Example 9

Exhibition
StudentC(HL)

CuratorialRationale
Mybodyofworkhasmovedthroughseveraldifferentideas,buttheyallrelatetothethemeofthecorruptionof
childhood.Ihavetriedtoexplorethisthemeinseveraldifferentways bylookingatbullying,inworkinspired
bythechildrenshomeinNepal,bylookingatsomeoftheimpacttechnologyishavingonthechildrenoftoday
andfinally,byexploringmyownchildhood,andhowpartofthenatureofthisperiodoflatechildhoodisthat
youareawarethatyourtimeleftasachildisshort.Myworkshaveincorporatedsculpturalandtextural
elementsandIveusedanumberofprocessestoadaptthemediumtomypurpose,suchasdeliberate
destructionofpartsofmypaintingsurfaceandtheincorporationofleavesandsoilintomypaint.IbeganIBArt
asaphotographer,andthishasbeenthebasisforthemajorityofmywork.Iusephotographicreferencesand
usuallyhaveaphotoshootbeforestartingapiecesoIhavetheimagetobasethepaintingon.
Mythreepiecesthatfocusaroundbullying,Feral1,Feral2andFeral3,wereinspiredbytheworkofEgon
Schiele.Thethemehetendedtoexplorewassexuality,butIchosetousehisstyletoexploresomethingmore
personallyrelevanttome,andlookatbullying.Iwantedtodepictthebulliesaspeoplewhowereboth
vulnerableandthreatening,becauseIthinkbulliesareoftentryingtohidethefactthattheyreafraidorhave
beenhurt.
Idevelopedthesepieceswiththeviewerfirmlyinmind.Iwantedthemeaningtocomefromobservation,
ratherthanfrompersonalrelevance,andsothefirstthingIconsideredwashowtoeffectivelycommunicatemy
meaningtotheviewer.IkeptthebackgroundsplaintoensurethatthefiguresstoodoutandIusedwarmearth
tonesforthebackgroundstomakeitfeelinvitingtolookat,whilethepeopleareshadedwithcoolbluesto
removeharmonywiththebackground.Idesignedthepeopletolookliketheywerereactingtoathreat,andsoI
placedthemonthecanvasinawaythatthethreatappearedtobestandinginfrontofthecanvas theirbodies
areangledwithbacksandelbowspointedattheviewerandtheyarestaringatthatpoint.

Visual arts teacher support material

Example 9

CuratorialRationale
ThenextgroupofpieceswereinspiredbytimeIspentinNepalformyschoolsprojectweek.Wespent
timeworkingwiththechildreninahomefororphansandchildrendisplacedbyotherunfortunate
circumstances.Iwasstruckbyhowuniversalsomeaspectsofhumanityare:wehadcomefromaprivileged
backgroundandthesechildrencamefrombrokenhomes,wewereeasilyabletomakefriendsandhavefun
withthem.IwantedtheworkIdidbasedonmytimetheretoportraythemasjustpeople,notaspeople
yououghttopityorfeelsorryfor.
Intheseworks,Iwantedtomaketheviewerfeelliketheywerentapartoftheexperience,theoppositeof
myintentionsfortheFeralpieces.Thepeoplearenotlookingdirectlyattheviewer;theyarelookingat
eachother.Iveusedblueandgreytonestomaketheimageslooklessinvitingandtomakethepeoplen
themappeartobemoreselfpossessed.
Mypiecesrelatedtomyownchildhood Matsubokkuri Koen,JuvenescenceandCollision have
incorporatedtexturalelementstomaketheviewingexperiencemoreinteresting.Ibroughtleaves,pine
conesandsoilbackfromtheforestdepictedandusedtheminMatsubokkuri Koen andJuvenescence.
Collisionisamoreabstract,impressioniststyle.Itlooksbetterfromadistance,whentheshapesstartto
looklikesomething,ratherthancloseupwheretheindividualdetailsdontmakesense.Ivepositionedit
onitsownalongthewesternwalloftheexhibition,sothattheviewercanstandatadistanceandfocusonly
onthispainting.

Wordcount:670

Visual arts teacher support material

Example 9

ExhibitionPhotograph

Myexhibitionspace
Ihavethenorthwallofthisroom,withspaceontheeastandwestwalls.Thewhite
backgroundandspotlightingarehelpfulformakingthepiecesofworkstandout
withoutdistraction.Thetwopiecesthatbenefitfromdistance CollisionandFeral
3 eachoccupyasinglewall.

Visual arts teacher support material

Example 9

Artwork1
Feral1
Medium:Acryliconwoodenboard
Size:89x59cm
ThiswasthefirstworkIdidusingacrylicand
depictsavictimofbullying.InspiredbyEgon
Schiele Iusedroughtextures,lightlayersof
paintandchoppybrushstrokestocreatea
senseofconstantuneasymovement.The
distortedanatomy,texturedskinandmixof
earthtoneshelptomakethepersonlook
moreanimalistic.Iwantedhimtolooklikehe
wasafraidandvulnerable,buttoalsoconveya
certainamountofmenace togiveoffthe
feelingthathewaslikeawoundedanimal
whomightsnapifyoutriedtohelp.

Visual arts teacher support material

Example 9

Feral2
Medium:Acryliconwoodenboard
Size:109x35cm

Artwork2

SecondinthebullyingseriesinspiredbySchiele,thispaintingusesa
lotofthesametechniquesasthefirst.Ivetriedtocreatesome
uncertainty youdontknowifthepersonportrayedisbullyorvictim,
reflectingthefactthatoften,bullieshavelearnedfromotherbullies.
Thegirlspostureisdefensive:shehasherbacktotheviewerandher
armscrossed.Shespositionedsothatpartofherbodyiscutoffby
theedgeofthepainting,whichmakesthecompositionmore
asymmetricalandmoreoffbalance.Therestrictedpaletteof
opposingcolours warmorangesandcoolblues alsohelpstocreate
asenseofdisharmony.

Visual arts teacher support material

Example 9

Feral3
Acryliconwoodenboard
80x245cm

Artwork3

Ifollowedonfromtheotherpaintingswiththisone,in
whichIreallytriedtousescaletogetacrosstheemotionof
thepiece.Iwantedtheviewertofeelliketheywere
threatenedbythefigureinthepainting,becauseIdidnt
thinkthetwosmalleroneswereeffectiveinthatrespect.
Ivefocusedontheeyestomakeitfeelliketheyrestaring
downatyou,andusedthesizeofthispaintingtoenhance
thefeelingofmenace.Thispicturehasthemostdistorted
anatomyofthethree,andIthinkisthemostthreatening
andtheleastvulnerable.Whenyoustandinfrontofthis
portrait,itfeelsphysicallythreateningbecauseitlooms
aboveyou.

Visual arts teacher support material

Example 9

Breakthrough
Acryliconcanvasandink
41x80cm

Artwork4

ThiswasinspiredbyapiecebyanIndonesianartist,
Wahyu Widiyanto.Ispenttimevisitingchildrenina
homeinNepal,andtheparadoxoftheartpiece,in
whichthedepictionofthesmilingchildwasripped,
remindedmeofthosechildren.Iuseda
photographofachildItookduringthatweek,
rippedit,andusedcharcoaltodominatethe
compositionandaddtothesenseofdestruction
andcorruptionsurroundingthechild.

Visual arts teacher support material

Example 9

Moments(Series)
Photographs,inkjetprint
117x28

Artwork5

I am drawn to series: I like the storytelling potential of a single piece of work that is made up
of lots of individual ones. I looked at the work of Richard Avedon, who uses stark white
backgrounds to isolate the subjects of his portraits. This focuses the photograph strongly onto
its subject and puts the focal point onto the face, which makes it easier to use the eye line of
the people in the photographs as the method of leading the eye between individual shots.
This series has a flow of movement and is not just static individual shots.

Visual arts teacher support material

Example 9

Artwork6
NepaliGirls:Sunita &
Susmita (Diptych)
Acryliconcanvas
100x120cm
Jan Schlegel is another photographer
who designs his photographs to
isolate the subjects within the frame.
He photographed members of
indigenous tribes across Africa and
Asia and I like the way the isolated
composition and muted colour of the
photographs helps to take away any
sensationalism of people in very
different clothing than the viewer
might be used to. I wanted to get
some of the same across: the girls I
painted are from very different
backgrounds to me, but they were
still people and I could still connect
with them. The girl at the top is
looking at the one at the bottom,
who is looking out at the viewer,
helping to make the painting
dynamic.

Visual arts teacher support material

Example 9

Symptoms (Series)
Watercolourpaper,inkjetprint,coffeepowder
125x34cm

Artwork7

IbeginbylookingatVictorianmedicalimages.Iwantedtodepictthesymptomsofsocietys
technologyaddiction.Theimagesdepictthedeterioriation ofnature,aphantomlimbto
suggestthewaypeoplefeelwhentheyaccidentallyleavetheirphoneathomeandvarious
imagestosuggestthewaytechnologyisolatespeoplefromsociety.IusedPhotoshopto
createthelookofsaltprintingandprintedthemonwatercolourpaperthatIdstainedwith
coffee.
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Example 9

Artwork8
Wired(Series)Photograph1
Phototransferredtocanvas,
acrylicpaint,wires,
computercables
71x84cm
OneoftheimagesIusedfor
Symptomwasofawomanwith
herbacktothecamera.I
transferredmyphotographs
ontocanvasesandrubbedbits
off,tosuggestthedisintegration
oftheselfasshebecomes
wrappedupinwires.Ilikedthat
imageandsotooksome
photographstouseinaproject
withasimilarmotif.Thispiece
wasinspiredbyValerieHegarty,
whousesalotofdifferent
mediaandinstallationpieces,
andwhoseworksalwayshavea
senseofdynamicism and
isolation.

Visual arts teacher support material

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Example 9

Wired(Series)Photograph2
Phototransferredtocanvas,acrylicpaint,wires,computercables
145x38

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Example 9

Artwork9
Juvenescence (Diptych)
Acryliconcanvas,cottonthread,pinecone
56x30cm

Imovedawayfromtechnologyandonto
childhood.Iandmyclassmatesarefacingthe
endofschoolandthestartofuniversity,sothe
fearofgrowingupisabigdealforusrightnow.I
wantedtocreateaportraitthatlookedlikea
Victorianchildhoodportrait,becausethestyleof
themlookssoprimandsedate.Thethreads
showthatthingsunravelinourlivesasweget
older,andwedliketohangontothestringsof
thethingsthathavegonebefore.Thepinecone
isfromtheforestIalreadypainted,includedasa
symbolicartefactofmychildhood.

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Example 9

Matsubokkuri Koen
Acryliconcanvas,watercolour,pinecones,pineneedles,driedleaves
41x123cm
January2012

Artwork10

Iusedtovisitthisparkasachildtopickuppinecones.ItsasmallparkbutwhenIwasyoung,I
feltlikeitwasenormousandsoItriedtofocusondepthtoportraytheinfinitefeelingofsizethe
parkgaveme.IwasinspiredbyEuclide,whousesablurringtechniqueinhislandscapestohelp
bringinthesenseofdepth.IincorporatedleavesandpineconesfromtheforestinJapanto
bringthepiecealittleclosertoit,andtobringinsomeinterestingtextures.

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Example 9

Collision
Oiloncanvas
100x70cm

Artwork11

Istartedthiscourseasaphotographerand,Ihope,endeditasapainter.Ididnotuseaphotoasthebase
forthispiece.Iwantedtotrysomethingmoreabstractandtoexperimentwithoil,whichIhadnotused
before.Thispaintingislooseandabstract,usingimpressionisttechniquesofloosebrushstrokes,lightingand
earthtonestosuggesttheideaofalandscape.IfKien issymbolicofmychildhood,withitsrealistic
depictionofaplacewhereIspentsomuchtime,Collisionissymbolicofmyadulthood:Icanonlyseeanidea
ofwhatitisgoingtolooklikefromadistance,anditisundefinedanduncertain.
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