To help students form a better understanding of the studio process we like to show them how and where artworks are made and to take them to galleries to see these works on display. With this in mind, I thought I would share with you a number of different experiences the students have had this semester.

Years 10,11 and 12 visited the highly acclaimed NGV: Triennial, an exhibition that showcased contemporary art practices and engaged audiences to participate or be involved in the artworks themselves. The students enjoyed the interactive aspects of many of the exhibits, especially the work of designer Toshiyuki Inoko of Team Lab, Moving creates vortices and vortices creates movement, where they entered the darkened gallery space. Their movement was tracked, thus creating a vortex of light projections on the gallery surfaces. They loved applying a flower to Yayoi Kusama’s Flower Obsession installation, which by the end of the exhibition was covered in flowers, distorting our perspective of the space within each room. They gained a great deal of inspiration by visiting this exhibition as well as an understanding about how galleries commission work, especially for major exhibitions.

Ten students participated in the Italy Study Tour, working in Prato on a three day printmaking workshop and exploring the remarkable cities and galleries of Italy. Much of what they learnt and experienced they have put to great use back in the studios at school.

Prior to Year 8 going on their trip to Central Australia, the art staff organised a visit to the National Gallery of Victoria to learn about Indigenous art. They explored traditional indigenous artworks as well as the current exhibition Colony, which looks at contemporary Indigenous art making. The staff on the Central Australia tour noted how engaged and willing the girls were to share what they had learned at the gallery. It was great for us to see how this background knowledge enhanced the experience for the girls, especially when they visited communities and art centres.

Visual Communication Design and Media students visited Top Designs, to view work in a variety of media and gain knowledge for their own work. They were delighted to see Ingrid Crossing’s (’17) work showcased in the exhibition. Media students also explored Melbourne, photographing buildings and architectural features as part of their photography task.

Year 12 Studio Arts students are required to visit a variety of galleries as part of their studies and so they recently visited Australian Galleries in Collingwood to view the work of John Wolseley, a contemporary artist who looks closely at our impact on the environment. They learnt a great deal about the art industry and how a commercial gallery functions.

More recently, the Year 10 Art students went to Shoreham to visit the studio and gallery of Heather Ellis. Heather has been commissioned to create a sculpture for the new Barbreck building, so the girls enjoyed the opportunity to see an artist’s process from the brief, initial drawings and small maquettes to a life size sculpture nearly ready for casting. Heather shared her working method and the girls were astounded to learn that she has spent more than five hours a day over a few months on the project. It highlighted to them that creating works takes time: time to develop ideas, time to improve techniques and time to refine, which is something that often frustrates them at school. It was lovely to see them interact with Heather and understand that there are opportunities to work as an artist. The students will work with Heather next semester to create small sculptures, visiting a foundry to see the process for casting a bronze and to see the school commission in the final stages of creation.

As teachers, it is rewarding to see how these experiences lead the students to develop a deeper appreciation and love for art. By visiting such wonderful museums as the National Gallery of Victoria, the Uffizi in Florence, the Melbourne Museum or Australian Galleries, they gain an understanding of the important role that art plays in the culture of a society.

Mrs Brigid Weereratne
Head of Arts