Central Saint Martins Foundation
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In this article
Introduction
Welcome to the fourth article in the Featured Books blog post where I take a deep dive into one book, artist or publisher.
This week we are looking at our bestselling title since launching Books About Art in 2020 - Central Saint Martins: Key Lessons in Art and Design.
Central Saint Martins Foundation
Key Lessons in Art and Design
Lucy Alexander & Timothy Meara
Softcover with exposed-spine half-binding
19 x 2 x 24.5 cm | 256 pp
Ilex Press | 2019
RRP £25
Now £8
Do you care about heartbreaking beauty, fresh new ideas, astounding craftsmanship, ingenious solutions, the tingle of a shocking image?
Would you make art even if it wasn't your job?
Then this is the book for you.'
Grayson Perry
About the Book
Guided by key lessons from college tutors, Central Saint Martins Foundation aims to help you explore and expand your creative abilities and develop your own visual language.
Exclusive projects from the world-class Central Saint Martins Foundation Diploma in Art and Design will inspire your experiments and unlock your potential across four key areas: communication design, fashion and textiles, fine art and three-dimensional design. No matter which discipline you choose to pursue, this book will help you discover who you want to be and set you on the path to achieving it.
Four Key Practice Areas
Communication Design
Fashion & Textiles
Fine Art
Three-Dimensional Design
The unusual binding allows every double page to open out flat which is a useful, functional feature rather than an ‘arty gimmick’.
David Jones
Developing artist
Chapters
Central Saint Martins
Art Foundation Courses: Origin & Purpose
The concept of a year-long Art Foundation course has a century-old history inspired by the Bauhaus. The Bauhaus' preparatory art curriculum, the Vorkurs taught students how to handle materials and basic design principles in a pedagogically new and experimental way. Bauhaus founder, Walter Gropius, emphasised a focus on the 'creative shaping of the processes of life' rather than on objects or outcomes. Johannes Iten, who developed the Vorkurs between 1919 and 1922, promoted a holistic approach to art and design education, valuing the development of critical thinking and personality as much as technical preparation.
Some art schools in England started to offer this type of course from the 1930’s but it was following the British government's Coldstream Report (1960) that foundation courses became the established route to higher education in art and design. Coldstream found that students progressing from school to art college were not prepared for the level of specialism required for undergraduate study in art and design.
Foundation courses guide students towards an area of subject specialism and support them in building a portfolio to prepare them for undergraduate and postgraduate courses both in the UK and internationally. Foundations are typically intense, demanding and transformative experiences that aim to help students to discover their own emergent visions and voices.
Photograph: Kevin Carver, Foundation studio, CSM, 1983
Authors & Contributors
Lucy Alexander and Timothy Meara are Curriculum Leaders on the Central Saint Martins Foundation Diploma in Art and Design. With contributions from fellow tutors, alumni and course students, the book features expert guidance and original exercises across key art and design disciplines.
Lucy Alexander
As Curriculum Leader of Communication Design, Lucy Alexander is also involved in initiating and building partnerships with cultural institutions and industry, providing opportunities for our students to engage with live projects and events. Lucy has worked closely with the Victoria and Albert Museum on a number of projects, events and displays as well as the House of Illustration and the British Library Sound Archive.
Timothy Meara
Timothy Meara works predominantly in Film and Photography. Recent research explores how the experience of living differently for a period of time informs approaches to thinking and making. Tim's work has been commissioned and exhibited by the Centre Pompidou (Small Gestures in Bare Rooms 2009), and shown at Momu in Antwerp, Staatsgalerie in Stuttgart and the Kunsthistorish museum in Vienna.
I teach an art foundation course at Sheffield college. It may come as a surprise that there is no instruction book on how to teach courses.
However in this case there is one and I’ll give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mark Beachell
Art Lecturer
…with the reputation of Central St Martins, I was expecting a certain particularity of thought, and wasn’t disappointed.
There are numerous ideas and examples in this well-presented and attractive book to feed the creative mind.
Su
Books About Art Customer
...the binding on this book is just beautiful, and it’s always a pleasure to flick through when I’m looking for inspiration.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Milly McAlister
Central Saint Martins Alumnus
What it sets out to do is push students to think about the reason that they want to create a piece of work.
Fascinating, rigorous and rewarding but not for the faint of heart.
Vic Webb
Books About Art Customer
For those artists who are ‘self-taught’... it offers insights into what you may have missed by not going to art school and provide a different aspect to your practice. The book certainly provides plenty of thought-provoking questions and ideas to extend what you are doing.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dave Jones
Developing artist
Reviews in Full
I teach an art foundation course at Sheffield college. It may come as a surprise that there is no instruction book on how to teach courses. However in this case there is one and I’ll give it 5 stars.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mark Beachell
Art Lecturer
This is not the book you need if you are looking for an introduction to drawing, painting or other art disciplines. What it sets out to do is push students to think about the reason that they want to create a piece of work. What is its intended impact on the viewer? It then sets out a series of exercises taking in means, methods including work created by students in response to the challenges. Fascinating, rigorous and rewarding but not for the faint of heart.
Vic Webb
Books About Art Customer
This is not a “learn to paint/draw” book, it is far more ambitious and, if you attempt all the projects, demanding. Over 250 pages and 12 chapters you are taken through a series of projects, exercises and workshops to help you develop both practical and conceptual skills. The projects are well supported, and I particularly liked the “context” sections which help explain the thinking and purpose behind the tasks. The project briefs themselves are clear without being restrictive and these are then broken down into a series of steps to follow. Examples of student work are provided to give a sense of how the brief might be met. Overall, I found this gave a real sense of clarity and continuity throughout the book which is supportive and encouraging. The unusual binding allows every double page to open out flat which is a useful, functional feature rather than an ‘arty gimmick’. Some of the projects require interaction with the outside world, the public and even living with two other artists for a few days, so may not suit everyone! That said, they all aim to push your thinking, question the purpose of art and think beyond the final “product”. If you are thinking of setting up a Foundation year then this is an excellent resource to have, but for anyone trying to put together a course (on any subject) it provides a model of coherent thinking and design. For those artists who are ‘self-taught’ then perhaps it offers insights into what you may have missed by not going to art school and provide a different aspect to your practice. The book certainly provides plenty of thought-provoking questions and ideas to extend what you are doing.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dave Jones
Developing artist
With this book I was reaching for better insights into what to expect a course to cover in subject matter and disciplines, as well as in likely terms of approach. Obviously, with the reputation of Central St Martins, I was expecting a certain particularity of thought, and wasn’t disappointed. I was hoping, too, that just by reading the book, it might provide some additional stimulus that could possibly help liberate or at least inform my own ways of thinking. For me, I think a hands-on demonstration style can sometimes be more influential than the page, but there are still numerous ideas and examples in this well-presented and attractive book to feed the creative mind.
Su
Books About Art customer
I bought the book as my best friend, Cara Lloyd, had her work featured in it. We both studied (and lived) together for our BA in graphic communication design at Central Saint Martins.
I remember her having this book on her shelf, so I was happy to see that you stocked it so I could have a copy for myself. I think the binding on this book is just beautiful, and it’s always a pleasure to flick through when I’m looking for inspiration.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Milly McAlister
Central Saint Martins alumnus
I didn't study art in school & my first formal training was in adult education classes over 25 yrs ago. A few years ago, I was looking for in person classes but COVID lockdowns hit and I came across this book. It seemed like a good way to refresh my memory and try out a few new techniques too. I really enjoyed it and I recommended it to a young friend who missed the age cut-off date on a college course by a few weeks. They also found it useful & informative. I currently have more time available & planning on revisiting the portfolio I built up using this book, so it's been a great buy.
Fiona Jeferies
Books About Art customer
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