Swan Valley Community School
International Artist: Mark Wallinger
Creative Practitioner: Karen Logan
20 Yr 7 pupils from Swan Valley Community School undertook an intensive exploration of Mark Wallinger's proposal; looking in particular at the concept of context or placement in relation to the everyday.
The group used their bodies to explore the scale of the proposal; by lying head to toe in the school field they discovered that the entire group of 20 had to be measured (almost) twice to make-up 50 meters. Measuring a length of ribbon against their lined up bodies one student had the idea of dangling it over the school balcony to see if it would reach the floor. It was discovered that in fact, the ribbon reached the floor three times over. This activity aroused the interest of the entire school causing a ripple effect of curiosity throughout the classrooms.
During one session the group challenged their peers expectations of the school environment by introducing a pantomime horse into the building unannounced. Intended to intrigue both pupils and teachers this event was designed to encourage interest and prompt a conversation about the project across the entire school. Horse became an enigmatic character, simply nodding at those it encountered and refusing to give more away.
Swan Valley's explorations resulted in an ambitious event that involved extensive preparation, including, painting, sculpture, photography and badge making. Models were made of each of the proposals using newspaper, masking tape, cardboard, paint, plasticine and wire and posters and invites were produced using mono printing.
The grand finale took the form of an exhibition of the models along with information about the artists and their proposals. Huge banners, made using the most interesting questions from a previous activity that took place at Bluewater, were attached to the football field fence, visible from the exhibition. And Horse was present, busy for the duration, interviewing willing participants and collecting comments about the proposals.
The students were left with an in-depth understanding of the entire project, from the commissioning process to the ideas surrounding the artists proposals and the works themselves to the role of the local community in expressing their views about the plans. They were introduced to a diverse range of creative techniques and enjoyed the process of creating their own work both as individuals and collaboratively.
