The Class of… at Ipswich Art School exhibition explores the Art School legacy by displaying work by past tutors and students together for the first time. This will let us look back through the School’s working lifetime to see how artists have developed.
Maggi Hambling OBE, CBE headlines this exhibition of painting, drawing and sculpture from influential students and teachers from Ipswich Art School . The teachers Lawrence Self, Colin Moss, Tom Phillips and Bernard Reynolds will all be represented. Amongst the art work on display is Maggi Hambling’s heron model for the public sculpture in Brixton. Maggi who was born in Sudbury , Suffolk in 1945 was a student at Ipswich Art School from 1962-64.
Maggi Hambing said, “My time at Ipswich Art School was crucial, the various disciplines of painting, drawing, sculpture and printmaking were strongly instilled in me. Each one continues to play its part in my work.”
Ipswich Art School originally opened on 10th January 1859 at the Assembly Rooms in Northgate Street , Ipswich . As the School attracted more students, it required more space. It was later given a permanent home on the High Street when the new Museum was built in 1881. This move linked the Schools of Science and Art.
In 1934 construction began on this building with its distinctive glass-roofed, octagonal gallery. It was conceived as a place to inspire, transform and educate.
Among the many artists on display is Colin Moss who was born in Ipswich in 1914 and in 1947 became a senior lecturer at Ipswich Art School . Although he is now established as a leading East Anglian artist, he was controversial when he first started. Tom Phillips’s portrait of his ex-student Brian Eno will be on display along with Norwich born Bernard Reynolds who moved to Ipswich Art School and from 1948 to 1980 was the lecturer of sculpture.
Emma Roodhouse, Curator of Art at Colchester and Ipswich Museums said, “The Class Of… is a look at the legacy of the Ipswich Art School . It was founded in 1859 and went on till 1997 at the High Street building, during that time many influential people went through its doors. Maggi Hambling, Brian Eno, Tom Phillips, Colin Moss, Lawrence Self and Eduardo Paolozzi to name a few. The exhibition begins to tell the story of those who were connected to the School through the Ipswich art collection and a number of loans. It will also be showing current work by tutors and students from Suffolk New College and University Campus Suffolk, who get to take over some of the gallery space. And for the first time we have collaborated with the UCS
Waterfront gallery so they will also be showing even more different artists from The Class Of... “
Current students and tutors from Suffolk New College and University Campus Suffolk will be taking over two of the galleries. These displays will be periodically rotated during the exhibition, this way we will see how ‘The Class of...’ is ever-changing.
For the first time the Waterfront Gallery and Colchester & Ipswich Museums join up this exhibition to show an even bigger ‘Class Of...’ At the Waterfront there will be a selection of past students work and current tutors on show. The Waterfront exhibition will be running from now until 27th February and then from 10th March – 2nd April 2011.
