High School art looks at science

A wire-frame torso covered in photocopied leaves sported an open door in the chest. From the cavity sprouted ivy.

This was the work of Caroline Strickson. Hollie Shoesmith had sculpted a child in foetal position cradled in the palm of an outstretched hand.

Around the hall were sculpted ears, skeletal forms, good and evil emerging from a kind of primeval swamp.

A human hand, a weight, a broken glass and burning waste paper were in disturbing juxtaposition in one of Sam Allen's works.

Ben Brookman's Millennium had a clenched fist bursting through new life symbolism.

Chris Eastwood's sporting look at the human form included both a victorious athlete and an examination of the means of success - the feet.

It was Jarrad Sharp who saw "darkness," "evil" and "death" in combat with "nice," "kind" and "pretty."

Even more disturbing was Paul Thwaites' animated wire-frame figure dancing a jig on top of an opened case that suggested its electrical power source.

What was going on?

For head of art Kate McAirt this year's GCSE offerings are her swan-song at the High before she leaves for a new post at Brighton.

"It's all to do with human bodies. A lot have been taking a look inside the human body.

"We have tried to establish a link with science this year. We have tried to link science and art, trying to make sense of the world but coming from different directions and because we are a technology college we need to be finding more and more sympathy with technological subjects."

Elsewhere, Cloe Stanley's twin themes were "beginnings" and "butterflies" and included a butterfly-inspired dress design.

Cloe Hobbs turned many of her 35 examples of toast into frames for subjects such as a portrait, a bathroom or a newspaper cutting while Rebecca Morgan injected expression into a variety of portraits.

"Evenin' all" was just one of Alfie Bowley's amusing cartoons in an exhibition combining diversity and imagination.

Kate McAirt said: "There is a lot of pattern and colour work this time.

"This is the first year group that has been entered for GCSE expressive art as well as general art so they have had a lot of extra pressure.

"They have done well.

"Expressive art is where they are mixing music, drama and dancing with visual arts.

"Overall, this year they have all pulled something out of the bag. Even students with lesser ability have done well this year."