News

The
Creative Pathways project in Glasgow goes from strength to strength, with young
people further developing their creativity through a week of classroom-based learning, a field trip to Edinburgh, and sessions on creating
inventive and revelatory works of art.

The
highlight of the week for many was the team’s visit to the Scottish National
Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh last Wednesday. The visit gave the young
people and tutors the opportunity to see work by some of the world’s most
esteemed artists.

Given
that this group is working towards a
sculptural project in Possil, they were greatly
inspired by the land art of Charles
Jencks which lies in front of the gallery. The work of Eduardo Paolozzi, Anthony
Gormley and Joan Miro all gave
the group ideas and inspiration for their own work – and all this was before
we’d even been into the gallery.

Out
of the cold and inside the exhibition space, the team split into two groups and
explored the two buildings, observing, absorbing and discussing the work on
show. It was an invaluable opportunity for the group to see the work of greats
like Picasso, Warhol, Magritte and Hepworth – to name but a few.

The
previous day, the group enjoyed a two-and-a-half hour presentation on how to
read and interpret modern art. Our artist tutors guided them through some of
the 20^th Century’s most significant art works – from Marcel Duchamp and Andy Warhol, to Tracey Emin
and Cornelia Parker. Throughout the
presentation the group made astute observations and showed great maturity of
thought when it came to their “ready-made” exercise (pictured).

The
week finished with the creation of wonderful self-portraits. After working hard
all morning on SQA units – part of the employability component of this course –
the group produced wonderful abstract self-portraits. The work from earlier in
the week on interpretation had introduced new ideas about the thought processes
be goes into creating works of art, and this was evident in the self-portraits
that were produced. Visually stunning and packed full of sentiment and meaning,
the group finished the week on a creative high.

At
this rate we’ll have a number of young people leaving Impact Arts in contention
for the Turner Prize!

This
Creative Pathways course focuses on environmental design, encouraging the young
people to think about green issues on a local level while passing on art and
design skills. It is funded by Our Bright Future – a movement funded by the Big
Lottery Fund which supports young people to lead progressive and environmental
change.

Other
funding and support comes from Skills Development Scotland, Inspiring Scotland, the Scottish
Children’s Lottery and Scottish Canals.