Mixed Media - combining mediums in an individual context
Cultivating students unique artistic style
As students gain confidence with traditional methods of art making, they start to establish personalised art-making techniques and can thoughtfully integrate various mediums as necessary.
To achieve this students engaged in the development of a series of artworks that address a theme or issue of their choosing.
The structure of this unit of work was as follows:
- Investigate their selected theme or issue, delving into the most pertinent concepts associated with it.
- Research artists who have either explored the same theme or issue or have utilised the mediums they are interested in employing.
- Experiment with their chosen mediums and materials for their artworks within their portfolio, meticulously documenting their process and discoveries.
- Strategise the creation of artworks that will be included in the series.
- Produce their artworks, capturing their process through photography or videography in their digital portfolio.
- Design and organise a mini exhibition to display their artworks, accompanied by an artist statement that elucidates their process and decisions.
Glass Fusing - cut glass, melted in the kiln
Contemporary art method - visually pleasing final artworks
Glass is carefully cut into a chosen design and subsequently subjected to high temperatures in a kiln, resulting in the creation of a fused glass artwork.
Students engage in the planning and creation of an original artwork by employing glass fusing techniques. This involves cutting and layering glass pieces to form a design of their choice, followed by the process of fusing the glass in a kiln.
In this unit of study, they:
- Investigate glass as an artistic medium and learn about the safety measures necessary for its use in art-making.
- Study artists who utilize glass in their creations, which includes a field trip to a local artist's studio where the artist demonstrated his work and techniques.
- Develop their own original designs through comprehensive sketches and annotations.
- Produce small test pieces to gain familiarity with the medium.
- Record their artistic process.
- Complete their original artwork.
- Contemplate the use of glass as a medium.
Initially, a local artist served as an artist in residence, collaborating with the students in the art room. Selected students were given the opportunity to present their artworks at a community art exhibition known as The Festival of Glass for two consecutive years, thereby fostering strong community connections.
Community Art Installations
Collaborative art making - connecting with the community
Students have been provided with opportunities to plan and execute collaborative artworks for local art exhibitions, installations, and memorials. They have also participated in fundraising art exhibitions for not-for-profit organizations.
Students must collaborate to plan and design their installation artworks based on the requirements of the community group. They experiment with different mediums, sketch ideas, and construct their installation artwork based on feedback from the teacher and the community group, adhering to a strict deadline for exhibition.
Some installations in which students have participated include:
- Cancer Council Australia - Students designed and painted surfboards for exhibition and auction, with proceeds donated to charity.
- ANZAC Memorial - Students created a series of clay poppies that were installed on the wall beneath the memorial artwork for the ANZAC Day celebration.
- Geelong After Dark - For three consecutive years, students created temporary glow-in-the-dark artworks as part of a community art project in the streets of the City of Geelong, allowing the broader community to view and engage with them. Each year, they were given a specific theme to respond to.
- Festival of Glass - A glass artwork festival organized by the local community, where students exhibited their individual art pieces.
- School art exhibitions - A specific installation was created for each art exhibition and constructed on-site for the duration of the art show.
Skateboard Deck Design
Responding to a design brief
Students were tasked with a design brief to develop a limited edition skateboard deck for a company. They engaged in the design process to produce unique designs tailored to specific clients. Subsequently, they implemented their designs onto skateboard decks utilizing both traditional and digital techniques.
They were required to:
- Conduct research on existing designs relevant to the prospective client.
- Determine the target audience for their specific design.
- Adhere to the steps of the design process, engaging in regular consultations with their client and making adjustments based on feedback.
- Develop a design plan that aligns with the provided design brief.
- Experiment with various mediums and techniques for creating their artwork, such as spray paint and Posca pens.
- Observe safety protocols when utilising spray paint.