RCA Society

News Highlights 2005

Link to Fashion Show 05 photos

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Link to ArtBook Prize event 2005 photos

Link to Thames & Hudson Publications

We also plan to hold a Prize presentation event again. Last year's successful "music and mediterranean buffet" event was held in the Students Bar and featured the brilliant 'Fallen Leaves' - a roxy music' band - and the seductive Sam Crockett Jazz Quartet....

If you are an impressario "with flares" and would like to organise the party then get in touch with us...

For more info contact Jenni Boswell-Jones (RCA Society Press & Communications officer).

Prize Winners 2005

School of Fine Arts

Sculpture Clara Montoya
Painting Katherine Kicinski
Photography Ebru Erülkü
Printmaking Chie Kutsuwada

School of Applied Art

Ceramics & Glass Esther Adesigbin
Goldsmithing, Silversmithing,
Metalwork & Jewellery Gregor Anderson

School of Fashion and Textiles

Fashion Menswear Marcus Wilmont
Fashion Womenswear Sophy White
Constructed Textiles Teresa Collard
Printed Textiles Kay Vincent

School of Architecture & Design

Architecture and Interiors Sophie Goldhill
Interaction Design Philip Worthington
Design Products Peter D’Alessandro
Design Products Roger Arquer
Industrial Design Engineering Max Wehebrink
Vehicle Design James Moon

School of Communication

Animation Luis Zamora Pueyo
Communication Art & Design Jonathan Houlding
Communication Art & Design Alexandre Bettler

School of Humanities

Conservation Anna Kagiadaki
History of Design Susanna Pell
Curating Contemporary Art Collective Prize

Professor Bernard Meadows remembered

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More event photos

An evening was held in the Senior Common Room of the Royal College of Art to celebrate the life of Prof Bernard Meadows who died at the age of 89 on the 12th January 2005. He would probably not have approved of such an event as he was totally against fuss and had said that after his death he did not want a funeral or memorial service of any kind. However many of his friends felt that it was inconceivable that the passing of such a great man should not be marked in some way and his wife Susan and daughters Anthea and Julia were consulted before the evening was organised.

The Rector, Professor Christopher Frayling, spoke, in his usual eloquent manner, of Bernard’s achievements and life and Bryan Kneale added many remembered anecdotes. Meadows had a very long association with Henry Moore and it was appropriate that Timothy Llewellyn, Director of the Henry Moore Foundation, should speak of this friendship and the importance of Bernard’s contribution to the running of the Foundation after Moore’s death. Professor John Hedgecoe, ex-Professor of Photography, Mrs Gimpel of, the Gimpel Fils Gallery, Bernard’s gallery for many years and Tissa Ranasinghe, ex-Head of Foundry also added their reminiscences. Extracts were read from testimonies received from friends unable to be there including Peter Kardia, Martin Naylor and Professor Frank Height.

About sixty people came along and it was very moving as one walked through the crowd to hear of the many memories and anecdotes being recalled. Throughout the evening slides were being shown of examples of some of Bernard’s fine works which brought home how very unrecognised his achievements were probably mostly because he did not seek the limelight and as quoted by Rene Gimpel “never chased the market and was unusual amongst artists because he had to be coaxed into having an exhibition”.

Bernard Meadows was a very fine Professor who influenced the work of very many artists a lot of whom went on to establish themselves as renowned sculptors. During his time as Professor at the College he established a reputation of being a bit of an ogre and many a person went in fear of his harsh words, however he was one of the fairest tutors ever and would always give praise where due. I was very fortunate in perhaps getting to know him a little better and can vouch for the fact that he was in fact a gentle giant underneath. I kept in touch with him for many years after his retirement and shall value always the afternoon teas I spent with him and his wife recalling many memories of life at the College although he was certainly not somebody who lived in the past and kept very himself well informed about current affairs. He also continued working on his drawings and collages right up until his death.

Apart from the people mentioned above, the following were friends and colleagues who also attended the event:

Brian Catling, John Cobb, Andrew Davies, Steve Furlongeer, Rene and Mrs Gimpel, Joanna Greenhill, Nigel Hall, David Horn, Stephen King, Viv Levy David Mach, Edna nd Waj Mirecka, David Mitchinson, Jim Pearson, Malcolm Poynter, William Pye, Ismail Saray and Jenni Boswell-Jones, Roderick Coyne, Andre Wallace, Richard Wentworth, Alison Wilding, and Professor Glyn Williams.

Dorothy Barraclough
October 2005

Annual Meeting of Court 2005

The Rector's Review

The Royal College of Art held its annual court meeting at the beginning of December 2005. Court meetings are a mix of pre-Xmas seasonal get-togethers and College business. The Court was amiably chaired by the Provost,Terence Conran, whose re-appointment as Provost had been unanimously agreed. The Rector, Chris Frayling, presented a detailed report about the developments at the College during the past year and citing many achievements of its recent graduates. Alan Cummings, Pro Rector, presented “Inclusivity and college-wide activities”. He also referred to the developing alumni activities of the College and displayed a ‘memorial plaque’ that he'd received ‘out of the blue’. The plaque, dated 1878, found in a Macclesfield grave yard, commemorated Ellen Grace Hammond who was tragically ‘lost at sea off Cape St Vincent, Portugal...” The plaque stated that she was a student at the National Art Training School (the forerunner of the RCA).

Click here to see the full report