Florence Mills by Alexander Stuart-Hill, 1927.

Written by Henry Green, intern with UCL Communications

For the uneducated, and I would very much plonk myself in that sprawling mass, awareness of the story of black and Asian people in the UK is patchy at best: jumping from slavery to post war immigration without too much in between.

As such, it was a real treat to attend this lecture, in which Dr Caroline Bressey (UCL Geography) ably used photographs, artwork and letters to illuminate the role that Black and Asian people played in the changing social, cultural and political scenes emerging in interwar London.

Her research has made full use of UCL’s gargantuan collection of paintings, collages and sketches, and some of these works featured on beautifully printed postcards distributed outside the lecture theatre. These were a welcome change from the usual bundle of black and white lecture notes and set the tone for a fascinating and visually stimulating hour.

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It all started on twitter with rumours about a pyramid in the quad, and a shiny aluminium van nestled neatly underneath the trees; all bright and exotic against the neo-classical façade of the UCL Quad.

Hadrian by Chui Yuen Fanny Chan

Walking towards the Slade School of Fine Art at lunchtime, bits and pieces started to reveal themselves. Between the Portico columns, and steps covered with students enjoying the rare sunshine, Emily Joy Stokes’ Pyramid was just about visible through the mass of bodies. Its stark red geometric lines, and industrial feel, contrasting sharply with the soft grey of the limestone backdrop. (more…)