VISUAL ARTS

SCULPTURE

Term 3 has seen the start of our enthusiastic Semester 2 Sculpture students creating Cubist inspired sculptures. The sculptures are made from cardboard and other materials. Student ideas and designs have evolved from observational drawings of musical stringed instruments and have been inspired by the work of Picasso and Braque and the Cubist art movement.  

Tracy Griffith

Visual Arts Teacher

In sculpture, we have been designing and making sculptures, taking inspiration from Cubism. They are monochromatic cardboard sculptures that are meant to resemble broken guitars that have been assembled into new, more mind-bending forms. Some of us drew real guitars and then used tracing paper to help us create a drawing that appears more fractured, and some of us simply decided to dive in headfirst. We all have made changes along the way, as we find out what works and what does not, and we have been taking pictures throughout the whole process. There are some very talented people in this class, and I am excited to see what everyone creates. 

Vivienne Bernstein, Year 9

The guitar sculptures we've been making in class are made from cardboard and other materials we've chosen individually. For example, the materials I've chosen for my guitar were: white rope as strings, black tape and little pieces of wood for the taps, thicker cardboard and more. Although the materials are important, we need to make it in a Cubist form. We need to "mix and match" in a way but with it still having to look like a guitar. Overall, I've enjoyed doing this project.

Natalia Hysenaj, Year 9

In Sculpture, we've been creating and drawing abstract styles and artworks like Picasso, creating cubist-inspired guitar sculptures out of various types of materials such as cardboard, foam, nets, wire, and tape. This elective not only deepened our understanding of three-dimensional art but also allows us to explore new ways of creativity in fun ways. I definitely recommend it! 

Nesha Dona Gabadage, Year 9

YEAR 9 CERAMICS

This semester in Ceramics, we have been collecting research about Sara Sink’s ceramic creations, Wallys. Wally are anthropomorphic ceramic animals; they are all in a human-like stance and each one has something unique about them. Through our research we have taken inspiration from one or more of her Wally’s to create our own and have documented it in our ceramic digital diary. 

After the drafting process we started to learn and use skills about clay to create our ideas, through the last two weeks we have made and put together pinch pots, mini pinch pots, different body parts and accessories to create our Wally.

Emma McArthur, Year 9

Why should students learn Ceramics? 

We learn about ceramics in school because it's a fun way to explore art and creativity while also learning about the structure, sculpting and thoughts while making it. I believe its highly therapeutic as we mould the clay for long periods of time, thinking of the structure and it is such mindful hobby. 

A long day of schoolwork and ending the last two periods off with ceramics helps me relieve my stress! Making ceramics helps us understand how people in the past created useful and beautiful objects from clay. It’s also a great way to develop our hands-on skills and express ourselves by shaping and decorating our own unique pieces. Plus, working with clay can be really relaxing and rewarding!

Chloe Yang, Year 9

YEAR 7 ART CLUB - LIBRARY PROJECT UPDATE

Hello McKinnon students! 

In Year 7 Art Club, (every Thursday at lunchtime in T7) we have just finished creating two of the letters of the word ‘R E A D’ which will be displayed in the library. For this project, we made each letter fit into a theme - Sci-fi (R), Flora & Fauna (E), Geography & History (A) and Comics (D). We'd love more students to join us to bring this project to life, so if you’re interested, please contact Mrs Garcia.

Being part of this club has really pushed me to explore new techniques and ideas, the growth and creativity within our club have been truly inspiring. Watching everyone develop their skills and come together for our projects has been a highlight of my year. I’m excited about our upcoming projects and look forward to seeing where our collective creativity takes us.

Hope to see you there!

Jana Bryant, Year 7