#TAG.13 ‘LONDON ABLAZE
Exhibit closes
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t: 020 7254 6138
e: admin@gayhurst.hackney.sch.uk
Art Educators / Artists: Claire Ward-Thornton, Johanna Valeur.
What each class made:
- 1G: Shops: Dog, Sweet, Candy, Music, Sock (straw roof).
- 1P: Shops: Baker, Cheese Shop, FishMonger, Jeweller, Milliner.
- 1/2S – Shops: Books, Glazier, Ironmonger, Carpenter, Candlesticks (1 jetty, alley).
- 2K: The Globe Theatre, Pepys Inn, The Rose & Crown.
- 2L: Wealthy homes (three floors, 2 jetties, tiled roof).
EXHIBITION #TAG.13 ‘LONDON ABLAZE
31/03/22 – 13/05/22
Years 1&2
Private View: Thursday 30 January 2020 / 5-7pm
Based on history topic: ‘The Great Fire of London’
Tickets £5 each.
Purchase on Gayhurst Rd (double gate) on the night.
Children under 12 years go free.
On the night of 2nd September 1666 while the walled city of London slept, an event which would forever change the timber-framed streets began. King Charles’s baker, Thomas Farriner was awoken by a blaze in his kitchen. Directed by strong winds, the fire quickly raged through Pudding Lane moving west across the capital.
In our art sessions, we looked at Tudor buildings to appreciate their unique appearance, understand how they were made and why they burnt down so easily during the great fire of London. We looked at what made these buildings unique and what differentiated them from architecture today.
Carved woodwork around the doors and rake boards on roof gables identified wealthy occupants. Fancy homes would have jetties allowing for greater floor space upstairs without taking up too much space on the street below. As a consequence, the upper stories of buildings were closely positioned opposite each other as well as being tightly packed side by side through narrow streets.
‘Wattle and daube’ was a building method which involved weaving thin wooden strips in between the supporting timber structure. A sticky mixture of sand, soil, clay, straw and animal dung was then daubed over the wooden lattice work to create a smooth finish.
Thatched roofs, wooden beams and the wattle and daube technique were all made from materials that easily catch alight and proved to be the main reason for the fire raging across the city so quickly.
Limited resources to put the fire out, a long hot summer that dried the wooden city and strong westerly winds which bellowed the flames all contributed to the event which set London ablaze.
We applied the same art technique in each class. Children were given large pre-cut shapes of cardboard buildings in flat panels and worked in five groups of six children, producing one building per group.
We began by applying masking tape to the surface of the cardboard to mark out the timber framework. Children were asked to consider symmetry when designing their patterns. Paint was dabbed over the surface area and left to dry. Roofers in each class applied slightly different finishes from painting with sponges, to collage and sticking textured craft paper or straw.
In the second half of the session, children drew on smaller panels of cardboard marking out leaded windows, doors, shopfronts and signs.
Finally, when the painted panels were dry, the masking tape was carefully removed to reveal the untouched cardboard beneath describing the wooden beams of their building.
Student Testimonials
What did you think of the art session?
“It was quite hard to do. I like putting it together, especially the doors and the windows because I like doing patterns.” Lara, 12S
“It was quite challenging because I had to tape the houses in a special way and it was quite hard to get it just right.” 2P
How did making model buildings help with your understanding of Tudor architecture or businesses?
“It made me understand how different the architecture and building were from 1666 and 2022” Mirabai, 2K
“I learnt that they had beams, inside was made out of wood and lines on the wood” Ahmed, 2K
Did you learn any new art techniques while using the art materials?
I learnt that we don’t need always need to use paint brushes when painting, we can use sponges to create texture for the walls” Laith, 2K
“I learnt how to dab. I didn’t know this before.” Gael, 12S
How do you feel about / What do you hope to see in the final exhibition?
“I feel really excited and proud because all of the Year 1 and 2 parents are going to see what we made” 2K
“I feel excited because we will see other people’s work all together in a special way.” 2P
“I really liked when we did the doors and the windows because they were really creative. I learned that you can paint over masking tape and then peel off the masking tape to make a pattern. I can’t wait for everyone to compliment the artwork!” Noa, 2L
“I thought the art session was fun because we got to put tape on, then we painted it and took the tape off and there was amazing decoration! I found out that buildings at that time were made of wood and were very fancy. I’m hoping to see all of our work at the exhibition and that everyone likes it!” Eliot, 2L
“It was great! What I really like about it was that all you had to do was have a fun time and do it with your partner. I learnt that you can use tape to make wooden beams on the houses. All I’m going to see at the final exhibition is red, orange and yellow because it will be on fire!” Antoni, 2L
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