Welcome to the Visual Arts Department
We give great thanks to the students, staff, parents and supporters of Visual Arts for their inspiring creativity, tireless work and continual support.
Each of our classrooms is dedicated to a specific media area and each member of staff teaches within their own area of experience and specialisation; Mr Ian Randall – Painting, Mr Paul FitzGerald – Digital Media and Ms Cassie Delavere – Sculpture. All programmes are developed to reflect both traditional and contemporary artmaking practice.
In 2006 ...
Year 7 students rotate through each of the studios gaining first hand experience in a range of materials, technologies and equipment. The students always respond well to using “real” oil paint and the latest digital cameras. Mr Randall’s students each produced an Impressionist inspired still life painting, Mr FitzGerald’s a manipulated ‘dada’ Digital Image and Ms Delavere’s an installation sculpture using everyday objects and places. The artworks produced by the students were of exceptional standard which we were proud to display at the Year 7 Creative Arts Evening. It was pleasing to see the number of Year 7 students who entered works in the Head of School, Religious Art Prize for the first time with the prize being awarded by Perrin Knight for an accomplished oil painting of the Good Samaritan.
Year 8 students complete two units of work each a semester in length. This enables student to focus on a particular artwork over a long period of time to create artworks of a larger scope. The programmes are designed to expand their skills and knowledge base from the previous year. In the painting studio students created artworks inspired by the Australian painters Arthur Streeton and Jeffrey Smart. Our painters have also took advantage of our new digital technologies. In the Digital Studio the students created a digital portrait inspired by David Hockney and developed an original cartoon characters. In sculpture, the students created a wax cast of their own faces and a soft sculpture inspired by contemporary artist Annette Messager. The Year 8 Religious Art Prize was awarded to Christopher Davies for an inspired and humorous clay animation.
Year 9 students developed an extensive artmaking practice in the field of sculpture as they work on many projects from public memorials to environmental installations. The highlight of the year was a series of sculptures, collections and installations exploring the “art of memory” and family. These works were exhibited at the Year 9 Creative Arts Evening. Students who attended Waterslea had the privilege of spending a number of days at Arthur Boyd’s property “Bundanoon” creating earth based sculptures inspired by the British artist Andy Goldsworthy.
Year 10 students studied the annual Archibald Prize at the Art Gallery of NSW. Each student created a large scale portrait either in oils or, for the first time, photography of an influential person in our society. This continues to be a rewarding programme with the excitement of working alongside the hype of the annual exhibition. The students works were exhibited at the Year 10 Creative Arts Evening with major prizes being awarded to Jacob Mitchell, Humphrey Westgarth, Page Sinclair and Dimitrios Tzabazis. In Second Semester students worked on a Contemporary Art Project. Students each developed a series of works in a number of media areas inspired by contemporary issues and the works of contemporary artists. During our studies we visited the 2006 Sydney Biennale at the Museum of Contemporary Arts. The Year 10 Religious Art Prize went to Nicola Penn.
Year 11 students were engaged in the personal pursuit of a Preliminary HSC ‘Body of Work.’ Students considered their own skills, interests and aims for their final year. They applied themselves in the study of an artist, observing their artmaking techniques and their particular art theoretical approaches. It was astonishing to see the range and quality of works developed and the many themes the students explored. James Chappell created a significant series of photographs exploring environmental degradation. Alex McKenzie and Timothy Playford explored photographically our urban environments. Gabriella Suhanic and Alyssa Anaimugan created a series of drawings dealing with figures in cerebral worlds. We were delighted to exhibit their works at the Year 11 Creative Arts Evening.
Year 12 students successfully completed their HSC ‘Body of Works’ which were celebrated the Year 12 Creative Arts Evening. Many remarked on the vast range of artworks, subject our students expressed and countless hours of dedication and creative fervour. We were delighted that two students were nomination for ArtExpress. Tymon Langford created a remarkable series of drawings and photographic images called “Leaving the Asylum: 1978” which commented on changes to Mental Health policies in NSW. Jackson Milas develop an evocative series of haunting photographic images called “In the twilight I see”. His works explore that moment of transition from day into night.
Mr Ian Randall
Head of Visual Arts
