Gresham’s Art Department covers the whole spectrum of Art and Design. We offer A levels in Fine Art, Photography, Graphic Communication and Three-Dimensional Design.
The freedom within each of these routes allows pupils to produce work which blurs the boundaries between disciplines. The breadth of choice allows each pupil to explore areas of Art and Design which they have a particular interest in and also allows those moving on to a degree in this area to focus on the aspects of the design curriculum which will best prepare them for their chosen specialism.
As a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) subject, our Art Department is now located in the Dyson building.
Pupils are taught the key technical skills to articulate ideas in the most sophisticated way possible while also encouraging a conceptual foundation to the process of making. The department continues to encourage ambition and risk taking and also gives pupils the opportunity to fully exploit the access to facilities within the department. We also generate opportunities for pupils to blur the lines between disciplines and reflect the fluid nature of contemporary Art and Design. This not only broadens the pupils skill set but also provides opportunities for entirely new ideas to emerge which keeps us all on our toes.
We pride ourselves on preparing pupils extremely well for the move onto degree level and in the last few years pupils have left us to continue their education at some of our countries best Art Schools. These include Glasgow School of Art, Central St Martins, The Slade and The Ruskin Drawing School.
GCSE pupils may choose two of the three courses offered here for options. Three Dimensional Design replaces DT as a GCSE in the School’s curriculum.
A level pupils who are focused on a future path within the creative industries can choose to study more than one creative A level. If you would like to study three from Art, Graphics, Three Dimensional Design and Photography, you will need to discuss this with the Deputy Head (Academic). We would also strongly recommend that all pupils choosing a creative A level should have GCSE experience in a creative subject.
ALUMNI
WILLIAM CAREY
PHOTOGRAPHER
HOWSON’S 1974-1979
William is a photographer, specialising in sport, particularly equestrian in recent years. When he left Gresham’s to travel he hoped to become a photojournalist; however, after joining the armed forces and holding a short service commission in The Blues and Royals, his career took him into the financial services industry culminating in him co-founding Liontrust Asset Management PLC in 1995. Since 2005 he has been fortunate enough to work creatively, first as a stone sculptor before concentrating on photography full time. He now works at events across the UK and Europe.