Annual Art & Photography Exhibition Ponders the Creative Journey

The annual Art and Photography Exhibition took place last week as Mike Pell, Head of department, took the assembled audience through the journey of Art here at KES, from Pre-Prep to Sixth Form, before reflecting on his own personal ‘journey’ after 25 years spent teaching art at King Edward’s.

The art on display during the evening also reflected on the evening’s theme of ‘journeys’ as guests were encouraged to explore the work on show, from initial idea or concept through to the final realisation.  To illustrate this, exhibition artworks included sketchbooks, doodles, annotations and preparatory drawings alongside finished pieces. As a teacher, Mr Pell noted that this creative journey to finished work is often the most exciting and rewarding moment as an art teacher, ‘when we witness the growth of a student’s understanding and the building of self-confidence and belief.’

During the evening, Mr Pell also spoke of the value of taking real ‘journeys’ as an artist and that it was his department’s ethos to encourage pupils to look outside their immediate environment and to explore and sample different locations, even different cultures, noting that some of the most exciting art and photography is created when artists react to the world around them. Recent department trips by KES artists have included visits to Cornwall and Bristol, and before that Amsterdam, where sketchbooks and cameras have explored and recorded everything from graffiti covered urban-scapes to rugged coastal scenery.

You can view photos from the talk and exhibition below.

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