On the Flexi Friday, the Art pupils had the opportunity to visit the Tate Modern Gallery in London accompanied by the Art teachers, Miss Jivanda and Mrs Babayan.

Pupils have been gathering primary and secondary research around their projects Art theme, ‘growth and decay’ and the exhibitions provided were an excellent opportunity to learn more about artists who work in the industry and with similar themes.

Upon arrival, the group visited the Maria Bartuszova exhibition to look at her unique artwork, made from plaster and casted by hand to create abstract shapes resembling egg shells, raindrops and the human body with strong links to her connection with nature. Pupils were able to take photos of the work they saw and document/draw from observation in their sketchbooks whilst walking around the exhibition with pensive looks.

Apollo Magazine wrote about the artist in their recent review: “Born in Prague in 1936, Bartuszova lived for most of her career in the Slovak city of Kosice where she produced a number of commissions for buildings and public sculptures funded by the Soviet state. This was an important source of income for the artist but also allowed her to experiment with her ideas on a larger scale, often in quietly radical ways. Her ideas for a children’s climbing frame and slide – not realised in her lifetime, though the models are on display at the Tate – imagine bones, ovaries and organs as a site for exploration and communal activity.”

The second exhibition held art pieces from Impressionist painter, Paul Cezanne, the collection consisted of still life, landscapes and portraiture and pupils were struck by the radiant colours and fascinating compositions of his art work.

The art pupils also had the opportunity to contribute to the gallery’s wall display by creating their own personal illustrations and contributing to society’s wider art community.

This was a very enjoyable day for both pupils and staff and gave the pupils an opportunity to explore elements of modern, contemporary, sculpture and traditional artwork.