Visual Arts Faculty

From the Co-ordinator of Visual Arts

Year 10 Visual Arts and Photography and Digital Media Biennale Excursion

On Wednesday 23 May, Year 10 Visual Arts and Photography and Digital Media students had the opportunity to visit the Biennale at the White Bay Power Station in Balmain, one of the most recognised landmarks of the precinct. Constructed between 1912 and 1917 it was originally constructed to power the rail network and is now heritage listed to be transformed into a community centre with a focus on arts and culture. The Biennale is only on every two years. 

This year’s theme is ‘A thousand Suns’ Students were split into groups and took part in a tour of artworks and a workshop each. The Visual artists studied the work of the all-female collective Orquideas Barrileteras, whose giant kites are created for the Festival de Barriletes Gigantes in Sumpango, Sacatepequez. Students discussed the Mayan cultural context from which the kites originated and their connection to the Latin American Day of the Dead/All Saints Day traditions, as a tradition to rid the area of evil spirits and extended this thinking to consider the kite as a modern reinterpretation of an artform to communicate such political and social messages. Students constructed their own kites working in small groups looking at current local and national issues, using the kite as an aid for expulsion. 

The Photography and Digital media students studied the work of Serwah Attafuah, focusing on the digital worlds she creates, a cross between Visual Arts and Science Fiction. Students worked on creating their own worlds, considering what their worlds could look like, feel like and who would live in them as well as the message that would be communicated and how this would be done. Lots of fun, engagement and starting points for future projects. Thank you to Miss Wenman, Miss Rawlinson and Miss Stubley for giving up their time to offer this wonderful experience.

Young Archies Success

Congratulations to our very own artist Josie who has been named a finalist in the Young Archie Portrait Prize exhibition for 2024!

The Art Gallery of New South Wales had a record breaking 4000 students enter this year with 70 works being selected. You will be able to see Josie’s portrait of her godfather Phil among all of the finalists exhibited at the Art Gallery alongside the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prize from the 8th of June to the 8th of September, with the winners being announced on the 27th of July.

Phill is my godfather. He has always been a voice of calm and positivity for me. His family ancestry is from the Wiradjuri people of NSW and from County Kerry in Ireland. A former artist and intensive care paramedic, he recently completed his PhD in Aboriginal Child Health Education at age 81. Phill has encouraged me to keep pushing myself and has been there to advise me on projects that have gone astray, encouraging me to accept any perceived flaws as learning opportunities. Importantly, as an artistic mentor, he has always encouraged me to embrace my artistic individuality.

Josie (C10)