Intergenerational Portraiture Project
This project focused on the theme of intergenerational identity and developed out of RAMM’s purchase and exhibition of an eighteenth century portrait of Devon MP John Rolle Walter by Pompeo Batoni, the portrait artist of choice at the time.
Students were required to identify a significant older person, with whom they had regular contact, to work with to explore identity using discussion and analysis of the John Rolle Walter portrait as a starting point. The main requirements were that the work was truly intergenerational, with input and learning and exchange of knowledge and skills from both younger and older participants and that the work led to greater understanding about each other and each other’s identities.
The project ran from September 2011 to March 2012 with support provided by artist-tutor, Sara Dudman plus initial planning meetings with Debbie James, Art Teacher at King’s School, Tiverton and the students themselves. The students also took the opportunity of participating the school’s annual old people’s Christmas party, distributing questionnaires and initiating conversations about intergenerational identity stereotyping. The outcomes and documentation of this project has been entered as part of the students’ AS level art and design submission.
