DRAWN FROM LIFE – PEOPLE ON PAPER

Artists have been drawing the figure for centuries, from carefully composed life drawings to people caught unawares at leisure or work. Though there are sometimes surprising similarities across the decades, there is also a great diversity of techniques and approaches. The majority are drawn from observation, though some are from memory or imagination; some are unfinished studies while others are finished works in their own right.

This exhibition brings together some of the finest drawings in the Arts Council Collection, with work on display from Moore, Hepworth, Lowry and Hockney.

Drawing is one of the first things we experience as children – and drawing people is central to that. This exhibition was so relevant to schools and so accessible for the children, with such a variety of pieces of work in so many different media . Over 1000 children from nine Kirkby primary schools saw this exhibition during 41 visits.

It was fascinating tracing the exhibits to Knowsley . For example Head of a Woman by Gwen John started its journey in 1948 in Portland Place in London and has been round the world – Canada, Argentina, Japan, Malaysia, Malta, Macedonia, Russia, China, Portugal, Germany, Romania, Korea, Hungary, New Zealand –  before arriving in  Kirkby .

http://visualarts.britishcouncil.org/exhibitions/exhibition/drawn-from-people-life-on-paper-2016/page/1

At Westvale Primary School children gained inspiration from the exhibition to create their own  pieces.