on the wider environment. Pupils have been researching and responding to a range of organisations and companies that are working with circular economies to reduce waste. They have started to think about how these big ideas can be used on a smaller scale to inform their own designs and spaces.
Year 8 Drawing Techniques – positive and negative space, back, mid and foreground
Throughout Year 8 pupils explore a range of artistic techniques linked to the topic Surface and Pattern. They are introduced to the methods behind the production of abstract work, developing an understanding of how traditional art techniques are used by abstract artists. In their home learning project this half term they have been exploring how photography can play a key role in developing an abstract composition. The artworks that they have been producing develop their knowledge in positive and negative space and back, mid and foreground.
Year 7 Virtual Picasso Exhibition
To make up for not being able to attend the Picasso on Paper exhibition at the Royal Academy, Year 7 were invited to take a virtual tour of the the show. They accessed the exhibition through the Royal Academy of Art website, allowing them to see the work up close. The pupils used this virtual experience to create their own Picasso on paper responses.
