WRITING, DRAWING, SEEING

Foreword

This book provides a wonderful snapshot of the rich wealth of creative talent which blooms and flourishes here at JAGS. We have been fortunate to have had such gifted pupils. However, I must also pay a tribute to our exceptional Art and English teachers who have, over the years, nurtured and inspired these young artists and writers. We are indeed blessed at JAGS to have such a thriving, creative community. I hope you will enjoy and treasure their work.

Marion Gibbs
Headmistress

Introduction

The JAGS Poetry Festival, thanks to Mary MacRae, began on Thursday 16th October, 1986. Every year since, every girl has written at least one poem, with the best being printed and read aloud by their authors in front of an audience and a visiting poet. Over the last 24 years, then, some 1500 poems have been selected.  Now 80 of them have found their way into this book. With them, are 80 works of art created by pupils over the last 10 years, ranging from small-scale drawings made in Year 7 to challenging compositional pieces by GCSE and A-level pupils. Some of this work has been seen at two major exhibitions at the Dulwich Picture Gallery, some at the Royal College of Art, and in JAGS A-level Art exhibitions which take place annually.                                                      
                                                                                                                         
The selected works herein, which were made independently of each other and at different times, are brought together in pairs to link and juxtapose ideas, setting up dialogues between image and poem, poem and image. Poetry and Drawing have much in common. Both are concerned with exploration and invention, together with a command of materials and composition. Both demand sustained and careful observation – a drawing on (and of) life.   All these 160 works seek to catch a mood, or see something new, and realise that which is often unexplained, ephemeral and personal.  Each offers a privileged moment – as a printed voice … a combination of light and colour – in which the onlooker comes to see some of the unique qualities not only of the subject but also of the observer.  The writing and drawing here records the surprise and delight which this kind of seeing affords.

Matthew Edwards /Andrew Carter

WRITING DRAWING SEEING, beautifully bound and printed on high quality paper, includes 80 images in full colour and 80 poems. ©2010

Edited by Matthew Edwards. Design concept by Andrew Carter.

This is a book not to miss.

Display copies are available to view in Reception. Please order copies from the Development Office (email: development@jags.org.uk)

Click here for an order form. All proceeds to the JAGS Bursary Fund.

Click here for sample page.