There are many ways to engage with REACH hours. They are a self-initiated project that displays independent engagement with many different areas. There are REACH hours dedicated to physical exercise, to community projects and to creativity.

And there are many different ways of going about achieving them and the Olympus staff are always available to find new and creative ways to help boarders earn their hours in new and innovative ways.

Some of us are not as creatively inclined as others and with Gabriel, he wasn’t sure how to go about earning his hours. And so Mr. Jakob from the Olympus staff organised a small extra-curricular club, just for Gabriel’s Creative Reach hours. This is ‘Art Appreciation’ with Gabriel:

Kent Monkman ‘Resurgence of The People’ 2019 M.O.M.A

Within the Art Appreciation club, Mr. Jakob and Gabriel and a rotating cast of guests take a look at contemporary and classical pieces of art. Above, we can see a piece by Native American artist Kent Monkman, which channels a lot of socially conscious energy, but an enormous amount of classical imagery as well. The ‘Art Appreciation’ activity is all about generating discussion and looking as closely as we can. Using the iPad is great for this. It can be passed around and it is extremely intuitive to pinch the screen to zoom in and inspect the myriad details present in each and every piece. We all read art differently. And we also read many the same.

Gabriel is joined by Mirsadi and Maximilian in admiring a Pablo Picasso piece.

It’s always hugely rewarding to get other eyes in on the game, to comment on, agree or disagree. It all starts with a simple image and conversation always develops into so much more. It’s impossible to look at a piece of art and not begin to think. Whether we like it or not, feel like we don’t have the place to say anything of ‘good’ or ‘bad’ art, we always react, wether we like to or not. And so much can come out of the simplest of images. Art is and always has been a mirror. Looking outward as the things we choose to make is always just as much of an act of introspection than it is simple observation.

Pablo Picasso ‘Guernica’ 1937

David Shrigley ‘Dishonourable Person’ 2016

And some of it, is just silly.

Have a look. Have a think. It doesn’t matter what conclusion you came to. Engagement is the first step. And your gut does the rest.

We look forwards to having many more conversations about art here in Olympus and we hope to bring some of that to yourselves, as well! Have a google. There’s so much good art out there. And so much bad art, as well.

Best of the Best from The Olympus Boys!