Line and Form Fundraising Exhibition – May 2013
At the beginning of May, the full-time Visual Arts students presented Line and Form, an fundraising exhibition of prints, drawings, ceramics, sculpture and objects. Both the private view and the public opening were a great success – all proceeds raised go towards the production and development of two Summer Shows in West Dean and East … Read more
Textile Workshop – Michael Brennand-Wood & Philip Sanderson
Renowned artist Michael Brennand-Wood joins forces with Philip Sanderson, Creative Director of West Dean Tapestry Studio and Associate Tutor on the full-time Visual Arts Programmes, to run a 5-day Creative Development Textile Workshop at the end of this month. The course runs from Monday 27 May – Friday 31 May. Under the title ‘Fusion and … Read more
Visiting Artist: Carole Waller
Having returned from the Easter break, the Visual Arts department was pleased to welcome Carole Waller as Visiting Artist shortly she had taught a Short Course in the Main House. During a presentation in the Old Library, Carole gave an overview of her practice, detailing its development and her commitment to producing diverse strands of … Read more
The Big Weave
The Big Weave at Spitalfields on the 13th April 2013 was a celebration of two dates relating to the local area and the silk weavers who settled there during the 16th century. The same date in 1598 was when the Edict of Nantes was signed declaring that French protesants – the Huguenots – could worship … Read more
Finding the Unicorn – Tapestries Mythical and Modern
Last week saw the opening and Private View of ‘Finding the Unicorn – Tapestries Mythical and Modern’, an exhibition at The Fleming Collection, which runs until the first of June 2013. Over a two-day period, representatives of both the Fleming Collection and West Dean College – including Nick Benham, Neil Finch, Katharine Swailes and Caron … Read more
Visiting Artist: Michael Brennand-Wood
Artist, curator and lecturer Michael Brennand-Wood has a long-standing association with West Dean College, having taught Short Courses and regularly collaborated with the Professional Tapestry Studio, particularly its Creative Director (and Visual Arts Associate Tutor) Philip Sanderson. In the last week of the Spring Term, Michael made a welcome visit to the Visual Arts department … Read more
Fighting Its Corner: Rachel Foister
Finding a Place for Realism and the Return of Magic in Contemporary Painting I am a realist painter, what you see is what you get. Or at least so I thought… Music pounds and sweat steams. The air is thick with the odour of male sweat, stale clothing and the heavy thud of punch after … Read more
Review: Fun-a-Day, West Dean College
Curated by current Postgraduate students Sheila McGrath and Rachel Foister, Fun-a-Day was a cross-disciplinary, collaborative event involving full-time students, staff, volunteers and tutors throughout West Dean College. The original concept of Fun-a-Day was pioneered by the ArtClash Collective in Philadelphia and it has since gone on to spawn a large number of events worldwide. West … Read more
Visiting Artist: James Rigler
Having just opened ‘The Fading City’, his first solo show at Marsden Woo Gallery in London, James Rigler gave a fascinating summary of his work when he visited the Visual Arts department as guest artist. Speaking to the full-time students in West Dean House, James began by describing a brief period studying architecture in London, … Read more
To Paint: Liz Polunin
Having been an international viola player and a chiropractor specializing in musicians’ injuries before turning to painting, I am fascinated by the movement of paint on a surface and gestural brush strokes as a means of expression. My work is also influenced by my grandparents’ stage designs for the Russian Ballet and a variety of … Read more
