33 A level Art students sampled the cultural delights of Liverpool during a trip to visit two prestigious galleries on Monday 21 January. As part of their research for a project entitled ‘Inside and Outside’, the students explored the Tate Liverpool, which exhibits British and international modern and contemporary art, and the Walker Art Gallery, which houses art in a variety of media from the 13th century onwards.
The Walker Art Gallery has a large collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings, the John Moores prizewinners, and exhibitions from artists such as Charles Rennie Mackintosh and David Hockney. The Tate Liverpool was showing a solo exhibition from Alex Katz, as well as an ever-evolving ‘Constellations – Highlights from the Nation’s Collection of Modern Art’ display showcasing work by household names in sculpture, painting, photography and installation art including Jasper Johns and L.S. Lowry. The ‘Op Art in Focus’ exhibition allowed students to experience works by leading figures in this area such as Bridget Riley. The pieces on display included an installation of Jim Lambie’s Zobop, which covered the gallery floor with vibrant patterns, as you can see from the photograph below. Staff at the Tate Liverpool involved our students in engaging activities including a talk about some of the pieces on display.
Art student Jessica Eaton said: ‘The Liverpool Tate and Walker museums excited both the exploration of modern concepts and the extravagance of historical idealisation. A very enjoyable and insightful trip.’
