This illustrated talk tells the story of City & Guilds of London Art School from its 1854 foundation as the Lambeth School of Art, providing instruction to working artisans, to its present day place as a highly regarded, distinctive, higher educational institution.
Entry is free and everyone is very welcome!
DATE: Wednesday 7 September 2022
TIME: 3.30pm-4.30pm
VENUE: City & Guilds of London Art School, 124 Kennington Park Road, London SE11 4DJ
Whilst you are with us, you may also like to visit our MA Show 2022 which takes place in the Art School’s studios on Cleaver Square and Kennings Way from Saturday 3 September until Sunday 10 September. Please check our event page for open times.
We look forward to seeing you at the Art School soon!
We are not able to accommodate dogs.
There is no cloakroom facility.
Join our mailing list if you would like to keep updated.
During this year of exploration, students interrogate and extend their art practice and create an impressive body of work, displayed in the end of year show.
PUBLIC OPENING HOURS
Wednesday 15 – Saturday 18 May 2024
10:00-17:00
VENUE
100 Kennington Park Road
Kennings Way Entrance
London SE11 4EF
Access to the show is via two flights of stairs, if you require assistance please contact us in advance of your visit on office@cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk so that we can seek to make suitable arrangements.
We are not able to accommodate dogs, except guide dogs and assistance dogs.
There is no cloakroom facility.
Join our mailing list if you would like to keep updated and we will send you invitations for our 2024 Degree Show and MA Show.
Final year student, Charlotte Okparaeke, creates a mould from a section of ornament on a girandole mirror
The Art School’s Conservation students consolidate and deepen their conservation knowledge and skills by treating cultural objects that have been loaned to the Art School by major heritage institutions or private collections.
In the final year of BA (Hons) Conservation, students undertake full conservation projects, which include meticulous analysis, investigation and research, treatment proposal and execution, and finally comprehensive report writing including future care recommendations.
Girandole mirror frame
For one of her final year projects, Charlotte Okparaeke, has been working with a girandole gilt wood and compo mirror frame, on loan from a private collector. Her brief was to stabilize the frame and ornament, and to restore the original scheme, replacing missing components where possible.
In order to replace parts of the ornament, Charlotte identified 3D printing as an appropriate method to create accurate replica pieces, where the reverse section is still complete. 3D printing is being increasingly used in conservation, and Charlotte was able to utilise the expertise and equipment in the Prototyping Department at Ravensbourne University London thanks to a new collaboration with our validating partner.
3D scanning a section of ornament in the Prototype Department at Ravensbourne University London
A mould was taken from the surviving section and a plaster cast made. This cast was then scanned and will be refined and reversed with Meshmixer software, then 3D printed to obtain the mirror image.
The 3D print may be used as a positive from which a further mould and cast can be produced in the material of choice. Or it can be used as a negative, providing a ready-made mould. The scan can also be re-sized to allow for shrinkage in the final casting material, such as compo putty.
Charlotte had intended to explore these different options to find the best solution for the mirror but her work has been interrupted by the coronavirus lockdown measures.
Meanwhile she dry cleaned the frame with a soft brush and has experimented with consolidants and wet cleaning methods. A low concentration of rabbit skin glue was proving effective to both clean and readhere loose flakes of gilding.
Peter Laszlo Peri concrete sculpture
For her MA Conservation, Miyuki Kajiwara is conserving a 1943 concrete sculpture by Peter Laszlo Peri called ‘Anne and the Rest of my Family‘. As an artist involved in the Constructivism movement, Peter Laszlo Peri pioneered work with concrete modelling, rather than using the more common technique of concrete casting, and made many works using this method. His works are displayed in Berlin, and in Tate, London.
The sculpture that Miyuki is conserving has an old repair base that needs to be removed, corroded armatures, and losses that need to be filled and retouched. Miyuki’s thesis specifically focuses on the polychromy of Laszlo Peri’s concrete sculptures between the 1930s and 1950s, which is applied as highlights or to add additional colour to the surface. Polychromy is visible in several of his works but has not previously been researched from a conservation perspective.
Miyuki is using contemporary analytical techniques including microscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, Micro-Raman spectroscopy and X-ray fluorescence to analyse the binder and the pigments the artist has used.
Miyuki has a particular interest in the conservation of modern and contemporary sculpture, which is an area not as commonly studied as the conservation of more historical pieces. A scholarship awarded by the Art School and supported by the Gabo Trust for Sculpture Conservation, has facilitated her postgraduate studies and allowed her to specialise in this specific area of interest. The Gabo Trust was founded by the family of the sculptor Naum Gabo (1890-1977) and provides support for the further education of professional conservators, particularly in the area of modern and contemporary sculpture conservation, which is often made with new materials that are not so well researched.
2 June 2020
Venice floods
Art School staff and students have been shocked and saddened by the devastating high tides that have flooded the majority of the city of Venice in the past two weeks. As the flood water reached unprecedented heights inside St Mark’s Basilica, a group of second year Historic Carving, Conservation and Art & Material Histories students, were on the Art School’s annual study trip in Venice and witnessed first-hand the damage to the city and incomparable heritage.
L-R: the island of San Giorgio Maggiore from the flooded main city of Venice; bailing out Santa Maria and San Donato Church, Murano
The Art School group arrived in Venice on Monday 11 November and stayed at the Fondazione Giorgio Cini, one of the city’s leading educational and cultural institutions, on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, just across the lagoon from St Mark’s Square. As the lower floor of the building flooded during the week, some members of the group had to relocate to rooms on higher levels.
L-R: the group of students and tutors outside St Mark’s Basilica; high tides forced gondolas to crash into the balustrade resulting in severe damage.
Being present at the time of the floods and experiencing first-hand the difficulties and challenges faced by our Venetian colleagues, gave students and tutors a real insight into the increasing threat the environment poses to the historic treasures of this UNESCO world heritage site. Our thoughts are with our collaborators and friends who are faced with protecting and repairing these important historic buildings and heritage sites.
The annual study trip enhances and supports our Historic Carving, Conservation and Art & Material Histories course programmes. Students study a wealth of stone and wood carving of all periods such as the extensive 16th century wood relief carvings by Gatti and Van den Brulle in the San Giorgio Maggiore Church or the Canova Monument in the Santa Maria dei Frari,. They explore the diverse range of conservation issues stemming from the city’s unique situation and rich heritage and discover the rich history of Venice’s architecture.
As well as site visits, students attend daily lectures delivered by Art School tutors on a variety of topics including Venetian architecture, conservation and the impact on the city of socio-political issues. Despite the high tide, most of the group’s itinerary was still possible, with just a few buildings inaccessible to visitors.
Art School Conservation Tutor, Jennifer Dinsmore, who was part of the group in Venice, commented on the situation. “The experience of being in Venice during the second and third highest Acqua Alta events since formal recording began brought into sharp focus for us the risk and vulnerabilities that the city is exposed to. It was clear from travelling around Venice that a great many homes, businesses and historic buildings have been severely affected and the extent of damage and the scale of the recovery and conservation processes will take some time to assess. A number of the buildings that we normally visit were closed because they were either still flooded or staff were clearing up.”
L-R: the magnificent painted ceiling inside the San Pantalon Church; Head of Historic Carving, Tim Crawley, delivering a lecture by the Rialto Bridge
The Art School has fostered long-standing collaborations with several cultural institutions and charities in Venice, alongside Fondazione Giorgio Cini. Each year, two Conservation graduates are selected to spend a two-month, fully-funded internship at the Abbey of San Giorgio Maggiore supported by Venice in Peril, a fund dedicated to conserving Venice’s architectural heritage and treasures. During the internship, the graduates live with the small community of Benedictine monks in the Abbey and carry out a conservation project within Palladio’s Church, a fantastic opportunity to work at a world-famous site with complex conservation requirements. The 2019 Venice in Peril interns, Miyuki Kajiwara and Jonida Mecani, are working on the cleaning of a series of stone sculptures around the inner walls of one of the Church entrances. Artefacts from the Church are also loaned to our Conservation Department for students to work on.
L-R: the current Venice in Peril interns Miyuki Kajiwara and Jonida Mecani; the stone statues being treated inside Palladio’s Church
In 2018, Conservation and Carving students and alumni were chosen as Young Ambassadors at Homo Faber, also held at Fondazione Giorgio Cini. Homo Faber is an exhibition of European craftsmanship aiming to showcase fine contemporary, traditional and rare craftsmanship and its link to the world of creativity and design. It is the brainchild of the Michelangelo Foundation, which celebrates master craftsmanship and aims to preserve traditional craft skills.
The Art School is honoured to be part of the Michelangelo Foundation’s network of like-minded educational institutions throughout Europe that champion historic crafts. The Foundation selected four of the Art School’s historic craft-based Summer School courses to form part of their inaugural Summer School Programme in July 2019. This initiative exposed eight European makers and craft students to different practices that can inform their work and was a great success.
Summer School students on the Art School’s gilding and stone carving courses
We will continue to follow the heroic conservation efforts of our friends in Venice with great interest and look forward to continuing to make our own modest contribution to their task in the years to come.
7 May 2020
Conserving ‘Gerry’s Pompeii’
Two second-year BA (Hons) Conservation students are set to take part in a new conservation project at ‘Gerry’s Pompeii’, the London home of artist Gerald Dalton. The project, due to take place when lockdown measures allow, follows a successful campaign led by Dalton’s friends and family to secure funding to preserve the site specific collection of works left in his home after he passed away in August 2019, and open it to the public as a house museum.
Part of the extensive collection at Gerry’s Pompeii
Gerald Dalton was a prolific artist who made sculptures, models and other works mainly focusing around his interest in British history. Inside his flat, the body of work includes models of buildings in a variety of materials (wood, plastic, paper, metals, textiles) and found objects; small scale, mass produced sculptures that Dalton painted and modified; and framed works, mainly on paper, that he augmented and changed. Painted concrete sculptures stand in the garden and along the towpath of the Grand Union Canal. These are sited along a wall decorated with tiles, pieces of mirror, found objects and other materials.
Monitoring the visible light falling on a framed print with an environmental monitor
Second-year Conservation students, led by Art School Tutor and stone conservation expert, Jennifer Dinsmore, recently conducted a thorough conservation assessment of the site. The detailed assessment included material identification and observations to help understand conservation risks such as fading and chemical breakdown caused by exposure to light, or mould growth due to high moisture levels. It also involved monitoring the relative humidity, visible light and ultraviolet light at the site using specialist monitoring equipment. Visual assessments were made about the condition of some of the objects, the garden and of the building interiors, and risks from increased visitor access were considered. The group identified a priority list of treatments to minimise further damage to the site and objects, and noted the need for an ongoing maintenance plan for the building and the collection.
Conservation students, Cody Cochrane and Louise Davison, will join the team at the site to take part in a range of collection care measures and carry out environmental monitoring. Louise explains the conservation challenges that lie ahead and what she hopes to learn from the assignment:
“As a conservator the vast amount of modern materials used in the domestic setting creates an exciting opportunity. There are challenges to the project which involve establishing a system of cataloguing, stabilising the collection and assessing a priority rating within the collection. This, however, requires establishing the materials before treatment, through examination, monitoring and observations. As an emerging Object Conservator, the opportunity to be part of a community project that has been fiercely campaigned for, is fantastic. The project has scope to allow me to grow, learn and put into practice the knowledge and skills that have been taught at the Art School.”
It is hoped that Art School Conservation students can have further involvement with the site in the following academic year. Tutor Jennifer Dinsmore describes the valuable learning experiences students would gain from working on Gerry’s Pompeii:
“the conservation challenges presented by this unique collection would provide significant experience in dealing with modern materials, mixed media and understanding how to provide meaningful access to the site. Initially this could include students continuing with the monitoring programme and carrying out detailed condition assessments of the objects and could involve students on the existing Stone, Wood and Decorative Surfaces pathway as well as our new Books and Paper pathway.”
Our specialist Conservation labs and studios are situated in the Art School’s elegant Georgian building. Our BA (Hons) Conservation: Books & Paper course commenced this year and has been developed in consultation with a number of leading conservation specialists at the Tate, National Archives, Fitzwilliam Museum and College of Arms. A suite of bespoke facilities, specifically designed for teaching this conservation specialism, were completed over the summer, and create an enhanced Conservation area within the Art School.
The Art School has been providing high-quality conservation courses for over 50 years, developing an outstanding reputation within the heritage sector.
Conservation is the meeting-point of science and art – a fascinating blend of state-of-the-art forensics, aesthetics and traditional craft skills. As such, our conservation courses offer hands-on engagement with the craft skills employed in historic manufacturing processes combined with leading-edge scientific analysis and treatment procedures, contemporary conservation practice, humanities and the ethics, laws and regulations of conservation.
On our courses, you’ll benefit from small class sizes, expert tutors (all leading industry professionals) and specialist lab facilities including state-of-the-art laser technology.
Our extensive links with leading museums and private collectors will provide you with high-profile live projects, placements and a professional network. In the last five years, 100% of graduates have been employed in conservation within six months of graduation, including an annual funded internship in Venice. Many of our alumni have gone on to work within national museum and gallery conservation departments including senior conservation posts at Birmingham Museum and Art Collections, Historic Royal Palaces, the Museum of London, the National Trust, Tate, Victoria & Albert Museum, British Museum, Wallace Collection and Westminster Abbey. Graduates are also employed throughout the private sector with firms such as Cliveden Conservation Workshops, Plowden and Smith, Nimbus Conservation, Taylor Pearce Conservation.
An Art Histories programme is integral to our conservation courses. The programme takes a detailed and materials-based approach to Art History (Antiquity to Modern), The History of British Architecture and The History of Style. Regular guided visits to architectural sites, historic houses and museums will enhance your learning and provide you with an in-depth understanding of the historical and technical factors that affect conservation practice, conservation ethics and policy.
In this Zoom conversation recorded during lockdown, art historian Viv Lawes, talks about her taught sessions on our conservation courses, which particularly focus on the importance of the use of specific vocabularies around art design objects.
BA (HONS) CONSERVATION
During the first two years of the course, you’ll develop a deepening-level of knowledge and skills in a wide range of specialist conservation topics including ethics, history and philosophy, legislation and preventive conservation approaches. Alongside these subjects, you’ll learn the science of conservation, including materials science and, through hands-on workshops, you’ll explore the historic craft skills used in the manufacturing process of the objects and artefacts you will treat. Engaging in modern conservation techniques, including laser cleaning and technical analysis using IR spectroscopy, UV microscopy and mass-spectrometry, you’ll work on supervised conservation projects with specialist experts, on artefacts loaned from our extensive, heritage network.
This will prepare you to develop your conservation practice further in your final year, when you’ll complete several remedial conservation projects, with supervision from your specialist tutors, involving historical research, material analysis, treatment proposal and application.
Our MA Conservation course focuses on complex advanced level Conservation projects and sets out to equip graduates to go on to become leaders in the field. It is designed for those who have either an undergraduate degree in Conservation or who have extensive professional experience within a conservation setting. The MA involves high level conservation projects, advanced conservation science, research, ethics and professional practice. The course culminates in the completion of an ambitious practical conservation project accompanied by an extended research and treatment report.
This course will prepare you to work on ambitious, or large-scale conservation projects as a specialist or project leader and to work as an expert in International contexts.
Senior Furniture Conservator at the Wallace Collection, Jurgen Huber, is a graduate from our postgraduate Conservation course. In this short video, he explains how studying Conservation at the Art School has benefitted his career.
You are also invited to join one of our weekly student virtual chats, where you can ask current students about the course and student life at the Art School. Register for a student virtual chat here.
Click on the images below to enlarge them and explore the Conservation Department.
25 March 2020
Fine Art
“My course is uplifting, invigorating and engaging. We are exploring new mediums and techniques each day. I feel so lucky to be taught by people who are not only such talented artists but also kind helpful and caring.” Idina Moncreiffe, BA (Hons) Fine Art
The bright and spacious fine Art studios are located throughout the Victorian, Georgian and loft-style buildings of the Art School. When you study fine art with us, you’ll have your own personal studio space that you can access five days a week.
We offer BA (Hons) Fine Art (three years, full time) and MA Fine Art (one year, full time or two years, part-time). This short film gives you an insight into our Fine Art courses.
At the Art School, we don’t believe in a ‘house style’; instead, we will support you to fully explore ways of making and thinking, and develop your own artistic ‘voice’. All our Fine Art Tutors are practising artists and because we have a generous tutor to student ratio, there’ll always be a tutor on hand to challenge and encourage you.
We are committed to the idea of ‘thinking through making’ with an emphasis on material understanding. In order to interrogate the integrity of materials further, we have developed a discussion series called Material Matters which sets out to explore a specific material through a range of approaches. We are also one of the few places in the UK where you can opt to learn about traditional hand skills – such as historic painting techniques, carving and bronze casting – alongside contemporary ideas, materials and processes.
On both the undergraduate and postgraduate fine art courses, you’ll have access to our range of specialist workshops and facilities, including our historic print room, wood workshop, glass workshop and foundry. All facilities are managed by expert technicians who will encourage and support you to develop the skills and confidence to explore processes creatively and independently.
This film gives you a quick tour of our historic print room and the traditional intaglio process we teach.
An Art Histories programme is an integral part our fine art courses and we teach it in such a way that it informs, inspires and incentivises. We believe that to become a creative, successful practitioner requires knowledge of historical context – traditional and contemporary – and an awareness of the latest critical debates within today’s visual and material culture.
In this Zoom conversation recorded during lockdown, art theorist and practising artist, Dr Oriana Fox, talks about the different art histories modules she teaches on BA (Hons) Fine Art.
The BA and MA Fine Art courses culminate in a final show, which provides an important platform for your work. The Shows are very well received, leading to commissions and future exhibitions, residencies and projects. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, it was not possible to host a physical Show in 2020. However, the impressive work of our 2020 BA Fine Art graduates features in our Online Graduate Showcase – enter here to view their work!
BA (HONS) FINE ART
The course structure provides you with the opportunity to develop your work in the wider context of fine art through the specialist areas of painting, sculpture, printmaking and drawing. The emphasis is on supporting and challenging you to develop an approach to art practice based on your own creative interests and ideas, alongside an exploration of questions about what painting, sculpture, printmaking and drawing might be now, given their historical roots, materials, processes and current discourses. Some elements of the course have a specific focus based on your choice of specialism, while group tutorials, live projects and other sessions, such as professional practice, are shared across the Fine Art course.
“I find this to be a unique space that is conducive to growing my artistic practice organically and authentically, and in a way that inspires me to steadily interrogate, investigate and express.” Gaurav Gupta, BA (Hons) Fine Art
BA Fine art alumnus, Thomas Elliott, graduated in 2015. In this short clip he talks about his experience of the course.
MA FINE ART
On the MA Fine Art you will focus on a deep exploration of your own practice and its research territories and critical frameworks. Whether you are continuing after recently graduating in Fine Art or returning to study after some years as a practising artist (or from working in another related field), our aim is to help you to move beyond your current position, to exceed your expectations.
Our focus is on your individual development, so the course, while structured, is essentially bespoke. With regular, specialist one-to-one tutorial contact; easy access to technical facilities; South London’s burgeoning contemporary art scene and London’s unrivalled cultural heritage on your doorstep; critiques, talks and professional practice seminars by some of London’s most exciting artists; and, of course, the unique, creative cross-pollination of the Art School’s various departments.
“I cannot imagine there being a better place than City & Guilds of London Art School to develop your Fine Art practice. It’s not only the tutors’ depth of knowledge that is impressive but also the amount of time you get to spend with them. Everyone is so helpful throughout the whole school.” Andrew Szczech, MA Fine Art
You are also invited to join one of our weekly student virtual chats, where you can ask current students about the course and student life at the Art School. Register for a student virtual chat here.
Click on the images below to enlarge them and explore the Fine Art Studios.
31 March 2020
Historic Carving
“It’s been a long time since I’ve felt so enthused and excited about being creative. It’s such a joy I couldn’t be more grateful.” Alex Elinson, PgDip Carving
On our renowned Historic Carving courses, you can specialise in either woodcarving & gilding or architectural stone carving. Our carving students practice in recently refurbished wood and stone carving workshops and studios, which open out onto our courtyard garden.
Our BA (Hons) Historic Carving (in woodcarving & gilding or architectural stone) is a three-year full-time course. Our PgDip carving is 30 weeks full time or 60 weeks part time and MA Carving is 45 weeks full time or 75 part time. If you want to study at postgraduate level but need to enhance specific areas of practice or knowledge before embarking on our advanced MA Carving course, we can offer you a bespoke plan with our one or two-year Graduate Diploma Arts: Carving programme.
This film gives you a great insight into our Historic Carving courses.
The Art School has an unbroken tradition of teaching sculpture, stone and woodcarving since it was founded in 1879. We play a crucial role in keeping alive the skills essential for preserving the world’s most important monuments and buildings, and offer the UK’s only BA (Hons) course in the subject.
Our comprehensive and advanced carving courses will prepare you for a fulfilling career in architectural heritage as a professional carver or as a professional sculptor. Whether your ambition is to create new work in historic contexts or to restore sculpture and ornament, the aesthetic and historical knowledge you’ll gain on your course will be as important as your manual carving skills. You’ll benefit from our extensive industry links and heritage networks, with exceptional live projects and commissions supporting your professional practice. You will be offered unparalleled opportunities to develop your skills and knowledge as well as your professional practice experience and professional networks.
All our Carving Tutors are inspiring, established professionals and our generous tutor to student ratio means a tutor will always be on hand to offer guidance and support, and one-to-one supervision. All courses culminate in a final show which is an important platform to showcase your practice and often leads to commissions and future exhibitions.
An Art Histories programme is an integral part our historic carving courses, supporting you to develop your knowledge and understanding of the historical context of wood and stone carving and architectural ornament.
Dr Michael Paraskos delivers a series of lectures entitled The History of British Architecture. During his session, students studying wood and stone carving, as well as conservation, journey with him through the ages and around London’s wealth of historical buildings. In this Zoom conversation recorded during lockdown, he explains why experiencing architecture in person helps students meaningfully reflect on how a building worked as a living space at the time of its creation as well as today.
BA (HONS) HISTORIC CARVING
The undergraduate courses begin with simple masonry and carving exercises, enabling you to develop skills in a progressive manner. Over the first two years you will progress to more complex ornamental forms including drapery and the human figure. You’ll develop observational drawing skills, modelling and casting techniques and focus on lettering. Alongside skill development, you’ll study the historical context of wood or stone carving and architectural ornament, giving you an essential insight in to the meaning and significance of historical forms of ornament.
In the final year, you will plan, research and execute major projects within your own chosen specialist area. This is your opportunity to demonstrate your technical expertise, design skills and aesthetic awareness, supported by evidence of your historical and contextual research.
In this short film, alumna Zoe Wilson, who studied Architectural Stone and graduated in 2016, explains what she values most about her time on the course.
“I recently started the BA course studying historic carving & gilding at City & Guilds of London Art School and I couldn’t be happier! It is clear that it is a place that is well loved and run by a very dedicated and passionate team of professionals.” Joanne Grogan, BA (Hons) Historic Carving: Woodcarving & Gilding
This postgraduate course has an emphasis on practical hand skills, research skills and problem solving, providing an excellent basis for freelance employment within the creative and heritage sectors. If you are looking to become a high-level, professional sculptor, stone or woodcarver, or extend the scope of your current practice, this rewarding course is invaluable. Its depth of focus enables you to produce final projects that demonstrate your analytical ability as well as your mastery of carving and related skills.
Based on your planned and agreed proposal or statement of intent, the program is designed to reflect your individual experience and your aspirations. It is an intensive course involving you in an ambitious self-initiated carving research project. The course is intended to be primarily self-directed and to complement your individual research interests and practical experience.
Click on the images below to enlarge them and explore the Historic Carving Department.
18 March 2020
Foundation Diploma in Art & Design
“I feel so lucky to be at a school which simultaneously places student wellbeing and respect for Covid rules at the top of their priority list.” Roberta Bloomer, Foundation Diploma
Our Foundation Diploma studios and workshops are housed in the expansive, loft-style studio building on Kennings Way, adjacent to our Cleaver Square building.
Our fast-paced and intensive Foundation course offers a focused, inspiring and memorable year which will thoroughly prepare you for further study or professional practice. Our aim is to help you develop the skills you need to go on to be the leading artists and designers of the future. Whether you intend to make an application for a BA course in these subjects, explore a personal interest or take the first step on a career, with this course you will be making an important investment in your future.
At the Art School, we are committed to an intensive and individual approach to teaching and our Foundation Diploma is rare in offering generous teaching and tutorial support from Monday to Friday with an exceptionally high ratio of staff to students. You will find that there are always tutors on site offering advice and running specialist workshops.
In the initial diagnostic phase of the course, you will rotate around the studios taking part in a series of workshops, tutorials and supported studio practice. We will encourage you to explore a range of art and design disciplines including a variety of approaches to drawing, painting, photography, sculpture, design communication, 3D design, printmaking and art and design history and theory.
This film gives you a quick tour of our historic print room and the traditional intaglio process we teach.
Once you have identified your chosen specialism with the support of your tutor, you’ll be assigned a personal studio space where you will work for the remainder of the course. Workshops and tutorials continue to allow you to test materials and processes and produce a body of work, developing a comprehensive portfolio. You’ll also be supported in extending your documenting, application and interview skills.
As you start to work more independently, you’ll concentrate on a final project in the last part of the year and you’ll exhibit this work in the Foundation Show at the end of course. The brilliant work of our 2019/20 Foundation students is currently exhibiting in our online Foundation Show – enter here to view their work!
The City & Guilds of London Art School is an approved centre for the UAL Awarding Body, Level 4, Foundation Diploma in Art & Design.
To find out more about the course and ask any questions you have, we recommend booking onto an online open day. To register for an online open day, click here.
You are also invited to join one of our weekly student virtual chats, where you can ask current students about the course and student life at the Art School. Register for a student virtual chat here.
Interdisciplinary collaboration on City installation
In a recent interdisciplinary collaboration, BA (Hons) Fine Art alumna, Katie Lennard, commissioned alumni from two of the Art School’s specialist courses, to work with her on a roof-top installation in the City of London.
Katie was asked to create a sculpture for an office roof garden and chose to work with Stone Carving alumnus Edgar Ward and BA Conservation alumna, and current MA Conservation student, Miyuki Kajiwara, on the project. The stone sculpture is titled The Texel Stone.
The Texel Stone is carved in Portland Stone, incorporating elements of gilding in gold leaf, and is installed on a bed of Sedum and surrounded by wild flowers, lavender and olive trees. Cobbles edge the garden perimetre. Describing the project, Katie said: “Using 3D scanning, I developed my idea to interpret and enlarge (by around seven times) a shard of slate that I found at the Blue Lagoon in Abereiddy, Pembrokeshire, Wales in 2015.”
The Texel Stone project illustrates the inspiring creativity engendered by the Art School’s unique blend of specialist disciplines. Katie’s experience at the Art School has given her a deeper engagement with art’s materials and their potential. It has also connected her with the skilled makers who helped her realise the installation she designed. “For this commission, I wanted to use valuable, traditional materials and specialist skills to create an object that would evoke mystery and attract wildlife. Naturally, Portland stone was chosen because of its enormous potential and layered connection with London architecture. Had I not studied BA Fine Art Sculpture at the Art School, I would not have known where to start, or who might help me to achieve my vision.”
Katie chose to work with Edgar Ward who she describes as “seamlessly professional” and Miyuki Kajiwara, whose gold leaf gilding “transcends the work entirely“. She also attributes support from Art School Fine Art Tutor Frances Richardson as a positive influence on the work.
Katie tells us: “The piece is now situated about 100 metres from the Gherkin on a private, wild roof garden at the top of an office building and is named after the company who commissioned the work.”
Photos courtesy of Katie Lennard and Helena Pliotis
5 November 2019
Big Draw Workshop Focuses on Plants
As part of the Big Draw Festival, on Saturday 26 October 2019, the Art School ran a charcoal drawing workshop centred around the study of plants. The theme of the Big Draw Festival was ‘Wellbeing and Creativity’ and so our event, entitled ‘The Power of Plants’, focused on the positive effects of both creativity and plants on our wellbeing.
Participants were invited to bring along their favourite house plant and take time out to focus on the patterns and forms in nature, under the expert guidance of Fine Art Tutor and Artist Jane Hayes Greenwood.
The workshop attracted participants with varied experience and involvement in art practice, with one attendee saying, “It’s really nice to be able to attend events like this which are open to the public, as I’m not an art student or work with anything related to art.” Comments from other participants included praise for the Tutor’s attentive teaching style, welcoming the opportunity to work with an accomplished artist, “The tutor was warm and engaging, she made us feel welcome and unintimidated. She shared new approaches and techniques and allowed us to experiment with these.”
Artist and Fine Art Tutor, Jane Hayes-Greenwood supporting class participants
Even a brief amount of time spent on a creative pastime has powerful benefits for personal wellbeing. The psychological benefits of indoor plants have been shown to include improved mood, reduced stress, increased productivity and attention span. The physical health benefits include better air quality, reduced blood pressure and fatigue.
This is the second consecutive year that the Art School has participated in the Big Draw Festival. Last year, the Art School ran a Big Circle Draw class, a traditional drawing class with a twist! Led by Fine Art Tutor and artist, Jack Southern, a group of Art School students and alumni sat in a large circle. With a continuing series of short exercises, each artist took it in turn to play model and every drawing produced by the circle was captured digitally to form an animation that grew as the afternoon continued.
Artist and Fine Art Tutor, Jack Southern, leads the Big Circle Draw workshop
Drawing is fundamental to all courses at the Art School. Under the direction of Diane Magee, our Drawing Studio is at the heart of the Art School’s activities, primarily focusing on the role that observational drawing plays in stimulating and facilitating the development of artists and crafts specialists across our Foundation Diploma and undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses in Fine Art, Historic Carving, Conservation of cultural objects and books and paper, and Art and Material Histories.
We hope to take part in The Big Draw in the future – you can find out more information about our upcoming events here.
7 August 2019
Historical walk around the Art School
The Art School is once again taking part in Lambeth Heritage Festival with a historical walk around the Art School, exploring 138 years of creative endeavour.
The event takes place on Saturday 14 September 2019, 12 noon, and is led by Magnus von Wistinghausen, Director of City & Guilds Art School Property Trust. Those taking part will tour the Georgian terrace and Victorian Studios and learn about our history of championing fine art, historic wood and stone carving and the conservation of cultural artefacts.
The Historical Walk takes place during our MA Fine Art Show, 7th -15th September, where visitors can admire an outstanding variety and quality of artwork, that reflects the diversity of skill and technique fostered on the Fine Art programme at the Art School.
This is a free event and participants do not need to book. Anyone interested in taking this wonderful opportunity to glimpse behind the scenes of a real art school and learn its fascinating past, should arrive at the main entrance in preparation for a prompt start at 12 noon.
DATE: Saturday 14 September 2019
TIME: 12 noon
VENUE: City & Guilds of London Art School, 124 Kennington Park Road, London SE11 4DJ
18 June 2019
Stone Carving Student Deserves a Medal
We are thrilled to announce that third year stone carving student, Sue Aperghis, has been awarded a place on the New Medallist Scheme from the British Art Medal Society (BAMS), for her medal design entitled ‘Seven Summits’.
Her design is inspired by Mallory and Irvine’s fateful attempt at conquering Everest in 1924. Dressed in just tweed clothing and crampon-less boots, the pair were unsuccessful in their mountaineering challenge.
Everest isn’t as much of a challenge to today’s adventurers with modern equipment and experienced guides, but perhaps a comparative feat would be the Seven Summits Challenge. The challenge is to conquer the worlds seven highest peaks and reach the North and South poles unaided.
Sue’s medal design is in recognition of this act of incredible human endurance, which she feels should be more publicly acknowledged.
The New Medallist Scheme provides Sue with a three-week placement in a medal-making course at a college abroad or an international medal workshop, one week’s work experience in the engraving department of the Royal Mint, access for one week to the medal collections of the British Museum under the supervision of a curator of medals, and one year BAMS membership.
Earlier this year, Sue won Eric Gill Society Lettering Prize which was part of BAMS Student medal Project, for her piece highlighting the challenges and opportunities faced by those with dyslexia.
We would like to congratulate Sue for her brilliant work and look forward to seeing her stone carvings in the Degree Show, 25-30 June 2019.
22 October 2018
Material Matters: Wood 2016/17
For the inaugural year of our Material Matters programme, we chose to focus on wood.
As an invaluable material for artists, designers, craft specialists and architects, wood has been used through millennia to make every kind of artefact from the most essential to the most ritually significant. With over 100 different types of wood harvested across the world, its cultural and historical impact is profound and enduring.
You can read an edited transcript of their discussion below or download a pdf here. If you would like a hard copy, please contact office@cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk
LONDON CRAFT WEEK
Our Material Matters theme was extended through our London Craft Week event in May 2017. Visitors enjoyed gilding demonstrations, exploring the woodworking studios and special demonstrations by visiting specialists from the Tokyo University of the Arts Historic Sculpture Conservation Lab.
22 October 2018
Material Matters: Pigment 2018/20
The current subject of our Material Matters programme is pigment.
As essential key material for artists, designers, craft specialists, conservators and restorers, pigments have been used through millennia to image and ornate, from the most domestic object to the most ritually significant. With thousands of known pigments available across the world, their historic impact is profound and enduring.
You can read an edited transcript of their discussion below or download a pdf here here. If you’d like to receive a hard copy of the leaflet, please email office@cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk
PIGMENT PLANTING SCHEME
Our focus on pigment has been extended through a new planting scheme in the Art School’s garden which includes a range of plants used as the source of a variety of pigments. These include Rubia Tinctorium “Madder” – a red pigment extracted from the roots, and Vitis Vinifera “Grape Vine”, producing a vine black pigment from the charred stems. During a tutor-led workshop series, our students will harvest the plants and explore the pigment-making process.
LONDON CRAFT WEEK
As part of London Craft Week 2018, our event featured a pigment, colour and gilding display and demonstration area, a popular destination for visitors. Art School alumna and pigment specialist Catalina Christensen, gave pigment-making demonstrations using the egg tempera process and colour expert Jane de Sausmarez informed visitors about colour theories. Art School Decorative Surfaces Fellow, Tuesday Riddell, demonstrated japanning and other historic lacquering techniques as used in her practice, and Rian Kanduth, one of our Conservation department tutors and gilding expert, showed visitors gilding techniques.
Tom Groves, Head of Art Histories, has been in conversation with Catalina Cristensen about her fascination with pigment and her environmentally-neutral practice. You can read more here.
We will be exploring pigment again during London craft Week 2019 and plan further activities focused on pigment over the next year.
16 October 2018
MA Show September 2024
The MA Show is a celebration of the outstanding work of our postgraduate Fine Art, Carving and Conservation (presenting research) students, as well as current work from our Co-Chair of Students and Fellows.
PUBLIC OPENING HOURS
Timings to be confirmed
Saturday 7 September
Tuesday 10 September
Wednesday 11 September
Thursday 12 September
Friday 13 September
Saturday 14 September
PRIVATE VIEW
Monday 9 September
VENUE
Cleaver Square and Kennings Way Studios, City & Guilds of London Art School
124 Kennington Park Road
London SE11 4DJ
We are not able to accommodate dogs, except guide dogs and assistance dogs.
There is no cloakroom facility.
Join our mailing list if you would like to keep updated.
Our annual Degree Show is an exhibition of the outstanding work of our 2024 graduates from our undergraduate Fine Art, Conservation and Carving courses.
PUBLIC OPENING HOURS
13:00 – 17:00 Saturday 22nd June
10:00 – 17:00 Sunday 23rd June
11:00 – 18:00 Monday 24th June
11:00 – 18:00 Tuesday 25th June
11:00 – 18:00 Wednesday 26th June
11:00 – 18:00 Thursday 27th June
12:00 – 20:00 Friday 28th June
PRIVATE VIEW:
18:00 – 21:00 Friday 21st June
VENUE
City & Guilds of London Art School
124 Kennington Park Road
London SE11 4DJ
We are not able to accommodate dogs, except guide dogs and assistance dogs.
There is no cloakroom facility.
Join our mailing list if you would like to keep updated and we will send you invitations to all our Graduate Shows in 2024!
Since 2016, the Art School has participated in London Craft Week, an annual event that showcases exceptional craftsmanship through a journey-of-discovery programme around the city.
For the 2024 edition of London Craft Week, the Art School will host a two-day event showcasing some of the historic and contemporary craft skills we champion on our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. The free admission event takes place on Friday 17 May and Saturday 18 May 2024 and includes an engaging programme of activities, as well as the exciting opportunity to glimpse inside a real Art School.
OPEN
10:00 – 17:00 Friday 17th May
13:00 – 18:00 Saturday 18th May
VENUE INFORMATION
City & Guilds of London Art School
124 Kennington Park Road
SE11 4DJ
PROGRAMME:
PRINTMAKING WORKSHOPS
Learn the art of printmaking from the experts in a series of hands-on workshops on Saturday 18 May in our historic print room. The one-hour workshops are £8 + booking fee per person and booking is essential. Over 18s only. BOOK VIA EVENTBRITE >>
WOOD AND STONE CARVING
The wood and stone carving studios will be open, and visitors are encouraged to cast their vote in the ever-popular two-day themed carving competition for first year students. Second and third year students will be showing work in progress on their major projects. As well as watching wood and stone carving in action, you can have a go at stone carving yourself.
CONSERVATION & DECORATIVE SURFACES DEMONSTRATIONS
Students studying on our BA (Hons) Conservation: Books & Paper and BA (Hons) Conservation: Stone, Wood & Decorative Surfaces courses will give demonstrations of different conservation techniques and processes. The courses equip students with the specialist knowledge and skills to conserve and restore cultural heritage for the future. Our students will be joined by Decorative Surfaces Fellow Eloise Dethier-Eaton, who will also be sharing demonstrations.
TAYLOR PEARCE DRAWING PRIZE EXHIBITION
View the exhibition of entries for the Art School’s Taylor Pearce Drawing Prize, which is open to students studying Carving or Conservation. The array of exhibited drawings reflects students’ coursework in a variety of approaches, including sketches, studies or more sustained drawings.
NATIONAL SATURDAY CLUB EXHIBITION
The Art School is proud to be part of the Craft&Making strand of National Saturday Club programming. Our club offers 13-16-year-olds the opportunity to learn rarely-taught heritage craft skills. An exhibition of Members’ work will be on display, with information on how to apply.
FOUNDATION SHOW 2024
The Foundation Show is an end of year celebration of the outstanding work of our 2024 graduates studying on our Foundation Diploma in Art & Design. During this year of exploration, students interrogate and extend their art practice and create an impressive body of work, which you are invited to see in this end of year show.
Sign up to our mailing list to stay updated, and follow us on social media.
A group of Art School students and alumni will sit in a large circle. With a continuing series of short exercises, each artist takes it in turn to play model and every drawing produced by the circle is captured digitally to form an animation that will grow as the afternoon continues.
The group will be taught by City & Guilds of London Art School drawing tutor and co-author of ‘Drawing Projects: An Exploration of the Language of Drawing’ Jack Southern.
At the Art School we see drawing as fundamental to all our courses. Under the direction of Diane Magee, our Drawing Studio is at the heart of the Art School’s activities, primarily focusing on the role that observational drawing plays in stimulating and facilitating the development of artists and crafts specialists across our Undergraduate and Postgraduate Degree and Diploma courses in Fine Art, Historic Carving and Conservation of cultural objects.
We welcome you to come and see our talented students in action and sketch along if you wish to create your own drawing.
Saturday 20 October 2018, 2-5pm
Foundation Studios, Kennings Way, Kennington, London SE11 4EF
Free entry
If you’d like to hear about our upcoming shows and events, submit your details here.
Students use Moodle to access a wealth of course information and resources, including timetables, project briefs, and assessment forms.
Weekly Art Histories lectures are recorded and uploaded to Moodle, allowing students to revisit the material alongside uploaded lecture presentations from home. Recommended readings are scanned and uploaded for direct access to core texts; and supplementary sources such as videos are posted to enrich the key course materials.
Research and study skills advice including essay writing tips, referencing & citation guides are provided on the site, as well as student support information; making it the central location for students to find information and guidance throughout their studies.
29 August 2017
RLF Writing Fellows
As part of the Royal Literary Fund Fellowship Scheme, the Art School hosts a professional writer for two days each week during term time. The Writing Fellow is available to help students with any type of written work, whether this is an essay, dissertation, artist statement or even creative writing, through one-to-one tutorials.
Click here for some samples of our previous RLF fellows’ work at the Art School.
27 October 2015
Studios
28 October 2015
Drawing Studio
The Art School sees drawing as fundamental to all of its courses. The Drawing Studio is at the heart of our activities, primarily focusing on the role that observational drawing plays in stimulating and facilitating the development of artists and crafts specialists.
For Conservators, drawing is an important tool in enabling students to learn to visually analyse objects, to help ‘tune their eyes’ so that they can conduct the deep examination of surfaces and materials that the subject requires.
For Carving students, drawing is an integral part of their daily carving practice as well as a way of thinking through complex 3 dimensional questions. An intensive week of drawing at the V&A museum provides carving students with a valuable opportunity to study carved and modelled sculptures and architectural ornament, while anatomy sessions ensure that carvers understand how to look and think beneath the surface.
For Fine Art students, drawing can be many things and play many roles. Alongside the observational drawing sessions that are so useful in giving a grounding to the early stages of the 1st year, there are exploratory evening sessions available to all year groups that enable students to investigate their own creative approach to drawing.
For Foundation students, the intensive drawing projects at the early stages of the course investigate drawing with many different approaches and include drawing-as-research day study trips, drawing for design and drawing as sculpture.
DRAWING PRIZES
Reflecting the importance we place on drawing skills, the Art School offers several annual drawing prizes for students across a range of courses.
The Roger de Grey A5 Drawing Prize is open to students from across the Art School and stipulates that entries must be A5 in size.
The Taylor Pearce Drawing Prize is open to students on our Carving and Conservation BA degree courses with entries reflecting students’ course work in a range of approaches.
Available to students on our Carving degree courses, the Surveyors’ Club Drawing Prize focuses on drawings that investigate an example of historic ornament or sculpture.
Foundation students are free to use all of the Art School’s resources.
In addition, there are four dedicated workshops alongside the Foundation studios which include:
– A workshop with a range of hand and power tools
– A casting and brush cleaning area
– Computer facilities with printer, scanners and graphics tablets.
– A workshop set up with:
Sewing machines
Pattern-cutting and portfolio preparation table
Mannequins and tailors dummies
Vacuum-forming
Wood working bench
Area dedicated to small-scale hot metal working such as soldering, joining and jewellery tools.
8 October 2015
Ceramics
Expert technical advice, specialist ceramics casting techniques and kilns are available for students interested in working in ceramics.
8 October 2015
Glass Workshop
The Art School has a specialist Glass Workshop with facilities for glass fusing, slumping, painting, sandblasting and also stained glass production.
19 October 2015
Casting Rooms
There are two workshops dedicated to the processes involved in casting – one in the main building and the other in the Foundation and MA Fine Art Studio building. Our technical staff and a number of our tutors are highly skilled and knowledgeable about casting and a wide range of approaches to casting are supported.
This facility feeds into all departments, and is interlinked with both the Metal and Ceramic Workshops. As well as bronze casting and ceramic processes such as slip casting, we also facilitate a wide variety of other mould making processes, including silicone rubber, waste and plaster moulds, latex moulding, body casting and resin casting.
As with all the Art School’s workshop areas, the Casting Rooms are a place where students can test out new ideas and develop working methodologies as part of their ongoing experimentation and practical research within their chosen subject area. The workshop provides a programme of lessons for academic units, including sessions on mould-making/casting and creative uses of clay.
20 October 2015
Print Room
The Engraving Room at City & Guilds of London Art School was established in the late 19th century. Today, it offers a facility for printmaking open to every student in the School, as well as Print Room Associates by prior appointment. It is permanently staffed and open five days per week during undergraduate term time. Evening classes are held on Tuesdays.
Professor Norman Ackroyd CBE RA ARCA was instrumental in re-establishing the Engraving Room as a thriving centre for teaching and practice after being invited in 1995 to consider its potential for the future.
We focus on the teaching of traditional intaglio processes – including hard and soft ground, sugar lift, aquatint and colour etching. Teaching is delivered by practising artists working with etching. We want all of our students to achieve the understanding and confidence to make the process their own through a hands on experience. By teaching the full range of methods, we provide an historical context of the intaglio process and offer the same experience in terms of techniques, problems and solutions as that employed by Rembrandt, Goya and Picasso.
Our aim is to provide continuity and to keep the bridge to the Old Masters open. As more and more colleges and art schools abandon traditional etching, this position is becoming increasingly unique. While our core strength is the intaglio process, monotype printing is catered for on our off-set lithographic press. We also have a small silkscreen printing facility with a vacuum printing bed and a photo-stencil exposure unit.
Teaching in the Print Room is provided by five part-time tutors and several Printmaking Research Fellows. Jason Hicklin is the lead tutor and Head of Printmaking. Jason graduated from the Central School as a post-graduate in 1992 and was elected a member of the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers in 1993. Christopher Roantree graduated with an MA in printmaking from the Royal College of Art in 2003, and Niamh Clancy, who specialises in screen printing, is also an MA graduate from the Royal College of Art.
Follow this link to watch an online discussion between Jason Hicklin and Vincent Eames, founder and Director of Eames Fine Art, about the importance of passing on traditional etching skills for use in contemporary printmaking.
The Print Making Research Fellow is a part-time post initiated in 1998. It exists to provide a transition from post graduate study to the establishing of an artist’s own practice. The Fellows work two days per week alongside a tutor, gaining experience of teaching and perfecting practical skills. On other week days the Fellows are free to use the Print Room to develop their own work, providing a useful insight for the School’s students. All the current Print Room tutors were previously Print Making Research Fellows with us.
14 October 2014
Darkroom
We maintain a small darkroom for traditional black and white analogue photography.
17 October 2015
Library
Starting your research: The Library
The library collections support all academic programmes with visual and textual research materials. Students can use the various rooms of the library to develop their research: whether it is searching academic databases for journal articles, writing an essay in the quiet study room, making copies in the periodicals room, or borrowing a book in the main library. Search the library catalogue to discover our collections.
Developing research skills
The librarian offers regular workshops on research skills, referencing and citations to all departments, starting with a course-specific library induction during the first week of term. Sessions coincide with Art Histories assignments, so students are supported throughout the process of researching, writing, and accurately referencing their written work. The library also holds a selection of research and study skills books.
Visiting other libraries
As they progress through their studies at the Art School, students are encouraged to make use of the wealth of outstanding specialist art libraries in London (including National Art Library at the V&A, Tate Library, Stuart Hall Library at Iniva, Wellcome Library), and are supported by the librarian in applying to use these external resources.
18 October 2015
The Wood Workshop
The Wood Workshop is available to all students in the Art School.
The wood workshop is run by artist David MacDiarmid. The workshop has a Thickness Planer, Jointer, Band Saws, Pilar Drill, Belt/Disk Sander, Bobbin Sander, Scroll Saw, Mitre saw, Morso Mitre Cutter, Wood Lathe as well as hand tools and power tools. The workshop is available for all students to use, but is most commonly used by painting students for making stretchers and frames. Painting students who make use of the workshop during their studies leave the course able to make their own frames and stretchers using basic equipment that they themselves will own. Woodcarving students use the facilities for reducing and initial shaping, and sculpture students use the facilities in all manner of ways for producing work. For the final year Show, students from all departments may want to use the facilities to make plinths, display cases and portfolio stands.
16 October 2015
The Metal Workshop
The Metal Workshop enables students from across the Art School to cast in bronze and aluminium and to work with sheet metal. Expert technicians support you in learning and using techniques and processes relating to the fabrication of works in metal and metal casting and finishing.
As with all the Art School’s workshop areas, it is a place where you can test out new ideas and develop working methodologies as part of your ongoing experimentation and practical research within your chosen subject area.
The workshop also provides a programme of workshop sessions including metal fabrication techniques (such as welding), the exploration of techniques and methods of construction and introductory sessions for metal casting.
The Metal Workshop is equipped with electric arc welding and plasma cutting machines, fume extraction, bench and hand tools, personal protective equipment and other foundry equipment.
15 October 2015
Computer Room
The Art School has a computer studio running mainly MacOS, as well as Windows and GNU/Linux systems in a comfortable room with views of the Art School garden and courtyard below and the London skyline above.
All the Macs run a current installation of Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Indesign, Illustrator, Premiere Pro etc.) and Microsoft Office alongside compatible Open Source applications. The room has several A4 flatbed scanners, with A3 size scanning possible using the MFP (multi-function printer).
Students from all courses are encouraged to use the computer facilities. IT Services also manages Audio Visual equipment loans and is able to advise on the production of multimedia and installation based work.
There are additional open access computers in the Library and Foundation studios.
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