Pollution And Me

Over the last year Andy Stott has been running a series of stencil workshops, prompted by the students desire to explore the work of Banksy. Tara Parker, Head of Art, invited Andy to run the workshops, they proved to be very successful and brought much enjoyment to those involved. Partly due to the success of the workshops and a desire to raise the art profile of the school Andy was invited to hang some of his past works on the school corridors. His work is painted on to found objects though he mostly uses fridge doors.

This makes the work durable and resilient to the hustle and bustle of school life, one piece was hung on the outside of the school in the playground and as such started the idea behind Pollution.

After the first initial workshops, it was decided to create a new project, this was to take a group of students through the creation and promotion of a unique show of their own work. Over the weeks the workshops refined the ideas and aspirations of the students until a consensus was formed. The group were unanimous in their wish to use fridge doors and to hang the show outside, an overall theme was decided and all the work takes its impetus from " Pollution " as an idea and a concept.

“This has been a unique process, one the students have found to be difficult, frustrating but satisfying. The students have been staying after school and working in five hour sessions with myself and Miss Parker. The level of commitment hardwork and determination has been unprecedented, more so as the workshops have mostly had to be held in the rain and wind, not very good for the fragile stencils and spray paints used!

"Though this has served to galvanise the students and their discovery of working as and becoming artists has taught them a lot about self reliance, corporation and experimentation.

‘Pollution’ captures the students ideas, frustrations and observations on modern life and as such is a bold and brash collection of paintings which comment and say something about how we are all living.

"Far from being the vandalism and youth rebellion, some people wanted to associate the workshops with, it shows how anyone one can create, produce and ultimately show unique communicative works of art. " Andy Stott.