Issue 45 Spring 2017
THAT WAS THEN THIS IS NOW
A great deal has happened at Goldsmiths and in the world since you received the last edition of Goldlink. How events like the EU referendum and the US election bear out is yet to be fully established, but they will undoubtedly impact on life here at Goldsmiths, and indeed our global community of alumni and friends. In the spirit of changing times, and as this publication moves towards a quarter century of existence, we’ve reimagined Goldlink. We hope you like what we’ve added, as well as enjoy our established features. We’ve taken a thematic approach to this issue. In the face of change, we are reflecting on our past while also facing our future as Goldsmiths continues to do what it does best. Now more than ever before, we draw on the talent from within the Goldsmiths community. We don’t always know what you are doing, but hope you will remain involved in your university. In fact, there is a chance that we may lose track of you as your circumstances change. Maintaining these bridges and networks has taken on extra significance following recent events – so I would ask you to keep in touch with us to allow for these connections to remain in place. Patrick Loughrey, Warden Goldsmiths, University of London
1
Contents
2
News 02 The Secret Lives of Hair 02 Sarah McCrory joins Goldsmiths 04 The Loring Papers 05 Finite Media 06 Queer History 07 Elsewhere
28 Membership Matters Alumni member benefits
8
16
14
22 32
The Battle of Lewisham Feature (on the cover)
Josh Drewe, New Cross Mural Showcase
Goldsmiths, Art & Winston Churchill Feature
Terri Dendy A day in the life
26
30 A Goldsmiths Scholar Alice Western
Giving to Goldsmiths Help to support us
Spotlight Alumni achievements
Contact Development & Alumni Office Goldsmiths, University of London New Cross, London SE14 6NW alumni@gold.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7896 2619 Renew your membership gold.ac.uk/alumni/join Support Goldsmiths gold.ac.uk/support-goldsmiths
Facebook Goldsmiths Alumni
Blog goldlink-online.com
Contributions may be submitted for consideration by email. We reserve the right to edit articles in the interest of brevity and clarity. The opinions expressed in the magazine are those of the writers concerned and not necessarily of Goldsmiths.
Editors Mary Davies, Minh Lam
Goldlink is printed on paper accredited by the Forestry Stewardship Council.
Twitter @GoldAlumni
Design Spy Studio
2
News
THE SECRET LIVES OF HAIR From Chinese factories to Jewish wig parlours, Hindu temples to Afro hair fairs, Goldsmiths anthropologist Emma Tarlo’s new book weaves together stories from the collectors, untanglers, knitters, traders, buyers and wearers of human hair. Bound up in religion, politics, beauty, health, mortality and identity, our hair means different things to all of us. And through the global hair trade, it connects the lives of people with different aspirations and needs in distant parts of the world. Today hair is harvested profusely from poor women in South and Southeast Asia, through Hindu temples in India or Buddhist initiatives in Myanmar, but shortages can see hair peddlers travel to ever more remote areas in search of supplies. With balls of ‘comb waste’ still collected on doorsteps across Asia, a single wig sold in the UK at the end of its journey may contain the fallen hair of hundreds of different women. Professor Tarlo takes us on a journey from the nineteenth century – when clumps of waste hair were hooked out of
gutters for recycling into wigs – to the modern day, via a shortlived 1960 s obsession with synthetic fibres. What happened when the US banned hair from communist countries? Or when an Orthodox Jewish rabbi forbade Jewish women from wearing wigs made from Indian hair? Why is hair rarely labelled as Chinese in the shops when China is the world’s largest supplier of wigs and extensions? And why are Tasmanian Aborigines seeking to reclaim the hair of their ancestors from European museums? The author explains: “Hair is an extraordinary fibre: we associate it with life yet technically it is dead; it is fine but uncannily strong, intensely intimate yet in global circulation where it becomes treated as anything from waste, sacred gift and memento, to a commodity with a surprisingly wide range of uses.” Professor Tarlo’s research on the global hair trade was funded through a 2013–16 Leverhulme Trust Major Research Fellowship.
SARAH MCCRORY JOINS GOLDSMITHS Sarah McCrory has been appointed Director of the new contemporary art gallery at Goldsmiths. She joins us from Glasgow International, Scotland’s best-known arts festival, and is a former curator of Frieze Projects and Film. The public venue at the heart of our campus will host a world-class programme of exhibitions, residencies and projects by leading professional artists. Designed by Turner Prize-winning collective Assemble, building work is already under way, and the gallery is expected to host its first public exhibition in Spring 2018. Following the announcement, McCrory commented: “At a time when cuts and closures threaten our cultural institutions, the opening of a new gallery as part of a university with such a rich artistic history is an exciting and encouraging occasion. “I look forward to drawing upon the wealth of excellence across the university and its research departments – to work with artists to create a gallery with an international reputation, as well as an important place for students and local audiences in south London.”
McCrory will assume operational responsibility for management of the gallery, including developing an innovative programme of exhibitions, commissions and residencies, and building on its already successful fundraising campaign. McCrory moved to Scotland in 2012 to direct Glasgow International 2014 and 2016. Under her leadership, the festival has developed into one of the world’s leading international arts festivals, known for its dynamism and innovative programming. McCrory was formerly curator of Frieze Projects and Film, producing works with over 40 artists across three editions; co-curator of Studio Voltaire, London; curator of project space ‘Swallow Street’ and ‘Arts & Jobs’; curator of ‘Publish and Be Damned’; and Assistant Director of Vilma Gold, London. She was on the panel for the selection of the 2017 British Pavilion for the Venice Biennale and the 2014 Turner Prize, and is currently a board member and founder of independent art school Open School East, and curator of Monteverdi Gallery in Tuscany.
© Emma Tarlo
3
4
News
THE LORING PAPERS
William Loring and colleagues, courtesy of Goldsmiths’ Special Collections & Archives
The personal papers of Goldsmiths’ first Warden, detailing life during the First World War has been given special recognition by The National Archives. William Loring’s collection of documents has been named as a highlighted collection in the WWI Theme of the 2015 Accessions to Repositories list. Loring’s papers are held in Goldsmiths’ Special Collections & Archives and date mainly from when he was on leave from Goldsmiths as a Captain in the British Army during the First World War. They include many emotional messages to his wife and family. Lesley Ruthven, Special Collections & Archives Manager, said: “Each year The National Archives creates the Accessions to Repositories list to let researchers and the public know what major collections have been added to archives around the UK. The family of William Loring – including his grandson David Loring – kindly donated the William Loring Papers to Goldsmiths in October 2015.” The Loring Papers are a collection of letters sent from Loring to his wife, affectionately known as Theo. Loring died on 24 October 1915, from wounds received in the Gallipoli campaign. His final letter to his wife (‘Dearest Theo’) is among his papers. The collection, which also includes a family photograph album and other treasures, is an invaluable
record of an officer’s life in the British Army during WWI, and sheds light on the character of the founding Warden of Goldsmiths’ College.
AN INVALUABLE RECORD THAT SHEDS LIGHT ON THE CHARACTER OF THE FOUNDING WARDEN OF GOLDSMITHS’ COLLEGE The William Loring Papers and all our collections can be viewed by appointment with our Special Collections & Archives. They also hold the Women’s Art Library, Goldsmiths Textile Collection and Constance Howard Gallery, the Daphne Oram Archive, and numerous other unique specialist collections that focus on music, theatre and the performing arts.
5
FINITE MEDIA
Our addiction to smartphones and other digital gadgets is killing the planet, according to a new book by Professor of Film and Television, Sean Cubitt. In ‘Finite Media: Environmental Implications of Digital Technologies’, Professor Cubitt challenges the widely held perception that digital media are “frictionless”, “immaterial” or live lives of weightless purity in “the cloud”. In fact, digital media are intensely resource heavy and energy intensive. Our equipment requires millions of tons of cables, routers, switches and servers, and a growing proportion of the energy produced across the globe. From lithium mines in the High Andes to the electronic waste dumps of southern China, and from the chip fabrication plants of Ciudad Juarez to the immense hydroelectric dams of the Himalayas, network media have hugely negative impacts on people and places around the globe. Computing now has a bigger carbon footprint than the airline industry. There is more indium (used in DVDs and computer screens) in waste sites than there is left in the ground. As consumption increases, demand for strategic metals like lithium and tantalum is fuelling increasing conflict and environmental degradation. Professor Cubitt, who is also Joint Head of the Department of Media and Communications, argues that ethical consumerism
has proved inadequate and that institutional apathy in the face of corporate greed means we need a fundamental change in our concepts of politics and communications. Professor Cubitt says: “We are wilfully ignorant about where things come from and how they work. A new smartphone for Christmas may seem like an innocent purchase, but these gadgets are made of materials that are far from harmless to our environment. “Far better to make things last, and resist the temptation for needless upgrades. But individual decisions to consume less or consume better won’t be enough. Public policy must acknowledge that we owe everything that we possess to a planet that we are destroying.”
News
6
QUEER HISTORY
Goldsmiths is launching a world-first postgraduate degree in Queer History, beginning in September this year. We aim to develop a centre of excellence for research in the field, and to become the global name for the study of Queer History. The long-term vision is the creation of a fully accessible National Queer Archive in south London, involving MA and PhD students in the process. An archive would provide a much-needed launchpad for a new generation of academics focusing on queer issues, and play a vital role in disseminating knowledge. Symbolically, it will help rescue from obscurity a neglected history that has so often been denied legitimacy. Led by Professor of History Jan Plamper, the new MA introduces themes and research methods in Queer History and lays a solid foundation in the wider discipline of History. The programme, based in the Department of History, will dissect historically binary categories, such as male / female, heterosexuality / homosexuality, active / passive, and uncover the processes through which these categories came to be seen as ‘natural’. It also focuses on questions of power, including how sexual orientation and race throughout history have often become interlinked in asymmetrical, oppressive ways.
The MA will mainly explore the Early Modern and Modern periods, and includes classes on the nature of homosexuality in mid-Victorian Western society and emancipatory movements (especially of the post-1969, post-Stonewall period). Professor Plamper, course convenor, commented: “Through the study of history we can observe how LGBTQ narratives have developed across time, and critically explore the roots of the community. This helps build an understanding of one’s own story and identity in the present for those who consider themselves queer, but it also raises consciousness in everyone else. “Developing self-confidence through knowledge is a powerful antidote to both subtle and not-so-subtle oppression. Scholarship should be at the vanguard of this, yet Queer Studies remains ‘closeted’ or indeed has been quashed at other institutions. A centre of excellence for the study of Queer History is very much overdue.”
7
ELSEWHERE 1 Improvements across the board have seen Goldsmiths ranked 54 (up 12 places) out of more than 100 universities surveyed in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017. This places us in the top 10 of Higher Education institutions in London.
6
2 Bestival brought the excitement of one of the world’s best festivals to Goldsmiths last summer, when we joined forces to host a day of live music and talks from big name acts. Goldsmiths, in turn, hosted a stage at the Isle of Wight celebration.
3 The Goldsmiths-based Media Reform Coalition found a clear and consistent bias in favour of critics of Jeremy Corbyn and against the Labour leader’s supporters. Their study found that twice as much airtime has been given to critical voices on the main BBC news bulletins.
Seven rent-free London studios will be made available to outstanding MA Fine Art graduates from Goldsmiths and six of the city’s other top art schools, under a new three-year partnership between Outset Contemporary Art Fund and Tiffany & Co.
4
7
A book written in a single novel-length sentence won the Goldsmiths Prize 2016. ‘Solar Bones’ by Mike McCormack, published by Tramp Press, was named the winner of the £10,000 award, which recognises fiction at its most novel.
Shortly after Goldsmiths honorand Mary Wedd turned 100, we continued the tradition of honouring individuals whose achievements reflect values important to our community. This included alumna and Editor of the Evening Standard, Sarah Sands, and the founders of Glastonbury Festival, Michael and Emily Eavis.
5 Professor Caroline Knowles was recently awarded a Leverhulme Trust Major Research Fellowship to conduct a threeyear investigation into the city’s “Serious Money”, and the people who make and spend it.
Find out more about news and research coming out of Goldsmiths throughout the year. Update your communications preferences: gold.ac.uk/alumni/join
BATTLE OF LEWISHAM It was regarded as one of the largest anti-fascist mobilisations since the 1936 Battle of Cable Street. To this day, ‘the Battle of Lewisham’ is generally hailed as ‘breaking the back’ of the far-right in the Lewisham area by Dr John Price
For those acquainted with Goldsmiths, some street names will always have a familiar and enduring resonance. New Cross Road, Lewisham Way, Dixon Road, Laurie Grove, Clifton Rise – all are part of the University’s eclectic campus, and all are at the heart of its long-standing relationship with the local area. However, on 13 August 1977, these streets also played host to some of the most important and pivotal events in the history of anti-racism in Britain; events which subsequently became known as the ‘Battle of Lewisham’.
11
Feature
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the ‘Battle of Lewisham’ and Goldsmiths will be at the heart of remembering and commemorating those events, as well as revaluating what they mean to us today. The origins of the ‘Battle of Lewisham’ can be traced back to an earlier Metropolitan Police campaign against mugging. On 30 May 1977, 21 young black men from the Lewisham area were arrested on suspicion of street crimes. In response to the heavy-handed manner in which the men were detained, the ‘Lewisham 21 Defence Committee’ was set up. On 2 July 1977, the Committee held a demonstration in New Cross which was attacked by members of the right-wing National Front (NF). Later that month the NF announced that on the 13 August it would stage an ‘anti-mugging’ march from New Cross through Lewisham to Catford.
THE JUBILANT CARNIVALESQUE ATMOSPHERE, HOWEVER, QUICKLY TURNED TO FEAR AND ANGER p8–9: © Chris Steele-Perkins / Magnum Photos On the cover, above, p12: © Peter Marlow / Magnum Photos Left: Anti-racists gather to block route of National Front march, New Cross Road, London SE14, 1977 Paul Trevor © 2017 Right: © Christian Sinibaldi
At around 1pm on Saturday 13 August 1977, around 800 National Front marchers arrived in New Cross and began to assemble in Achilles Street, just off the New Cross Road. As the NF unfurled their flags and banners, thousands of counter-demonstrators, drawn from numerous anti-racist and anti-fascist organisations and the local community, occupied the junction of New Cross Road and Clifton Rise, thus blocking the NF march from exiting Achilles Street. Earlier that morning, the ‘All Lewisham Campaign Against Racism and
12
13
Feature
Fascism’ had staged a demonstration in Lewisham and, at around 1.30pm, many of those protestors arrived in New Cross, further swelling the crowds who sang and chanted their opposition to the NF. The jubilant carnivalesque atmosphere, however, quickly turned to fear and anger as, at around 2pm, the police tried to clear the counter-protest from Clifton Rise. For around an hour there were a series of violent skirmishes and confrontations between police and protestors up and down the New Cross Road, as each side tried to stand their ground. At around 3pm, the police abandoned their attempts to clear Clifton Rise and decided to turn around the NF marchers and escort them on to the New Cross Road via Pagnell Street instead. Once again, counter-protestors attempted to block that junction and, breaking through the police cordon, there were further violent clashes between protesters, members of the NF and the police. Police eventually managed to separate the two sides and the NF march set off down the New Cross Road. Meanwhile, the counter-demonstrators filtered their way through various back streets towards Lewisham town centre. At around 4pm, the NF march arrived in Lewisham, only to find its way once again blocked by thousands of counter-protestors who had occupied the streets around the clock tower. Determined to avoid a repeat of the earlier confrontations, the police diverted the NF marchers into Cressingham Road where the NF held a small rally in a car park before being escorted to Lewisham Station and on to waiting trains.
FOR THE FIRST TIME ON THE BRITISH MAINLAND, POLICE DEPLOYED THE LARGE RIGIDPLASTIC RIOT SHIELDS WHICH WOULD BECOME SUCH A HALLMARK OF POLICING IN THE 1980s Back in the town centre, news that the NF had ‘escaped’ caused anger and frustration among the counter-marchers and this was vented at police officers as they tried to disperse the crowds. Once again, there were violent running battles between police and protestors which culminated in a historic moment in Britain – for the first time on the British mainland, police deployed the large rigid-plastic riot shields which would become such a hallmark of policing in the 1980s. By around 5pm, an uneasy calm settled on Lewisham town centre and by the time the debris and the broken glass had been swept away, people were already referring to the events of that day as the ‘Battle of Lewisham’. Forty years on, and Lewisham remains a vibrant, diverse and multicultural community. It is not without its problems,
but the pervasive, explicit and toxic racism and fascism that fuelled support for organisations like the NF has, by and large, been relegated to the dustbin of history. However, historical events like the ‘Battle of Lewisham’ serve as potent reminders of how easily such ideas can take hold and how important it is to recognise and organise to challenge and oppose such ideas as and when they rise again. With newspapers reporting a 40%–50% increase in hate crimes in Britain following the EU referendum, it seems a particularly appropriate time to be commemorating and remembering how people, throughout London’s history, have come together to stand firm and united against racism and fascism. Goldsmiths lies at the heart of New Cross and we will be at the very centre of commemorating the 40th anniversary of the ‘Battle of Lewisham’. Across the weekend of 11–13 August 2017 we will be staging a series of events culminating, on 13 August itself, with the unveiling of a Lewisham Council maroon plaque opposite Clifton Rise. We will also be hosting events in the runup to the weekend and seeking to collect people’s memories and experiences of the day. We need your help to make these things happen. Firstly, if you were at the ‘Battle of Lewisham’, or knew people who were, or have any other memories, photographs or ephemera from the day that you would like to share, please contact us via email or via the website. We will also be running a series of oral history workshops in and around Lewisham in the weeks prior to the anniversary and we would love to hear from you in person. Also, you can have your say on the wording for the commemorative plaque, just visit the website and cast your vote. Finally, we would like to invite you all to attend the events we are hosting and help to make the 40th anniversary of the ‘Battle of Lewisham’ a huge and positive celebration of the power and unity of collective action ○ Dr Price is a social and cultural historian, specialising in nineteenth and twentieth-century British history, the history of London and people’s history. For full details about the events and to keep up to date with the latest news, visit our website: sites.gold.ac.uk/ battle-of-lewisham. To get in touch and / or to participate in the events marking the 40th anniversary of ‘the Battle of Lewisham’ email: alumni@gold.ac.uk The work of the late photojournalist, Peter Marlow, is featured in the article. Peter worked closely with students from the MA Photography and Urban Cultures, giving public lectures and workshops around the relationship between urban space, memory and archive. Goldsmiths is planning to recognise and celebrate his work during UrbanPhotoFest 2017.
Showcase
NEW CROSS MURAL by Josh Drewe
One of the most striking aspects of Thirty Five, a new café in the heart of Goldsmiths, is the characterful and detailed mural depicting New Cross ‘in the round’. The mural was recently drawn by local artist Josh Drewe, who studied Popular Music at Goldsmiths between 2005 and 2009, and then a Masters in Illustration at Camberwell School of Art. It is only the second mural Josh has painted and the first can be found at a local café where a chance encounter with our Warden led to the commission at Goldsmiths. “I was finishing a mural in The Greenhouse in Deptford one day, and Patrick Loughrey started chatting to me, I didn’t realise who Pat was at first. He said he worked at Goldsmiths and that I should paint a mural there, but I didn’t think too much of it as only 50% of such suggestions come to anything. He then gave me his card and I saw he was the Warden and I thought ‘wow, this might be something!’” Returning to Goldsmiths to work on the mural after studying here enabled Josh to view the university with a totally fresh pair of eyes. He immersed himself in Goldsmiths’ history, which hadn’t interested him when he was a student: “It felt like I’d come full circle in a really satisfying way. People suggested bits for me to include such as the new bookshop, The Word, and the names of other shops, and the ghost – Goldsmiths has a ghost of a mariner so he appears in a few places. I also included a little picture of myself, I enjoyed the whole experience enormously, in fact I felt a bit lost without Goldsmiths after I’d finished.” joshuadreweillustrations.com
© Christian Sinibaldi
Feature
GOLDSMITHS, ART & WINSTON CHURCHILL How the destruction of an unwanted masterpiece was not enough to erase the legacy of its meaning by Professor Tim Crook
16
17
18
Feature A remarkable example of modern art It was the worst day of their lives. That was the sense of emotional and professional disaster for Goldsmiths Art School alumni, Graham and Kathleen Sutherland in 1954. The Prime Minister Winston Churchill had sent round his official limousine with a letter furiously rejecting the portrait of him that Graham had been commissioned by Parliament to paint. Winston had thundered: “ … there will be an acute difference of opinion about this portrait … it will bring an element of controversy into a function that was intended to be a matter of agreement between the Members of the House of Commons where I have lived my life … the painting, however masterly in execution, is not suitable … ” This was Parliament’s gift to celebrate the 80th birthday of Britain’s war-time leader between 1940 and 1945. Its unveiling a few days later in Westminster Hall would be another catastrophic humiliation for the Sutherlands; this time played out live on BBC television and reported in newsreel cinemas. The irascible statesman, having been persuaded to avoid publicly rejecting the gift, used sarcasm to twist the knife into the portraitist he believed had made him look like a decrepit old man: “ … the portrait [turning to look at it] is a remarkable example of modern art. [Haughty laughter as well as applause]. It certainly combines force and candour. These are qualities which no active member of either House can do without or should fear to meet.” The tragedy of this event has been the subject of a book and a high-profile television documentary series written and presented by the historian Simon Schama and, more recently, an entire episode of the Netflix television drama series on Queen Elizabeth II, ‘The Crown’. Romance in New Cross Graham and Kathleen met each other when they were art students at Goldsmiths between 1921 and 1926. Their encounter is one of many romantic and charming love stories in the history of the College. At first they would simply gaze at each other in wonderment during life drawing classes unable to say a word. In July 1921, the ‘chat-up’ ritual involved passing her a written invitation to the Diaghilev ballet. It was not until a rendez-vous at Charing Cross station that they actually exchanged words for the first time. During their time in New Cross, Graham recalled that if they sought inspiration from Modernism or any pioneering ideas in contemporary art movements, they had to find that in the galleries and exhibitions of central London and Paris: “While the teaching at the school was sound and was certainly practical, it was totally out of touch with the great European movements, then in full flower and moving to a climax … I do not remember hearing a word about the Impressionists and on the subject of the Modern Movement there was profound silence.”
The artist’s career Sutherland initially established his reputation as an engraver, sometimes earning £700 in sales in one year, but the international market collapsed with the 1929 Wall Street crash. It was in the 1930 s that he developed as a painter, mixing a continental Modernist influence with the English romantic tradition. Sutherland further developed his reputation as a home front War artist between 1939 and 1945. He produced a haunting series of images of the impact of the Blitz on domestic life that he titled ‘Devastation’. Edward Lucie-Smith said that it was “Sutherland’s arresting image of the writer Somerset Maugham, painted in 1949, followed by the equally arresting full-length [portrait] of Lord Beaverbrook, started in May 1951, that made him the most sought after portrait painter of his time.” Here sits an old man on his stool Sutherland was offered the Churchill commission because of the recommendation of the left-wing Labour MP Jennie Lee. And this may have been the source for what became the schism in what initially developed as a warm friendship between the two couples; Winston and Clementine and Graham and Kathleen.
“I LOOK LIKE A DOWN-ANDOUT DRUNK WHO HAS BEEN PICKED OUT OF THE GUTTER IN THE STRAND” Churchill relished being painted by a fellow artist and enjoyed joshing him over his socialist allegiance. Sutherland recalled the Prime Minister throwing rather expensive food into the goldfish pond: “I would say, ‘But the ones at the back aren’t getting anything at all, you’re just throwing it in the front,’ And he said, ‘Well, that’s life, you see. We can’t all be communists, we can’t all be equal.’” There was always underlying tension beneath the surface of polite acquaintance. Sutherland failed to appreciate how important it was that Churchill should be a more consultative participant in the creation of his own portrait. He felt excluded and discomforted by Sutherland’s determination to paint what he saw rather than how Churchill wished to be represented. He would demand “How are you going to paint me? As a cherub, or a bulldog?” When Churchill finally got to see the painting, it was too late. What he saw was: “Sitting on a lavatory … It makes me look half-witted, which I ain’t … Here sits an old man on his stool, pressing and pressing … I look like a down-and-out drunk who has been picked out of the gutter in the Strand.”
19
p17: © Baron / Stringer / Getty Images Above: Graham Sutherland and Kathleen Frances ‘Katharine’ Sutherland, by Francis Goodman, half-plate film copy negative, 1946 © National Portrait Gallery Right: ‘The Crown’ production still © Alex Bailey / Netflix p21: ‘Winston Churchill’, by Graham Sutherland, oil on Canvas, 1954 © National Portrait Gallery
Feature The statesman with a dirty face The guffaws of laughter cued by Churchill’s quip about modern art at Westminster Hall struck Graham Sutherland very hard. Sutherland had to walk past official guests complaining that their beloved statesman had a dirty face and openly expressing their feelings that a terrible tribute had been paid to one of the country’s greatest men. In another age, Sutherland as the courtier artist who had outraged the King, would have found himself on the scaffold. In the middle of the twentieth century such trial and retribution was more socio-psychological. A storm was to rage in the pages of the national press and the Churchill family would decide that the painting, rather than its creator, should be consigned to a bonfire of retribution. Vandalism What was supposed to have been a gift to the nation that would hang at Westminster after Churchill’s death was crated up and destroyed on Clementine’s instructions within the year. Winston and his loyal family were not in a position to appreciate that Graham Sutherland had created a beautiful expression of Churchillian indomitability, a symbol of an old country’s defiance of all the ravages of total war, and a presentation of the sturdy and independent humility of a democratic Parliamentarian in plain dress. Like his series of paintings from the Blitz, this was the climax of the devastation of survival, and indeed, victory. Graham Sutherland said it was vandalism, but Clementine had been determined to protect her husband’s feelings. This national treasure now only exists as photographs and the sketches the artist made in its preparation.
20
Another pugnacious figure Many years later, Lady Clementine Churchill would not be so hostile to another expression of a Goldsmiths artist’s imagination in the representation of her husband. Ivor Roberts-Jones (1913–1996) was both a student and lecturer at Goldsmiths and eventually became Head of Sculpture in the College’s Art School (1964–1978). In 1971, he was invited along with eight other sculptors to submit maquettes for a potential statue of Churchill to be erected in Parliament Square. He was awarded the commission and produced a sturdy and pugnacious figure, similar to the famous war-time photograph of the Prime Minister in long coat standing among the ruins of the House of Commons digging his cane into the rubble. Cast in bronze and costing £30,000, it met with the full approval of Lady Clementine who enthusiastically unveiled it with the Queen in 1973 at its prominent position in Parliament Square facing Big Ben. Unlike Sutherland’s infamous painting, this impressive public work of art by a Goldsmiths artist has survived. Churchill’s new haircut It might be argued that rioting in Central London on May Day 2000 challenged the dignity of Churchill’s statue when its head was dressed with a green mohican of turf cut from the grass in the square. Ten years later, the statue plinth was subject to further defacement in student protests covered by the media. These events are a reminder that public art will always be a matter of politics as well as culture. At Goldsmiths, art, politics, culture and society have frequently been an enduring combustion of controversy and protest. And we are left with the poignant legend of the finest portrait of a British leader ever painted not surviving the conflagration ○ Professor Tim Crook is currently writing a new book on the history of Goldsmiths. As part of the project, he is writing a blog where you can follow the stories he is finding: sites.gold.ac.uk/goldsmithshistory
SUTHERLAND HAD CREATED A BEAUTIFUL EXPRESSION OF CHURCHILLIAN INDOMITABILITY, A SYMBOL OF AN OLD COUNTRY’S DEFIANCE OF ALL THE RAVAGES OF TOTAL WAR
22
TERRI DENDY
23 Ever wonder what kind of careers our alumni go into? Curious about the day-to-day of a fellow alumnus who works in a different industry? ‘A day in the life’ follows alumni during a typical working day and gives readers a snapshot of the interesting and varied work experienced within the Goldsmiths alumni community. Terri Dendy (BA History and Anthropology, 2011) is currently the Registrar at the National Army Museum, with almost ten years’ experience working in museums and galleries in a number of roles. From Art Technician at Tate, to Collections Information Officer at the Science Museum, she has helped to oversee large-scale installations of exhibitions such as ‘Cosmonauts’ and travelled the world with objects to ensure their safety and security. In 2012, Terri co-founded the blog The Ministry of Curiosity (@curiositytweet), which provides an irreverent insidersv view into the world of London’s museums and aims to change current perceptions about those working in museums. Apart from a whole lot of museum loving, she enjoys cycling, reality TV and being around friends and family. Terri tells us about her day:
A day in the life
06.30
I am an annoying morning person and really appreciate the quiet time at the beginning of the day. Unfortunately, this doesn’t bring with it good habits. Waking up to my phone, I prep for the day whilst scrolling through my social media accounts and reading a bit of celebrity gossip. Fortunately, an early morning start does mean I have a good breakfast and give myself plenty of time to get to work on my bike.
9.00
I arrive at work and settle into my day, helped by a very large cup of coffee! I spend some time getting through my emails, actioning where possible and filing away when done. Many of the emails I receive are from other museums across the world looking to borrow objects from the National Army Museum’s collection and I spend a lot of time carefully negotiating the terms under which they can borrow. I have to ensure that their premises are secure, their environment won’t damage the object and their display methods are suitable. I also work closely with transport agents to ensure that the objects are moved safely. Sometimes this means getting to travel with the objects to see them properly settled in their loan location, in September for example I oversaw the installation of a firearm in Berlin’s Deutsche Historiche Museum.
12.00
Working in an open-plan office means I rarely have to have full-on sit-down meetings with my colleagues. But once a month, we have the Collection Development Group, where I sit with curatorial colleagues in the museums Collections Division to discuss possible acquisitions. As the Registrar, I have to ensure we know all about the objects’ ownership history and highlight any particular issues with taking on new objects, checking for hazards or any legal or ethical implications involved in the acquisition be this by auction, donation or purchase. I then make the necessary arrangements for the transfer of title paperwork to be signed and for the object to get into the museum.
24
A day in the life
13.00
Time for lunch! There’s not many places to eat around the stores so I usually bring something in to eat in the lunchroom. If it’s a quiet lunchtime I get to spend a bit of time working on my blog and through our social media accounts, both on twitter and instagram as @curiositytweet, we like to spark and engage in controversial conversations about working in museums and issues in collections. We try to produce a new article once a week often reviewing London’s museums or talking about controversial issues in the industry such as the display of human remains.
14.00
Back at my desk I spend some time reviewing loan agreements and insurance details from other institutions. I pop out to the stores and pick out one of the objects that’s about to go on loan, a tunic for the South Africa exhibition at the Rijksmuseum in February. I take pictures of the object to send to the registrar I’m negotiating the loan with in Amsterdam.
15.00 Top left: Recruiting poster, Highlanders, c.1920, © National Army Museum Top right: Rex Whistler’s self-portrait in Welsh Guards uniform, May 1940, © National Army Museum Right, p22: © Christian Sinibaldi p23: National Army Museum visualisation
We’re working towards installing the new National Army Museum, the museum is currently closed and we have a large feat ahead of us in the collections team to install all of the objects before opening at the end of March. I’ll be physically installing objects into showcases soon, which is a really exciting task but also takes a lot of preparation. I am putting together a document to help schedule all of the collections-based activities including arranging for the transportation of the objects from the stores to the site in London, liaising with the transport agents, security staff and project managers at the site.
17.30
I usually head to the gym or straight home to cook a meal after work. I’m currently trying to save for a deposit by living at home with my fiancé (we met at Goldsmiths), my three siblings and my mum. Evenings at home are busy and entertaining! This evening, however, I’ve been invited to the opening of the Lockwood Kipling exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum. I’m quite excited as one of the objects there is from the National Army Museum’s collection – a drawing of a medal by Lockwood Kipling himself. Plus, getting into a V&A launch is a pretty swish affair and a good opportunity for blogging content. My fiancé and I make the most of the whisky sours and fancy canapés and enjoy the evening in the main foyer of the museum celeb spotting. We also get to have a sneak peak at the exhibition before it opens to the public!
23.00
Finally, getting home around 11pm, I get ready for my next day. I’m a big believer in planning ahead to make it a bit easier for the rest of the week. I’m in bed by twelve usually reading. This time, I’m enjoying the Marina Abromavić biography, before finally falling asleep and starting a new day ○ If you are interested in being featured, get in touch: alumni@gold.ac.uk
25
26
Alumni achievements
Goldsmiths’ alumni make a positive impact on society, inspire passion and creativity. They include leaders in the creative industries, pioneers in teaching and social work, and renowned artists, musicians and filmmakers. They are recognised for their work in every imaginable field, and throughout the year, they win awards, receive nominations and are selected for prestigious positions. Here are some of their recent achievements:
SPOTL
Art
History
Eileen Cooper BA Fine Art, 1974 Nomination: Woman of the Year
Joe Baden BA Historical Studies, 1998 Honour: OBE for services to Higher Education
Michael Dean BA Fine Art: Studio Practice and Contemporary Critical Theory, 2001 Nomination: Turner Prize Steve McQueen BA Fine Art, 1993 Honour: BFI Fellowship Computing Hadeel Ayoub MA Computational Arts, 2015 Jakub Fiala MSci Creative Computing, 2016 Leon Fedden Student in BSc Creative Computing Award: First prize at AI Hackathon Education Glastonbury, co-organised by Emily Eavis BA Education: Early Childhood, 1999 Award: Best Festival at NME Awards Manisha Tailor BA Education: Early Childhood, 2001 Honour: MBE for services to Football and Diversity in Sport
Media and Communications Areej Zayat MA Television Journalism, 2016 Nomination: Student category at the Amnesty International Media Awards C M Kosemen MA Digital Media: Technology and Cultural Form, 2008 Nomination: British Council Alumni Award Elena Ruscombe-King BA Media and Modern Literature, 2013 Award: ‘A Love Story’ in the BAFTA British Short Animation category Jo-Jo Ellison Certificate Media and Communications, 2004 Nomination: Notes on Blindness in the BAFTA Outstanding British Film and Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer category Ming Chong Tse MA Image and Communications, 2004 Award: British Council Alumni Award
English and Comparative Literature
Music
Joan Anim-Addo PhD English, 2001 Award: Lifetime Achievement Award by leading US quarterly journal ‘Callaloo’
Marco Canepari MA Music: Ethnomusicology, 2015 Award: Music category of the Deutsche Bank Awards for Creative Enterprise
Jack Underwood PhD Creative Writing, 2011 Sam Buchan-Watts BA English, 2010 Award: Society of Authors’ annual Authors’ Awards Kate Tempest BA English, 2008 Nomination: Poetry category for the Costa Book Award
Visual Cultures Christopher Gray BA Fine Art and History of Art, 2015 Award: Catlin Art Prize
27
LIGHT Patrick Brill MA Fine Art, 1993 Honour: OBE for services to the Arts
Patrick Brill aka Bob and Roberta Smith is a British contemporary artist, musician and art education advocate. He was appointed an OBE for his services to the arts in the Queen’s New Year Honours List 2017. Bob and Roberta Smith see art as an important element in democratic life, and in 2013, he launched the Art Party with Crescent Arts, Scarborough to better advocate the arts to Government. His works have been exhibited in collections in Europe and the United States. He was an Artist Trustee of Tate between 2009 and 2013, and is currently a trustee for the National Campaign for the Arts, and a patron of the NSEAD.
2015 Š Paul Tucker
28
Membership
MEMBERSHIP MATTERS
Membership of the alumni community comes with a number of benefits, wherever you are based in the world. If you studied at Goldsmiths, your membership used to be automatic, but that is likely to change. In future, if you would like us to keep in touch, you will need to let us know. To stay a member of the alumni community in the coming years, please visit our website to opt in: gold.ac.uk/alumni/join
29
LIBRARY ACCESS You can continue to use the Library at Goldsmiths for free as a reference user or borrow books for a small annual fee. Alumni can also make use of the guest Wi-Fi.
CURZON GOLDSMITHS
A WORLD OF CONTACTS Goldsmiths Connect puts you in touch with a global network of alumni. Find an e-mentor of your own or share your experiences with a current student. Goldsmiths Connect is the perfect place to seek advice about your life and career after Goldsmiths.
REUNIONS AND CELEBRATIONS Goldsmiths Reunite is our alumni event series held throughout the UK and overseas and celebrating our vibrant Goldsmiths alumni community. It includes ‘Around the World in 7 Days’, a volunteer-led event series that takes place for one week each May in cities across the globe.
NEWS SUBSCRIPTION Receive the latest news from Goldsmiths and fellow alumni throughout the year via your inbox and twice-yearly through your letterbox. We welcome submissions, so get in touch if you have anything you would like to share with us and each other.
PROFESSIONAL CAREERS ADVICE Careers+ allows our recent graduates to continue to access professional careers advice and resources for three years after they’ve left Goldsmiths. Careers+ is free for Goldsmiths graduates. If you graduated more than three years ago, you can also subscribe to C2, for ongoing careers support.
LIFELONG LEARNING We offer a 30% alumni fee discount for taught Masters programmes and alumni also receive a 15% discount on most of our short courses in the arts, social sciences, business, computing and more (terms and conditions apply).
Our on-site cinema offers discounted tickets for alumni. Programming at the 101-seat venue will follow Curzon’s mix of the best in cinema from across the globe, as well as documentary and special director Q&As.
WELLBEING Join Club Pulse, our on-campus gym, and receive a 25% discount on your monthly membership. For more information about membership benefits visit: gold.ac.uk/alumni/benefits or email: alumni@gold.ac.uk
Alice Western
A GOLDSMITHS SCHOLAR Alice Western is in her first year studying Popular Music at Goldsmiths and she is also the latest recipient of the Rob Stringer Music Scholarship. Alumnus Rob Stringer, the next CEO of Sony Music Entertainment, established the scholarship in 2011. His time at Goldsmiths was transformative: “From being a bit of an underachiever in a suburban town, the Goldsmiths experience told me I could do something more – and I’m forever grateful. The best advice I can give to someone thinking of going into the same business? Be a cultural sponge, soak it all up, and remember that passion and excitement are just as important as focus and discipline. I just grew up at Goldsmiths, I blossomed at the place. I did a ‘life course’ and it’s the reason I’ve got to where I am today.” Each year £12,000 is awarded to a BMus Popular student who demonstrates academic potential and music ability. The Department of Music selected Alice for the scholarship after interviewing several strong applicants from the same cohort. Alice came to Goldsmiths through a non-standard route showing great tenacity and determination to pursue a music pathway despite her lack of standard qualifications. At a recent event celebrating our scholars and the donors who make those scholarships and awards possible, Alice said: “I’ve done a lot on my own and worked really hard so I was touched by the scholarship because the feeling of somebody that you don’t know doing such a nice thing for you, which to me is really life changing, just felt awesome. “I dropped out of secondary because I had mental health issues so I missed out on most of my GSCEs and my A Levels. I always wanted to continue, but I never got to the stage where I was able to do it. I’ve done a lot of things on my own and because I’m ambitious, I always decide to go for things that are almost impossible for me to achieve like going to Goldsmiths with no A Levels or GSCEs. “Being at Goldsmiths and being around other people who do so many different things is really inspiring and also makes you just want to try everything. “I really want to say thank you to Rob and that it’s really cool what you’re doing and keep doing it all the time!” If you would like to transform the life of a current student by creating a scholarship, award or bursary please get in touch: alumni@gold.ac.uk. You can also support existing awards by making a gift to the Annual Fund: gold.ac.uk/support-goldsmiths
© Christian Sinibaldi
30
31
GIVING TO GOLDSMITHS Goldsmiths is proud of its powerful sense of community, encouraging freedom of expression and supporting the effort and achievement of all individuals irrespective of background. Our commitment to ensuring everyone has the opportunity to experience Goldsmiths is supported by the philanthropy of our alumni and friends. In the six years since its inception, the Annual Fund has regularly awarded the Student Hardship Fund and supported over 250 worthwhile extra-curricular projects. This year, Goldsmiths has provided
£2 million in scholarships and bursaries, including many donated by alumni and friends. Making a donation, however large or small, makes a real difference. By choosing to support Goldsmiths, you ensure that we can continue to offer transformative and life-changing experiences to our students now and in the future. If you haven’t received a call as part of this year’s telephone campaign and you would like to be involved, you can make a donation online: gold.ac.uk/ support-goldsmiths
32
45