Bunker Talk: MAFA with MSoA

You can now watch the recording of the Bunker Talk online.

MAFA Members John Hewitt, Julia Midgley and Professor Tim Brennan discussed their relationship with drawing with Sophie Benson. This talk relates to our upcoming exhibition ‘The Meditation of Drawing’ at Manchester Cathedral. The exhibition will run from September 10th to October 22nd 2023. Essays by the three speakers will be included in the exhibition catalogue.

Click here to watch the recording of the talk.

The talk took place at the Salutation pub on Monday 19 June 2023 at 1.00pm.

John Hewitt trained as a fine artist and printmaker. John uses drawing as a primary form. He completed a PhD on memory and drawing in 2008. His drawings are in collections such as the V&A, the Museum of London and Government Art Collection. John was awarded the Hugh Casson Prize for Drawing at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2016. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Art.

Julia Midgley is an artist, printmaker and documentary artist. Direct observational drawing is the bedrock of her practice. Her reportage, documentary commissions reflect an interest in war art and medicine. Her work “War Art & Surgery” documented military medical training and the rehabilitation of wounded soldiers. It was a WW1 Centenary drawing project in collaboration with The Royal College of Surgeons of England and the M.O.D. and was shortlisted for the John Ruskin Drawing Prize.

Professor Tim Brennan is Head of Art & Performance at Manchester School of Art. He studied Fine Art at the Slade School of Art under Stuart Brisley and History at Ruskin College Oxford. As an independent artist, poet, writer and curator, his practice is broad and includes performance, sound, drawing and painting. His work is in many collections. He has recently published a book called ‘A Drawing Ceremony’.