Chris Wilkinson RA: bridging art and science
Monday 20 May 2019 6.30 - 8pm
Benjamin West Lecture Theatre, Burlington Gardens, Royal Academy of Arts
£15, £9
A lecture by Chris Wilkinson RA where he uses the work of his practice to interrogate the relationship between arts and sciences.
The work of WilkinsonEyre is often seen as technology-based and more concerned with science than art, but their primary concerns are with aesthetics not calculations. Technology is seen as a means to an end.
As both a painter and an architect, Wilkinson regularly navigates between the two disciplines of design and fine art and is acutely aware of both their differences and similarities. He proposes that architecture could be a natural bridge between art and science as it is a discipline that is equally informed by both technical and creative concerns.
From collaborations with artists, to art practice as a basis for innovative designs, Wilkinson will uncover a deep connection with the arts permeates most of his work.
This lecture coincides with the publication of Drawing What I See, an evocative collection of sketches by Chris Wilkinson RA inspired by his travels around the world.
Biography:
Chris Wilkinson made his reputation with a series of long span, lightweight structures that reflected his roots in the high tech movement and his particular interest in large clear span sheds. After spells working with Norman Foster, Richard Rogers and Michael Hopkins, he set up Chris Wilkinson Architects in 1983 which became Wilkinson Eyre four years later when Jim Eyre became a partner. Its reputation made with the Stratford Market Depot on the Jubilee Line Extension, it has twice won the Stirling Prize for the Magna Science Centre in Rotherham and the Gateshead Millennium Bridge.