Alan Dedman is very keen on the Classical discipline of life drawing and painting. Dedman received a Classical training at the Royal Academy Schools during the time when it was mandatory for students to work from life for the duration of the first academic year.
This took place during the time when Peter Greenham was Keeper of the Schools. Greenham insisted all students did life drawing and painting, spending the first year drawing then moving onto the life painting school during the second year.
As a result there was at least a School – where for a brief period, attendees could witness one another’s approach to the same formal problem. Anachronistic? bourgeois? – possibly. But at least students had parameters to work within and often produced some powerful results.
Alan Dedman teaches life drawing and painting. Above you can see an example of public classes he contributes to in London – ‘Life Draw at N4’; Dedman provided occasional tuition and guidance to members of the public on an ad hoc basis at the Old Dairy pub The classes are open to anyone who wishes to attend.
Alan Dedman’s approach to the Nude
Alan Dedman likes to work from the human form or the Nude as it is referred to. Dedman believes in witnessing subject matter; dealing with the social aspect of Art practice. Models and sitters are essential to the making of Art. Dedman believes Art should celebrate the sensual joy of existence and he works to this end, often using highly experimental techniques. Working alone with a life model is an entirely different matter to doing so from within the comparative safety of a group of students – something Art school doesn’t teach. Developing conversation with models and sitters is a skill we have to learn on the job.