Head of Art and Design, Ian Passam, Showcases His Work in 'Visual Languages' at Aldeburgh GalleryHead of Art and Design, Ian Passam, Showcases His Work in 'Visual Languages' at Aldeburgh Gallery.

‘Visual Languages’ is an exhibition by three experienced art practitioners and educators. Don Hawkley has invited Ian Passam and David Mumby to Aldeburgh; each artist works in a different visual language and this collaboration illustrates literally how creativity manifests itself in a range of responses, techniques and media.

Ian Passam, tells us a little about this below!

Q1) Tell us little about your work as an artist?

"To have the time to sit and immerse yourself in the landscape without distraction is a truly wonderful thing. To be inspired by the places we see and the desire to record this experience through drawing and painting makes the event that much more personal. My sketchbook drawing is always more experimental and driven by the emotion of a place, whereas my painting is more considered and cautious."

Q2) Where did your passion for art begin?

As far back as I can remember. Unfortunately I remember one time when I was about 4 years old and my mum pulled back the sofa to find that I had been working on an artwork that I had been creating for several weeks. I drew on anything with anything.

Q3) How long have you worked at Norwich School and how has your position changed over the years?

I started at Norwich School in 2003 by being appointed as co-ordinator of DT before altering the course to Design within a few years. After the retirement of John Walker I became Head of the A&D Faculty with a short spell returning to being Head of Design. My teaching has been predominantly within Graphics and Photography with occasional spells in teaching Fine Art. My degree specialism was in Illustration and for the years prior to Norwich School I taught Fine Art, DT, Analogue Photography, History of Art and Film Studies.

Q4) What is 'Visual Languages'?

Before the written word was invented, we communicated through images or visual elements that include shape, pattern, colour, line, texture, space and tone. An understanding of these and how we use them defines us as artists.

Q5) How have you been preparing for the exhibition?

Since my sabbatical and subsequent exhibition in the Crypt Gallery I have spent the last two years recording moments in time from around Norfolk and Suffolk. 

Q6) How does the work of the other two artists vary to your own?

We have quite different approaches but are generally inspired by the environment in which we walk. Don Hawkley is still very much a ceramicist where his work falls into two significantly different categories; decorative and functional. He is also a very talented landscape painter but is much more expressive than my own work. David Mumby is pursuing an MA in Creative Writing at Birkbeck, University of London, and practicing art and writing simultaneously. Although trained as a ceramicist his current work is predominantly direct from observation, recording many of the places he has visited through beautiful fluid sketchbook studies.

Q7) What are your hopes for the exhibition?

It is my first step outside the supportive environment of the Crypt Gallery and it is a real privilege to be able to exhibit alongside these two legends. I just hope my work stands up.

Q8) Any future hopes/aspirations?

To continue to find the time do develop my own work is more about need rather than aspiration. As artists it is just something we do.

To find out more click here!