Richard Woods, Nature Making 2014 © the artists. Courtesy of the artists and Foreground.
Synopsis
The Kingfisher School is part of Bristol City Council’s Primary/Bristol series of artist commissions for primary schools commissioned as part of the Primary Capital Education Programme. As part of the development British artists Richard Woods has been commissioned by Foreground to develop a new permanent artwork for the school.
Over the past decade Richard Woods has built an international reputation for his signature architectural transformations, paintings and sculpture that fold the history of the decorative arts, functional design and graphic language into intoxicatingly witty plays with image and surface.
Woods’ installations mix traditional printmaking techniques and historical motifs with industrial materials to transform the façades and floors of buildings with boldly imposed surfaces. His work is often combined in juxtapositions of colour and style that create environments that question ideas of taste and value even as they seduce us with their exuberance.
Commissioned by Foreground as part of Bristol City Council’s Primary Capital Programme of artist commissions for Primary schools, Richard Woods will be making a series of new works for The Kingfisher School in 2018.
Wood’s will work directly with Alec French Architects who are designing Kingfisher Primary School to create a significant impact on the built fabric of the school exterior and interior. Influenced by the ancient wood concealed behind the social housing that surrounds the school site, Woods will create a repeat pattern influenced by natural motifs that will be applied to a feature area of the building façade around the main entrance and also repeated in major expanses of the school’s entrance atrium and main school hall, weaving his joyful play with pattern throughout the school’s main spaces and identity.
This project has been made possible through funding from Bristol City Council as part of the Primary Capital Education Programme.
Richard Woods (born Cheshire UK, 1966) has exhibited widely across the UK, Europe, and USA. Key past projects include Work Tables, Friedman Benda Gallery, New York, 2016; Duck Weave, Eastside Projects, Birmingham, 2016; Inclosure Acts, Chapter, Cardiff, 2015; Bad Brickwork, WORKS|PROJECTS, Bristol, 2014; D.I.Y, Alan Christea, London, 2013; Seoul Tudor, Art Club 1563, Seoul, South Korea, 2011; Nieuwbouw, Public Commission, Antwerp, 2010; The Yard, Modern Art Oxford in collaboration with dRMM Architects, 2010; Port Sunlight, commissioned by Lever House, New York, 2009; WRONGWOODS, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 2009; Innovation – investment – progress, Liverpool Biennial, Liverpool, 2008; Logo no. 26, commissioned work for ‘Thin Cities’, London, 2006. He has work in private and public collections including The Saatchi Collection, London; Arts Council Collection, London; Frank Cohen Collection, Manchester/Wolverhampton; Unilever Collection, London, Zabludowicz Collection, London, Jumex Foundation, Mexico.
Based in Frome, Somerset, Foreground brings new art to new audiences across the South West of England. We deliver an ambitious program that spans commissioning new temporary and permanent artworks in the diverse social and physical structures of communities, consultancy and development projects that explore the connectivity between the critical, social and economic aspects of contemporary art.
The Kingfisher School is one form entry Primary School. Since joining the Trust, The Kingfisher School has developed a relentless approach to raising standards of achievement. This has been to good effect with the KS2 results in 2013 placing the school well above national standards and all augurs well for 2014. We use the Edison Curriculum to shape our core skills learning and are now developing Bristol and locality based modules to enable the children to learn in context and to be creative and exploratory in their learning.
Our overarching aim is for our children to develop a love of learning and passion for all that life can offer.
Cross Trust working with both the secondary school and our other primary school gives us the opportunity to share resources and expertise and we provide specialist teaching in maths, science, PE and music.
Kingfisher became a sponsored academy in April 2013. This was a positive step and allows us to engage in activities that would otherwise not be possible. We believe in growing our leaders and supporting and nurturing our staff to develop the skills and expertise they will require to become leaders and learners.
Kirsteen Craig the new Headteacher joined in October 2016 and the school is part of Priority School Building Project and therefore with the prospect of a new build or refurbishment we shall be in a position to create something very special in the future.
