3^rd, 4^th & 6^th Form artists, including the Art Enrichment cohort visited Hauser & Wirth, Somerset to see Fabian Peake’s and Louise Bourgeois latest exhibition... 

This season’s double headliner show has not failed to deliver with a series of year group visits to Hauser & Wirth, Somerset. What a privilege it has been to venture out the classroom and engage with two outstanding exhibitions on our doorstep. This term, almost all our artists from King’s have had an opportunity to examine and respond to the current exhibitions. In due course, we look forward to reviewing their gallery experience sketchbook pages and workshop activities which we hope will enrich their current projects.  

Fabian Peake emerged as a painter in the London art scene of the late 1960s. In the decades since, he has expanded his practice including several dramatic stylistic leaps, each time mastering a new visual language and exploring its capacity for image making. Peake early large-scale paintings are full of surreal combinations. His paintings represent theatrical, dreamlike, stage sets as he seamlessly incorporates chance elements into the creation of his works of art. Across mediums such as paint, sculpture and poetry, Peake creates fragmented and often bizarre combinations of objects and characters to form his very own visual language. His artworks are not meant to be decoded, as Peake invites the viewer to bring our own meanings and interpretations to each piece. Pupils enjoyed Peake’s style with his vibrant colour palette, creative freedom, and use of pattern. During the exhibition tour we had opportunities to make first-hand recordings and a chance for pupils to share their own thoughts, interpretations, and ideas in response to each artwork.  

In contrast, exploring the exhibition of Louise Bourgeois’, ‘Drawing Intimacy 1939 – 2010’ this was a more sensitive behind the scenes exploration into the world of Bourgeois. She is highly celebrated as one of the most important and influential artists of the 20^th Century. This exhibition forms a collection of highly personal memories and ideas that have been translated into print form to reflect the many layers and complexity of her creative practice. We were greeted at the entrance of the show with a self-portrait from 1939 of a little girl depicted seemingly inviting you into her own world. This painting set the tone, as this stylistic figure was produced at the beginning of Bourgeois’ career and prepares us as we are transported on a journey into the inner world and mind of the artist. Her exploration of the self-lives within a dreamscape as she seeks to distil childhood memories, often featuring words or phrases which evoke associations and past experiences. The significance of colour cannot be understated as the reds, blues and shades in between, helps us to connect with the key themes within her work. These include the inner anatomy of the human body in comparison to the external outward looking natural, botanical inspired works. 

To conclude the gallery experience, our Art & Textiles Enrichment cohort were able to extend their experiences with a tailored workshop with the intention of exploring Fabian Peake’s experimental style. We had success working in a surrealist manner by collaborating with one another to create fragmented group drawings using the exquisite corpse method. This collective assembly of imagery led to a range of unexpected combination, bringing the element of chance to the forefront. We then followed the first activity by creating a series of Louise Bourgeois water colour studies examining plants and flowers using a limited colour palette, whilst taking inspiration from the Oudolf Field garden. 

A huge thank you to Briony Brickell (Associate Director Learning at Hauser & Wirth, Somerset), and the team for making us feel most welcome. Along with all the additional support, given to help enrich our pupils experience by sharing lots of insights into the context, ideas, and processes behind key artworks.    

George Cole - Art Teacher 

One of the exhibition highlights of 2017 was ‘Turning Inwards’, a one-person exhibition by the powerhouse Louise Bourgeois, arguably one of the most influential artists of the 20^th century. Before entering a Louise Bourgeois exhibition, one braces oneself to be engulfed with imposing, dominant sculptural works, or knife wielding self-portraits. It was, therefore, unexpected to find this delicate, beautifully lit exhibition ‘Drawing Intimacy 1939 – 2010’. This collection of works, shown publicly for the first time, provides a glimpse into the inner mind of Louise Bourgeois from her private collection of highly personal memories and ideas. How shocking it is to be unshocked by how sensitive and simplistic the works are, her footnotes and visual ramblings. Yet, to have an opportunity to view these intimate works, possibly not meant for exhibition by the artist, and before they enter private collections forever, makes it a must-see exhibition. 

Colette - U6^th Form, Wellesley House 

Flickr album: Art Trips to Hauser & Wirth - Christmas Term 2022 | Height: auto | Theme: Default | Skin: Default Skin