This year’s Art, Photography and Design pupils demonstrate all that we look for in successful individuals. Amongst the diverse and ambitious pieces of GCSE, A Level and IB pieces was the work of 19 Upper Sixth leavers displaying their examination pieces for the final time at the Commemoration Exhibition. Here we feature the work of five pupils.
CHARLOTTE (M)
My final piece is a transfer process that looks at three different locations, woodlands, seascape and mountains – pictured left. Consisting of 108 images across 12 different typologies, the idea is to present the different landscapes in four different tones to provoke different emotions. The transfer process creates a rough outcome that sees the image become ingrained into the material. I was inspired by Gerhard Richter’s manipulation of art and photos to manipulate my own aesthetically pleasing images. Photography as a subject has allowed me to have a creative outlet from regular classroom work as I have never been the best at essays. The teachers inspire you to create bigger and better art and make it personal to your interests. It is because of this that the lessons never feel like work.
HUGO (C)
In this painting, I used bold gestural strokes along with thick impastos of paints to depict a view across Primrose Hill in North London in an expressionistic format. I took influence from the likes of Auerbach, Kossoff and other artists amongst the London group who pioneered this style of work. Bradfield has allowed me to freely experiment and develop my skills as a painter. After being provided with fantastic facilities and engaged teachers, the Department is definitely a place I have cherished spending time in whilst at this College.
MEGAN (J)
This piece of work explores the use of colour in photography. I wanted to enhance my understanding of how to use colour and how it can impact the way a photo is viewed, both physically and emotionally. I used a range of types of film for my final piece to create different effects on the final images. The film I used during this photo in particular created some quite abstract effects – such as the fact that the leaves were originally green, yet have come out purple, however in other images the film may not adjust the tones of the green. It made the results quite unpredictable yet interesting to work with. I have always found Photography to be a great way to relax and get away from my written work and it will be a passion that I shall take with me throughout life.
TABITHA (J)
This piece started as an etching that I further developed having been inspired by the artist Heather Hansen, a very literal artist who uses her own body to create large-scale patterns representing what I interpreted as movement. To create the aesthetic of a spiral, I used a makeshift compass to create a smooth circular motion in the areas where the body would move to give the impression of motion, in the same style as Hansen. My time in the Bradfield Art Department has been interesting. Art has been a consistent joy in my daily life and not a subject soon forgotten.
ARTHUR (E)
I developed my three-part chandelier from looking at water and, in particular, the shape of water droplets as they fell. I started to develop different ways I could create the shape of a water droplet using wood and acrylic. The bottom of the light is in the shape of a dome and made out of resin. Using glue, I stuck the clear plastic tube to the resin and used wooden discs gradually getting smaller as they reach the top of the piece. The lights sit inside the tube and at the top the chain is connected to the tubing running all the way to the metal triangular metal frame. Looking at resin gave a more realistic view of the water droplets as it was clearer than the materials I had used before. In my five years at Bradfield I have found the Design staff supportive and always on hand to help, offering their valuable advice and ideas to help challenge my own.
You can view all the leavers’ pieces from the Commemoration Art Exhibition 2019 on the ART AND DESIGN webpage.
