Forest School pupils help mystery artist Blank-Z – Wokingham.Today

A daring project involving an ‘unknown artist from Minnesota’, passionate about the environment, seized the imagination of a school’s art club.

As a result, the artist Blank-Z’s tree made from recycled materials has been on tour, appeared as part of two play sets and been exhibited for sale on an arts trail.

It all came about because professional artist and professional barrister Joe de Mounteney, 56, of Hurst, decided he wanted to take a new direction. Last year he was at The Forest School, Winnersh, doing PGCE training to be an art teacher.

“I started an art club there for the pupils to do what they liked. One suggestion was a collaborative project, working together,” he said.

“They would make up an artist and his back story and then make ‘the artist’s’ work. We would exhibit the finished product in an art show and see what happened.

“Would the world discover this new artist and pay a lot of money for it, the money going to the school?”

Joe was poised to explain to anyone interested in buying the work that the real artists were in fact the art club’s 20 members.

The club’s fictitious artist was from a poor background in Minnesota, US, and was passionate about the environment. He even left a distinctive signature on Minnesota walls, an empty frame with an invitation to people to fill it.

“The result was that the club created an amazing sculpture made from sewage pipes, newspapers and an old umbrella stand. It looks beautiful. They absolutely ran with idea,” said Joe.

Viewers can write their wishes for the future on scraps of cloth to go on the tree. There are now more than 150 wishes, some sad, some profound – and some for a new Xbox.

The tree was on display at The Forest School including as part of the set for their medley of Shakespeare plays. It went to Holyport College where Joe now teaches, and then into the set of the Hairs and Graces play by The Dolphin School, Hurst.

Its latest appearance was at Joe’s home on The Henley Art Trail over the May bank holiday weekend. Unfortunately, it wasn’t sold and is still available to buyers.