our stunning graduating class of 21' have handed in their bodies of work, and let us just say... we are amazed! through a world pandemic they created stunning pieces that reflect their talent, passion & individuality! well done too everyone in the year twelve visual arts class, we are left in awe of your talent. we wish you the very best for your hsc exams and for your journey beyond bethlehem college! enjoy...
–– wildflower team
ARTMAKING - Expressive Forms
✧
✧Citation✧
Artist: Yuuki Mae Casuncad
Title: “In a place far away from anyone or anywhere, I drifted off for a moment. – Haruki Murakami”
Year: 2021
Media: Drawing - gouache and pen
Size: ?
"
Creating my body of work was a really fun experience but I don’t think I'll be picking up a paintbrush again :)
Artist’s Statement
Haruki Murakami is world-renowned as a novelist of magical realist fiction whose works are built around an urge to explore and understand the inner core of the human identity. His heroes journey into a metaphysical realm – the unconscious, the dreamscape, the land of the dead – to examine directly their memories of people and objects they have lost. Echoing this, my artwork conveys the dilemma of Asian communities as they seek to grasp their cultural identities amidst a sea of racist views and attitudes of xenophobia. I wish to convey the sense of disconnection and alienation that the Asian communities have felt in their own countries through the dichotomy of real and imagined worlds which coexist in a single frame. The monotonous city landscape, a reflection of society’s nature, juxtaposes with the vivid, cultural symbols and imagery that exist only in one’s personal world. As these symbols encroach upon the city landscape which slowly fades away in the distance, a realm of solace and escape materializes before the audience’s eyes, allowing them to share in the experiences and aspirations of the Asian community. This particular aspect was influenced by Katsushika Hokusai and his technique of the contrast of near and far as seen in his artwork ‘Under the Great wave off Kanagawa’ with the large wave in the foreground that dwarfs the small mountain in the distance.
For the audience, my artwork provides an empowering and uplifting message of cultural acceptance and the significance of appreciating our origins. I drew influence from the artist Guan Wei and his artwork ‘The Journey to Australia’, namely his use of rich, cultural symbolism that is a product of his cultural heritage, which I aimed to emulate in my own artwork. In my artwork, my personal world is seen through the imagery that is a part of my Japanese heritage, communicating my perception of my culture. Just as Guan Wei interweaves an understanding of tradition and the past in the face of overwhelming global change today, my artwork does the same through the exploration of tradition within a contemporary setting.
✧
✧Citation✧
Artist: Alisha Chau
Title: When The Elements of The World Come To Life
Year: 2021
Media: Watercolour, pencil, resin
Size: A2 Canvas & ??
" "Do not leave things to the last minute!! You will be sleep deprived… "
Artist’s Statement
The elements of the world have always played a significant role in the creation of humanity, from our daily resources and to our worldly views, the elements have constantly surrounded humanity in all shapes and forms. In my Body of Work, I have chosen to represent the elements of the world - fire, water, air and earth as manifestations of their human forms. The four elements are represented by mediums including of, watercolour paints and watercolour pencils. The additional four resin pieces that support the artwork emphasise the symbolism of the pieces to represent the planet's relation and significance towards each painting. The connections that I have aimed to present between the relationships of the planets and elements emphasises the impact of how each planet’s individual energy links to an element of the world, showcasing the tones and energy of each one. Alongside the resin planet pieces I have supporting 3D pieces such as plants, tornados and water to indicate how the elements have further played a part in our environment. Adding the supporting pieces to my resin display, it allowed me to express how the elements are in various forms, from human forms, connections to planets and Mother Nature and to allow the audience to portray their own perspective on how the world elements relate to our world.
I was inspired to create an artwork under this topic of worldly elements as the rise of astrology and zodiac had reached society, the awareness of environment struggle & climate change along with how nature is delicate and our neglect and betrayal towards nature has a larger effect. Allowing me to explore further into the creation of nature and the connections that nature has with the universe and world, while emphasising how everything has an origin story. Overall my aim was to profoundly display how my portrayal and interpretation of such powerful elements can be brought to life through artmaking, which was thoroughly inspired by artists and their techniques such as Jim Warren and Brett Whitely. Both of their collaborations of human and nature in their artworks along with techniques of realism have truly allowed me to experience and explore my own interpretation of my body of work, ‘When The Elements of Nature Come To Life’. Jim Warren and Brett Whiteley have significantly inspired me to incorporate their painting styles and techniques along with inspiration of their colour palettes into my artwork, as the fine details in their artworks have allowed me to further explore, expand and experiment with my artmaking style and vision for my body of work.
✧
✧Citation✧
Artist: Lauraene Cruz
Title: Artist Days
Year: 2021
Media: Drawing
Size: A1?
"
I have more than 6 scrapped drafts for my major 🤠
Artist’s Statement
Artist Days, my digital art major piece, showcases how music can be a huge influence on mood, and can help boost one’s creativity, motivation and morale, and has a subtle underlying implication that highlights how influential mainstream media is. This work takes inspiration from four specific songs from the Demon Days album by Gorillaz; the centerpiece of the installation is an appropriated work of the album cover, while the side panels reflect the mood of each song by amplifying the emotions of the song through the characters’ facial expressions. Having obvious, direct eye contact with the audience also provides the viewers with a strong invitation to vibe with the mood of each panel with each character.
This installation has also been influenced by other digital artists that I look up to, that being Sugaryu and BigSkyCastle. By studying these artists’ techniques and unique stylistic choices within their artworks, I explore and better understand how their artmaking practices converge to create their unique art styles.
My intentions behind this project is to exhibit how music is influential, and to create an excited, anticipating mood; similar to the eager buzz among the crowd when a music concert is about to start. Each character personally invites the viewer to look at them one-on-one, welcoming them, but also displaying a slightly intimidating aura from the intensity of the eye contact held. This aims to elicit the same reaction that people feel when they see their favourite band in person; they’re excited and in awe, but slightly intimidated by them. The installation also evokes curiosity, almost calling out the words, “Hey, check us out!” to those that walk past it.
Artist Days is a humorous appropriation of pop culture that the audience may recognise because the album and the band are considered mainstream media. Due to this, it may also evoke camaraderie-like feelings among the people who do recognise the original band, as if sharing an inside joke. This supports the underlying idea that highlights and reveals to the audience just how influential mainstream media is, especially on a young audience like the one observing my installation
✧
✧Citation✧
Artist: Taryn Little
Title: Dhiinaa - The Honey Suckle Banksia
Year: 2021
Media: Collection of Works
Size: ?
"
My final copy of my major work accidently deleted 5 minutes before it was due…
Artist’s Statement
When you question your Aboriginality, you question your every connection to your community, your culture, your land and your people, everything that shapes and molds your identity.
I chose to make this piece, Dhiinaa - The Honey Suckle Banksia, as a form of healing, to remind myself that I do not have to comply or conform to a definition of who I should be as an Aboriginal person, a definition that was imposed on First Nations Australians since the time of colonisation.
In an effort to reset and decolonise my mindset, my Body of Work is an examination of imagery that represents family, community and self, these are the things that have formed my identity, including my traditional name in Gamilaraay language, Dhiinaa - meaning Honey Suckle Banksia, as apart of my piece and its title. The use of sensory objects celebrates the effect Aboriginal culture has had and will continue to have on my life. Salt engages the sense of taste - for the desert and the sea; the smell of the burning eucalyptus takes me to the country; the sound and scent of culture, the touch of nature through the leaves and emu feathers, rich colours from the earth.
Influential Artists such as Gordon Bennett and the Bangarra Dance company have had a significant impact on my Body of Work. Gordon Bennett’s use of sculpture and found objects inspired me to incorporate personally significant objects into my Body of Work as it creates a more holistic image of my concept. It is a postmodern approach to an artwork, inspired by Bennett and how he challenged traditional art making. The Dance Company Bangarras abstract and non-conforming movement based pieces inspired my choreography, their use of body in many of their performances, specifically their newest performance SandSong: Stories from the Great Sandy Desert, has influenced my nature based piece.
My Body of Work not only for myself, but for those young people all across Australia who often struggle with their identity as Indigenous peoples. I want them to be empowered by our Culture, to find strength within their connection, to stand proud and strong, to continue to share our stories through song, and dance, through art and spoken word. The purpose of this piece isn't to shame “White” Australia for their actions in the past, but to celebrate the strength and resilience of First Nations people and our contribution to society. I don’t want people to be sorry, what I want is for them not to forget, to learn and do better, for future generations.
✧
✧Citation✧
Artist: Proypilin Ginger Siri
Title: A Family Woven Together By Love
Year: 2021
Media: imitation gold leaf, acrylic paint
Size: 176 x 113 cm (16x24in, 15x30in, 10x20in, 12x16in, 10x10in, 12x12in)
"
I was still painting an hour before it was due, however, arrived with 20 minutes to spare 🕺
Artist’s Statement
Due to my Thai heritage and ever-growing interest in Japanese pop-culture, the influential combination of these two Asian cultures that both highly praise the values of respect, tradition and family found dissonance within my understanding of the morals prioritised within a much different Australian society. My body of work, “A Family Woven Together By Love” conveys the values of respect, tradition and family seen in these cultures which contrast with typical Australian principles, challenging the traditional values I’ve been raised within the Australian society.
The influence of Tamura Yoshiyasu inspired me to create juxtaposition between the distinctive modern anime art-style is illustrated through a variety of line thickness, exaggerated facial features, soft graduation of blush and flat color, and the traditional clothing and jewellery filled with detail, creating more depth and dimension to the dominantly flat piece. As these two beloved cultures dominate my artwork and my life, it showcases the rather minimal influence of Australian culture on my lifestyle. The warm colour palette, primarily of strong oranges, reds and golds, evokes a sense of comfort that invites the audience to reminisce about their own family. The use of gold leaf and gold paint on the artwork is influenced by Thai traditional art as it symbolises happiness and freedom; everything Thai culture has taught me to live by. Each canvas is a symbolic representation of the relationships in my family and the arrangement from top to bottom reveals the importance of these relationships to me.
✧
✧Citation✧
Artist: Rebecca Succar
Title: Memento Marie
Year: 2021
Media: Oil and Acrylic Paints
Size: 56 x 48 inches
"
I ordered a canvas online and it was 7 week late. So I bought a $60 canvas from officeworks. The canvas I ordered online came in the mail the next day…
Artist Statement
My Body of Work takes a critical view on the concept of Memento Mori, which was historically derived from the spiritual concept of an immortal soul, in a mortal world. Memento mori is a Latin term that translates to 'remember you must die'. This concept is often incorporated in Classical Christian artworks to convey the notion that life is temporary, and the insignificance of materialism in comparison to the afterlife. Although this was initially a Christian subject matter, modern artists, such as Andy Warhol have adopted this concept to communicate the idea of mortality in a contemporary, and secular manner. Moreover, the modern-world’s varying interpretations of Memento Mori have influenced me to target both a religious and secular audience.
Memento Mori, in my Body of Work, is particularly communicated through my appropriation of Elizabeth Louise Vigee Le Brun’s artwork, ‘Marie Antoinette with a Rose’, to encapsulate the mortality of luxury, in the material world-- as Marie Antoinette, a former Queen of France, is widely renowned for her vanity and her materialistic obsessions. The replacement of flesh with bones, the ghostly wilted garden, and tombstones in the background, are amalgamated to create a dour and eerie atmosphere. This subject matter of Memento Mori juxtaposed with the sitter in her lavish attire; Marie Antoinette.
✧
✧Citation✧
Artist: Annie Vatubua
Title: Aquatic Immersion
Year: 2021
Media: Textile
Size: n/a
"
Don’t procrastinate fr… I finished most of my embroidery at 4am on the due date.
Artist’s Statement
‘Aquatic Immersion’, is a textile piece that reveals the ocean’s depths and what hidden beauty inhabits the three main zones. The euphotic, disphotic and the aphotic zone. Each is portrayed in three of the seven embroidery hoops. The euphotic zone being the first layer of the ocean it receives the most light. Such organisms to inhabit this zone would be stingrays, most species of fish and an abundance of coral and other flora to mention a few. The disphotic zone however does not consist of as many species as the euphotic zone, flora and fauna wise. A creature that does however inhabit this zone would be a whale. As for the last zone being the aphotic zone it receives the least amount of light. The aphotic zone has the least amount of fauna and usually consists of scraps left from other organisms or rock formations. Though such creatures to survive amongst this zone would be species of squid, jellyfish and angler fish just to name a few. As for the other four hoops it portrays abstract aspects of the ocean in general to add an overall texture and a sort of fullness to the piece.
‘Aquatic Immersion’, was majorly inspired by the artist Janilaine Mainprise’s and their piece ‘Bouys’. Which features a series of hoops with mediums such as embroidery, acrylic paint and scrap pieces of fabrics all in the circumference of many embroidery hoops. With the similar use of a textile medium their pieces were definitely taken into consideration when developing ‘Aquatic Immersion’.
As for why I have chosen to base my piece off the ocean’s zones it is due to my growing obsession with the ocean’s secrets, flora and fauna. Curiosity to say the least is a major reason as to why I have so much love and passion for the ocean. I would hope that my piece, ‘Aquatic Immersion’ will help those who view this piece come to a realisation that the ocean is a natural wonder in need of rescue and appreciation to maintain its beauty.
✧
✧Citation✧
Artist: Zali Webb
Title: “A snapshot of my Webb pages within time”
Year: 2021
Media: Multimedia - paint and photos
Size: A3
"
I was so slow with my artmaking that I ended up completing bulk of the BOW the morning of the due date 🙃
Artist’s Statement
For my Body of Work I have decided to explore the concept of family and more specifically split households. It was something I experienced almost 5 years ago with the split of my parents. Something I find hard to express in words and it is not always easy to talk about. I often like to show people what I went through as it is easier to express my thoughts in art than in words. I was wanting to create my B.O.W based on something I knew and could relate to which would affect how I chose to present my artworks. It explores my relationship with each member of my family and each photo may represent that.
The series of 6 artworks are A3 sized and consist of a background painted by each family member along with layers of old and new photos forming the collaged background, and the greyscale portraits on top. I believe the audience will not know what my B.O.W is about unless they read the artist statement, the meaning behind my artworks is in how it is strategically placed in the order and the photos through the portraits backgrounds. When it is displayed I want the audience to come up and be able to have a closer look at what lies layered throughout the artwork and are able to view each family member painting from the photos at the beginning on the foam board, which they have been a big part in the process of my B.O.W. Each piece is different which is how I wanted it to be displayed to further contribute to how my relationship with each family member is unique and different. There are also the likes and dislikes of each person being combined within the photos. The audience will be able to see that some portraits have less images which could be a result of the age gap between me and the person or how often I may take photos with that person. The photos are in some form of chronological order. The older photos are printed in black and white to show the difference from past and present which is also the reasoning for my placement of the baby and older photos somewhere behind the portrait. This is symbolic of how the person they are now represented by the greyscale portrait on top has been shaped by their past and events. The portraits that are landscape have their baby photos behind them and they are looking into the present and future and the portrait ones have images placed around them. My portrait is a little different from the other 5 as it consists of family photos and my likes and dislikes, this is because I wanted to really show what was once a ‘whole’ family unit and the times in the past to how it is now with apart parents in two very different suburbs. The wedding photos of my parents are in colour which stand out amongst the black and white images which shows a time in the past when they were together holding a happy significance and then following into pictures of the 4 beautiful children that came out of that marriage. On the right hand side of my face I have placed the more recent family pictures with mum and dad away from each divided by my likes and dislikes to provide the focused idea of my concept of family and split households displayed across my individual portrait. My dad met a new partner and I wanted to display that idea in my artwork as a concept, but unfortunately a few months into the development of my B.O.W that relationship fell through so I had to alter my idea. I didn’t completely ignore that part of my life, I included a photo we had with her and her son when we first met her in my dad's section of images in my portrait as she has contributed to the image of what life can be like with split parents.
My inspiration was the Pop Art Movement and artists such as contemporary artist Johnny Romeo and Andy Warhol who was a highly successful, well known leading influential figure of the Pop Art movement in the 1960’s. I liked how they use the concepts of colour and framing of their subjects in the artworks to portray a meaning. How Romeo uses bold words that provokes meaning within the artwork relating to the painted subject, which is something I took on board for my artwork but in the form of images.
My Body of Work is something personal to me but is a shared experience for many people who may have experienced a situation like this before or another family situation. I want people to see it is ok to express your feelings in another way and make people aware that there are a lot more people who have split or divorced parents, you just don’t know about it because everyone's experience and situation is different or it is not talked about. I want it to be an ok subject to talk about, not everyone's life may be as perfect as it seems. It still displays the family unit full of love but just not in the ‘normal’ way society may define a traditional family even though there are many definitions now.
✧
Congratulations ladies! You overcame your hiccups and hurdles and submitted some amazing bodies of work that reflect your creativity, talent and perseverance. You should be proud of yourselves! Ms Farhart :)