It was fantastic to welcome the parents of our art and photography students to the annual Summer Exhibition in the Great Hall at the end of the summer term.
Head of Art, Mr James Ramsey, talks about how the event went:
"It should be said that this is always a fantastic event and one that we all, family members, staff, teachers, students and parents thoroughly enjoy each year. To witness the superb pieces that the artists and photographers have worked so hard to produce, all at once and in this stunning Great Hall is truly rewarding. There is an abundance of variety, colour and creativity on display.
"However, what makes this year so special is that it could go ahead at all. We have all shared a difficult few years with the pandemic and the students have been affected in a myriad of ways.
"Despite the setbacks they have faced they have worked so hard in art and photography (subjects that do not naturally lend themselves to an online transition) and we are very proud and lucky to have such persevering and resilient youngsters around.
"A huge thank you must go to the staff who helped them on their way: Miss Mordue, Mrs Thomas, Mrs Krause, Mr Ramsay and a special thanks to Mrs Brooks for hanging the exhibition so expertly.
"As with each year we must say goodbye to some artists and photographers and wish them the very best of luck with their future endeavours. Please do not be strangers - stay in touch with the college and let us know what you are up to.
"One Art anecdote that suits this year particularly well is the example of the Iceberg. The visible part, above water, stands for the finished and completed outcomes that stand proudly on the wall. However the larger, deeper, heaviest proportion sits underwater and is unseen. This relates to the behind the scenes sketchbook work where the students try things out, experiment, play, occasionally fail, but more often than not, succeed.
"Particular congratulations must go to Josh Sommerville - his portrait of his Grandad, Will Tayler for his multiple, Warhol-esque portrait of his Aunt and Poppy Whitfield for her ambitious and superb ceiling painting produced in Oils. Congratulations to them and all of the artists and photographers who contributed to the show."
In addition to a 'live' exhibition of their work, the Year 13 photography students are very proud to present a showcase of their creative, technical and imaginative skills in an online exhibition of their work.
The 2021 A Level Photography Exhibition is live for all to see the work of the students, who have remained dedicated to their art despite having to deal with three national lockdowns during their course.
Every student has their own page which they have created and developed themselves, reflecting their individual photography styles and interests.
Miss Chloe Mordue, Head of Photography, explains:
"With what has been a very strange year or so, we are beyond proud and thrilled with the effort, hard work and spirit that our Year 13 Photographers have displayed throughout their A-Level Photography course.
"Due to the pandemic, the Photography projects moved to online presentations which became a challenge to convert physical work into online work. This required a lot of effort and determination from our Year 13 Photographers and they have gone beyond our expectations with the fantastic work they have been able to produce.
"Each A-Level Photographer has their own designated website page, where they have had full control over the layout, writing and selection of their work to display online. There are also links to their online presentations on Google Slides for their two Photography projects, as well as a link to their Personal Study essay on their individually chosen topic.
"We really hope you enjoy looking through their work and along with Mrs Krause we could not be more proud to share this with you all."
Click here to view our 360 Summer Exhibition Photo Gallery.
