St Edward's Rhubarb - 2018

ST EDWARD’S r h u b a r b

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OSE Exhibitions in The North Wall

Oxford Scribes A number of young OSE Rex Bodycombe (G, 2012-2017), Wilf Cartwright (E, 2016- 2018), Salmon Lau (G, 2012-2017), Katy MacCrindle (J, 2012-2017) and Co-education at 20 Nicola Hunter (Asst Dep Head (Academic)/Teacher of History of Art) It’s rarely that I become jealous of other people’s choices of profession, but I certainly felt the green-eyed monster was lurking closely behind me as I walked round The North Wall exhibition, Co- education at 20 featuring the work of seven OSE women who are successful artists. The exhibits are small in scale and certainly invite close inspection as they have many delightful, and often highly detailed aspects to them. There is a great deal of variety: drawings made solely with an HB pencil by Lâle Güralp (D, 2000- 2005), prints, ink drawings with wash, textured oil on paper paintings, ceramics, and jewellery. The 2D work ranges from drawings of remarkable intricacy and delicacy, apparently showing every hair of the animals depicted, to the bright, gestural oil paintings of Lucy Smallbone (K, 2001-2006), such as Pink Pool, with its luscious pink sky. Two of the artists focus on architecture. Harriet Blomefield (K, 1999-2004), has done a wonderful series of watercolour wash drawings of houses with blue plaques in London, such as 22 Hyde Park, with no less than three plaques: to Sir Leslie Stephen, Venessa Bell, and Virginia Woolf; Cecily Vessey (J, 2000-2005), in complete contrast, uses a strong and solid style for her drawings of buildings, and in their stylised surroundings a great deal of pattern, and sometimes colour. The effect reminds me of Vuillard’s paintings or Van Gogh’s pen drawings in their use of pattern. Both artists include depictions of St Edward’s and distinctive features of its Quad. These two, and also Miranda Stewart (D, 2009-20011), have a further local element as they all depict Oxford in some of their work, indeed

Ceci Sutcliffe (D, 2015-2017) were involved in a collaborative project with Oxford Scribes which was exhibited in The North Wall in April 2018.

Calligraphers from Oxford Scribes interpreted extracts from original poems written by pupils from the School.

O S E N E W S

unusual necklace, objects and ring by Rebecca Wilkes (D, 2008-2013), featuring flowers, which suggest the completely different directions in which a career in Art might lead. What a great show to celebrate 20 years of girls being a part of Teddies and going on to develop their creative ideas and skills to make such beautiful and aesthetically pleasing drawings, paintings, prints, jewellery and objects.

all of it in Miranda’s case. She focuses on Port Meadow and shows some highly atmospheric small-scale works such as Port Meadow in Flood. Cecily’s University Museum shows a building which I visit regularly with school groups and her simplified façade does it real justice. There is a series of mounted and framed shell- thin ceramics with coloured glass by Rose Barry (M, 2007-2012), and a wonderfully