The next exhibition taking place in Norwich School's Crypt Gallery is work by Mr Ian Passam, Head of Art and Design at Norwich School. The exhibition, which runs from 17- 15 March, will encompass paintings, drawings and sketchbooks. In this blog post, Mr Passam explains the inspiration and motivation behind the exhibition:
"This is my first solo show in the 19 years I have taught at Norwich School. The sabbatical, taken in the second half of the trinity term 2021, gave me the chance to start new work and revisit sketchbook drawings and photographs I had created.
The experience was incredibly rewarding on so many levels but also a reminder of how physically and mentally draining it can be to create your own work over 5 or 6 hours a day. We place similar expectations on the pupils we teach and we have a number studying 2 or 3 A&D endorsements at exam level and so the sabbatical provided me with a timely reminder of how tough the process can be.
My love of teaching has never diminished but this show has given me the opportunity to reinvigorate my enjoyment of the subject on an artistic level. I studied Graphic Design at NUA from 1991 - 1994, specialising in illustration but always found myself working in Fine Art and the Photography labs, rarely settling on one particular theme or media. I enjoyed helping others to generate ideas more than finishing my own work, so a career in teaching beckoned. My love of drawing has remained and taking students on residential visits over the years has provided me with opportunities to keep my sketchbook pages moving at a steady pace. However the time to focus purely on your own work is sporadic and the brief periods allowed to sit and record what you see or experience does not allow for any kind of continuity.
To have the time to sit and immerse yourself in the landscape without distraction is a truly wonderful thing. Over the years I have seen most of the UK, but I had never visited Dartmoor nor the tin mining landscape of North Cornwall. The first week of my sabbatical was spent walking in these areas, without a single tourist looking over your shoulder or a pupil to keep on task, I soon found myself drifting into my work. I would arrive at an empty car park and leave several hours later just in time to buy a sneaky Cornish pasty from the local bakery!
As art teachers we feel it is incredibly important for the students to see you create, to see you either struggle or succeed. That you love to make art for yourself, to follow the philosophy that we preach on a daily basis, to record from primary sources and to be inspired by the places we experience.
The opportunity given by the school has helped me to make room for my own work as an artist but also reinforce our belief in how we teach A&D at Norwich School. I would like to say a thank you to Norwich School for giving me this opportunity. To my amazing department for managing so easily during my absence and to my wonderful family for letting me build a studio/shed in the back garden and putting up with my artistic grumpy moments. Finally, thanks also to an old colleague and friend who introduced me to the Northumberland landscape more than 20 years ago."
The exhibition is free to visit and can be found in the Crypt Gallery between 17-25 March.
