The Old Diocesan Issue 13 - Magazine - Page 71
“The purpose of the exhibition was to reaffirm
the arts as an important pillar of the Bishops
identity – not only as part of the curriculum at
the College but also after school, among ODs
working in various creative fields.”
Cape Town, surrounded by nature.
From the stone pines of Keurboom
Park to Signal Hill and the granite
boulders of Saunders’ Rocks, he is
drawn to the ways in which nature
exists in the urban environment.
He paints places and sites with
which he’s formed a connection,
returning to them, observing them,
drawing on site and later painting
them in his Rondebosch studio.
Meanwhile, my own work depicts
aspects of both the built and the
natural environment – places I feel
are imbued with spirit, drawing the
viewer into closer connection with
the place itself. For me, place is
a condenser of meaning, memory
and associations. For example, my
painting Wolfberg Arch, Cederberg
relates to the deep connection I’ve
developed with the Cederberg,
largely through the time spent in
that region during the Bishops Epic.
As an artist, I find myself
preoccupied with drawing, mark
making and the use of colour, which
I exploit not so much to imitate a
particular place but to convey its
spirit. In the words of my teacher
Bill Ainslie, “Marks convey energy;
spirit has to do with imagery.”
The purpose of the exhibition was
to reaffirm the arts as an important
pillar of the Bishops identity – not
only as part of the curriculum at the
College but also after school, among
ODs working in various creative
fields. It was intended to showcase
the creative achievements of ODs
working across creative disciplines,
and to inspire Bishops pupils with
real examples of professional
creative careers. Finally, Tom,
Michael and I hope to contribute
to creating a sustainable pathway
for future art-related initiatives
at Bishops.
Peter Hyslop
(honorary OD)
was Master of Art
at Bishops from
1984 to 2020.
THE OLD DIOCESAN | 67
