Sasha, a student at Tarporley High School, chose the historic area of Stockport’s Underbanks as a location for her recent ‘surfaces’ art project.
When the head of art at the school, James Bowland, set the piece of homework, Sasha had contracted Covid and was restricted to the back garden at home. Having seen the regeneration work on the Underbanks, Sasha’s mum thought that would be a far more inspiring and original location than their house.
As a result of the project, Sasha produced some beautiful and unusual artwork and explained:
“I was really excited to be introduced to the Underbanks area of Stockport with the large-scale artworks embracing the rich heritage. Whilst the vibrant murals add colour and bold statements of the history of Stockport, I found the art and beauty all around within the original buildings.
“I wanted to embrace and celebrate the contradiction of abandonment and regeneration with my primary research of photographs and capture the detail and character of the area. Within my artwork I worked to demonstrate the surfaces and texture using the mediums of acrylic paint, fine liners and pencil. I was particularly proud of my padlock painting and detailed pen drawing of the wrought iron architecture.
“This project has certainly given me the confidence to develop my artwork and understanding of urban areas”
Art teacher Mr Bowland was impressed by the effort and originality his student had put into the project:
“Sasha is an incredible student and artist; her love for the subject and natural creative flair shines through in all that she does. If I had been half as talented at her age, I’d have counted myself lucky.
“At Tarporley High School we very much encourage our students to look at the beauty of the world around us; from the layers of peeling paint on a weathered building to the cracks the dance across the surface of old plaster; beauty in the urban environment is all around us.
“Currently, our GCSE students are exploring the theme of ‘Seductive Surfaces’. In the present-day, we are living in a modernised world; with society continuously seeking to develop our urban capitals into mazes of imposing sky-high towers. We often overlook our cities roots – the historical architecture, alleyways and underpasses which weave a rich tapestry of hidden narratives.
“With the gradual reduction in Covid restrictions, Sasha took the opportunity to visit the historic Underbanks area of Stockport. She focussed in on the beautiful urban details; from chains and padlocks to grates and graffiti and represented these in a range of media from ink and acrylic to fine liner pen and pencil.”
Visit the One Stockport website to find out more about Sasha’s artwork