Marcus Beale Drawing Prize – Residency October 2017

On graduating from the Drawing MA at Wimbledon College of Art this summer (2017), I was lucky enough to win the Marcus Beale Architect’s drawing prize and residency.

Above are a selection of images shot across two sites as well as the Marcus Beale office in Wimbledon during my one week residency.

The residency began with a trip to Oxford, via Paddington in the company of two architects from the practice, Caitriona and Valentin. It was to view The Morris Yard Project, part of New College Oxford. This included the old Morris Garage, its yard and the adjoining listed buildings at 18-20 and 21 Longwall Street. Whilst they attended site meetings I wandered the site to collect images as reference for a drawing.

The listed buildings, in particular, were full of memories and remnants of past occupation with marvellous layers of paint and plaster accumulated over the years. Beautiful colours and abstract shapes. See images above.

Valentin and Janine

The morning of the second day involved a visit with Andrea, to the site of a private house build for a couple in Wimbledon which will, when finished, include a living roof and wild flower garden. The latter will be the roof for the Kitchen and dining area.

I spent the rest of the residency drawing in the good company and surroundings of the Marcus Beale Architectural practice and it’s people…

Work in progress – Photograph by Valentin Manaila

To follow is the final drawing, ‘Outside in’. The reference from the drawing comes from the morning walking around the site in Oxford.

I have reduced the elements down to the window, the tree and the corner space.

I couldn’t see the tree, as I drew, for quite some time. It was only as I stood back to view the drawing from some distance that the tree eventually came into view. Sounds strange to say, that when it arrived it was a surprise, so intently was I focusing on the window. It seems to be one of those things where you see one or the other

I deliberately removed, merged and blended the wall and floor edges as much as I could to create a feeling of space and introduce an element of ambiguity.

Outside in – Graphite on paper, 2017. 84 x 59.3 cms