Masterpeices in Schools - Three Wise Monkeys
“Masterpieces in Schools” is a learning programme run by Art UK. Faith collaborated with Meols Cop High School and The Atkinson Art Gallery, Southport as part of the programme in Feb 2020.
Art UK take art out of galleries and storage rooms, with the collaboration of collection partners and professional artists, and temporarily display artwork in schools across the UK. Each bespoke ‘Masterpieces in Schools’ day includes practical cross-curricular workshops and activities. The aim of the initiative is to spark a passion for art and to engage the pupil's imaginations and creativity.
The Atkinson Art Gallery in Southport loaned the original bronze sculpture ‘Bedtime Boy’ by Laura Ford to Meols Cop High School as their masterpeice and I led students in considering and creating the sculptural work inspired by it. The work uses materials with a previous life and history, such as an old dressing gown. Bedtime Boy has no eyes or mouth, so can’t see or speak, he just silently waits. The sculpture has a strong presence - it’s dark, humorous and melancholy all at once. Rather than trying to remake a copy of Laura’s work, we created a new sculpture which responds to the atmosphere she creates with her sculpture.
‘Three Wise Monkeys - Hear, see, or speak no evil’ created with a group of Year 7 & 8 Students of Meols Cop High School, through the Masterpieces in Schools for Art UK, learning programme. The Three Wise Monkeys offer up similar themes of silence, blindness, waiting, animal characters with human traits, playful yet sinister.
