Arlington Art
The Treehouse Studio is back in action from ceramics to embroidery, our young artists have been busy creating.
As part of their ongoing inquiry into how ‘We can all be artists’, The Lighthouse Keepers have been focusing on how artists research and experiment. They explored artists who use collecting as a way of mapping and contacted local artist Lizzy Sampson about her artwork as part of their research. They were very excited to hear her responses to their questions. Here is a snippet of what they found out!
What kinds of rocks do you collect? - Lachy
This depends on my project. Sometimes I'll collect rocks of different colours, or of a particular shape. Sometimes I'll collect a rock that just feels good, or sometimes if it reminds me of a particular place.
I wonder why you collect lots and lots of things? Whatever they are, they’re amazing - Noah
Hi Noah - thanks for your question. Collecting is something I've always loved doing. When I was a kid, I used to collect postage stamps and stickers too.
It is an activity which brings lots of joy!
They also experimented with new mediums and techniques. Inspired by the layered artwork of Judy Watson, the children made a collaborative cold wax batik on silk to represent the movement of water. They have also been adding to their naturally dyed textile artworks, printing flowers and adding embroidered lines.
The Lofties have been exploring how we all view things through a different lens. They learnt about the sculpture of Barabara Hepworth and her particular way of expressing natural forms through abstracted shapes. Inspired by this process, the children arranged natural items; layering and stacking to create drawings that would inspire a sculptural design.They then carved into soap to realise their own abstract sculpture. They were particularly interested in the negative spaces or ‘holes’ in Hepworth’s and their own sculptures. We discussed how the holes could be a viewing portal and everyone may see something different through them. This led to the children experimenting with clay to create their own wearable viewing devices. We looked at how your view can change when you look through a camera.
The children created some wild camera lenses for the Treehouse Studio iPads. We also travelled into space and explored the landscape from above through satellite cameras. The children created artworks from the beautiful colours, patterns, shapes and lines that they discovered.
The Sunroom have continued with their central idea, ‘Art can be used to explore the constructions that we wear’. Using clay as the medium, to inquire into practical and decorative wearable pieces. Artist Schenk-Mischke says, “[Ceramics are] handmade by default… They transport the handwriting of the maker.” The children have been leaving their own unique mark on the clay through rolling, embossing, carving and molding. They have created wonderful earrings, brooches, badges, bangles, rings, masks and beads for their decorative pieces.
The Peppercorn’s design studio is a hive of activity with the children creating the clothing of the future, (or at least for the rest of the year!) If you see some kids around Arlington wearing some really cool hand printed clothing it’s probably from the Peppercorn studios. They have been busy cutting out their stencils and screen printing their beautiful memories of, ‘What Preshil means to them’, onto their hoodies and t-shirts.
Claire Robertson and Debrah Brinkworth
Art Teachers
claire.robertson@preshil.vic.edu.au
deb.brinkworth@preshil.vic.edu.au