A level Art students visit Antony Gormley Exhibition at Royal Academy

On Wednesday 27th November, Art A level students visited the Royal Academy of Arts to attend the Antony Gormley exhibition and attend a practical workshop run by the staff. The students were tasked with creating a ‘Gormley style’ model using clay and found materials, which was then cast with plaster to create a miniature which they painted and brought home. They were given a guided tour of the exhibition, which explored Gormley’s wide-ranging use of organic, industrial and elemental materials over the years, including iron, steel, hand-beaten lead, seawater and clay. Students also experienced rarely-seen early works from the 1970s and 1980s, some of which led to Gormley using his own body as a tool to create work. The space around and within the installations allowed the viewer to slow down and become aware of their own bodies; Gormley’s work challenged students to consider space and our relationship with ourselves within a range of environments. This trip has enabled the students to think creatively and abstractly and will help develop ideas for their A level coursework.