Year 10 Art

The Human Form

In this unit, The Human Form, students learnt about the significance of the human body as a genre within Visual Arts. They developed their own ideas for a sculpture through process drawings and, for the construction of their work, they selected materials such as plaster casting, clay, papier mache, wire, hebal block and found objects. Unfortunately, due to Covid and the necessity for remote learning, a number of works are currently incomplete.

Alisia Keramea

Beauty grows from within

Materials: metal mesh, wire, beads and tissue paper

Size: 36cm high, 40cm length, 20cm wide

My work js inspired by the challenge for people to focus on their beauty within rather than their outward appearance. Fortunately, positive body image within the media today, seems to be increasing as there are so many different body types presented. This helps people to build confidence with their outward appearance.

The lung structure, created from wire, is influenced by the film 'Five Feet Apart' featuring actress Lisa Perrin who, in the film, portrays a character with lung cancer. I used tissue paper to create the small flowers to represent growth and beauty. I also incorporated small coloured beads to resemble the pollen buds within the flower. My work shows that beauty can grow from within for everyone. A natural possibility that everyone has regardless of their circumstances.

Grace Cossins

The tree of life

Materials: metal mesh, wire, crystals and wood base

Size: 39cm high x 13cm wide

This body of work presents a wire constructed hand holding the Yggdrasil tree in its palm. The Yggdrasil tree, or 'tree of life', is a sacred symbol from Norse mythology that spreads throughout the universe and binds Earth, Heaven and Hell together. Yggdrasil represents the cycle of life, death and rebirth.

My work, 'The tree of life' communicates the irony that the health of the Earth's environment is actually in our hands. It is our actions and choices that affect the wellbeing of the Earth and hence the future of humanity. In reality the earth does not belong to us. We belong to the earth. We need the earth to survive. It doesn’t need us. To create a sense of connection between the Yggdrasil tree and the human hand I placed the tree on the palm of the hand and the roots of the tree travelling down the arm of the hand.

Teagan Pritchard

Layla Elphinstone

It's in our hands now

Plaster casting and material flowers

4 x (15cm to 30cm high) x (5cm to 10cm wide)

This work 'Its in our hands now' is made from plaster casting and material flowers. It shows the changing nature of the seasons and how nature is in our hands.

Zoe Daniels

Natural beauty

Styrofoam head, papier mache and material flowers

Approx 30cm high x 20cm wide

My artwork is based on natural and non natural beauty. The white side represents natural beauty that everyone has. The black side represents non natural beauty or the pain and suffering that people go through to make themselves look more beautiful. This is a growing problem especially for young women who are so influenced by social media when feel they have to look a certain way. I have used a styrofoam head for the base and covered it with papier mache to create the facial features. I then painted the head to create the contrasting colours.

Emily Turner

Anabel Onaghise

Work in progress

Abby Bond

Work in progress

Surrealism

This unit 'Surrealism' was adapted for online learning. Throughout this unit students explored a range of artists and their practice who created works focusing on the crazy world of the subconscious. For sure, during the 1920s and 30s the subconscious mind was the preferred subject matter for this group of artists, such as Salvador Dali and Rene Magritte. They, and the whole of Europe had endured the horrors of World War I and later World War II. Such atrocities visited then in their dreams at night! However, it was Sigmund Freud's famous book 'The Interpretation of Dreams' that provided them with a way to access the unconscious mind to create their mind bloggling works. Enjoy Year 10s creations below.

Juxtaposition is a technique used by Surrealist artists to create a sense of confusion in the mind of the viewer. Juxtaposition refers to combining elements that would not normally be seen together, or by placing them in an unfamiliar location. For example, Rene Magritte's 'Son of Man' shows a man, dressed in a suit and tie, standing straight with an apple levitating in front of his face. Another possible aspect of juxtaposition is the fact that the man in the suit is at the beach - perhaps not a usual sight either. Year 10 students have drawn scenes based on 1 or 2 point perspective to situate incongruent objects. Some students have also used Photoshop and photography to create their incongruent compositions. See their creations below.

Rene Magritte, The Son of Man

1946, oil on canvas, 116 x 89cm

Alisia Keramea

Grace Cossins

Layla Elphinstone

Beth Lambert

Holly Lollback

Teagan Pritchard

Keanen Cachia

Holly Lollback

Keanen Cachia

Grace Cossins

Alisia Keramea

Teagan Pritchard

Lorraine Pernia

Annabel Onaghise

Alisia Keramea

Teagan Pritchard

Keanen Cachia

Olivia Latin

Beth Lambert

Emily Turner

Holly Lollback

Layla Elphinstone

Metamorphosis is another technique used by the Surrealist artists. It is when one element changes into another. Salvador Dali was a master at using metamorphosis in his works as shown in his work 'Apparition of a Face and Fruit Dish on a Beach'. Are we looking at a face or a fruit bowl or part of the landscape? Year 10 have used metamorphosis in their own works to create that sense of the irrational in their own works.

Salvador Dali, Apparition of a face and fruit dish on a beach'

1938, oil on canvas, 115 x 144cm

Alisia Keramea

Grace Cossins

Beth Lambert

Keanen Cachia

Teagan Pritchard

Holly Lollback

'The False Mirror' is a Surrealist oil painting by René Magritte that depicts a human eye framing a cloudy, blue sky. In the depiction of the eye in the painting, the clouds take the place normally occupied by the iris. Year 10 students explored the artmaking properties of the humble oil pastel to create their own versions of Magritte's False Mirror.

René Magritte, T'he False Mirror' , 1928, oil on canvas, 54 cm x 81 cm

Alisia Keramea

Emily Turner

Keanen Cachia

Teagan Pritchard

Beth Lambert

Holly Lollback

Olivia Latin

Layla Elphinstone

Grace Cossins

Zoe Daniels

Portraiture the Surreal Way

In Magritte's portrait of his eccentric aristocratic friend Edward James, we cannot see the subject's face. What we do see is a man looking at his own portrait. In fact, Magritte painted many 'portraits' where the subject's face is obscured or hidden. Perhaps these works shouldn't even be considered as portraits. In reality, however, Magritte is making a statement. What he is really saying is that when you look at a portrait of someone, you’re not only looking at a picture of someone; you are actually looking at that persons from the perspective of the artist. So this is not Edward James, it’s an image of Edward James from the perspective of the artist.

René Magritte, 'Not to be reproduced , 1937, oil on canvas, 81cm x 65cm

Grace Cossins

Alisia Keramea

Teagan Pritchard

Layla Elphinstone

Holly Lollback

Grace Cossins

Keanen Cachia

Beth Lambert

Holly Lollback

Olivia Latin

Wollongong Art Gallery 'HOME' Competition

Year 10 Visual Art students submitted photography works to Wollongong Art Gallery's "HOME" competition to show aspects of being at home during Covid.

They explored this theme from a variety of perspectives - what it feels like to be at home, what are some of the special moments that they experienced that they would have missed if they weren't at home, getting to know family members a bit better while being at home, appreciating absent friends more, looking at aspects of home through an artistic eye. Below are some of their creations.