Visual Arts  

Year 8 Art

In Year 8 Art classes, students have been collaborating to create and test drawing machines as part of their Drawing Folio assessment task. In groups, students researched various drawing machines and tools which they used as the basis to design their own workable machine. 

Students then built their own machines, some creating variations of spirographs and harmonographs. Some groups combined Lego and coding to produce machines which write, and others incorporated remote control cars to create interesting patterns and marks.

The task required students to problem solve and to apply physics and engineering in interesting ways. The drawings which resulted from each groups machines were as varied in their outcomes as each groups resourcefulness. Well done year 8s!

Christopher Henson

Visual Arts/Technology Teacher

VCE Art Creative Practice Excursion to the NGV

In week 7 of term 1, the VCE Art Creative Practice class ventured to the NGV to see the opening week of Top Arts 2024 and to explore highlights at the NGV Triennial.

The students first visited Top Arts 2024, where they were presented with a talk about central themes of the exhibition and given advice around how to best explore and refine their own Creative Practices at school. The group then had a folio viewing where they were able to assess how folios, created by previous year 12s across the state, can be used to document practices, express ideas, and tell readers about how their own artworks came to fruition. The visit was concluded with a walk around the Top Arts exhibition, where students had a chance to engage with works produced by last years Year 12s and gathered inspiration for their own practice. 

Following lunch, the group made there way to NGV International for the third iteration of the NGV Triennial exhibition. Out the front of the building, the class were greeted with David Shrigley’s humorous bronze sculpture Really Good. 

Inside the gallery, the students analysed a variety of artworks, discussing how meanings and messages are conveyed, how the artist applies art elements and principles, and evaluating how works are informed by contexts and the artists’ lived experiences. The class collectively discussed works by Vojtěch Kovařík and Li Lihong before exploring the levels of the Triennial by themselves. Some students found inspiration in the works by old masters such as Keely Halswelle and August Friedrich Albrecht Schenck, while others found contemporary pieces by Yoko Ono and Scotty So, made with new technologies, fascinating. 

The students returned to school with newfound inspiration and are diligently working on their creative practice folios, reflecting on the works they saw which inspired them and will continue to drive their Creative Practice for the rest of the year. 

A big thank you to Ms Madeline Rigoni for attending the excursion.

Christopher Henson

Arts/Technology Teacher

Artist of the Week

Each week we celebrate the work of enthusiastic artists: 

Ethan Siomos 8A

Ethan  completed this design artwork  as part of his  Class Assessment Task ‘ Introduction to Drawing' and students were asked to render three contour drawings using hatching or crosshatching, stippling and colour blending. Ethan chose stippling which is a drawing technique in which areas of light and shadow are created using nothing but dots.

'I used the stippling technique to fill in the chess piece during Visual Communication class. This strategy was done by first choosing a direction for the light source to reflect onto the image. I proceeded to carefully, somewhat painstakingly, plot down countless miniscule dots using a fine liner to create the 3D illusion I was striving for.

Taking me a few hours of commitment, and an unintentional nomination, I’m pleased to see my ambition and willpower pay off'.

Jessie Zhu 10H

 Jessie completed this drawing as part of her Year 10 2D Art Class Assessment Task ‘Visual Diary,’ in which she explored the concept 'Nightmares'.

'In this task, we had to create three final pieces that connected to our inquiry statement. For this piece, I used pen and ink to formulate a supernatural figure that we humans perceive as a ‘nightmare’. The use of skeletons reminds people about life’s fragility and the inevitability of death. With the use of shading with a fine liner, I was able to create a sense of darkness and add realism to the artwork.'

Jason Kwok 9H

Jason completed this design as part of his 9 Visual Communication Design Class Assessment Task, create an  ‘Interactive Game Plan design.’  

'The focus of this artwork was to create an interactive game by the technique of isometric drawing. Japanese culture is always fascinating, and their natural environments are gorgeous. So, I chose the theme of "Escape from a Japanese Jinja (shrine)." This work was created by using the coloured pencil to create harmonized tone and gradient. Also, by using fine liner to outline the important object and the game character "Suzuki Taka". I really enjoyed the process and how all the elements created this final piece'.

Helen Briffa

Visual Arts / Technology Teacher

Art Space - lunchtime creativity

This week in Art Space participants made 3-dimensional paper structures!! Students were given coloured paper, scissors and glue.  Some clever folds resulted in various abstract scenes with diverse shapes and forms, showcasing creativity!! 

Estelle Lau 

Arts Captain