With a Fine Art department of circa 100 students across the BA and MA, you will be one of approximately 25 to 29 students to join your year group. Selection is based on a strong portfolio together with the potential and appetite for intensive daily studio practice, so you will be a member of an exceptional peer group and benefit from interaction in this highly focused, pro-active, ambitious and creative community.
A SUPPORTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
Thanks to the Art School’s scale, we are able to offer a highly supportive learning environment. You will be taught by artists, whose work is exhibited nationally and internationally and reflects the diversity and range of current fine art material practice. Our staffing levels mean that you will benefit from the high level of contact time and regular one-to-one tutorials that studying Fine Art at this level requires.
TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY
This is one of the few places in the UK where you can opt to learn about traditional hand skills – such as historic painting techniques, carving and bronze casting – alongside contemporary ideas, materials and processes. Our focus on both tradition and experimentation stems from our long history of teaching fine art practice alongside specialist courses in conservation and historic carving. Cross course contact and events will offer you unique insights into the materials and processes of art. Meanwhile our Artist in Residence scheme offers you ‘behind the scenes’ access to professional artists.
CREATIVE SPACE
Artists have been working in our studios for over 100 years. There’s no ‘hot-desking’ here: a generous, dedicated workspace in one of our characterful Victorian or Georgian buildings will be available throughout the course. The high standard of the course and our commitment to providing an exceptional learning opportunity is also recognised by organisations and individuals who provide grants and financial assistance and recognition of achievement.
ART HISTORIES
We believe strongly that specialist skills should not be taught in a vacuum, so we make Art Histories an integral part of all our courses, and teach it in such a way that it informs, inspires and incentivises. Read more about our engaging approach and stimulating Art Histories programme.
ENGAGE WITH LONDON’S CULTURAL HERITAGE
Our focus on material creation, is informed by in-depth engagement with the historical and critical contexts of art. Study here and you will have London’s rich cultural heritage at your feet to educate and inspire you – an extraordinary resource that we will help you to navigate and explore.
GRADUATES’ SUCCESS
The results speak for themselves. Over the last five years, 85% of our BA Fine Art students have gained first-class or upper second-class honours, which is above the national average and strongly supported by our External Examiners feedback. Recent graduates and alumni have been selected for the Bloomberg New Contemporaries and Young Gods exhibitions and the Catlin, Threadneedle, John Moores and Griffin Prizes; sold works to the Saatchi Collection and many other important international private collections; and won Clyde & Co’s prestigious Blank Canvas competition 2015.
Graduates have progressed to postgraduate study at The Royal College of Art, The Royal Academy, the Slade and Goldsmiths, as well as our own MA course, ranked in the top 3 nationally in Modern Painters magazine’s most recent poll.
You can download a pdf of our prospectus here and check out our News page to find out what’s been happening at the Art School.