The Courtyard - Forest Lodge Primary School, Leicester

The Courtyard - Forest Lodge Primary School

The Courtyard is a representation of the area outside the main reception of the new Forest Lodge Primary School building in New Parks, Leicester.

I introduced 9 and 10 year olds at the school to Max Ernst, Dada and frottage. It builds on my work with them around Guy Debord and the Situationist International the week before and combining the two we argue that the above is just as much a picture of the front of the school as any traditional painting or drawing. The work is part of a three workshops that I also consider a piece in itself, the children and their actions part of the work.

'The Gallery of the Street is Open' is a slogan from the Involuntary Painting movement that myself and New York based artist Millree Hughes initiated in 2013/14. We have pursued actions across New Parks and New York with Soft Touch Arts and New York based artists from the IP Movement including Brad Melamed, Andrea Evans, Lucien Samaha, Michael Lee Nirenberg, Cezare Ramone and Judy Rhee.

This school based section of our work is with Forest Lodge and Parks Primary. Pupils involved have now been given disposable cameras to photograph Involuntary Paintings and other things that strike the children as they walk into school.

The work is with and for Soft Touch Arts, Arts Council England, Leicester City Council Libraries Service and the Raising Achievement Team. Artists Lauren Ann Park and Sally Norman have been invaluable in their work and support across all Involuntary Painting New Parks : New York interventions and workshops.

Paul Conneally
June 2016