News Art and Design Teachers Exhibiting Works at the Royal Academy of Art Summer Exhibition 26.05.2023

Many congratulations to our Art and Design teachers, Miss Ockenden and Mr Davies, who have both had their work selected for the prestigious Royal Academy of Art Summer Exhibition. The Exhibition is an annual celebration of art and artists, run without interruption since 1769, and this year takes place from 13 June – 20 August 2023 at the Royal Academy of Art on Piccadilly. It is the world’s largest open submission exhibition featuring work in every medium imaginable.

Miss Ockenden says of her piece: ‘This is my fourth successful submission to the Royal Academy of Art. ‘Forever Decreasing’ is a 20 layered papercut which is part of a series of works celebrating detail and often overlooked: the inconspicuous, the ‘everyday,’ the assumed known and unnoticed.

Surface pattern within interiors, architectural features, the repetition found in scaffolding which encircles structures, tiled floors and walls, the surface decoration found on paper and fabrics are just some examples of inspirations for this sequence of works. To form the final image, careful, repetitive hand cutting is employed to remove portions from the paper structure. The art of removal, as well as the duplication of cutting, is a ritual and becomes a crucial part of the procedure.’

Mr Davies explains the background to his piece: ‘My submission is one of a series of drawings which originates from the extraordinary and emotionally charged experience of lockdown when the need to dramatically change daily routines was difficult afforded time for reflection and to create. Flora and fauna have interested me from a young age. Selecting plants to draw from direct observation was a key part of the process for this drawing. I was drawn to the stunning tapestry of wild plants growing alongside curbs, walls and pavements, and noticing the ways in which these small, perhaps under-considered plants claim a space within the urban sprawl.  Their resilience to thrive within the gaps and cracks of the city, growing and linking into a tapestry of remarkable layered forms and textures.’

We are very proud to have two members of the department represented at the Exhibition and are sure our Art and Design students will be inspired by their teachers.