A 96-year-old MAN believes he has become the oldest university graduate in the UK.
Archie White holds a BA (Hons) in Fine Arts from East Sussex College in Hastings.
Born in 1925, Mr. White worked as a lawyer until the age of 92 before a passion for painting made him want to try something new.
He started his studies in 2018 and started learning new skills including painting, photography, pottery and even Photoshop, which he said “was not for me”.
Mr White graduated just 145 days from the world record for oldest college graduate – a feat held by a 96-year-old, 200-day-old Japanese graduate.
The new graduate recently exhibited his year-end project paintings at the Fine Arts Fair to complement his final year of study.
Mr White said he was inspired to graduate after a close friend had attended college the year before.
“I really enjoyed studying here and the experiences were fascinating, but learning Photoshop left me stunned,” he said.
“We dabbled in photography and doing negatives, and then we did some clay modeling, which was a lot of fun. Then we learned Photoshop, which was fun, but not really for me.
“I’ll keep painting now that I’m done. If someone’s crazy enough to pay for my paintings, I’ll be amused, but if they don’t, it doesn’t matter.”
The artist had a stroke five years ago, limiting some abilities, including not coping well in the dark.
“When I was asked to work in the darkroom, I found it difficult,” he said. “But I was helped tremendously by the staff and the other students.”
Mr White said he fears for most graduates that most art graduates fail to make a living as an artist.
“This is why I plan to create a charity to support the graduates,” he added.
“I am awaiting final approval from the Charity Commission to manage the association at East Sussex College Hastings so that graduates are not lost.
“With the support of the college and the charity, graduates will be able to use the facilities and resources of the college to create work and start their careers.”
His course director at East Sussex College, Hannah Birkett, said it was a pleasure to teach Mr White during the three years of study.
“He makes a unique contribution to the course and his personal development has been extraordinary,” she said.
“Archie has honed his painting practice in a supportive and diverse group of years, and has actively contributed to discussions and debates.
“We really enjoyed working with him and wish him the best for the future.”
More about this article: Read More
Source: www.theargus.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-07-15 10:06:50