University of Greenwich Lecturer has Drawings in Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
Architect and interior designer Jeffrey James, who teaches architectural design at the University of Greenwich, has had two charcoal drawings accepted by the Royal Academy for what is considered one of the year’s art highlights, the Summer Exhibition.
The drawings, part of a series called Lightduress, show his fascination for light and shadow. At first they appear to be abstract geometric shapes but on further investigation suggest 3-dimensional spaces, lit by hidden windows, with multiple perspectives.
Jeffrey says: “This set of drawings is related to a live project. I was commissioned to design the sanctuary space of the Bromley Reform Synagogue. My work is a reaction against busy consumerism, the way we fill up every minute of the day to avoid ourselves. We are frightened of silences. Here, light and shadow combine to give a spiritual, or peaceful, quality: a sanctuary where we can be alone with our thoughts.
Jeffrey combines teaching with running his own practice, designing homes, work places, gardens, interiors, furniture and lighting. This is the first time he has submitted work to the Royal Academy. “I used to make objects but now I do more drawings. They serve as a way to find my own inner space and as a generative source, which gives me a vocabulary to draw on.”
The annual Summer Exhibition is “the world’s largest open submission contemporary art exhibition” according to the Royal Academy. It showcases work by unknown and emerging artists alongside that of more established names. This year there were 12,000 entries, making selection a tough process for the panel of judges.
Howard Gilby, Head of Design at the School of Architecture & Construction says: “The competition is immense so Jeffrey’s selection is really something to be proud of.” The drawings are hanging in the architectural section of the exhibition which runs from 11 June to 19 August.
Information for editors:
Jeffrey James teaches on the BA Hons Architecture programme. The University of Greenwich teaches a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in architecture, building, quantity surveying, real estate, construction, art and design, landscape and estate management. For more information go to http://www.gre.ac.uk/schools/a-and-c/programmes
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