Info 2008
Cut
David Sherriff
Take off your clothes... leave them on a work table with other discarded clothes... slip on some temporary covering... let the imagination take flight... Come back in an hour... Have a glass of wine... chat with disrobed friends... collect your transformed clothes... take to the catwalk... have photos taken... appear in ‘Vague’.
Interested... Take part in CUT
Contact David Sherriff
Saleem Arif Quadri MBE
Congratulations to RCA Society committee member Saleem Arif Quadri who informed us, that in the Queens, June 14th honours list he received an MBE, “For services to the arts.” He also added “ ...A pleasant surprise to me, too!”
“DRAWING into DISCOVERY”
“Geometry without Gravity” Artist Statement
"Geometry without Gravity” is a visual proposition exploring our infinite universe, in which planets have evolved over time in unison in spite of gravitational force. As the ‘’International Space Agencies’’ explore and discover our near and distant cosmos, new dramatic images surface. When “Man walked in Space” showing the world exquisite grace, beauty and weightlessness of a human body in constant dynamics, one felt challenged and drawn towards the unveiling of boundless deep space, made visible through the media of television. I was inspired. It awakened in me an intuitive desire to conceive and articulate this stunning marvel – into a visual language.
Geometry without Gravity” is most importantly concerned with outer space as experienced by “Astronauts” and “Cosmonauts”. It is crucially the incomparable views of weightlessness in perpetual movement in three hundred and sixty degrees volumetric space, made possible by advances in science and technology in the latter half of the twentieth and twenty first century.
The two main visual concepts in art (amongst others) are “Vanishing Point” perspective with shadows in Western Art and “Overlapping Space” without shadows in Eastern Art. More over, Paul Cezanne (1839-1906) in his visionary late paintings opened up visual avenues for artists to invent in the new millennium. In the early twentieth century the “Pioneering Cubism” of Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) and Georges Braque (1882-1963) led the way in its innovation and inventions of a fresh visual language, “Les Demoiselles d’ Avignon” (1907) being the most celebrated and innovative painting. However, cubism is an earth oriented visual thought. We view it from eye level, from above and from the sides – as multiple vantage views simultaneously.
We can only perceive space when we break free from Earth”
Kazimir Malevich (1878 -1935)
Each of my work contains its own unique format, enhancing the floating composition parallel to the wall surface. The interaction of colour, texture, format and the cut out pregnant space within the whole composition are primary elements in my visual vocabulary. Through our gaze in time, each work becomes interactive participant in the revelation of fresh visual fields, as the painting unfolds in revealing new parameters and creating multiple readings. In my recent individual works and the manuscript book “Geometry without Gravity” (‘03–‘07,104 pages, 30.05cm by 61cm wide when open), variable visual rhythms are created at each scanning gaze. These invisible threading of structures in celestial space and the mysterious magnificent mathematics of our firmament are themes in my concept of “Geometry without Gravity”.
© Saleem. Arif. Quadri
Website: www.saleem-arif-quadri.co.uk
Althea McNish
‘Textile Colour Prize’
Where do the students go after the RCA? What are our memories of the College and our time there as students, where did we all go and what did we do?. Have things changed over the years or is it the same story?
For most of us, although we move away from the educational environment, we are still interested in what kind of artists and designers are emerging from the College. We cannot avoid their impact on us as the new bunch of graduates turn into our professional partners or competitors.
As artists or designers we remain interested in how things are changing, on new takes on old ideas, or ‘new’ ideas and developments. We connect in one way or another to what is happening. Some of us participate in so-called ‘mentoring’ programmes – which is not to everyone’s taste, others employ or commission students in projects – which provides a bit of very welcome income for financially stretched students – (with student loan repayments now averaging £20k). Others actively encourage and reward students by setting up Prizes or Scholarships.
Among the long list of prizes and awards noted in the College’s prospectus is the “Althea McNish Textile Prize for Colour”. Althea awards this prize yearly. It’s a quiet prize that celebrates the use of colour in textiles. As members know Althea is a truly ‘colourful’ person – colour is central to her work and has fuelled her long and established reputation as a textile designer. The students not only receive a cash prize they have an opportunity to get an encouraging pat on the back from a designer of worldwide repute. She often remarks why other ‘alumni’ don’t give something back… not to the College as such but to the very people who are the college - the students.
Alongside Althea are a number of other graduates and associates (individuals or companies) who have established prizes, awards or set up trusts for the students – and at all levels, from a few hundred pounds to a few millions. So why not join the ranks of Althea McNish, Audrey Levy, Tim Mara, Terence Conran, James Dyson and others.
Let us know your thoughts on this.
Sydney King (Project proposal)
‘Stained Glass – class of 52 - 56’
Recently, the Society was approached by Sydney King, on behalf of a number of RCA’ers who graduated from the Stain Glass Department between 1952 – 56, with a proposal for a group exhibition. The idea was to investigate the possibility of showing their work in the RCA galleries.
The idea came about during a meeting of the group after a close friend had died. As their thoughts turned to how many people knew about the work of their friend they wondered how many people knew about the work of ‘old College graduates’ especially those who had not sought the ‘limelight’ but had worked as artists and designers over the past 50+ years. The reason for an exhibition began to develop. Another important aspect was the period they were students at the College. This was soon after the ending of WWII – the ending of ration books, and the start of rebuilding the country, the Festival of Britain and the first generation to have the opportunity of a ‘further education’.
The timing was key… not all of them followed a singular route. Painters became book illustrators, graphic designers became sculptors, sculptors became painters… some took up teaching, some never picked up a brush or pencil again, some became well known, most contributed to the world of art and design. In the present age of overnight “celebrity” it is difficult for arts graduates to accept that most artist and designers’ professional lives are not played out in the limelight. The majority of artists and designers beaver away in the background – this doesn’t mean that are not successful – in fact their influence is all around us – we just aren’t always aware of it.
The RCA Society is supporting this important initiative. We hope that the College will also support a closer relationship with all it’s ‘old graduates’ and recognise how valuable it is to listen to their stories and provide the opportunity for such a dialogue to take place. Don’t forget - the Society’s website is an open forum for your comments, and a place to show your ideas. Use this space.
The proposed exhibition, which is planned to take place next year, hopes to be the forerunner of other exhibitions that introduce the College’s students to the living history of art and design practice.
Hugh Marshall
“Le Cardo”
Many of you will remember Hugh Marshall. Hugh was very active in the RCA Society during the 1980s and early 1990s. He edited the Society’s Newsletter for a number of years until retiring. Hugh studied ‘graphic design / typography during the 1950s. Sadly, Hugh died 2004.
Together with his son, Leo,, he developed a card game “Le Cardo” that played with words and pictures. Leo formulated the game and Hugh created the “wood cut” style illustrations.
You come across alumni in the most surprising places!
There was a small local festival in small park in Ladywell, Lewisham. By chance it was on the day we met up with friends who lived nearby. And by chance some one suggested we went to the festival. It was there we got talking with a ‘familiar face’ that turned out to be Hugh’s son who had hired a community stall to promote the game. It was the recognisable style of Hugh’s illustrations that alerted us to the name on the card “Marshall” ... small world.
see Leo’s website: www.lecardo.com