Boucher School colab with local artist
Artist, Ed Gray, has just completed a term collaborating with Year 5 students at Boutcher Primary School on an extensive art project, one that highlights the world of work in Southwark and includes, butchers, a fishmonger, a mechanic, a florist, a blacksmith, a combat trainer, a Pilates teacher, a brewery, a barrister, a Bishop, foodbank volunteers, fashion designer, artist, chefs, dentists, a fire crew, a local startup and the man who opens and shuts Tower Bridge, writes Michael Holland.
An exhibition of the completed artworks – Southwark at Work – is now on in the foyer at the Southwark Council office building and open for public viewing, along with all the preliminary sketches and thoughts of each of the YNAs (Young New Artist).
The exhibition launch at the Southwark Council offices began with an introductory speech from Ed Gray and a rather beautiful musical interlude from the school’s choir, before we were invited to view the art and the accompanying accoutrements that reveal the extraordinary journey these young people have been on, through photographs of their site visits, their reflective words about their own part in the project, and the sketches they made that informed the finished paintings.
Choir Teacher Juliet Roberts led her young singers through three stunning numbers that had workers stepping out of their upstairs offices to see where such magical music was coming from and emanating up through the atrium and seeping out to all the floors above. The crowd in the foyer was augmented by smiling council staff looking through the glass walls down to where the the choir were positioned.
I got to interview some of the group and found a very intelligent set of students who were able to put in to words what they had learnt, how their art had improved from the project and how they would use those new skills. But there was some very interesting comments in their own words that were hung next to their artwork.
Chali, who painted the barrister, talks of being involved in criminal law ‘because I like solving problems and understanding people’s stories’. Akeem tells of the daughter at Bell & Sons butchers who wants to add ‘& Daughter’ to the shop’s name; Alexandra made a point of placing the head of Ben, the fishmonger in the Blue Market, directly next to the picture of his recently deceased father Russell, in her painting. She says she hopes it will make Ben happy. Eleanor has given blacksmith Kevin Boys four arms to signify ‘the fast hammering and shaping he has to do’. Hazimah, who painted the Kernal Brewery gave a little history of beer-making in London in his information sheet, while Evangeline explained how the trainee dentists at Guy’s Hospital practise on lifesize dummies. Aamira, kept up the history theme as she depicted the old and the new in a start-up company based in the Old Bisuit Factory. Arielle, who reveals that she is ‘super-proud’ to be involved with the project, painted the Dockhead Fire Crew but also incorporated old photos of the fire station into her artwork. Anas, very much enjoyed painting Lucy the Florist because the ‘colourful flowers made the picture really shine’, and because she learnt the importance of the florist’s job of providing flowers for many different occasions. Dibabari painted Speed Queen, a portrayal of Lizzie Huang in all her many guises and positions as a Combat Trainer/Sports Masseuse and launderer of the towels used by her clients. Kwame found out the Mayor of Southwark’s backstory while sketching him, giving another aspect of the man who now puts others first in his ‘Duty before comfort’ outlook on life. Kwame pondered being the Mayor one day and promised to respect the rights of everyone, and to provide for those in need. Leo writes of the sacrifices he made to be part of this ‘amazing project’, the mistakes he’s made on his creative journey and what he learnt to overcome them. Perhaps mirroring the ex-Boutcher mechanic who has worked at RW Autos for 35 years, Leo says he would like to ‘work in a garage and help lots of people with their cars’. He confidently told me that he was ‘very proud of himself’. Ava felt ‘very calm in the peaceful room’ at Kiana’s Beauty Clinic where she made sketches for her painting of Mimi getting her nails done. She talks of what she learnt and the painting techniques she used to create a fabric texture. Raphael Masukume Rogers-Wright had fashion designer Nat the Cat and artist John Wealleans in his painting. He provides their history and the interesting designs that filled their home, but was a bit overwhelmed by a house so big and so full of ‘colourful treasures’. Jaro the Tower Bridge Lift Driver was painted by Olivia Wang. From the group’s sketches she managed to fit in the bridge when it was opening, and the amazing buildings close to the iconic bridge. Rose Holland-Butcher painted Christopher Chessun, the Bishop of Southwark. She included items that represented Bible stories but kept the artwork contemporary by showing The Shard through a window. Gemini Saah got to visit Tower Tandoori where she was able to add more staff to her painting from the sketches to portray the busy aspect of a restaurant. She says she wouldn’t mind being a waitress because ‘if the food went wrong I would not get the blame – the manager would get shouted at!’
Ed Gray’s aim, he says, ‘was to create a project that introduced pupils to the world of work and gave our chosen subjects the chance to discuss their working lives in a relaxed atmosphere whilst being sketched by the pupils. The pupils witnessed the routines of working life first-hand and listened and asked questions of our hosts as they sketched.
‘As a result of these intense and emotional bursts of experiences they have created wonderful paintings, but more importantly they have enjoyed life-changing, memorable meetings with some of the remarkable, passionate and creative working people of Southwark, from all walks of life, who opened their doors and welcomed us in.’
Southwark at Work can be seen at Southwark Council HQ in Tooley Street.
Open to the public Monday- Friday
10am – 4pm
Ends Friday 27th Feb
