school projects
'Time' - St Marys Catholic High School Leigh
The St Mary’s Gifted and Talented Summer School included contributions from Art and Design, Drama and Music. A mixture of Year 6, Year 7 and Sixth Form students spent a week exploring the theme of ‘time’. The experience began with all students involved in a number of ice-breaker activities. They then divided into their specialist groups to work with artists, performers, musicians and staff. At the end of the week the individual experiences were brought together with the students making a presentation of their work to a group of invited guests.
I first had the
idea of using the theme of 'time' for artwork when I was in Paris. While there
I was able to see a number of Cubist paintings and became fascinated with their
endeavours to represent time through a fragmentation of different views within
one picture.
Our work in Art and Design began with a session based on lessons 2 and 3 of
the Arts Reasoning and Thinking Skills programme. This aimed to encourage thinking
skills related to the exploration of the project theme ‘time’. Key
images used in this included ‘The
Arnolfini Wedding’ by Jan van Eyck (time past), ‘Mr
and Mrs Clark’ by David Hockney, (recent time) and ‘The
Arrival’ by Christopher Nevinson (fragmented time). A central point
in this was for pupils to realise that an artist can depict objects and viewpoints
that are not immediately obvious.
The task aimed to reveal to pupils that it is necessary to investigate images in depth if our understanding is to be enhanced. It was hoped that this investigation would result in deeper, more informed images in the pupils’ own work. Included in this was the fact that works of art may have a supporting theory that relates to the time in which they were made. This can often give the work of art a deeper meaning, an aspect clearly seen in the Nevinson image which relates to what was then referred to as ‘simultaneity in time and space’. It was put to the art group ‘how does this idea relate to computer images of the 21st century?’
We decided to use this idea of fragmenting images as our starting point. However, the meaning behind the images produced is a little more complex. David Hockney firmly believes that memory is an important part of the process of seeing. How many times have you looked at something and then made a link in your mind with something from your past? This resulted in the idea of using layers of images to represent time in one picture. The computer images made by the students include images of themselves, family, friends and objects related to the theme of time.
During the week the students worked with the artists Pat Hodson and Anne-Marie Quinn. They both bought unique contributions to the project. Pat’s stunning art books became our main format for the presentation of the students work. Anne-Marie worked with a number of students on a group piece which centred on the idea of pockets of time.
During the presentation at the end of the week, 3 Year 6 pupils and Helen Rogerson, a sixth form student, introduced the audience to the groups work.
Helen
introduced the group piece which represents memories from the past and thoughts
from the present and of the future. Each of these is in the form of small books
held within individual pockets. The pockets are arranged in 3 towers, the final
tower tied together because it represents the future which we do not yet know.
All of the work produced during the week displays each student’s interpretation
of the concepts behind the project. This took the form of individual prints,
art books and the group sculpture.
This was a new venture for St Mary’s High School which has resulted in a whole range of future possible developments in ICT work. The contribution of both Pat Hodson and Anne-Marie Quinn brought an enriching dimension to the work of the students. To see Year 6 pupils working in partnership with Sixth Form students was very rewarding. In all, the whole experience has been enlightening. We look forward to future work with anticipation.
John Cawood - Head of Art