Society News

14 November 1927-19 February 2013

The draft minutes of the previous AGM were tabled. Members were reminded of corrections included from the subsequent MC meeting. Below is a summary of the AGM 2013.
RCA Soc AGM Report 2013 (1mb PDF file)

The minutes of the 2012 AGM were agreed as accurate.

This year the Royal College of Art marks its 150th Anniversary. Since its establishment as a school of design furnishing the Victorian Empire's new Industries developing into a unique university bringing together a range of practices across the fine arts, applied arts, design and theory that drive national and international cultures the Royal College of Art has built a proud reputation as the 'awkward' kid on the block.

In the recently refurbished iconic St Pancras Station Hotel the Tate Britatin held a launch event for its forthcominge exhibition "Pre-Raphaelites - Victorian Avant-Garde". This was a fitting venue for the exhibition by emphasising the role of the railway in the Industrial revolution, the loss of camelot with the urban spread of product hungry suburbs, and the new mechanistic technologies which challenged traditional craft skills. 

Event: "Takes Two to Tango: research & design."
When: Wednesday 4th April 2012 at 7pm - 9pm
WHERE: Classic House, 180 Old Street, London EC1V 9RQ
Admission Free
ORGANISERS: RCA Society and London CSD Group
SPEAKER: Alec Robertson MA(RCA), MCSD, FRSA

Pangolin London
Exorcising the Fear: British Sculpture from the 1950-60s, 11th Jan - 3rd Mar 2012

During 1971 the students, staff and ancillary workers contributed towards an analysis of the RCA, which after much discussion and amendment was published as the RCA-Redefined, which proved an important catalyst in changing the educational opportunities and social structure of the college.
It followed the many challenges to the old divisions that dominated art education, allowing for the development of mixed-media collaborations and conceptual notions that are now commonplace, even creating a new orthodoxy that has provoked challenges.

This year's AGM took place on Sunday morning 18 September at AND 'EventSpace 1'. Members arrived for coffee at 11am. The well attended meeting got underway with the presentation of the Annual review and the annual accounts. Members discussed a number of issues that were highlighted in the review particularly the relationship between the Society and the Royal College of Art. It was again felt that the Society had an invaluable role to play in connecting fine art and design practitioners who had studied at the RCA along with all members of staff - whether professors or administration.

As part of the continuing dialogue around art and design practice the RCA Society organised an event which brought together twenty different 'works of art' for presentation and discussion. The invitation stated that the works should be submitted with a "bullish" valuation and publicly presented by their "creator" or "representative". Through the individual presentations the work's true value would be revealed and subsequently accepted or rejected by the gathered audience of 'experts'.

Alison Wilding exhibition
New Art Centre East Winterslow, Salisbury
10 September - 6 November 2011
http://www.rcasociety.net/content/alison-wilding-new-art-centre

RCA Society members took a day trip to the New Art Centre in the Wiltshire countryside. Our main reason to visit the centre was to see an exhibition of works by Alison Wilding "How the Land Lies".