The Arts
Junior School Art
The Junior School art room is busy space. Term three has started with exploration of new artists, new mediums and new activities. Along with learning the craft, students are also getting the opportunity to understand concepts, formulate opinions and ideas, which in turn enables thinking and fosters a sense of wonder and curiosity.
To begin with, our most senior grade is learning about the English artist, David Hockney and iPads as a new medium to design. They were amazed to know that his famous artwork ‘The Splash’ sold for more than $29.8 million! Meanwhile, our grade four students are intrigued and awestruck by the vibrant, bold artworks of famous pop artist, Andy Warhol.
Moreover, the biography and collages of French artist Henry Matisse, have inspired and kept our grade three students busy experimenting with different shapes and colours. They are learning the art of ‘painting with scissors.’ Grade two students are also exploring artworks of a very famous Spanish artist, Joan Miro. His simple, abstract, surrealist works filled with stars, constellations and symbols are an inspiration to our young students.
Furthermore, you will find our diligent grade one students making colourful butterfly mobiles while demonstrating their knowledge of geometric patterns in their creation.
Finally, our preps have truly had a blast with ‘clay play!’ last week. Little kittens made of coloured clay, was a project passionately created by our youngest creators. Their handwork was much applauded and admired by peers as well as seniors.
Indeed, this is a promising start to the term and we anticipate many unique and inspired creations.
Middle School Art - Visual Art Vertical classrooms: Year 7/8/9 Colour theory
In this week’s class, students developed their understanding of basic colour theory and art appreciation. They were introduced to learning around the creative cycle – an ongoing process of sensing, planning, creating and evaluating work. Students worked with water colour materials, techniques and produced a colour wheel mixing colours only with primary colours. They were so engaged with their own exploration of material and problem solved through this challenging process.
Nick Karakottas
MYP Learning Leader and VCE Academic Leader (Arts & Design)
Elaborate Phase – Performing Arts
As part of the Elaborate Phase, students in Year 4 have been exploring the Musical Elements, Beat and Rhythm. They have experimented with different musical styles using voice and instruments and performed syncopated rhythm patterns using untuned percussion. During their Performing Arts session, students created an arrangement to the song, ‘The Poor Old Dog’ by Tim O’Brien using three different types of percussion. They performed the piece as a percussion ensemble, focusing on playing in tempo and with confidence. The end result was an engaging piece of Calypso music that showcased the students’ musical knowledge and skills.
Year 10 Performing Arts - Commedia dell’Arte Incursion
On the 20th July, 2023 the Year 10 Performing Arts students took part in a Commedia dell’Arte incursion with Make a Scene Theatre Arts Education. This opportunity enabled students to build their confidence and collaborative skills. In alignment with the Statement of Inquiry, Artistic expression can impact audiences across cultural and personal boundaries, students investigated into how this world theatre tradition has become the basis for many of contemporary comedies we enjoy today.
Students engaged in a series of improvisations where they used dialogue, action and mask to develop and perform specific scenarios (cannovacio). They inquired into the acting style of Commedia through an exploration of exaggerated gesture, movement and voice as well as the highly articulated physicality needed to embody mask. The students also examined the conventions, parody and satire, as well as the complex stock characters that live within this theatrical world.
The Year 10 students were open-minded and principled, conducting themselves confidently and expressively throughout the incursion. The curious and reflective nature in which they embraced new ideas and concepts was inspiring. Congratulations to our wonderful Year 10 Performing Arts students.
Rebecca Bettiol
VCE Academic Leader & MYP Learning Leader - The Arts (Acting)