Will Alsop Painting Archive
“SEEING THINGS DIFFERENTLY” – AD ARTICLE
The Marco Goldschmied Foundation was looking at ways to utilise their collection of paintings by architect Will Alsop (1947-2018). I was approached by the charity, which supports organisations providing opportunities for the study of architecture and the arts, particularly to students from underprivileged and disadvantaged circumstances, to help them create strategies for the archive of paintings, beginning with a full and detailed catalogue of the collection; considering ways to utilise the collection for specific fundraising possibilities for education and dissemination of the collection; and developing overall branding and outreach strategies for the Foundation.
In 2022, the journal Architectural Design published a special edition focused on Will Alsop to mark what would have been his 75th birthday. I was asked to write an article to contribute to the journal, reflecting on the painting collection held by the MGF.
The article looked at Alsop’s history with painting and representation, from his time at Northampton Art School, education at the Architectural Association in London, and most significantly his chance encounter with sculptor Bruce McLean at Riverside Studios, Hammersmith, which turned into a lifelong friendship. Alongside this, by focusing on specific paintings from the MGF collection, the article considered Alsop’s greatest skill: his ability to understand how painting could capture an emotion, enabling an inclusivity of conversation between users, clients and the design team about a scheme which transcended the boundaries created by technical and architectural plans.
“Seeing things Differently: Painting, the object and the art of conversation” – article written by Clare Hamman for Architectural Design, September 2022