Gillian Ayres Exhibition Visit

Artists, Scholars & Art Historians enjoyed a trip to Tate Britain to learn about the late, trailblazing artist who had strong connections to the school.

Students from Year 10 and the Lower Sixth enjoyed a day exploring the gallery and learning more about the popular abstract painter, whose colourful works form part of the school’s art collection. The visit was the idea of Head Girl, Sophie Burton, who is studying both Art and History of Art at A Level.

In 1957, the architect Michael Greenwood, who at the time was redeveloping South Hampstead, commissioned the young artist Gillian Ayres to paint the ‘Hampstead Murals’ as decoration for the dining hall. Ayres allegedly took inspiration from a photograph she saw of Jackson Pollock working on one of his controversial abstract expressionist murals. His method of loosely splattering, pouring and dripping household paint on a horizontal canvas is visible in Ayres’ mural.

Over the years, the ‘Hampstead Murals’, which were painted on hardboard, were also used as dividers in the staff room but were eventually covered over with wallpaper. The school uncovered them in 1983 and they are now  proudly on display on the walls of the school atrium. By 1989, Ayres was nominated for the Turner Prize. Her unabashedly bold use of colour and mark-making embody the quirky and pioneering spirit of the school – a vibrant and inspirational backdrop to everything that happens here. More of her work hangs in the corridor by the Head’s office, and other prints, also dedicated to South Hampstead, are on show on the fifth floor. When Ayres died in 2018, at the age of 88, her obituary in the Guardian cited the murals as possibly: “the only true British contribution to American abstract expressionism.”

The trip to Tate Britain offered the girls the opportunity not only to learn more about the artist and her works on display, but also about women throughout the history of art. This unique insight into some of the gallery’s permanent collection was led by Dr Slade, South Hampstead’s History of Art teacher and associate lecturer at The Courtauld. Some of the works seen included ‘Three Ladies Adoring Hymen’ by Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1773 and ‘Nude Girl’ by Gwen John, 1909-10.

Head Girl, Sophie, who initiated the trip, commented: “Ayres’ painting ‘Antony and Cleopatra’ stirred up some debate as to the extent of artistic ‘skill’ required in its making. So we decided to try it out for ourselves the following week. Before the works on the school’s new Waterlow Hall get underway, to transform it into a new performance space, we made our own mural on its walls, inspired by Gillian Ayres. Armed with aerosols and sprayguns, pupils (and Mrs Bingham) had a fun afternoon, getting messy making art. Unexpectedly, it proved harder to recreate a piece of abstract expressionist work than we thought, but we certainly enjoyed trying.”

Find out more about the communal artwork, paying homage to Ayres, here.