Students design new mural
Supported by local community arts organisation Urban Eye, a group of fine arts students at KAA have seen their reflections on the theme of 'Perspectives' transformed into a striking ceramic mural, installed on a wall outside the school.
Urban Eye, who is responsible for creating many of the colourful mosaics and murals around Notting Hill Gate and Ladbroke Grove, approached the school with the idea fo this collaborative visual arts project.
Co-funded by the Frestonian Gallery, the project involved 100 GCSE and A-level Art students at the school, who explored the theme of perspective through drawing, painting, photography and mixed media. A selection of this work was used to design ceramic tiles making up the mural, with each of their ideas contributing to the larger whole.
The theme of ‘Perspectives’ was agreed upon due to its dual meaning referring both to the spatial concept of depth and field, but also the more abstract one of point of view or opinion. The planning phase involved students leaving the school environment and working within the local environment of W11 and W10. Teaching staff noted specifically that this was the first time they had seen students within the department going outside into the community to work and gather research material, including rubbings, photographs and sketches.
The students enjoyed the opportunity to work with an artist and to begin to understand how artists work in the world as well as how they obtain commissions. This also introduced a range of new methods of working students and staff including the curation and collation of the work into a final piece and the translation of multiple individual images into one cohesive whole. Students found this innovative and exciting, particularly as the wider curriculum journey involves solely making individual pieces: ‘Finding new methods was inspiring, including gathering material for the final piece’ and ‘it was so interesting how everyone’s ideas became one.’
The mural has now been installed on a prime piece of exterior wall outside the KAA school building and looking onto the public piazza shared with Kensington Leisure Centre. It has become a beautiful and lasting reminder of the creative potential of young minds and the power of public art to bring communities together.
