Visual Arts
In preparation for our upcoming Photography and Film excursion to the Monash Gallery of Art and Jells Park to take analogue silver gelatin photographs, the Year 10 elective, explored traditional photograms in the darkroom.
Using light sensitive photographic paper, students brought items from home to carefully curate the composition for their darkroom photogram. An opaque object (eg. metal) will leave a white silhouette. A translucent object (eg. fabric) will leave a greyish shape. A transparent object (eg. glass) will leave a very light grey shape. Students explored this technique by evenly submerging their exposed photosensitive paper into the developer and by applying the developer using a sponge, spray bottle and using a paint brush creating an uneven development.
Continuing with the idea of camera-less photography, we used the flatbed scanner to create digital photograms, specifically, emulating the cyanotype. A cyanotype is traditionally made by placing objects on photographic paper and then laying the paper and objects out in the sun. The object would create a white silhouette on a blue background. However, we created digital cyanotypes. After scanning the plant based objects, students manipulated their work using Adobe Photoshop.
The final camera-less photography technique students used were scannergrams. The focus was on colour. Students used the flatbed scanner to scan their items which were similar or had opposing colours. Using Adobe Photoshop, students manipulated the scan to create artworks which created an eerie type of feel to their scans.
Feedback from our class:
Jayda Borg: I enjoyed applying the developer onto my photosensitive paper as I could do whatever I wanted. I loved watching it all come together.
Talia Mercieca: The experience in the darkroom has been different and enlightening. Usually, people expect perfection and consistency, however, this form of developing photograms challenged that idea, with its unique and broad forms that called you to be creative.
Kayla Toma: I enjoyed the uneven development because it was new and different and a new experience to enjoy in the time we were given. Got to express new skills that can be shown on the image. It was exciting to see different patterns.
Ava Woods: I enjoyed getting to make an abstract photogram by using the spray bottles and paint brushes etc. It was a great experience and the work ended up looking amazing!
Thursday 18 August was an exciting day for the Year 10 Painting and Printmaking students as they had an all day incursion with 2016 Archibald finalist, Daniel Butterworth.
In preparation for the incursion, students photographed a special person to them, someone they personally knew. Students selected their mother, a friend, themself or a sibling. They drew their cherished person in graphite to aid their understanding of tone and proportion. Then in oil pastel to deepen their understanding of colour and how to work quickly with the medium, as Daniel’s painting technique is quick with gestural brushstrokes.
During the incursion, students spent the first half of the day painting their important person on a flattened brown cardboard box- which is Daniel’s signature surface to paint on, using acrylic paints. The latter part of the day, students painted on large sheets of white card with a gold frame printed on them, which I sourced from the Warrnambool Art Gallery during the term 2 break.
It was such an amazing experience to watch our students paint in a technique that was completely out of their comfort zone. They did a brilliant job!
Feedback from students:
Today's class has been really fun and informative. It has helped me really improve my skills in painting. Overall it was a really wonderful experience. -Sophie Awad
Today’s class was really fun and entertaining as the painting was loose and you could do whatever you wanted as there are no real mistakes in art. It was really entertaining hearing all the words Daniel and what he had to say about his work. It worked out really well .
- Tanvir Hothi
Today’s class made me understand the meaning of art and how an artwork can express a meaning. - Naomi Love
We’ve had a lot of fun today, most of us managed to make quite a lot out of this experience. It was challenging to try out this new contemporary kind of art style, but nonetheless it was good fun for everyone. - Camryn Jessica Ogilvie
Fros Stabologlou
Visual Arts teacher