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“ Them Cells, them cells…”

Central Foundation Girls School

Click here to view the photographs from the project and the students work

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Project 'Armature and Skin'
The first project 'Armature and Skin', began in January with two Year 7 classes as an introduction to sculpture where students learnt about how an armature is needed to support sculpture. The project began by making wire portraits, looking at the body in a non representative way. These short exercises enable the students to think about the body in an unusual way.

The main project involved producing collaborative sculptures. An exploded head and hand were made from mixed media, mainly plaster and wire. This involved using alginate to produce moulds of pupils’ body parts. Each student produced plaster life casts parts of their own body from the moulds. Individual features are jointly assembled using wire attached to a backing board to make the final pieces which were wall hung.

The idea for the 'Armature and Skin' project was taken directly from my previous experience as a prop maker and painter in television, theatre, film and exhibition work. I have worked as a free lance prop maker for nine years before training to be a teacher. This project has involved using the materials that I used in my work.

The pupils from both classes really enjoyed the project. It was about getting stuck in, not being afraid to use materials and students working together as a team and demonstrating safe working practices in the classroom.

The project has resulted in producing two exploded heads, and a pair of hands. Each individual part of the sculptures, represents an individual student's body part. The underlying message is that even though we are different, having different beliefs and values, we are all made from the same mould. This also supports the school ethos of equality. The work also ties in with an issues based project that I am working on at University of Greenwich. I am making a corset and building a sketchbook full of resources, which supports this school project. I am making a teaching resource pack so that other teachers will be able to take this project straight into the classroom and teach it.

Them Cells
The new project 'Them Cells' is an extension of 'Armature and Skin'. With both Year 7 groups, we are studying organic forms such as fruit and shells close up, looking at cell structure by using magnifying glasses borrowed from the science department. I am trying to incorporate other subject areas into their artwork supporting the New National Curriculum agenda in making artwork combine with other school subject areas. Enlarged paintings have been made by the students from these studies and are being taken into print making with one class while the other class are currently transferring their work onto computer and manipulating it using ICT and layering. Again, the underlying message is that there are many layers to both people and objects and not to make judgements based on first appearances.

I invited a sculptor, Tony Wood from the company, 'Arteffects' to talk to the students about his own work. The lesson focused on class discussion of the famous artist Marc Quinn. He brought in with him an authentic plaster head of Marc Quinn's famous blood head called 'Self' and an authentic wax head from Marc Quinn's 'Chemical Life Series'. The students really enjoyed Tony's visit and asked so many questions such as 'How much does the real head cost?' I tied the work of Marc Quinn in with the theme of 'Identity' and what it is to be an individual.

With another class, I arranged and led a trip to the Tate Modern Gallery to tie into the work made in class. The students really enjoyed the day and it helped to consolidate their learning.

Exhibiting the work
I am a PGCE student teacher in Art and Design at University of Greenwich. My final exhibition of work is being shown at the University of Greenwich, Avery Hill Campus, London on Wednesday 17-Thursday 18th June 2009 between 9am - 8pm. I have invited the students and their parents to attend the show as their work will be on display there.

PGCE student teacher, Nicola Hatch has devised the project at Central Foundation Girls School, “Them Cells, them cells…” It is a continuation from another project called 'Armature and Skin'. There was an exhibition at the University of Greenwich, which will feature the students work. Parents and CFS students were invited to the exhibition as an out of school hours event.