THE MOMENT Tuesday 30 April - Friday 3 May 2019 Royal College of Art - maria howard

 
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THE MOMENT Tuesday 30 April - Friday 3 May 2019 Royal College of Art - maria howard
THE MOMENT
Tuesday 30 April – Friday 3 May 2019
        Royal College of Art
THE MOMENT Tuesday 30 April - Friday 3 May 2019 Royal College of Art - maria howard
Be Yourself
               at Claremont

                                                                               THE MOMENT
                                                                            Tuesday 30 April – Friday 3 May 2019

                                                       ilable                       Royal College of Art
                                               Also ava !
                                                  in white
                                                                             Kensington Gore, London SW7 2EU

                                                                 Featuring works donated by leading contemporary artists and
                                                                Royal Academicians, supporting research into childhood cancers
                                                                                through Cancer Research UK

                                                                                  www.young-art.org.uk

Nursery & Prep School
St Leonards, East Sussex, TN37 7PW . 01424 751555
Senior School & Sixth Form
Bodiam, East Sussex, TN32 5UJ . 01580 830396

enquiries@claremontschool.co.uk . claremontschool.co.uk
THE MOMENT Tuesday 30 April - Friday 3 May 2019 Royal College of Art - maria howard
YOUNG ART 2019                                                                             YOUNG ART 2019

ABOUT YOUNG ART
Children helping children

Young Art is an annual exhibition of children’s paintings,       CONTENTS
drawings and prints at the Royal College of Art. Over 7,600
young people aged from 4 to 18 from more than 87 schools         Welcome			4
– mainly in London – enter the competition every year. The       Young Art 2018			                       6
pictures are judged by a panel of leading contemporary artists
and this year over 820 have been selected to be exhibited.       Cancer Research UK		                    7
                                                                 A Word from the Vice-Chancellor 9
Over the last 28 years Young Art has raised more than
£1,000,000 towards vital research into childhood cancers         Patron’s Welcome		                      10
and clinical trials at UCL Institute of Child Health Great
Ormond Street Hospital and other leading hospitals               Meet the Judges ...
through Cancer Research UK.                                      and the Young Artists		                 11
                                                                 Silent Auction			45
                                                                 Behind the Scenes		                     48
                                                                 Young Art in Schools 		                 50
                                                                 Behind the Microscope		                 54
                                                                 Where Art Can Take You		                56
                                                                 Printmaking at Home		                   60
                                                                 Prize Winners			65
                                                                 Highly Commended		                      66
                                                                 Exhibitors			69
                                                                 Acknowledgments		 80

                                                                 Catalogue compiled and edited by
                                                                 Maria Howard. Design by Clover Gwynn.
                                                                 Artwork photography by Penny Bishop.
                                                                 Cover image by Amara Khan.
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THE MOMENT Tuesday 30 April - Friday 3 May 2019 Royal College of Art - maria howard
YOUNG ART 2019                                                                                                  YOUNG ART 2019

Welcome

Welcome to this year’s edition of Young     seriously, carefully looking at each and   supporters who contribute funds and
Art at the Royal College of Art. The        every one of the 7,600 entries to select   products to help us stage the largest
theme of ‘The Moment’ has inspired          the 820 for the exhibition. The judges     exhibition in London after the RA
some wonderful creativity that you          also generously share their time and       Summer Exhibition.
will see throughout the exhibition,         expertise with the pupils – creating
from ‘the moment I opened my mouth          a dialogue via questions and answers       This is Young Art’s 29th year at
to taste a strawberry ice cream’ to the     with the prize winners (see page 11)       the RCA and we wish to thank the
winner of the Vice-Chancellor’s Prize       which offer some fascinating insights      college for its continual generosity
who captured a poignant memory of           into the artistic process.                 and support, in myriad ways, not
her beloved grandmother in a truly                                                     least the amazing, unique experience
exceptional picture.                        YA would like to thank our patrons:        it gives to school pupils to have their
                                            Prof Ken Howard RA, Prof Sir               work exhibited in what is now the
Every year we hear extraordinary            Christopher Frayling, Prof Chris Orr       number one post graduate art college
stories about how being involved with       RA, Eileen Cooper RA and our judges:       in the world.
YA has had a positive effect, not only      Nicola Bayley, Eileen Cooper, Patrick
for pupils but teachers and volunteers      Cullen, James Hart Dyke, James Lloyd,      None of this would be possible without
as well. We have come to realise that       Prof Chris Orr RA and Paul Thompson,       the hours and hours of tireless work
YA is so much more than a children’s        the Vice-Chancellor of the RCA, for all    from the committee who are all
art exhibition; there are reports of        their continued support and hard work.     volunteers and happily give their time
confidence being boosted by some who                                                   and support for this wonderful cause.
were struggling at school, and even         The teachers from the 87 schools
poor school attendance being improved       also deserve a very special mention        Enjoy ‘The Moment’ and join us in 2020
overnight as a result of recognition        for inspiring their pupils and             for the 30th Anniversary YA Exhibition
from YA, but for us the stand out           organising the entries, as do all the      – the title is ‘Memories’, of which there
moment was seeing two sisters who           parents who generously donate for          will be many to celebrate.
had recently lost their third sister to     their children’s work.
lymphoma being so proud that they
were raising money for research into        Last year YA raised over £83,000
childhood cancers through their             for specific research projects into
paintings being exhibited last year. It     childhood cancers at UCL Institute
truly is about children helping children.   of Child Health Great Ormond Street
                                            Hospital through Cancer Research UK.
The standard of work gets better
every year, giving the judges a very        We would also like to thank                Hilary Stallibrass and Adrea Blakeney
hard task. They take their job very         the many generous donors and               Co-chairs, Young Art

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THE MOMENT Tuesday 30 April - Friday 3 May 2019 Royal College of Art - maria howard
YOUNG ART 2019                                                                                                                           YOUNG ART 2019

YOUNG ART 2018 SUCCESS                                                                  THANK YOU

The 2018 exhibition was a knockout            were so proud that all the hard work      On behalf of Cancer Research UK, I would like to welcome
success – as one school commented,            and enthusiasm from everyone who is       you to the 29th Young Art exhibition, raising vital funds to
‘what a brilliant event, so well              part of Young Art helped achieve this     tackle children’s cancers. My heartfelt thanks to go to all
supported and smoothly run, but               wonderful result. Dr Karin Straathof      those involved in making this annual exhibition such an
even more exciting was the sheer              and her team of researchers visited       inspiration to all who take part and attend, and a highlight
quality of the work.’                         the exhibition, bringing the worlds of    in the calendar for us all.
                                              art and science together, united by the
The title ‘Feelings’ inspired some            common purpose of helping to find a       The Young Art committee is extremely passionate and
wonderful creativity; one of our              cure for childhood cancers.               driven; we are incredibly proud to work with each and every
favourites was ‘this was my feeling                                                     one of them. Thanks to their tireless commitment and your
when I wasn’t chosen for the ballet           Everyone at Young Art would like to       generosity, crucial funds are being raised for childhood
show’ – we loved that Young Art gave          say an enormous thank you to all the      cancer clinical trials.
that young artist another avenue to           people who make it happen – exhibitors,
express herself.                              teachers, schools, parents, judges, the   In the UK, around 4,500 children and young people are
                                              RCA and all our supporters who gave so    diagnosed with cancer every year. Clinical trials are at the
Imagine our feelings as we presented          generously to such an important cause.    heart of taking new therapies from the lab and into the clinic,
a cheque for £83,000 to the research                                                    helping to make the best possible treatments available to all
teams at UCL Institute of Child Health        We would also like to thank our           cancer patients. Cancer Research UK is the only charity that
Great Ormond Street Hospital; we              amazing committee.                        funds a dedicated clinical trials unit for all children’s cancers
                                                                                        and, with your support, we are working hard to transform
                                                                                        the lives of those affected by this terrible disease.

    Why donate?                                                                         I hope you enjoy this very special exhibition and thank you

    £2 could buy a box of       £35 could buy special         £1,000 could              again for your support. Together we will beat cancer.
                                chemical scissors which       pay for the work
    microscope slides – yours
                                help decode genetic secrets   of the Children’s
    could be the slide that                                                             Frances Milner
                                hidden in cancer cells        Clinical Trials Team
    makes a breakthrough                                                                Executive Director of Philanthropy and Partnerships
                                                              for one day, which
    £20 could fund the          £100 could buy a              supports giving           Cancer Research UK
                                chemical measuring            children access to the
    cost of running Cancer
                                tool which helps analyse      latest cutting edge
    Chat for one hour,          DNA molecules                 cancer treatments
    helping many parents
    and families through        £750 could fund one
    very difficult times        week of a clinical trial

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THE MOMENT Tuesday 30 April - Friday 3 May 2019 Royal College of Art - maria howard
YOUNG ART 2019                                                                         YOUNG ART 2019

                 A Word from
                 the Vice- Chancellor

                                                              I am hugely impressed by the technical
                                                              skills on display, but as important, the
                                                              expressive human qualities captured
                                                              in paint, collage, or the drawn line.

                                                              Over recent years, there has been a
                                                              growing understanding of the impact
                                                              that the arts can have upon the health
                                                              and well-being of children and adults
                                                              alike. Participation in the arts can
                                                              benefit people who experience mental,
                                                              social, or physical barriers to personal
                                                              fulfilment, and provides a fantastic
                                                              opportunity for social interaction and
                 We are very proud to be hosting the          community engagement.
                 29th Young Art exhibition at the Royal
                 College of Art, ranked for the fifth         The exhibition encourages artists
                 consecutive year as the world’s number       to help others less fortunate than
                 one art and design university. It’s always   themselves by raising much needed
                 an important moment in our annual            funds for Cancer Research UK. Over
                 calendar when we, a postgraduate             the years the generosity of artists and
                 community, are reminded of the value of      those who have bought their work
                 creative expression at the very earliest     has allowed Young Art to donate very
                 of ages, and the importance and value of     substantial sums of money each year
                 the arts within our schools’ curricula.      to the charity. So to everyone who
                                                              has helped this great venture – to the
                 This year’s theme of ‘The Moment’            young artists, school teachers, the
                 has produced work of great poignancy         Young Art volunteers, and to visitors –
                 and some enigma. The theme has               thank you for your support of this very
                 encouraged young artists to explore          worthwhile endeavour.
                 significant personal relationships
                 – often familial – and to interject a        Dr Paul Thompson
                 moment of surprise or to capture a           Vice-Chancellor of
                 moment of private reflection. As ever,       the Royal College of Art

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THE MOMENT Tuesday 30 April - Friday 3 May 2019 Royal College of Art - maria howard
YOUNG ART 2019                                                                                                                       YOUNG ART 2019

Patron’s Welcome                                                   Meet the Judges …
Prof Ken Howard OBE RA                                             and the Young Artists

This is the 29th year of children helping children through         From tips on materials to the differences
the annual Young Art exhibition at the Royal College of Art.       between art and craft, we present a dialogue
On behalf of Young Art, and as its longstanding patron,            between the prizewinners and the judges
I would like to extend my thanks to all of those involved in
making this exhibition a huge success. A particular thank          Judges’ portraits by Lucy Parakhina
you must go to every child who has entered this competition
and contributed to this fantastic show.

The importance of art in the school curriculum cannot be
overstated, it helps prepare children for their future life and
makes that life richer. The Young Art exhibition is part of that
process as well as providing funds, through your generosity, to
help with UCL’s vital research into childhood cancer.

Thank you for your support and I hope you enjoy this
wonderful exhibition.

                                                                                     Silent Auction
                                                                              Register your bid and you could soon be the proud owner
                                                                             of an original work of art by a leading contemporary artist

                                                                                  Proceeds benefit research into childhood cancers
                                                                                           through Cancer Research UK

                                                                                         See page 45 for more information

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THE MOMENT Tuesday 30 April - Friday 3 May 2019 Royal College of Art - maria howard
YOUNG ART 2019                                                                                                                                           YOUNG ART 2019

Nicola Bayley
Judge for Reception and Year 1                           Questions by Tasmin Davies

What kind of art do you do?                 are in the books. If I’m doing a present
The main kind of art I do is illustrating   I paint cats, birds, flowers, sunsets or
children’s books, so I’m given a story      starry skies (you can see why I loved
and I work out which scenes to paint        Tasmin’s picture).
– it takes me about a year to do [one].
I also try to draw a picture most days      Do you use lots of different materials?
for myself in a small notebook when         I mostly use my watercolours, 44 little
I’m on holiday or out and about and         blocks in a very old box. Sometimes I
see something interesting.                  use colour pencils but it takes up lots
                                            of time keeping them sharp enough,
What kind of pictures do you make?          I also love drawing with very black
My pictures are almost always rather        pencils 9B on textured paper.
small, I do them the same size as they

                                                                                       First prize
                                                                                       Tasmin Davies                                            Reception and Year 1
                                                                                       Claremont St Leonard’s                                Questions by Nicola Bayley

                                                                                       First of all, very well done, your       What paint did you use and did you
                                                                                       picture is really beautiful. I wonder    draw the tree from life?
                                                                                       what made you choose that image as       I used inky watercolours and oil pastel.
                                                                                       your ‘moment’, it certainly conjures
                                                                                       up something magical to me, it’s so
                                                                                       full of atmosphere.
                                                                                       My picture is of the moon, it is a
                                                                                       winter tree and owl. It is nighttime
                                                                                       and I was thinking about what it would
                                                                                       be like to camp out at night .

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THE MOMENT Tuesday 30 April - Friday 3 May 2019 Royal College of Art - maria howard
YOUNG ART 2019                                                         YOUNG ART 2019

                                              Joint third prize
                                              Evyenia Papadimitriou
                                              Thomas’s Fulham

Joint second prize                            Joint third prize
Thomas Copland                                Lilly Pointon
Thomas’s Battersea                            The Harrodian Pre-Prep

                     Joint second prize
                     Io Tan
                     James Allen’s Pre-Prep

                        Reception and         Reception and
                                Year 1        Year 1
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THE MOMENT Tuesday 30 April - Friday 3 May 2019 Royal College of Art - maria howard
YOUNG ART 2019                                                                                                                                         YOUNG ART 2019

James Lloyd
Judge for Year 2 and Year 3                            Questions by Phoebe Winfield

Why did you choose my picture from          got older and at art school I found
all the entries?                            painting a fascinating way to try to
I chose your work because of its            capture people.
humorous title, powerful colours and
decisive use of line to quickly describe    Who is your favourite painter?
how your sister was feeling.                My favourite painter is Vincent van
                                            Gogh, other painters may be more
Why did you become a painter?               refined than him, but as someone who
When I was little, like lots of children,   found a powerful way to express how
I enjoyed drawing and mainly drew           they feel about the world around them
people. The interest developed as I         I can’t think of anyone better.

                                                                                      First prize
                                                                                      Phoebe Winfield                                              Year 2 and Year 3
                                                                                      The Village School                                     Questions by James Lloyd

                                                                                      Firstly congratulations on your          What do you think is the difference
                                                                                      amazing drawing, ‘The moment my          between someone’s drawing
                                                                                      sister needed to go to the toilet’.      capturing a moment and a
                                                                                      It’s not only visually striking but      photograph capturing a moment?
                                                                                      also funny, why did you choose to        When you draw a picture you keep
                                                                                      illustrate this particular moment?       the moment for much longer than
                                                                                      I think it is really funny because       when you take a photograph.
                                                                                      people don’t usually pull funny
                                                                                      faces when they need the toilet!         Who are your favourite artists and do
                                                                                                                               they inspire you to draw and paint?
                                                                                      Your drawing is like an illustration     I like Frida Kahlo because she paints
                                                                                      of a story, do you like writing too?     from her imagination and she uses
                                                                                      Yes it is nice writing because you can   pretty colours that are really amazing
                                                                                      tell your own story.                     when you look at them.
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YOUNG ART 2019                                                                                         YOUNG ART 2019

                                      James Hart Dyke
                                      Judge for Year 4 to Year 6                            Questions by Poppy Harris

                                      How old were you when you found          commission to paint a portrait of
                                      your passion for art?                    someone who lived in Santiago, Chile.
                                      There was a very clear moment when       One of my collectors, who is also a
                                      I found my passion for art. At the age   very keen climber, had a business
                                      of eight my parents took me to the       meeting in Chile at the same time as
                                      Victoria and Albert Museum where I       my commission. He suggested that we
                                      saw a small landscape study by John      should meet up and go to the mountains
                                      Constable. This little study triggered   in Patagonia to climb and trek. Hence
                                      my fascination for painting and in       was born my Patagonia project.
                                      particular landscape painting.
                                                                               Have you got a favourite painting?
                                      How did you get your inspiration         No, I can’t really say I have a
                                      to paint Patagonia?                      favourite painting. I look at lots of
                                      Many of my projects come about by        paintings, different ones depending
                                      a series of coincidences. In the case    on my mood at the time.
Second prize                          of Patagonia it started by getting a
Amara Khan
The Study

                 Third prize
                 Alexa
                 Ferreira
                 Okada
                 Thomas’s Battersea

                        Year 2 and
                            Year 3
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YOUNG ART 2019                                                                                           YOUNG ART 2019

                                                                                    Second prize
                                                                                    Ida Gentzel
                                                                                    North Bridge House

First prize                                                                         Third prize
Poppy Harris                                                     Year 4 to Year 6   Sophia
Cheam                                              Questions by James Hart Dyke     Karaket
                                                                                    Eaton Square
Why did you like the picture             [I like it] because it is easier to draw
you painted?                             with, you can be more precise with
It reminded me of a time on holiday      your colours.
when watching the sunset and relaxing.
                                         Who is your favourite artist and
Have you done other paintings            who inspires you?
like this or is this the first one?      Claude Monet is my favourite artist,
I love drawing; this was my first        I love what he captures, my Daddy
painting with pastels on black paper.    inspires me too as he loves art.

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YOUNG ART 2019                                                                                                                                              YOUNG ART 2019

Patrick Cullen NEAC
Judge for Year 7 to Year 9                            Questions by Charlie Sutherland

What was it about my painting that           colour much more than tone. The
made you choose it?                          Impressionists began this development
I was drawn to your painting because it      but Bonnard takes it much further
has an emotional charge. The hunched         and offers a far wider range of subjects
figure conveys a sense of something          (portraits, interiors, still lifes, the
impending, something weighing him            nude, landscape and mythical themes).
down... Behind him is an ambiguous           Working largely from memory, he is
shape, I wondered if it were a lamppost      able to include much more expressive
but it emits no light. It seems very close   and personal themes than you’ll ever
to him, almost leaning over him. Could       find in a Monet.
it even be following him?!

If I were to improve part of it, what
would that part be?
                                                                                        First prize
That’s a difficult one. I could make
a suggestion which might be an                                                          Charlie Sutherland                                               Year 7 to Year 9
interesting experiment though it’s                                                      The Grey Coat Hospital                                 Questions by Patrick Cullen
no guarantee it would improve the
painting because one of its strengths                                                   Congratulations on creating a strong       before you started painting?
is its starkness and simplicity. But you                                                and thought provoking image. Can          Or did they sort of emerge during
might try working into the background                                                   you tell me a little about what is        the course of painting it?
to imply ( very subtly, I would say)                                                    going on in the painting?                 I remembered the dark figure under a
an urban landscape to give more of a                                                    When I painted this I was in my           lamppost and it inspired me to paint
context to the figure and the lamppost.                                                 granny’s art studio. She gave me an old   the bold red background as I was
                                                                                        blue canvas and told me I could paint     trying to create a dramatic mood.
Who is your favourite artist and why?                                                   anything on it. As I started to paint I   I wanted to give the painting an
Pierre Bonnard, who fortuitously                                                        was thinking about an image I saw on      emotion – in the painting the man is
has a major show at Tate Modern till                                                    the internet a few months ago and of      going through a rough patch and is
May 6th. For me he is quite simply                                                      the impact it had on me because the       alone and anxious. At first I tried to
the greatest colourist and painter of                                                   figure looked so sad and lonely.          paint a light coming on him from the
light of all time. These are inseparable                                                                                          lamppost. This didn’t seem to work,
in his work because the light in a                                                      I wondered about the tall shape           so instead of persisting I left it because
Bonnard painting is conveyed through                                                    behind the figure. Did you have the       I liked the way it looked, like an
                                                                                        idea of juxtaposing these two shapes      ominous presence looming over him.

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YOUNG ART 2019                                                                                           YOUNG ART 2019

                                        Prof Chris Orr MBE R A
                                        Patron of Young Art and Judge
                                        for Year 10 and 11                              Questions by Mana Davies-Cooke

                                        If you could have any work of art in     to be considered a rather easy path
                                        your home what would it be and why?      in a college or school, inferior to the
                                        I live with work I have been fortunate   solid academic subjects. Nowadays we
                                        enough to acquire from artists that      realise the value of learning across
                                        I have known and admired such as         the spectrum.
                                        Terry Frost, Paula Rego. I collect
                                        James Gillray satirical etchings. I      Do you think that art has changed
                                        would love to have some Picasso          the way we look at day to day ideas,
                                        prints and I once nearly bought at       and if so how?
                                        auction an Edvard Munch print.           Art is integrated into what we both
                                                                                 desire and what we have. Art is part
                                        How do you think that the way people     of the substance of what we are
                                        study art has changed?                   and has all our problems as well as
                                        Art education is much more part of       pointers to our success.
                                        the mainstream of learning. It used
Second prize
Willow Wilson
The Harrodian Prep

                     Third prize
                     Noah Smith
                     Quainton Hall

                            Year 7 to
                              Year 9
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YOUNG ART 2019                                                                                                                                              YOUNG ART 2019

                                                                                       Second prize                                            Third prize
                                                                                       Lilianna Sierra                                         Maia Mathieson
                                                                                       James Allen’s Girls                                     Kew House

First prize
Mana Davies- Cooke                                             Year 10 and Year 11
The Grey Coat Hospital                                        Questions by Chris Orr

Did you make a maquette and have             especially interested in how light can    objects take on a life of their own.         when you change the lighting, the hard
you studied the optics of the way            change the emotion of a moment.           Everyone viewing the image could             edges are softened and the painting
light and shadows fall?                                                                interpret it differently, so when viewing    become complex. So I started with
I created the maquette and also the          Is there a narrative?                     this image it is as if you are living that   a simple, clear design that became
furniture which I lit, experimenting         This is about being human in a sense      moment as you would at a table or            complicated through the light and
with various light filters, but in the end   and just living the moment. The           sitting on a chair.                          shadows and where the hues changed
I decided to use the original light as       windows, the chair, the table, are                                                     it became even more interesting in the
the shadows created so many different        all designed for us. We live our lives    Why were the objects chosen?                 times that the light took on.
hues from the light. I am fascinated by      surrounded by these objects. But what     The furniture is all geometric in design,
light and how it changes objects. I am       happens when we are not there? The        the windows are simple shapes yet

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YOUNG ART 2019                                                                                                                                           YOUNG ART 2019

Eileen Cooper OBE R A
Patron of Young Art and Judge
for the Drawing Prize Year 7 to Year 9                        Questions by Max Rokos

How long does it take you to make              How did your style develop and
your prints?                                   change over your artistic career?
I mainly work with linocut and woodcut.        Probably it’s true to say that one
Like working in other media, it can be         becomes more knowing and self aware
rather spontaneous and happen in days          over the years, I’m constantly trying
or weeks, or it can take months and            to subvert this to keep things fresh
years! I often start a linocut, or series of   and exciting. So when I was a young
prints, cut the initial block, then spend      artist my work was more primal; now,
a few days making back-up blocks for           although I try to keep spontaneity,
multi-colour printing. The bigger the          it’s more resolved.
blocks, the longer the whole process
takes (sometimes I make very large             What inspired you to make your work?
prints). Then I have to decide through         I really need to make work and
experimenting whether to print on a            express myself. I cannot imagine
press, or hand print, what paper to use        how I would spend my days without        First prize                                                      Drawing Prize
etc. When all this experimenting, which        drawing and other creative work. Life
                                                                                        Ma x Rokos                                                     Year 7 to Year 9
we call ‘proofing’, ends, then the long        experiences, the female figure and
                                                                                        Wetherby Prep                                         Questions by Eileen Cooper
process of editioning the print begins.        more recently, portraits, are the main
                                               subject in my work.
                                                                                        What was it that attracted you to        Was it helpful to have some reference
                                               Who are the people in your pictures?     this subject?                            material, or did you work from
                                               They are both personal and universal.    Last year Wetherby Prep did a            memory and imagination?
                                                                                        production of A Midsummer Night’s        I looked at a few paintings of
                                                                                        Dream and the picture captures the       A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I often
                                                                                        moment between the characters            see horses which helped me with the
                                                                                        Bottom and the Fairy.                    donkey head.

                                                                                        Why did you choose these materials       It seems like you spent a very long
                                                                                        to draw with, was the absence of         time on this piece, it is very intense,
                                                                                        colour important?                        did you discover something different
                                                                                        [Pencil] is my strongest material        in working for a long time, can you
                                                                                        because I draw every day for about an    say what this might be?
                                                                                        hour in the morning and again in the     The work took around an hour and a
                                                                                        evening. The fact that it is black and   half, my drawings often take me a long
                                                                                        white works because it is a dramatic     time because it takes me a while to
                                                                                        subject and makes it look stronger.      focus in on the work.
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YOUNG ART 2019                                                                                             YOUNG ART 2019

                                      Eileen Cooper OBE R A
                                      Patron of Young Art and Judge
                                      for the Drawing Prize Year 10 and Year 11                  Questions by Annabel Fox

                                      It is difficult to know when I have         Do you feel that you paint things
                                      finished my piece of work – I don’t         differently as you get older, or see
                                      want to ruin it – do you have any advice    things a different way?
                                      for knowing when to leave it alone?         Yes I do, another great question. As
                                      This is a very important question           you become more knowledgeable, or
                                      and there is no answer. My feeling is,      proficient in particular areas, I think
                                      leave the work, look at it while you are    you lose things. I am always trying
                                      working on other things, and if you         to find difficulty, in order to subvert
                                      have a nagging doubt, go back to it.        myself, in the subject, materials
                                      Don’t be fearful of spoiling your work,     and process. This keeps things fresh
                                      that’s how you learn, which is the          for me. How lucky you are to be
                                      whole point of what we do.                  discovering this for yourself!
Second prize
Nell Sidwell                          If, from today, you could only ever         When you teach art, what do you
Kew House                             paint one object or thing from life,        think of as your most important
                                      and nothing else, what would it be?         pieces of advice?
                                      It would be the work that I am              Be true to yourself, put the hours in.
                 Third prize          involved with at this moment, work          Have fun and don’t be precious.
                 Liam Dee             that is ongoing in my studio; today
                 Jewish Free School   it’s a self portrait.

                                      When you look at each piece of work
                                      you have finished years later, what
                                      do you remember? Can you recall
                                      the inspiration for it, or what it was
                                      like to create it?
                                      Great question; both of these,
                                      especially if it’s significant for me and
                                      has stood the test of time. I also look
                                      at it critically, sometimes I would like
                                      to change things, alternatively, I’m
                   Drawing Prize
                                      really pleased that it’s locked in time.
                  Year 7 to Year 9
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                                                                                  Second prize                Third prize
                                                                                  Fatma Hussein               Iona Mellis
                                                                                  Paddington Academy          James Allen’s Girls

First prize                                                     Drawing Prize
Annabel Fox                                               Year 10 and Year 11
St Mary’s Calne                                      Questions by Eileen Cooper

What was it that attracted you to        Why did you choose these materials       Was it helpful to have some                It seems like you spent a long time
this subject?                            to draw with, was the absence of         reference material, or did you work        on the piece, it is very intense.
This is a drawing of my sister, who      colour important?                        from memory or imagination?                Did you discover something different
is nearly four years younger than        I chose to do a pencil drawing as I      I had my sister with me as I was           in working for a long time?
me. I love drawing her as she has        wanted to create depth. I hope I was     drawing and I hoped this helped me to      I tend to be very self critical when
a very mobile face and shows her         able to achieve chiaroscuro effects      capture some of her personality, but I     drawing, so taking a longer time to
feelings clearly which suits her quite   using pencil rather than oil. The        mainly worked from a photograph as I       step away and evaluate what I had
expressive character.                    absence of colour helps emphasise        wanted to study the way the light fell     done helped me to decide what worked
                                         the contrast.                            on her features.                           and what I wanted to change.

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Prof Chris Orr MBE R A
Patron of Young Art and Judge
for the Printmaking Prize Year 7 to Year 9               Questions by Freddie Jones

Which artist or single work of art         When did you decide to become an
do you admire most?                        artist or realise that becoming an
Paula Rego’s Jane Eyre                     artist was a possibility?
lithographic suite.                        From an early age I was obsessed with
                                           stories both written and visual in books
Which qualities were you looking           or in the world around me. Writing and
for when you judged this Young             drawing were the obvious means for
Art competition?                           me to follow this inclination. At school,
Originality and inventiveness.             it was English and Art that were the
                                           subjects that I did well in and going to
What is your opinion on the                art school was a clear path.
difference between ‘Art’ and ‘Craft’?
They are seamless. Great craft is part
of art and great art has powerful craft,
either practically or conceptually.

Do you have a preferred
printmaking technique?
No, all mediums from etching to digital                                                First prize
print techniques can be wonderful or                                                                                                             The Printmaking Prize
can equally be vacuous and mediocre.                                                   Freddie Jones                                                    Year 7 to Year 9
                                                                                       Magdalen College School                                    Questions by Chris Orr

                                                                                       Do you think printmaking helps you          Does the medium throw up surprises
                                                                                       get your ideas sorted out?                  and can you make use of them?
                                                                                       I feel that the linocut printmaking does    Yes, it does. Several times I have
                                                                                       allow more room for trial and error         experimented with linocut at home
                                                                                       at some points. For example, printing       and have found that even two prints of
                                                                                       in different colours can give different     the same linocut can be very different
                                                                                       possible versions compared to painting      probably due to the thickness of the
                                                                                       when you only have one attempt. But         ink. The chance to experiment with
                                                                                       then again with reduction linocut there     different colour combinations can also
                                                                                       is definitely no way of going back if you   produce surprising results. With my
                                                                                       make a mistake.                             picture I made many different colour
                                                                                                                                   versions and couldn’t have predicted
                                                                                                                                   which one would have looked best.
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What’s the difference between               Where would you go to look at prints?     Prof Chris Orr MBE R A
‘Craft’ and ‘Art’ in your opinion?          In Oxford we have many galleries which    Patron of Young Art and Judge for the
This is a difficult question! Some          I have visited, including the Ashmolean   Printmaking Prize Year 10 and 11                         Questions by Lucy Lewis Ward
people say the difference is to do with     and the Museum of Modern Art. I have
the material and techniques (ie. textiles   also been to see some local artists at
might be more ‘craft’ and a pencil          work making lino prints in the Wytham
                                                                                      Is there a specific moment which you          Do you think the use of colour
drawing might be more ‘art’) but others     Studio, outside Oxford. These are very
                                                                                      remember when you first became                can make a print more effective
say it is about the intention of the work   detailed images compared to those of,
                                                                                      interested in Printmaking?                    or interesting?
– ie. if it is meant to express something   for example, Cyril Power whose images
                                                                                      When I was young, because my father           Colour is vital. Even a black and white
rather than to just look nice and/or be     influenced my work. I have not had the
                                                                                      was in the commercial printing                print is in colour. Black is a colour and
functional it might be considered more      chance to see any original Cyril Power
                                                                                      industry I visited print factories. It        has to be used just as effectively. Colour
as ‘art’ than as ‘craft’. Something         linocuts but have the book and one copy
                                                                                      was very different from nowadays, the         is the physical stuff of life. It can move
like collage and cut-outs feels like        (The Eight) and would love to see some
                                                                                      processes used were entirely analogue         us, inform us and give us pleasure.
craft but then Picasso and Matisse          of the originals.
                                                                                      and rooted in real ink and paper, much
used these techniques and produced
                                                                                      like my own practice today. The smell of      Do you find it helpful to plan your
famous works of art.
                                                                                      ink and the use of metal and machinery        print design thoroughly or do you
                                                                                      used to produce wonderful things like         prefer not to plan at all?
                                                                                      books and pictures excited me.                Printmaking always involves planning,
                                                                                                                                    but as well as strategies and schemes
                                                                                      To what extent do you experiment              the artist who makes prints must have
                                                                                      with printing materials?                      a sense of improvisation and discovery.
                                                                                      All the time. From the oldest methods to      They must be persistent and prepared
                                                                                      the latest digital techniques I like to try   to revise and rethink. I am right at the
                                                                                      out ways of getting my ideas to work.         beginning of my learning curve.

                                                                                      Would you say that there is a quality
                                                                                      or feature that you strive to achieve
                                                                                      in your prints?
                                                                                      Clarity is important to me. Not
                                                                                      simplicity. The viewer may have to work
                                                                                      hard, but I believe in expressing the
                                                                                      idea I have in the clearest way possible.

Second prize                                Third prize
Rollo Butler Brown                          Jolyon Fox
City of London Boys                         Dulwich Prep London

                                                           The Printmaking Prize
                                                                  Year 7 to Year 9
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YOUNG ART 2019                                                                                                                                          YOUNG ART 2019

                                                                                      Second prize
                                                                                      Francesca West
                                                                                      The Grey Coat Hospital
                                                                                                                                            Third prize
                                                                                                                                            Jacob	 Lainchbury
                                                                                                                                            Royal Ballet
First prize                                                The Printmaking Prize
Lucy Lewis Ward                                               Year 10 and Year 11
James Allen Girls School                                    Questions by Chris Orr

Do you think Printmaking helps you         I occasionally made mistakes when          Digital technologies will not replace    Where would you go to look at prints?
get your ideas sorted out?                 cutting, differing from my original        traditional art methods, but I believe   I visited the Victoria and Albert
Yes, definitely it was the development     drawing, but I found that incorporating    will rather produce extended choices     Museum and also the Tate Modern
of my original drawing into my finished    these only added to the expression to my   for the artist to use. For example,      to look at prints for inspiration when
print that helped me refine my ideas.      final prints, and weren’t a distraction.   when I made these prints, I used         looking for mine. The work of Patrick
After this, I enjoyed the practical side   I also found surprises when layering       Photoshop to capture colours from        Caulfield was particularly interesting
of printmaking, and this helped me         colours on the prints as often colours     works I found inspirational and create   to me, with his use of bold edged
express my ideas and showcase my           wouldn’t turn out as I had planned and     colour stories for them. From this       colour block prints of domestic objects.
original ideas from my first drawings.     expected, but I learned to find this an    print, the colours were taken from a     I think this can be seen in my prints.
                                           exciting step in printmaking.              photograph I took out of my classroom    I also believe that the internet is a
Does the medium throw up surprises                                                    window on a miserable rainy day. This    brilliant way to view prints as you
and can you make use of them?              Is there a relationship between            shows the direct relationship between    could find almost any style, subject
Whilst making test prints, and             technology and art?                        technology and art.                      matter or colours you desire!
perfecting my skill at this, I found       Yes there definitely is a relationship.
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YOUNG ART 2019                                                                                                                                            YOUNG ART 2019

Dr Paul Thompson
Vice-Chancellor of the Royal College of Art
and Judge for the Vice-Chancellor’s Prize               Questions by Kadija Musa

What particularly made you               What advice would you give to
choose my drawing for the                a young aspiring artist today?
Vice-Chancellor’s Prize?                 Remain curious. Don’t be led by fads
You capture the frailty of age and       or fashion. Don’t rush!
the frailty of human form very
poignantly and with extraordinary        Which artist or art movement
graphic ability. You are a superb        inspires you?
draughtswoman and convey human           Like you, I’m a big admirer of Munch,
emotion very powerfully.                 but my list of inspiring artists is quite
                                         long: it definitely contains Goya,
What is it like to be the Vice-          Anselm Kiefer, Mark Rothko, Gerhard
Chancellor of the Royal College          Richter, Holbein and, and, and ..!
of Art?
Busy! We’re a small university
crammed full of wonderful people,
ideas, and possibilities.

                                                                                     First prize
                                                                                     K adija Musa                                           The Vice-Chancellor’s Prize
                                                                                     Collingham                                           Questions by Dr Paul Thompson

                                                                                     I was struck by your work last year,         Are you drawn to portraiture, we’ve
                                                                                     how do you feel your practice as             seen two years of strong portraiture,
                                                                                     an artist has developed or changed           do you feel this is your
                                                                                     in direction?                                special preoccupation?
                                                                                     Since last year, I feel more in touch with   I’m very drawn to portraiture. The
                                                                                     my emotions and thoughts and I’m able        features and landscape of the face
                                                                                     to express myself better than before.        and the body are captivating subjects
                                                                                     Over time, I’ve developed a philosophical    that are intimate and emotional.
                                                                                     way of thinking and I’m more aware of        My favourite way of conveying
                                                                                     and able to understand my emotions.          emotion is through the human
                                                                                     Because of this I can better express         form which I think is something
                                                                                     myself through the things I create.          so beautiful and expressive.
                                                                                     My practice has developed along with
                                                                                     my development as an individual.
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Have you worked with pastel                 Which artist’s drawings do you                                             Third prize
and chalk before?                           most admire?                                                               Phoebe Wells
I mostly work in coloured pencil but I      I don’t really have a specific artist that                                 Streatham & Clapham Senior
occasionally try other things like oil      I admire most but if I were to choose
pastels, which I used to recreate a large   an artist that I like more than others,
version of ‘Berry Beard’, from last         I would say either Edvard Munch for his
year’s competition. Chalk and pastels       interesting exploration and expression
are something that I’ve tried before on     of psychology, or Nicola Samori for the
a small scale and I’m planning to use       various ways in which he combines
on one of the pieces I want to create in    traditional portraiture with a more
the near future.                            modern and contemporary element to
                                            create what I consider to be emotional
                                            and dramatic artwork.

                                                                                         Special mention
                                                                                         Louis Mennear
                                                                                         Collingham

Second prize
Elizabeth Elliot
Streatham & Clapham Senior                                                               The Vice-Chancellor’s Prize

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YOUNG ART 2019                                                                                                                        YOUNG ART 2019

Young Art would like to thank the sponsors of prizes for their generosity   Young Art                        Why not take part in our silent auction?
                                                                            Silent Auction                   Register your bid and you could soon
Year 4 to Year 6                           The Vice-Chancellor’s Prize                                       be the proud owner of an original work
The Education Department                   The Royal College of Art         Proceeds benefit research into   of art by one of our esteemed judges
of the V&A                                                                  childhood cancers through        and supporters
                                           Books donated by                 Cancer Research UK
Year 10 to Year 11                         Daunt Books, Folio Books,
Cass Art                                   Pan Macmillan Books
The Drawing Prize                          Art materials for other
The Royal Drawing School                   prize winners donated by         NICOLA BAYLEY
The Printmaking Prize
                                           Green and Stone, Chelsea         Florence Baguette
Daler Rowney                               Goodie bags for all              watercolour on paper
                                           prize winners donated by         10.5 x 15 cm
The Prof Sir Christopher
Frayling Prize
                                           Cass Art
Green and Stone, Chelsea

                               Follow us!
                                                                            EILEEN COOPER
                                                                            OBE R A
            Keep up to date with Young Art news, photos and more            Mysteria
                 by following us on Facebook and Instagram.                 linocut
                                                                            37 x 46 cm
                   Like us at facebook.com/youngartattherca

                     Find us on instagram as @youngartcruk

                 Remember to tag us in any photos of the exhibition
                      and use the hashtag #youngartcruk

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YOUNG ART 2019                                                                      YOUNG ART 2019

                 PROF CHRIS ORR                       JAMES HART DYKE
                 CBE R A                              Matterhorn on diagonal
                 Two Scottish Poets, Robbie Burns     oil on acrylic on board
                 & William McGonagall                 23 x 40 cm
                 watercolour and pencil on paper
                 29 x 42 cm

                 PATRICK CULLEN                       JAMES LLOYD
                 NEAC                                 Hampstead Heath, Men’s Pond
                 Golden Hillside, Tuscany Landscape   oil on canvas
                 Evening Light                        43 x 32.5 cm
                 oil on canvas
                 79.5 x 69.5 cm

                 PROF KEN HOWARD                      DOR A BERTOLUTTI
                 OBE R A                              HOWARD
                 The Mousehole Gap                    Venice, Carnival
                 oil on canvas                        Photograph
                 43 x 38 cm                           68 x 54.5 cm

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Behind the Scenes                                                                       art can give. I also enjoy seeing the       so many pieces it is impossible not to
at Young Art                                                                            reactions of the RCA postgraduate           arrange them in blocks but it is essential
                                                                                        students as they walk through the show      that there is balance and dynamic
We spoke to volunteer Kimm Stevens                                                      to the canteen or studios. Many seemed      contrast to enable individual pieces to
about what goes into the making of a                                                    to be reminded of why they decided to       be seen separately as well as being a
Young Art exhibition and asked him                                                      take up art. They clearly love the work –   part of a whole panel. Be aware of the
for his top hanging tips                                                                its directness and simplicity of purpose,   character and merits of the individual
                                                                                        unburdened by sophistication, a truth       pieces and hang them so that, as far as
                                                                                        so easy to forget once we are grown up.     possible, each one can shine.

                                                                                        What can you tell us about the              As a professional artist what advice
                                                                                        behind the scenes work that goes            can you give our young artists?
                                                                                        into the exhibition?                        I would encourage anyone interested
                                                                                        The sheer quantity of work. We              in a career in design or art to go to art
                                                                                        arrange the paintings on the floor in       school. An art education trains people
                                                                                        front of the intended wall and shuffle      to think radically and creatively. You
                                                                                        them around until there is a balanced       learn how to have ideas and how to
How did you first get involved              of the work is delightful and original
                                                                                        and dynamic arrangement. Then we            develop them into new unexplored
with Young Art?                             that it seems a pity to eclipse it with a
                                                                                        photograph the arrangement and              territory. Remember – everything
I was put in contact with Hilary            competition. Having said that I know
                                                                                        put the work back into the portfolio        made that we wear, sit on, watch, look
four years ago through my daughter          how nice it is to win a prize!
                                                                                        in order of hanging. These folders          at or use has probably, at some stage
Clover who designs the catalogue and
                                                                                        are passed on to the teams who then         in its development, been designed or
graphics for Young Art. Initially it was    My daughter, Freya, died of cancer four
                                                                                        position the work on the walls.             filmed or painted by someone who
to hang the framed work donated by          years ago and I really wanted to do
                                                                                                                                    went to art school.
the Young Art judges. I happily did         something positive to raise money to
                                                                                        This process sounds quite ordered –
this in about half an hour, whereupon       help combat cancer – the opportunity
                                                                                        in reality there is much discussion,        Gain as many skills as possible –
Hilary asked my opinion on a wall           to work with Young Art was both timely
                                                                                        opinion and negotiation! And it’s really    practical and physical as well as digital.
of drawings – before I knew it I was        and serendipitous. Young Art celebrates
                                                                                        difficult to remember all the decisions     Draw, paint, make, build. I have always
involved in the arrangement and             the art of the next generation and
                                                                                        for each wall as there is so much work.     painted – as a child and throughout my
hanging of a large part of the show.        focusses that creativity and endeavour
                                                                                        A clear record of the plan is essential.    working life. I never expected a ‘regular’
                                            to raise significant funds in the battle
                                                                                                                                    job but always had three occupations –
What appeals to you about the               against cancer.
                                                                                        What top tips can you share with            painting and exhibiting, designing
competition and the cause?
                                                                                        us about planning and hanging               and working on practical projects
The exhibition is a fantastic way to        What’s the most exciting thing about
                                                                                        an exhibition?                              (I designed and built playgrounds for
get children involved in raising funds      the exhibition for you each year?
                                                                                        Think what the purpose of the               several years) and part time teaching
and celebrates the originality, energy      Arriving at the RCA on the Sunday
                                                                                        arrangement is. Be aware of the             in colleges and art schools. I have
and fun that is intrinsic in children’s     morning before hanging the show and
                                                                                        exhibition space, what is the light         been lucky enough to keep going and
paintings at a world class venue. I don’t   opening the folders of work and seeing
                                                                                        like? Is the space intimate or grand?       have a varied and rewarding working
always agree with the way competition       the pictures for the first time. The
                                                                                        Hang work in a manner appropriate           life which is a lot of fun. Never be
separates out a very few works to be        beautiful, the skilled and the vibrant,
                                                                                        to the space. With Young Art there are      discouraged by others’ opinions.
the ‘best’ or the ‘winners’. So much        wacky cornucopia that only children’s

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YOUNG ART 2019                                                                                                                                           YOUNG ART 2019

Young Art                                  We spoke to three art teachers
in Schools                                 about their involvement with
                                           Young Art

Nick Jordan                                to the exclusion of all the rest! Keep
Thomas’s                                   practising, experimenting, sketching
                                           and most importantly – looking.

How many years have you been               What has art given you in your
contributing to Young Art?                 life and career?
I inherited Thomas’s involvement in        Teaching art was a second career.
the Young Art Exhibition Competition       I began as a commercial artist faking
when I took up the post of Head of Art     photographs with bleaches, dyes,            Andrew Carter                            What was your experience of art
in 1997 so 22 years!                       three bristle brushes and an airbrush.      James Allen’s Girls’ School (JAGS)       at school?
                                           I remember one campaign when we                                                      While it was exciting and enjoyable to
How do you think Young Art helps           started with a photograph of five surfers                                            create artwork in school, it was always
children in school today?                  riding a wave and made the surf look        How did you first get involved with      subject driven with little emphasis on
Apart from making them aware of            as if is spelt ‘Schweppes’. I spent seven   YA? Where did you first hear about it?   process and aesthetics. I did learn to
Cancer Research and its work in            happy years perfecting the craft of photo   [It was] about 20 years ago; a parent    appreciate colour at school.
treating a disease that, presently, will   retouching only to have it melt away        at our school was involved in the
probably come close to all of us, the      with the advent of the digital age. I was   organisation and suggested that we       This year’s theme is ‘the moment’
competition adds an edge to encourage      advised to train as a secondary teacher,    might submit some work.                  – how do you think your students’
children to produce their best.            as primary would lead to chronic                                                     work has captured this?
                                           back ache (I’m 6’4”). Primary/prep is       What do you teach?                       All of the pupils’ artwork is made
Why do you think art is so important       a good age to teach art. The children       Art – essentially painting, drawing,     ‘in the moment’! it is about observing
in schools?                                are uninhibited, their enthusiasm is        printmaking, textiles and three          and questioning the world around
In the formative years it’s incredibly     infectious and they’re funny!               dimensional work – at the senior         them. To this end most of the work
important to give children the means                                                   school, ages 11–18.                      produced automatically fulfilled your
to express themselves, to create for       Who are your favourite artists                                                       wonderful brief!
the sake of it. In a very recent article   and why?                                    What is your school’s approach
Antony Gormley wrote, ‘we need to          Claes Oldenburg was a favourite in my       to art?                                  How do the students respond to
value the joys of original thinking’.      youth. He doesn’t take himself, or his      All art starts with some form of         being involved in the competition,
                                           surroundings, very seriously. Christo       observation, and we believe that it      or winning prizes?
What advice would you give to              and Jeanne-Claude for looking at our        is possible to learn about colour and    It is always a delight to see pupils’
young artists?                             landscape in such a whimsical, yet          composition, proportion and spatial      enthusiasm at seeing their work
To try all the media they can get their    poignant way. Turner, especially for his    relationships. While these concepts      displayed in a different location.
hands on and once they’ve found the        watercolours which are extraordinary.       of looking are important, we are         Winning a prize is a major accolade.
medium that suits them best,               Albrecht Dürer for his masterful            encouraging pupils to find their own     Lucy is delighted to have won first prize
to stick with it. Not, I hasten to add,    observation and Arthur Rackham –            subject matter and inspiration.          in the Printmaking category, as we are!
                                           the best illustrator ever.
50                                                                                                                                                                     51
YOUNG ART 2019

Susannah Moore                               We envisage a world where creativity,
Finton House School                          collaboration and communication inspire
                                             new ideas and innovative solutions.
                                             We believe that the success of the next
How did you first get involved               generation will hinge not only on what
with YA?                                     they know but on their ability to think
Thirteen years ago we were invited           and act creatively as global citizens.
to enter the Young Art competition,
and we haven’t looked back. This             This year’s theme is ‘the moment’
annual competition has become such           – how do you think your students’
a highlight for the children and it is       work has captured this?
even written into our curriculum.            As the theme is open to interpretation,
                                             it is always fascinating to see the world
What is your school’s approach/              through the lens of a young artist,
ethos to art?                                and YA never fails to get their creative
At Finton House, in nurturing a passion      juices flowing!
for creativity, children develop the
confidence to express themselves, be         Pictures this year captured many
intuitive, appreciate different cultures,    delicious moments, for example ‘the                  Have you thought about
take risks and become visually literate.     first lick of ice cream on a sunny day!’
                                             Little observed acts of kindness were                 sponsoring a school?
Quentin Blake, the Children’s Laureate
said, “Art is not just a subject to learn,   illustrated in pen and ink to express ‘a
but an activity that you can practise        kiss on the cheek because someone is
with your hands, your eyes, your whole       sad’. Many older children with passion
personality” – we agree too!                 and concern felt moved to express           Help support a good cause and encourage children to be creative.
                                             critical moments, like climate change,
We bridge the gap between art in school      or plastics pollution, depicted by a         Not all schools can afford to enter the Young Art competition
and art in life by encouraging pupils to     young artist as ‘a turtle entangled in
                                                                                           but your business could help by covering their donations.
see the subject both as an intellectual      plastic litter’. Whatever the age or
and creative pursuit. As specialist          ability, this year’s title inspired their
                                             fertile imaginations, to capture unique       Find out more about school sponsorship by contacting us at
teachers, Eunjung Seo Feleppa and I are
highly trained in drawing, painting,         moments in time.                                              www.young-art.org.uk
printmaking, textiles and 3D crafts –
practising artists, who love to share with
the children our knowledge and top tips.

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Behind the
Microscope
Alice Piapi, Research scientist at
UCL Institute of Child Health, Great
Ormond St Hospital, tells us about
her work in treating neuroblastoma
and her path into research

What are you currently researching?       What does your day to day routine           Did you always know you wanted             Who are your favourite artists?
We are developing a new                   look like?                                  to be a scientific researcher?             I’m Italian so I like the classical greats
immunotherapy to treat                    My day to day varies. It is not like        When I was a child a close friend of       like da Vinci. I would always choose
neuroblastoma, which is the second        a normal 9 to 5 office job, every           mine passed away from an untreatable       the Tate Britain over the Tate Modern.
most common solid cancer in children.     day is different depending on the           illness. It was from that moment that
What this means literally is that we      experiments we are doing. Some days         I knew I wanted to go into this field to   Do you believe creativity is important
take white blood cells from a patient     I am in a lab into the night testing        make a difference by researching how       in your line of work?
and engineer them so they can             patient samples and pieces of tumour        to treat untreatable illnesses. Also, my   Absolutely. I often have to think
recognise and attack the tumour when      to see what they are made up of and         mother is a nurse and my grandmother       outside the box, being creative to come
we insert them back into the patient.     how we can fight them. Some days I am       was a midwife so you could say it was      up with new ideas for treatments. Even
                                          analysing data. Some days I am meeting      in my blood!                               with data you have to read between
How does the money Young Art              with other scientists and collaborators                                                the lines to understand what it is
raises help?                              to share data and discuss ideas of better   What advice would you give to              really showing you. It is like art in a
Most of the research we do is funded      ways we can fight cancer.                   aspiring scientists or scientific          sense, there’s always more than what
by charity so the money YA raises is                                                  researchers?                               is on the surface.
used in the beginning, middle and         What do you like most about your job?       Go for it. Work hard because it is not
end of our research. It is the reason     I feel a strong sense of purpose,           easy. Be determined as 9 times out
we are able to do what we do. The         especially working for children. We         of 10 something unexpected will
same therapy we are trialling but         spend a lot of time working to reduce       happen in an experiment so you have
for the treatment of leukaemia is         the side effects of our treatments as       to believe in what you are doing. Also
already in clinics so it is an exciting   well so kids can go on and live their       there will always be people along the
time for our research, we are             adult lives without long term problems.     way to support you, ask for their help.
definitely moving forward!

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YOUNG ART 2019                                                                                                                                             YOUNG ART 2019

Where Art
can take you
We spoke to three bright talents
in the creative industries about how
art has shaped their lives and careers

Aïcha Mehrez                                and do some drawings to explore the
Assistant Curator of                        forms and shapes in the artwork or
Contemporary British Art at Tate            write some notes or even poems to
                                            explore how the artwork makes you
                                            feel. Art is for everyone!
Did you study art at school?
I didn’t study art at school as I was       What’s the best thing about your
planning to go into a career in music       job?
as an opera singer, so I focused most       Working with living artists is both
of my energy on music. I had always         a joy and a challenge. Where most
thought of my interest in the history       people have a set group of work
of art as a hobby but once I got to my      colleagues all year round, every time    constantly strive to understand and       think that if I were to do anything
A-levels I decided that the music world     I start working on a new exhibition      respect other people’s experiences and    else, I would be a landscape gardener, a
wasn’t for me and that following my         or commission, I have a new group        positions on life. I am half Algerian     cook or a dog walker.
passion for art and art history might       of people with different specialisms     and grew up in a predominantly
lead me to a more interesting career.       and interests around me. Every day is    white school and area just outside of     What are your views on the role of art
                                            different and I am always learning.      Manchester. At school, I didn’t know      in schools and at home?
It was difficult to apply for a subject                                              anyone else like me and wasn’t sure       It’s absolutely crucial that art is
at university which I had never really      How has studying or pursuing a           where I fitted in culturally. The art     present for everyone right from the
studied but I was excited about art and     career in art and design helped you?     world is full of people like me who use   beginning both at schools and at
I made sure that I spent lots of time       I think it is very important to          art as a way to understand themselves,    home. The study of art and art history
reading around the subject. The most        constantly challenge our own             others and the society in which they      reveals so much more than just the
important thing though, is to spend         thoughts and beliefs as well as those    live. Now I have a community of           history of painting or sculpture.
time in front of art. Whether it’s in the   that are present in the world around     artists, writers and thinkers where       Through the history of art, we can
Tate Gallery or in the small museum         us. Art encourages us to continuously    everyone is different, and I fit in       learn about social history, politics,
in your town, if you want to go into        evolve and look at things from lots of   exactly as I am!                          philosophy, feminism and all sorts of
a career in galleries or museums get        different points of view.                                                          other crucial subjects.
out there to see things and decide                                                   What else would you have done if
what you think of them! Don’t be            For me, a career in art has helped me    you hadn’t ended up in art?               Image: Installation view of Don McCullin,
                                                                                     As I mentioned before, I would have       Tate Britain (5 February – 6 May 2019)
intimidated by long complicated texts       to develop an understanding of my                                                  Courtesy of Tate Photography (Matt Greenwood)
in galleries, get in front of some art      own identity. It has also taught me to   been an opera singer! Nowadays, I

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YOUNG ART 2019                                                                                                                                           YOUNG ART 2019

Jasper Jacob                                                                        Grace Helmer                               to me. Then when I am painting I feel
Architect, designer and painter                                                     Illustrator                                calm and fully immersed in what I’m
                                                                                                                               doing. It is a temporary escape from the
                                                                                                                               world, where I can pause and reflect.
How did art influence your path                                                     What do you do?
in life?                                                                            I’m a freelance illustrator, so I draw     What are your views on the role
My father painted birds and so I grew                                               and paint for different magazines,         of art in schools and at home?
up to appreciate art and drawing, and                                               books, websites, anything really!          Art is always a valuable subject to
painted from a young age. I studied                                                                                            study, regardless of whether students
architecture and interior design at art                                             Where do you work?                         want to carry on with it past school or
school which meant I had to paint and                                               I have a desk in a shared studio space     not. It can teach us so many important
draw for the architecture and design                                                with other illustrators, animators and     skills, things like problem solving,
projects. Later I worked for the BBC                                                artists who have a similar working         paying attention to details in our
as a set designer and then went into                                                routine, and we help each other when       surroundings, how to express our
designing museums, art galleries and                                                we’re stuck for ideas.                     emotions. Sometimes people are scared
cultural exhibitions worldwide.                                                                                                to draw if they haven’t for a while, or if
                                                                                    What’s the best thing about your           what they’re drawing doesn’t look like
Do you still paint and draw?                                                        job?                                       how they think ‘art’ should look. But
Yes – painting is what I really like,                                               It’s very flexible as I am my own boss!    just the act of creating and making can
not only to communicate ideas but                                                   This can be hard sometimes as I can        be as important as the final result.
to get me thinking and looking. My         How has studying or pursuing a           end up working too much, but it is
daughter is also in the art world and      career in art and design contributed     great in summer when it’s a really nice
paints and draws; so from my father        to your life?                            day I can go to the park instead. I can
to my daughter, art is an important        I have been able to travel the world,    choose what projects I want to take on,
help for memories. I keep sketchbooks      meet interesting people and interact     what direction my work should take,
all the time and concentrate on my         with cultures from many different        and what I want to do each day. The
watercolours, pen and ink drawings         backgrounds.                             best thing really is that I get to paint
and drawings on my ipad.                                                            and draw all the time and do what
                                           What are your views on the role          makes me happy.
What’s the best thing about your job?      of art in schools and at home?
My job working on museums and              Art schools should encourage more        How has studying or pursuing a
cultural exhibitions got me interested     drawing and painting in all the          career in art and design helped you?
in history and the people who made         subjects like design and architecture.   The research side to each brief helps
things and painted and drew. I could       The computer and specialist art and      me to learn about loads of different
communicate with people who maybe          design programmes are important but      topics – I can be asked to read an
could not speak English, with my           to get an idea ready for design, the     article on healthcare, or plant theft,
drawings and sketches. In the display      hand drawn sketch is vital.              or an explorer, then respond to it
of artefacts it is the people as much as                                            visually. In my personal work I can
the object that matters.                                                            work through issues that are important

                                           Image: Energy in the sky                 Image: Shinrin yoku, autumn

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