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In summer term 1 KS3 students learnt about abstract art, we learnt that abstract art is non-representational and is often seen as the purest expression of the formal elements of art. Through the paintings of Brice Marden, Piet Mondrian, William T.Williams and Hilma af Klint we explored how different artists use the formal elements of art in very different ways. Students were introduced to three of the principles of design by considering how artists use movement, contrast and balance.

Marden is famous for his fluid, flowing use of line and colour to create movement. Working in his style was a great way to experiment with expressive line and paint more freely.

Mondrian is famous for his pursuit of balance and harmony through his static grids of horizontal and vertical black lines and sparse palette of the three primary colours. Whilst William T. Williams is renowned for his dynamic paintings with sharp geometric angles, curves and strong, flat colours. The art of Swedish artist, Hilma af Klint, is now recognised as being amongst the first examples of abstraction in Western art. Through her art we explored subtle, pastel colours and soft, organic shapes.

In summer 2, for our extended mixed media project, we were inspired by the vibrant and carnivalesque abstract art of Brazilian artist Beatriz Milhazes. Students began by identifying the wide range of motifs she uses in her work.

Circles are a recurring motif in her work; we designed lots of richly patterned circles and experimented with her signature technique of ‘monotransfer’ by painting with acrylics on plastic sheets and then once dry transferring the designs to another surface using PVA.

We had a special day dedicated to gel plate printing which enabled all the students to collect a bank of richly layered monoprints they could use to create vibrant shapes for their collages.

Thinking about contrast, students selected a range of coloured, patterned and textured surfaces to form the base layer of their collages. I am so proud and impressed with how all the KS3 and KS4 students embraced this project, it required a lot of resilience (by taking numerous creative risks) and trust (by allowing me to guide them through these new and challenging processes. Their final outcomes are vibrant; richly layered and textured - a stunning tribute to the work of Beatriz Milhazes.

Some of the students’ collages are on show at the Camden Biennale at Central St Martins in King’s Cross! 

Louise Bernard 

Art Teacher