By Mrs Martin (Head of Year 5)
Our Year 5 girls have recently begun an exciting new art journey inspired by the work of sculptor Antony Gormley. Through this project, the girls are not only developing their artistic skills but also deepening their understanding of one of our key Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills: perspective.
The first stage of the process has focused on constructing the basic form of the human body using wire. Before thinking about expression or emotion, the girls explored how the body can be represented through pose, proportion and form. This required them to carefully consider how simple structures can suggest the presence of a human figure. The girls began by investigating different types of wire, testing how malleable and user-friendly each one was. Working with wire proved challenging at first, but it quickly became an opportunity to practise important learning skills such as perseverance, problem-solving and resilience.
The girls started to construct the body by building it in sections or blocks. This approach helped them understand how artists often break complex forms into smaller parts in order to create stable and balanced structures. Throughout the process, we reflected on how artists develop their craft over time. The girls developed a real appreciation for how Antony Gormley might have approached his early sculptures and how his skills have evolved to create the monumental figures we see today. They were particularly interested in how his sculptures are often built in segments or “chunks”, which allows adjustments to be made in smaller stages.
As the sculptures begin to take shape, the girls are now starting to think more deeply about how emotion and meaning can be communicated through pose, proportion and form. By applying the ATL skill of perspective, they are learning to consider not only how they see their sculptures, but also how others might interpret them. This project beautifully demonstrates how artistic exploration can support wider learning: combining creativity, critical thinking and perseverance as the girls transform simple materials into expressive forms.
