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| 'Dystopia 3', Acrylic on MDF, 172 cm X 122 cm, 2019 |
Nearly a year ago, I posted some images here, of a pair of painted panels I had recently completed for my place of employment, Rushey Mead Academy, Leicester. The images they bore were worked-up from original artwork produced by Key Stage 3 students, as part of their 'Dystopia' project. At the time, the original duo was installed together, in the school's main reception corridor, but it was always intended to produce a set of four - an ambition which has finally been achieved.
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| 'Dystopia 4', Acrylic on MDF, 172 cm X 122 cm, 2019 |
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| 'Dystopia 2, 3 & 4', Rushey Mead Academy, October 2019 |
Painting the panels within my normal working hours, alongside all the other routine tasks an average academic term throws up, meant progress was inevitably fairly gradual. However, It would be disingenuous to pretend there wasn't a definite therapeutic aspect to being able to spend an hour here, or a few minutes there - blocking in another area, whenever the general hurly burly of school life permitted.
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| 'Dystopia 2' (L), & 'Dystopia 4' (R), Rushey Mead Academy, October 2019 |
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| 'Dystopia 4' (L) & 'Dystopia 2' (R), Rushey Mead Academy, October 2019 |
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| 'Dystopia 2', Acrylic on MDF, 172 cm X 122 cm, 2018 |
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| 'Dystopia 2' (L) & 'Dystopia 1' (R), Rushey Mead Academy, November 2018 |
In the meantime, however, it had proved necessary to fit a new set of security doors in the Reception area - effectively splitting the original pair in a somewhat arbitrary fashion. Therefore, once 'Dystopia 3 & 4' were finally completed - just before the conclusion of last academic year, it provided an ideal opportunity to reconsider the overall hang. As can be seen here, the chosen solution was to separate the initial pair - leaving '1' to greet visitors arriving at the school's main entrance, and releasing '2', to join '3' and '4' in the main dining area. The existence of three ideal sections of wall there made this a pretty effective solution - to the point that you might even believe we'd planned it that way, all along.
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| 'Dystopia 3', (Detail) |
That's it for now, then. My daily routine doesn't get any less busy, so who knows when there'll next be another similar opportunity to augment the school's visual environment? I'm not complaining though - even the chances that have arisen to date, feel like a definite perk of my supporting role. It's also high time I tried to divert a little more concerted energy back into my own non-commissioned work - something that has been freewheeling a little aimlessly, for rather too long - I feel.
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| 'Dystopia 4', (Detail) |
One other change that occurred, since the original 'Dystopia' panels were approved, was a change of Principal at RMA - so I should thank the current incumbent, Gee Kader, for sanctioning the project's continuation as originally intended. Appreciation also goes, as before, to our ever-resourceful Premises team - for helping to get the new ones up on the wall. And, of course, the real work was actually done by the students, along with their teacher, Sheetal Chhana - long before I ever picked up a brush.
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| 'Dystopia 2' (L), 'Dystopia 4' (C), & 'Dystopia 3' (R), Rushey Mead Academy, October 2019 |
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