Westminster School's
Studio Dialogues
A series of exhibitions, talks and workshops taking place in Sutcliff’s Gallery, housed within the School's Art Department.
From the use of the abstract to the integration of sculpture, from the small and untouchable to the large and all-consuming, Studio Dialogues embodied the thoughts, memories and emotions of the artists and provided relatable opportunities for audience members.
Throughout Lent Term, three exhibitions by three contemporary artists gave Westminster and partner school pupils the opportunity to learn about different artistic processes, creating their own works in response.
Studio Dialogues featured works by artists Geoff Tibbs, Lavinia Harrington and John Woodman, each of whose exhibitions in Sutcliff’s Gallery were the subject of an artist's talk to which pupils, parents, staff and neighbours were invited to attend.
Young artists were influenced by what they saw and what they heard — a unique chance to be immersed in three very different experiences, in a familiar and accessible environment.
Geoff Tibbs: Artefact
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About the artist |
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Geoff Tibbs is an artist, magician and campaigner for peace. He graduated from The Ruskin School of Art at Oxford University. |
"During the artist’s dialogue with Geoff Tibbs, I greatly admired his capacity to articulate the processes behind his works, particularly his smaller abstract paintings shown in the exhibition. Despite alluding to a growing loss for words to explain his work and process, Tibbs proceeded to contextualise his abstract forms through describing his process of drawing, mark-making and painting, without directly deriving the shapes from specific concepts or objects, maintaining their abstract nature. In doing so, he described a technique grounded in intuition and the importance of the process aside from brush to canvas. I gathered a strong sense of his confidence in his ability to recognise when the beginning of a few marks shouldn’t continue beyond that point but, rather, discarded."
Lavinia Harrington: Tactile Sensibility
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About the artist |
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Lavinia Harrington completed her MFA at the Slade School of Fine Art in the summer of 2024. Working across painting and sculpture, her materially rich practice is concerned with touch, transience, and the search for a physical, visible embodiment of deeply-charged emotions. |
"The workshop really allowed me to think about texture and the tactile differences in my art. The dimensions in which we constructed our art piece, bending it, twisting it and moving it freely without the thought of ruining our art... I really enjoyed the time we spent doing this art, and I'm using my art made in the workshop for my coursework as it reflects my want to make something with my own hands and not thinking about the reflection of other artists ."
Sculptures made by Sixth Form pupils, Alfie (MM) and Adrian (HH), in response to Lavinia's workshop.
John Woodman: New Work
About the artist
John Woodman studied at the Glasgow School of Art and since 2011 has taught at Westminster alongside his work as a painter. He has exhibited widely. During his exhibition's opening reception at Westminster, John talked about his new work, which was inspired by memories of the north of England made during his sabbatical in the autumn of 2024.
"This year's Studio Dialogues talks were insightful, inspiring and moving, revealing something of the material and emotive contexts of the exhibited work, alongside broader ideas about why we make and what it means to do so. I am deeply grateful to Geoff, Lavinia and John for sharing so generously and for their superb exhibitions, talks and workshops. That traces of their influence continue to appear in students' work speaks to the impact of their time as artists in the department."
Art at Westminster
Art at Westminster is delivered by a diversely accomplished team of art teachers, several of them practicing artists, who are committed to developing pupils’ practical ability and technique across a range of media, from painting and drawing to textile work, ceramics, installations and digital design, in addition to growing their knowledge of the theory and history of art.
Observation and appreciation of the work of others is highly valued. Pupils benefit from numerous opportunities to engage with the subject beyond the studio; the School's central London location allows for regular group outings to Tate Britain and Tate Modern, The Courtauld Gallery and leading West End galleries. A Level pupils take part in expeditions overseas, which combine gallery visits and practical making in a new city; in the past pupils have travelled to Nice and have attended the Berlin Biennale. As with Studio Dialogues, the ARISTSHOWS programme brings emerging contemporary artists into the Art Department to exhibit and discuss their work through talks and workshops, whilst the department has also welcomed Turner Prize winners and Royal Academicians to talk to pupils and parents.
The Art Department houses a vast array of studios, many with specialist equipment, including a printmaking studio with Albion presses and a suite for etching. In addition to a digital photography space there is a large darkroom with facilities for black-and-white processing, a dedicated IT suite, film-making facilities and a well-stocked library, all set alongside architecturally fascinating and stimulating work areas.
Pupils can be found working late into the evenings, on coursework and extra-curricular projects alike, as the Department operates extended opening hours to offer the greatest degree of creative flexibility.
Find out more about studying Art at Westminster School.
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