Published on 01/06/23
Students Frank O, Lucy G and Rebecka M share their thoughts on the art and design trip to Tate Britain and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
By Frank OM
“For me the aim of the trip was to explore and develop different ideas involving our GCSE theme of 'Lock', as well as broadening the range of artists I'm studying in preparation for my final exam piece. The trip was a fun and worthwhile experience, giving us the opportunity to enjoy artworks from the V&A and the Tate Britain, and I think one of the most useful aspects was producing drawings and studies in response to paintings and sculpture first hand from the galleries. My favourite artworks were the drawings of Henry Moore, who I was previously aware of as a sculptor. I found it really interesting to be able to compare the mark making techniques he used with the form and shape of his three dimensional pieces. His artworks also provided me with inspiration on how to develop my own pieces depicting character like figures, whilst conveying ideas relating to the theme of Lock; being locked in a society and the dehumanising nature of aspects of this, as well as the positive idea of being locked in a family and the relationships and emotions surrounding this. Overall I thought the trip was an inspiring and enjoyable experience, extremely beneficial for the development of ideas in this stage of the final GCSE exam piece.”
By Lucy G
“I really enjoyed the GCSE Art trip to Tate Britain and the V&A. The aim of the trip was to gather inspiration and ideas for our own artwork. I enjoyed trying to interpret each piece in my own way in order to mould the meaning behind it to the theme of ‘Lock’. During this trip I was able to see a range of different artists and the styles they favoured. It made me curious to explore some of their work more thoroughly. I was particularly taken with Margaret Harrison’s piece entitled ‘Homeworkers’, as I felt it was a piece that really drew me in. The piece explores the exploitation of women homeworkers and how many are stuck in their situations without a voice or means to escape. I feel inspired by this emotional piece to interpret this year’s theme in my own personal way.”
By Rebecka M
“I was excited when I discovered that we were visiting the London V&A and the Tate Britain, as I realised this would be the perfect opportunity to broaden my understanding of this year’s GCSE theme, ‘Lock’. The two museums provided me with a range of textile examples incorporating ‘Lock’, from which I was able to take inspiration and develop my own ideas. The art helped me to formulate ideas around what my development towards a final piece would look like. One piece that stood out to me in particular was a brightly coloured woven armchair on display at Tate Britain. The weaving and knotting technique creates a ‘Locked’ effect within the chair, in keeping with the theme. Overall, the trip was a helpful experience and lots of fun.”