Art
Art is a rich and varied set of practices central to human civilisation. At QE we aim to be constantly evolving and developing pupils’ creativity to reflect both the historical and the contemporary. Art is closely related to design and craft, and it is our aim that these fields should inform and enrich each other.
Whilst having a mainly ‘fine art’ focus, pupils will broaden their understanding of the creative industries through a wide range of projects in Years 7, 8 and 9. We aim to deliver projects that give all boys the opportunity to experience art, design and craft in a fulfilling and meaningful way, irrespective of natural ability. Lessons are designed to provide a supportive structure while allowing for individual interpretation and personal direction. Pupils will experiment with a wide range of materials and processes such as ceramics, printmaking, fashion and textiles, mixed media, photography, digital art, white card modelling, painting, and drawing.
Cross-curricular links are explored at every opportunity, so that knowledge and understanding gained in relation to art, design and craft can be applied to a range of other contexts. Through discussion at a group and individual level, we encourage depth of enquiry and critical thinking. Wider reading and research is fundamental to developing personal and unique ideas. It is equally important that pupils are informed and inspired by a range of artists that are representative of culturally diverse communities.
The aim is that the skills developed can be applied to a wide range of other aspects of art and design and that these may be taken up in higher education for practical degree courses such as Architecture, Graphic Design, Film, Product Design, Games Design, Animation, or Fashion and Textiles.
At GCSE and A Level, pupils will be encouraged to reflect on contemporary art practice, taking a Post-Modern approach to creating work that is an accumulation of their prior experience (both technical and theoretical). This will enable them to communicate with an audience in visual language about contemporary themes and current affairs in a succinct and meaningful way.
At QE it is considered vitally important that pupils have opportunity to be taught and to develop their drawing skills, and it remains a vital component of all project work from Year 7 to 13.
Art Club takes place every lunch time. Pupils are also encouraged to make independent visits to galleries and museums in London and beyond. Locations for Sixth Form field trips have included the Cotswolds, Paris, St Ives, Queen Elizabeth II Olympic Park, Sky Garden, Royal Geographic Society and Chelsea Schools of Art. Selected sixth-formers take part in the Royal Academy’s attRAct programme. We host visits from well-known artists, while our own past students return periodically to speak about their experience of higher education and to show their work.
Art gallery
Old Elizabethans: Exploring thought
David Shillinglaw (OE 1994-1999) has exhibited in galleries in New York, London, Berlin and Istanbul, as well as in Japan, China and Holland. Described as a “mind adventurer” by fellow artist Jaybo Monk, David uses his art to map his own complex thought processes.
In 2018 some of David’s designs were used on awareness-raising high-quality t-shirts for the mental health charity, Mind.
The previous year, David returned to QE to take part in an Enrichment Day, where he assisted boys in Year 10 in their inter-house Art competition.
Old Elizabethans: Rising talent
Henry Yang (OE 2005-2012) attributes his early interest in Art, and particularly in the still image, to the cultural upheaval he experienced when he moved to London from Shenzhen, China, in 2001.
His talent was already clear when he arrived at QE and, in the Sixth Form, he studied Art and Photography, along with History, Physics and Chemistry. After studying at Central Saint Martins and Chelsea College of Art, he took a First in Fine Art from the University of the Arts London, to which both colleges belong.
Henry lives and works in London, and in 2017 two of his paintings – 1 m sq oils on canvas – were displayed in an East End exhibition featuring the work of rising young artists.
