(Above) Life drawing class (circa 1890), Leeds Museums and Galleries. Henry Moore Institute Archive
Exhibition: The Developing Process: The sculptor’s education in drawings and photography, Mezzanine Gallery, Henry Moore Institute, Leeds, until January 10 2010
This quaint and fascinating exhibition compares two contrasting moments in art education; that of the late 19th century in which the emphasis was on imitation, with the open-ended and experimental approach of the Basic Design course of the 1950s and 1960s.
One side of the exhibition is dedicated to the art education of the late 19th century and uses the examination work of the sculptor Thomas Mewburn Crook as an example.
Acquired by the Henry Moore Institute from Crook’s grandchildren in 2005, it shows the Royal College of Art’s focus on providing students with technical skills through highly finished anatomical studies, still life drawings and decorative arrangements.
Named the South Kensington system, a student would have had to progress through what was a laborious 23-stage programme.
One exhibit case contains an impressive drawing of a pair of scissors accompanied by an annotation which reads: “The boys were asked to draw a pair of scissors from memory. This is the best of 25 attempts.”
(Above) Life drawing class, 1950s. National Arts Education Archive (Trust), Bretton Hall
In stark contrast, the other side of the exhibition features the simpler, more expressive pieces of work taken from the Basic Design programme. Based loosely on the Bauhaus, the aim of the course was to encourage an exploration of form and structure.
Rather than placing importance on the finished product, teachers of the Basic Design programme believed the learning process was paramount in a sculptor’s education.
The Henry Moore Institute hopes visitors leave the exhibition “understanding the wholly different point of view” in which the two programmes approached art education says Sophie Raikes, assistant curator of sculpture.
However, the aim of the exhibit is also to show that in spite of the attempts by individuals to break with the past, many were still “striving for continuity” throughout the period.
This is an enjoyable and enlightening collection, which does much more than evoke memories of our young artistic exploits.
Open 10am-5.30pm (9pm Wednesdays). Admission free, call 0113 246 7467 or visit the Institute online.
