RHB Art Show Catalogue 2023-24

Summer Art Exhibition

Meghan Salisbury, Artist in Residence

Alumna A Level Art 2019

Trowbridge Foundation 2020

Slade School of Fine Art 2024

I’m a big believer in the importance of creativity in a rapidly changing world (I like what Margaret Heffernan says on this in her article, ‘For new ideas, you need new conversations’). When dealing with a task or question that there isn’t a concrete answer out there for - like: how to make a series of drawings embodying time passing, how to make this sculpture look like it’s about to cave in on itself, how to push my interest in ‘decay’ to its limits - you are reaching into the unknown. When faced with a question which doesn’t have a tangible answer or formula that you can fall back on, trial and error / resilience, risk-taking / bravery, curiosity and flexibility are needed. All these skills make you robust in the face of change and the unknown.

It’s been a privilege to see the students pushing boundaries with their art-making process, and, as a result, creating thoughtful and dynamic works. Huge congratulations!

Welcome to the Royal High Bath

Summer Art Show Exhibition 2025

Welcome to our 2025 Summer Art Exhibition, showcasing the work of our GCSE, A Level and IB Visual Art courses. I am so proud of all that has been achieved this year in both Art and Photography and the diversity of techniques and ideas on display are a tribute to the hard work and commitment of the students making it.

As usual this point of the year is a moment for reflection and through this an opportunity to consider the challenges and highlights. Our Sixth Form Art trip to New York in February was a fantastic highlight, allowing us to experience many wonderful exhibitions including, Harmony and Dissonance at The Guggenheim and the serene beauty of Gustav Klimt’s paintings, at the small, but perfectly formed, Neue Gallery.

In our everchanging world I also have been reflecting on the role of the artist in society and in turn the role of our beautiful Graeme Preedy Art School within the RHB as a whole. The phrase art mimics life is appropriate for both as it reminds us that an artwork can offer an insight into its maker, as well as holding a mirror up to society. Artists ask that we notice both the beauty in the details of the world around us and its less than perfect aspects that can cause pain and suffering to us all. As the famous Japanese film maker, Akira Kurosawa, is quoted as saying; ‘The Role of the Artist is to not look away’.

My point is that Art and the Art School can offer a safe space to explore all of these questions and be in awe and wonder of what is produced at the end, ideally bringing further explorations and shared communication around the subjects that are hard to put into words. I am, as ever, grateful and proud to be in a position to offer this opportunity to all the young people who pass through our doors. What a privilege it is to be a witness to their creative force!

I am also grateful for Meghan Salisbury, our Artist in Residence, who continues to inspire and educate our students through her fearless painting and passion for the subject.

I do hope you enjoy your visit,

Hannah Wilson Head of Art

Hannah Jauss

Alumna 2024

Trowbridge Foundation 2025

Next Step Fine Art Goldsmiths

Next Step Fine Art Goldsmiths

Whilst studying A Level Art at Royal High, I focused on achieving the realism and skills in my drawing. I learnt how to paint with oils and acrylic and it gave me a solid foundation in drawing from life, and the understanding of certain media. I also learnt how to develop my ideas by exploring artist research to gain knowledge and context on Modern Art. After this I started the Art Foundation at Trowbridge, initially keen to do a degree in Psychology, but there to enjoy the year. The course started by breaking down what we precisely believed to be true about art and rebuilding it with a solid foundation. We did one exercise per day, such as drawing marks on the wall, learning about surface and colour and development through a series and asking questions about how we can experiment. We also had lectures on art history from the 1800s onwards, with a focus on art in more recent years and the Avant - garde. From doing art everyday and researching it every night, I realised art was my true passion and I applied to a degree in Fine Art at Goldsmiths.

At the same time, we specialised into either Visual Communication, Fashion and DT, 3D or Fine Art (which I chose). We were given longer projects and freedom in how we worked. I started by working on a series of large paintings on calico, with a focus on layers, texture, experimentation and colour. The method I developed was to lay the piece on the floor and pour the material over them, and then work with odd tools, my hands, or my feet. I explored a range of different media including plaster and mud. However, I began to reach a dead end in this type of work.

Then, I started to play around with Conceptualism in a purer form. I completed a series of tracings of Rembrandt’s ‘carcass of an ox’ and created a pattern as a symbol for degradation, voyeurism, Memento Mori and ideas of aging and preservation. I also started working with soft sculptures and installation. My method changed to research, then sketching, and then working in series. With this work, I was successful in securing a place at Goldsmiths for next year.

For my final project, I looked at inevitability. I pointed out inevitable occurrences in everyone’s lifetimes that connect us as a species and shows how truly simple we are. I created the pattern based from my photography of tree roots, symbolising the connection to all that came before us. I asked is “art and religion inevitable?” By looking at ancient Aboriginal rock art and incorporating this into my work. I used weaving and embroidery as my main mediums in this project, as a connection to traditional feminine roles I asked; “is oppression inevitable? Is that a biological instinct?”

If you are interested in seeing more, or learning about more of my art, my instagram is @hannahjaussart and I aim to make a website in the future.

Destinations of 2025 Leavers following a creative path:

Minnie Zhu - Architecture, The Bartlett School of Architecture - UCL

Yuyuan Dong - Fine Art, Chelsea College of Art - UAL

Melanie Patten - Fine Art, Loughborough

Vittoria Muccilli - Graphic Design, Loughborough

Hayley Jones – Foundation Studies, Trowbridge

Isabella Marinelli - Foundation Studies, Trowbridge

2024 Leavers Destinations post Foundation:

Saskia Bell - Fine Art, The Slade School of Fine Art – UCL

Hannah Jauss - Fine Art, Goldsmiths

Imogen Oliphant - Filmmaking, Manchester Met

Annabelle Douch - Contour Design (Fashion), De Montfort University