Hanford Pupils Take Inspiration from David Hockney in Spectacular Art Project: A Right Spectacle!
Year 5 pupils at Hanford, a day and boarding prep school for girls in Dorset, have been putting their creativity on display, designing and making colourful spectacles inspired by the late celebrated British artist David Hockney, who was renowned for his distinctive eyewear and love of colour.
The project, led by Hanford's Head of Art, Polly Hughes, was undertaken in collaboration with Jack Ransome, founder of Hockney's favourite London opticians.
The girls embraced the challenge with their characteristic enthusiasm and flair, exploring colour, shape and individuality to create their own unique designs. Their brief was to celebrate spectacles as something to wear with confidence and pride.
Jack Ransome was bowled over by the girls' work. Faced with the difficult task of choosing a winner, he eventually awarded first place to Honor B for her imaginative owl-inspired design. Runners-up were Katie S, with her Halloween-themed spectacles, and Isabella ST, whose Night at the Movies design came complete with popcorn.
Jack will now bring Honor's winning design to life, creating a real pair of spectacles in acrylic.
He said: "I am genuinely excited about the prospect of creating these spectacles. The girls' designs were all fantastic and I love how creative they have been in putting together their individual designs. I am sure David Hockney would have approved!"
In the meantime, the top three designs are proudly displayed in Ransome's shop window in Hampstead Heath, where they have been attracting plenty of attention from passers-by.
Honor explained the inspiration behind her winning design: "I was inspired by owls as they are my favourite animal. The trickiest bit was cutting out the wings to make them match. My other idea was flowers but I changed my mind because I wanted to be different to other people. I was very excited when I heard that Jack is making a real pair of glasses from my design."
There was an added surprise for Katie S and Isabella ST when they passed the shop while out trick-or-treating during half-term. The girls were delighted to see their creations in the window and to meet Jack Ransome in person.
The collaboration has a particularly special connection to Hockney. Jack Ransome handmade eight pairs of colourful, bespoke spectacles for the artist, and a large photograph of Hockney wearing a bright yellow pair hangs in the shop. Hockney also invited Jack to sit for him, and his portrait is one of the last he painted, recently on show at The Serpentine Gallery in London.
The project has been a wonderful celebration of creativity, individuality and the confidence to stand out from the crowd - something that both David Hockney and the girls of Hanford clearly have in abundance.
