Director’s Foreword
The annual event in the Art Gallery of WA’s calendar, Year 12 Perspectives once again showcases the work of graduating students who have displayed great talent, maturity and a depth of engagement with the world around them—a significant achievement during the final year in high school. The selection panel of Lisa Bowden from the School Curriculum Standards Authority of Western Australia; artist and past Year 12 Perspectives finalist Abdul-Rahman Abdullah; and AGWA’s Associate Curator Projects Dunja Rmandić had the task of choosing the works that—within the constraints of current curriculum guidelines—contained elements of technical prowess, conceptual thinking and aesthetic originality. The fifty-eight selected works provide a window onto the private, social and artistic concerns that young people have in their minds and amongst which they strive to find their place in the world. War, domestic violence, body image perceptions, family, spirituality, and other pertinent social and political issues all feature strongly this year, and are a testament to the strength of conviction of our young people.
I would like to congratulate and thank all the teachers, families and friends who have supported the participating students with encouragement, guidance and assistance. My thanks also to our Education Sponsors: the Department of Education; School Curriculum and Standards Authority; and Catholic Education of Western Australia for their wonderful support. Acknowledgement also goes to all Gallery staff involved in the project including Year 12 Perspectives curator Dunja Rmandić and Assistant Registrar Tanja Coleman for their efforts in facilitating yet another successful edition of this special exhibition. During your visit I hope you will enjoy the work of the next generation of artists as much as we do. Stefano Carboni Director
Darcey Schouten Timber 2015 (detail)
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Minister’s Foreword
The annual Year 12 Perspectives exhibition is one of the Art Gallery of Western Australia’s most anticipated events. Now in its 24th year, the exhibition continues to highlight the impressive talent of the State’s graduating visual arts students, and promote visual arts in Western Australia. Works by 57 artists have been chosen for this year’s award from 323 submissions. Encouraging creativity remains a cornerstone of our State’s education system and I am pleased to see so many submissions from right across Western Australia, including 20 from regional schools. This exhibition presents a unique opportunity for these young artists to share their view of the world with the broader public. I acknowledge the valuable contribution of families and educators, who provide the necessary support to allow the talent, confidence and creativity of these young adults to grow. I congratulate all the students whose work is presented in this year’s Year 12 Perspectives exhibition. It is a privilege to have your work displayed in the State Art Gallery, and I encourage you to share this experience with your friends and family. John Day Minister for Culture and the Arts
Zoey Portilla Look at me 2015 (detail)
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Aleisha Allen Swan Christian College The story unfolds 2015 graphite on found book pages and plywood three parts: 64 x 136 cm (overall) I believe your identity changes with age and maturity. I want this artwork to send a positive message to the audience. People continually learn, change and grow from their life experiences. It is my belief that people don’t need to be defined by their past. We continue to grow and can become whatever we want to be in life.
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Amber Baldock Mindarie Senior College Confidence, strength 2015 graphite on board three parts: 42.5 x 32.4 cm each My work consists of three people who have each influenced my point of view. Billie Joe Armstrong, the confident, outgoing front man of the controversial band Green Day. My mother, a strong, independent and resilient woman. And Ashton Irwin, the drummer in 5 Seconds Of Summer, a down-toearth individual, who appreciates however much or little he has. Even though they each have their own personality, when put together they form someone else. This is my self-portrait.
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Lisa Baxter John XXIII College Memoir of our culture 2015 pastel on card with digital print 87.3 x 79.2 cm In Australia, domestic violence is found across all cultures, ages and socio-economic groups, however the majority of those who experience these forms of violence are women. One-in-three Australian women have experienced physical violence since the age of fifteen and as of 2015, an average of two women per week are killed in incidents of domestic violence. The use of the altered Google search bar with the astrological male symbol rather than the search symbol, depicts the way deeply sexist notions, such as women’s need to be ‘disciplined’, ‘know their place’ or be ‘slaves’, which are often seen as outdated views, are still prevalent today. The addition of the result ‘women should be equal’ is representative of the ideal equality we strive for, however this is laced with irony through the use of the phrase ‘I’m feeling lucky’, demonstrating that there is still a long way to go before this is accomplished.
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Zoe Bell Penrhos College Left behind 2015 graphite on paper and inkjet print on foam core two parts: 63 x 50 cm; 14 x 20 cm Humans have become dependent on technology to see the world as it is. In this respect, the ederly population is being left behind in an ever-changing world where machinery and innovation override the simplicity of a previous way of life. The beauty of age cannot always be seen at first glance. Thus the use of inverted reality in my piece demonstrates the way in which something can be more than what it appears on the surface.
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Merette Boutros Churchlands Senior High School A bitter peace 2015 (detail) paperclay, acrylic paint fifty-two parts, dimensions variable I am terrified that the human race is able to turn a blind eye to suffering until it directly affects them. Though it may appear alien, an octopus expresses fear by excreting a poisonous black dye from its ventouses in self-defence. I have made fifty-two octopi to represent each week of the year. One octopus is different. This one octopus has died simply due to our ability to overlook the damage we are inflicting on the world around us.
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Imogen Bradbury John Curtin College of the Arts CF lungs 2015 ceramic, lights, steel pipe, MDF 184 x 81 x 79.5 cm (variable) My uncle, who turned fifty-four this year, has suffered cystic fibrosis all his life and was not expected to live beyond the age of thirteen. The concept for my piece came about when he was put on the lung transplant list late last year. Each pair of lungs symbolises a stage of his journey. The purpose of this artwork is to translate my uncle’s journey into something visual and in doing so, convey how fragile and vulnerable the human body is.
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Gabrielle Butler Geraldton Grammar School Submerged 2015 oil on canvas 122 x 91 cm Children are beautiful because they possess something that we have all lost – the quality of innocence. I investigated the human subject and the expression of form. Justly or unjustly, our society has submerged us into boundaries and stereotypes that have ugly effects of the minds of vulnerable children (and all of us). I was influenced by Australian expressionist artist Ben Quilty. His art is both dramatic and confrontational.
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Michelle Casinader Kingsway Christian College Homogeneous genocide 2015 (detail) plaster, muslin, calico and MDF four parts: 51 x 61 x 61 cm each (variable) Whilst the Klu Klux Klan, the Nazis and ISIS are all based on very diverse cultures, they have targeted different groups in society. All have had negative impact on the world and were responsible for the barbaric murder of great sections of society based on skin colour, ethnicity or religion. Homogeneous means ‘of the same kind’ and Homogeneous genocide aims to provoke audience’s reactions about the increasing issue of genocide and how it is still present today. It communicates this through the repetition of the human skull as a symbol of death and the millions of innocent lives lost. Whilst these three groups can be viewed differently by different people and each has its own flag symbol featured behind a skull, the unifying whitewash symbolises the fact they are all ‘tarred’ with the same evil brush. The last of the four which does not as yet feature a full skull and is still free from claim, represents the next unseen evil to rise up in our world.
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Benjamin Corser Scotch College Australian summer 2015 bamboo, clothes pegs, digital prints 140 x 95 x 95 cm (variable) Australian summer is a replica of the iconic Australian Hills Hoist clothes line, on which I hang my images that are cut out in the shape of everyday clothing such as bras, underwear, socks and jeans. These images are linked with the theme 'beneath the surface' to show the different cultures' ideas around the meaning of death, including in Hindi, Japanese, Papuan and Christian traditions. The meaning behind my work is that culture or traditions are being diluted by the influence of other cultures such as Western consumerist culture and that the Hills Hoist is a metaphor for this.
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Isabella Criddle Perth College I would like to tell you the story of my life 2015 (detail) found object and mixed media two parts: 43 x 59.8 x 20 cm each My work reveals the devastating effects of war and mental illness. In suitcases, I used paper to recreate the lake in the village my Baba (Grandmother) grew up in, and the coastline near Thessaloniki in Greece where my Dedo (Grandfather) served as a nurse in WWII. The diminishing layers in Baba’s case represent layers of her memory being progressively affected by dementia. I used a confusing war scenario in Dedo’s case to convey that the mental strain on soldiers is sometimes forgotten.
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Darcy Crudeli Lumen Christi College Presumptions 2015 ceramics, acrylic paint on wood 122.5 x 122.2 cm This work entitled Presumptions explores the labels placed on women. These labels categorise and order women in terms of society’s presumptions. The layout of masks represents the overwhelming mass of women who are victim of these stereotypes. The heavy goo-like glaze emulates the engulfed female spirit due to these presumptions. These masks are moulds of my own face, symbolising how these titles embed themselves on all women in some way. These presumptions that society has placed on females all find a way of drowning us.
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Courtney Cummins Mandurah Baptist College The bare perspective 2015 oil on canvas 120 x 90 cm The work displays the elemental perception of the human body in one of its most vulnerable states. It shows the pure and natural state of the body through the exposure of the bare skin, which is the covering we were created with. This sense of purity is further emphasised through the way the girl is immersed in water. The purity of the scene creates a natural, clear and fresh perspective of the human body.
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Riley Curnow Hale School The Drum 2015 oil on canvas 106 x 126 cm The idea for my work was to make a visual statement about myself placed in areas of interest within a local urban landscape. My artistic influences were the work of Italian Renaissance artist Piero della Francesca and Australian surrealist artist Jeffrey Smart. I was influenced by Francesca's clinical and ordered perspective and further influenced by Smart's depictions of almost seemingly unoccupied urban landscapes. The intention of my work is to invite the viewer to consider the aesthetic qualities and mood of an urban landscape occupied by a lone figure, uncluttered and beautifully coloured.
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Natsum覺 de Dianous John Curtin College of the Arts Observations 2015 (detail) textile book and print on rag paper 55.5 x 49 cm (display) My textile book is a collection of embroidered compositions of details that are often overlooked. The ebroidery process creates an attention to detail and contributes to the practice of looking closely. By placing the original photographs within the box, it encourages the viewer to consider the origins of each piece. I hope that the viewer will have a greater awareness of the significance of smaller details around them after viewing my work.
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Esther D’Sylva Swan Christian College Exhausted 2015 acrylic resin, battery-operated fish, water 35 x 26 x 19 cm This work explores emotions. The sculpture symbolises exhaustion, exaggerated through the wrinkles and droopiness of the skin. The stretched eyelids show his tiredness and inability to be truly at rest. The transparency of the resin shows exhaustion of the soul, which you cannot see when looking at someone’s physical appearance. The see-through nature also represents how people often miss or look past emotional struggle as they cannot see it. The two different resins show a slow depletion of energy. This artwork expresses how I was feeling about pressures I had been enduring. The fish in water represents the thoughts swimming around in someone’s head. To an outsider these thoughts look simple, but to have the same thoughts constantly ‘swimming’ around is truly exhausting.
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Charlotte Foo Perth College Used and abused 2015 oil on fabric, MDF and wood 104 x 192 x 17 cm (variable) Approximately five children die each day from some form of child abuse around the world. I was compelled to reference this statistic after travelling to Kathmandu for charity work, where I saw firsthand the suffering of children. Through my work, I explore the reality that these events are not only enacted in third world countries; they are universal. By displaying the portriats in a window frame, I locate the work within the domestic sphere, revealing the truth behind closed curtains.
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Winston Foo Carine Senior High School Timeline 2015 acrylic, ink and fineliner on paper five parts: 51 x 40 cm each Depicted in this work is a timeline of the advancements of technology, beginning with the materialism boom of the 1920s. Each panel that follows portrays the diversity and progress of technology, which has ultimately lead the evolution of modern warfare. The panels end with my silhouette, as I am a part of this timeline, influenced by the past and the perceived future. Timeline explores how mankind continues to evolve, despite bringing about its own destruction.
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Megan Franey All Saints’ College Peaceful enlightenment 2015 dyed thread, wood, sticks, leather 96 x 18 cm diameter Religions are often regarded as being very different, but many practice meditation and mindfulness. My work is inspired by two religious symbols used to aid meditation: the Buddhist mandala and the native Mexican ‘Ojo de Dios’ (‘eye of god’). Both are designed to focus the mind with their repetitive patterns. My aim is to invite the viewer to focus on the sculpture and imagine a hypnotic, blended harmony of interweaving patterns which hopefully encourages a state of introspection.
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Erin Ginty All Saints’ College Kinesics 2015 (detail) photograph, synthetic hair, digital video photographs: 63.5 x 30.2 cm; 50.5 x 30 cm video: 58 seconds Kinesics refers to non-verbal communication related to the movement of any part of the body. My installation seeks to explore the connection between human feelings and the expressions of our hands. It focuses on emotions such as stress, tension and anxiety through the use of low lighting and high contrast settings to make the audience feel uncomfortable and create an atmosphere of tension. Overall it conveys the fragility of our own mental state, and how we must learn to control our thoughts in order to control our bodies and our minds.
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Caelan Gray Canning Vale College Natural beauty vs. natural disaster 2015 watercolour on wooden board; inkjet print on paper eight parts: four at 30 x 30 cm each; four at 5 x 20 cm In my work I am exploring the beauty and elegance normally overlooked in natural disasters. Man has attached the word 'disaster' to these events because of the negative impact they have on civilisation. To people they only lead to death and destruction but they are just the natural course of events, signs of the planet evolving and changing. I want the viewer to first admire these rare acts of nature and beauty but also react to the reality and destruction we as mankind experience, therefore considering these uncontrollable powerful natural events as disasters.
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Luke Grey Kalamunda Senior High School Remembrance 2015 oil on canvas 61 x 91 cm My painting pays tribute to my stepfather and friend, an important figure in my life. He passed away in 2014. The image comes from an old VHS tape and is one of the only records I have of us together. In this picture Glenn and I are sitting on a train going through an amusement park in Spain. It is a time when neither of us knew what the future would hold and when we were both happy.
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Elise Gullotti John XXIII College Where did you sleep last night? 2015 charcoal on paper, interactive sound recording four parts: 80 x 79 cm each, plus sound Lynette, Joe, Shane and Ted are just four of the nearly ten thousand individuals that live on the streets in Western Australia. They, like many others, sit for hours each day begging for spare change to buy the basic necessities to live. Many people ignore and don’t give consideration to them as human beings, and yet they each have a history. Their stories about family, friends and experiences are not often shared, but are worth hearing. My work aims to give them the voice that so many people deny them.
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Tina Han Applecross Senior High School Silk of patrimony 2015 pen, pencil, watercolour on paper 76.5 x 96.1 cm Inspired by the union between Chinese and Western cultures, the artwork is a depiction of my cultural identity, symbolising the culture I was born into, and the one which I reside in today. My heritage is presented by the traditional Chinese dress in the portrait, whilst the willow pattern background suggests Western context. Together, they signify the connection between the history of both cultures, which have greatly influenced one another, as well as my own life.
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Julian Hausknecht Applecross Senior High School Layers of mine 2015 paper two parts: 32.5 x 44.7 each Inspired by UK-based stencil artist Snik, I have tried to create an in-depth web of mimicry with complex self-portraits consisting of twelve intricately handcut layers of paper. Each composition was inspired by Thom Yorke’s (from the band Radiohead) creative expression in his music video for ‘Lotus Flower’. My artworks delineate the complexity within oneself, the different layers represent emotional, mental and physical depth. I developed my image digitally to create a template, focusing on the fabrication of each layer and finally the intricacies of the cut.
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Annie Huang Applecross Senior High School Agent Annie 2015 oil on canvas two parts: 91 x 61 cm each Inspired by the union between Chinese and western cultures, the work is a depiction of my cultural identity, symbolising the culture I was born into, and the one which I reside in today. My heritage is presented by the traditional Chinese dress in the portrait, whilst the willow pattern background suggests Western context. Together, they signify the connection between the history of both cultures, which have greatly influenced one another, as well as my own life.
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Josie Kelly Methodist Ladies College Sacred 2015 watercolour on paper 70 x 100 cm I am fascinated by the beauty to be found in our natural environment. The complexity and variation between organisms is miraculous, but I find that modern society places too much importance on things of its own creation.The piece depicts the relationship between life forms and the interconnectedness of delicate native ecosystems. The vivid, flowing quality of watercolour paint reflects the fluidity of energy between life on earth and the transfer of energy from one organism to another.
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Anthony Keutzer Aquinas College Untitled 2015 ceramic, metal eight parts: approx. 29 x 36 x 39 cm each Through my three-dimensional distorted ceramic sculptures I wanted to confront viewers with the hidden tragedy of veteran soldiers. The collection of ceramic sculptures is a representation of all the mental suffering veteran soldiers undergo once leaving the military. Thus their inner trauma is reflected on their outer being, with each solder reflecting a different side to a traumatic event that they would most likely encounter. It is because of this forgotten tragedy that I want these soldiers’ voices to be heard.
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Gemma Kouzinas Melville Senior High School Interwoven 2015 watercolour and ballpoint pen on paper 117 x 121 cm In this artwork I explore, celebrate, discover and acknowledge the importance of family in my life. It illustrates the connected and interwoven nature and sense of identity formed through the familial bonds. Portraits of my family members are rendered in ballpoint pen, the symbolic halos communicating elements of their unique personalities. The circular wreath alludes to the never-ending connection and bond between families. Interwoven has proved to be quite an exploratory experience, ultimately allowing for an altered and renewed interpretation of our connections and individualities.
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Tessa Laing St Mary’s Anglican Girls School Poseidon 2015 textile mixed media 195 x 60 x 40 cm By presenting the Greek god Poseidon in a female garment and with gender-neutral elements, I have attempted a revision of gender dominance. Included elements are two handmade octopi, fourteen felted sea urchins, and hand embroidery. The dark green scales are from painted felt. The orange shells are made of synthetic paper, which have been heated and dyed using ink. The pink fabric on the torso and headpiece were made by encasing glass beads inside lining fabric with elastic bands, and then boiling.
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Eleanore Lammers-Lewis Presbyterian Ladies College (completed Year 12 Visual Arts programme at Scotch College) Regnum Diatoma (the diatom kingdom) 2015 acrylic silkscreen and linocut print on paper fifteen parts: 178.2 x 210 cm (overall) Our natural environment on all levels, even unicellular, is grand. Nature is organic and uncontrollable; yet humans and science try to structure it. I form contrasting patterns to evoke moods of stagnate classification versus ferocious chaos, but existing in solidarity. Chromatic Abstraction and Barnett Newman inspire my focus to immerse viewers via large size and intense colours. Ernst Haeckel influences my unicellular theme. Culturally, indigenous religions, Animism and Pantheism conceptually deepen my exploration on how humans apply meaning to nature.
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Daisy Leaver Mackillop Catholic College Zak 2015 oil and digital print on canvas 118.5 x 83 cm Zak isn’t sure—he’s about hundred and twenty years old. ‘My teeth have fallen, I am old’ he says smiling gapily. He witnessed the echoes of Dutch clonisation and Japanese invasion in WWII, but now he’s fighting a war with an unseen enemy. ‘No fish, many plastic’ says it all. To me Zak represents Indonesia: open, simple, beautiful, but now sinking under a storm of flotsam, raped natural resources and warming waters.
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Anabel Lo Mandurah Baptist College Fixed. Trapped. Boxed. 2015 (detail) Ballpoint pen on paper and perspex three parts: 50.8 x 51 x 51 cm each Being a final year highschool student can at times create feelings of entrapment with all encompassing pressures, deadlines and requirements. Sometimes it feels like you’re trapped in an invisible box, with no way of getting out. I wanted to express these feelings of pressure and decided to create a series of drawings to highlight this experience. I chose to produce the works using ballpoint pen, as it is something we use everyday to write essays, assignments and exams. As a result, I then chose to frame the works in a Perspex box to represent the feeling of being trapped and confined.
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Ruth Loveridge Santa Maria College Grandad 2015 graphite, encaustic, ink, pen, conte, acrylic paint on board six parts: 75 x 55 cm each Each original drawing delineates the face of my grandfather. These drawings depicted through expressive mixed media mark-making record the passage of time over many decades. I was influenced by the style, technique and materials used by Andy Quilty. Leaving encaustic wax draped over my grandfather’s face as a veil, suggests his blurred vision. This further encapsulates his world of memories, allowing only the ‘little voices’ in his head to speak and reflect on his philosophical thoughts.
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Isabella Masi St Mary’s Anglican Girls School The transcending of dreams 2015 oil on board three parts: one at 112 x 79 cm; two at 32 x 80 cm each Sleep is a process we succumb to each day. However with something so routine in our lives we are still unable to wield conscious control over our dreams. In my artwork I wanted to explore the way each time we fall asleep we accept that our dreams can transpire into either wondrous thought or nightmares. It communicates my point of view in a universal way, in that falling asleep is a conventional part of human existence.
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Robyn McCoy St Stephen’s School, Carramar Copyright 2015 oil and digital print on canvas 166.5 x 140.5 cm The growing prominence of the internet and rise of mass production methods has facilitated the replication and distribution of images—devaluating the intention of the image. I explored this idea by reproducing my original oil painting and then branding it with a watermark. I wanted the viewer to consider the notion of originality and whether technology has rendered copyright incongruous.
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Jozef Meyer Cornerstone Christian College El Plรกtano Demonios 2015 charred plywood, transfer print 81 x 70 x 61 cm (variable) El Plรกtano Demonios is a commentary regarding the devaluation of people through unethical business practices communicated via symbolic representations. Expressed through a distressed and burnt form, injustices committed by the pseudo-imperialistic corporate-backed United States are highlighted. Traditional South American shapes and symbols have been applied using modern materials such as plywood linking the ancient past with the industrial present. Personally I feel very strongly about the devaluation of people for the products they produce. This kind of ethic is still present in our modern economic system.
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Noni Mills St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls INFJ (introvert, intuition, feeling, judging) 2015 acrylic paint, fabric, cotton, beads, sequins, pompoms, bells, photograph eight parts: four at 30 x 30 cm each; four at 16 x 20 x 30 cm each My work explores the traditional meaning of masks: disguise, protection, performance and my personal identity according to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). My textile and photographic work displays the complexity of identity when often we are judged by one defining factor. My masks allow for anonymity, masking gender, race and identity, while the photographs reference the environmental impact on identity. Inspired by Maison Martin Margiela, I have juxtaposed ideas of concealing identity with each mask representing aspects of my personality.
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Sophie Minervini Seton Catholic College Kindred workers 2015 oil on canvas two parts: 101 x 76 cm each Kindred workers is a diptych portrait of my parents. I wanted to capture the essence of them as people, rather than being defined by the work that they do. These portraits have been painted from my point of view as a daughter who deeply appreciates the sacrifices my parents have made for me, such as working in an unsatisfactory environment, which is symbolised by the harsh Western Australian sun. These portraits are a homage to them.
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Elena O’Callaghan Carine Senior High School Balance 2015 pencil on paper 75 x 115 cm I have always been intrigued by the interdependence of the creatures in the natural world and find it beautiful how they coexist in a seemingly perfect circle of life. My work aims to portray the beauty of animal forms and the balance created by the intertwining of animal kingdoms. I have deliberately left out human forms because in my opinion they disrupt this balance and metaphorically add a sharp edge to a circular, flowing framework.
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Arabelle O’Rourke John XXIII College Aqua Profunda 2015 oil on canvas 101 x 75.5 cm An archetypal motif, water is a symbol of life, but it can also bring danger. Evoking the Latin proverb ‘aqua profunda est quieta’ (still waters run deep) my portrait works with this duality. Presenting my brother immersed in our pool, I have captured the childhood spirit of fun. However, the bubbles surrounding him could just as easily be seen as a sign of distress; the closed eyes suggest a refusal to admit what is happening in the world around him.
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Arabelle O’Rourke John XXIII College Warren 2015 charcoal on plywood 81.5 x 81 cm A Perth project Short Back and Sidewalks gives a face, a name and a story to homeless people in our city by offering haircuts ‘free of charge and free of judgement’ to those most in need. Developed from a photo of a client, Warren, my artwork shows the transformative power of a simple gesture of a haircut. Using the modest material of charcoal on ply, I have selected a medium that best expresses the authentic and raw human emotion of this moment.
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Siobhan Paget John Curtin College of the Arts Is animism 2015 graphite and mixed media on board three parts: approx 23 x 23 x 2 cm each (variable) My work combines human and animal portraiture in series to create detailed and intricate yet absurd holistic hybrids. The work alludes to notions of the animalist nature found within us, our ‘spirit animal’ counterpart.
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Sophie Park Frederick Irwin Anglican School Zah Ors (inner darkness) 2015 digital print two parts: 84.1 x 234 cm (overall) I have explored ideas surrounding personal demons and the inner battles that a person may face in their world. An opposing emotional atmosphere can be seen in my diptych and expresses the varying states of mind that we often experience. My subject portrays her inner conflict, her battle between light and darkness and the exposure of her true and purest self.
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Ji Young Park Rossmoyne Senior High School Creating Adam 2.8 2015 acrylic on MDF and ballpoint pen on paper six parts: approx. 92 x 187 cm (overall) The theme ‘morphed and modified’ covers the ideas of genetic engineering, bioethics and the science nexus. My piece relates to these issues by discussing the possibility of creating something that substitutes humans because of the rapid development of technology. It narrates the high probability of mankind playing God, humans employing genetic engineering and modification to create their ‘humans’, through methods that go against nature. It illustrates a scenario: a scientist creating another ‘human’, however the short, emotionless, reply ‘IDK’ (I don’t know) referring to the acronym used in text messages, indicates that advanced technology cannot succeed in imitating delicate, yet complex human qualities. In the background of the short abbreviation, a range of human anatomy can be seen, suggesting a waste of resources and effort, and potential obsoleteness of genetic engineering.
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Jaimee Porter Iona Presentation College Someone’s Mum 2015 mixed media seven parts: 188 x 120 cm (overall) My work portrays my Grandmother, who has been living with dementia for as long as I can remember. Affecting a person’s memory, communication and language, judgment and reasoning, dementia has no pity. The sculptural composition detaches the many different moods and personalities I’ve experienced from my Grandmother through the uncertainty of who she is. My work reflects what she might be feeling inside without memory of her past life experiences, uncertain of the present or the future.
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Zoey Portilla Mercedes College Look at me 2015 mixed media on plywood 68 x 95 x 9 cm (variable) My work explores poverty, homelessness and inhumane conditions I observed on a trip to Chile. While, from the outside, we don’t consider how things there really are, from my perspective it appeared as a corrupt nation with gang violence and scarce living conditions for the majority of people. This experience sparked my fascination with the human condition, with strong influences from Banksy and Goya.
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Eden Rehling John Septimus Roe Anglican Community School Permanence 2015 oil on canvas 101 x 76 cm Inspired by Eric Zener’s Sleep series and Tracey Emin’s bed installation, Permanence is a photorealistic painted interior. A minimalistic greyscale bed, scrunched from use and in a state of emptiness, resides dominantly on my canvas. A bed in an abject state is so open to interpretation and invites analysis but can never be unreservedly classified. Creating an artwork that had the power to imbue an everyday interior landscape with such loaded and yet indefinite meaning was a challenge I set for myself this semester. Beds are so permeated with personal significance, the viewer’s context undoubtedly influences their experiences of my work and will affect the emotions they feel seeing the image. My painting and its title is challenging to viewers because it doesn’t present a fixed meaning or one point of view on a subject but rather has many possible conclusions that can be drawn. Permanence is the state of remaining unchanged indefinitely.
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Darcey Schouten Swan Christian College Timber 2015 driftwood, screws, wire, steel 215 x 60 x 170 cm (variable) Driftwood is a natural element that is the result from both the trees and the river. Trees symbolise strength, life and wisdom. The river symbolises power, purity and healing; therefore together it creates a powerful expression of nature’s energy. Heather Jansch’s driftwood sculpture of a horse that I visited whilst living in the UK influenced me greatly. My artwork is also influenced by my own horse and the power I feel when out riding, when I am going flat-out against the wind. It is far more exhilarating and satisfying than any video game could be.
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Lilith Schuett Warnbro Community High School Colourful memories like rooms in a house 2015 acrylic resin on MDF stand and single channel video dimensions variable In my work, I have made multiple videos, each depicting me drawing different aspects of my personal life. I decided to use the resin houses as both projection and reflectors for my videos and I have used tinted colour to create the idea of a spectrum for the different aspects of relationships, locations and physical activities as prism views of my memories.
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Jacob Sewell Prendiville Catholic College The art of music 2015 (detail video still) digital video Duration: 3:33 minutes My piece is a video recording of me playing the drum kit using brushes. I gather the paint as I drum and scatter the colours. The overarching theme of my work is how important music is in my life and how, no matter what I do, music has an impact. Masks and the coloured paint symbolise my different moods while I play. My influences include Black Metal, Bach (Brandenburg Concerto No.2 in F Major) and Jackson Pollock.
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Leif Shorter Ursula Frayne Catholic College The Revolving door 2015 pencil on plywood 121 x 81 cm In my piece Revolving door I have viewed the idea of technology in society in a different way. I have used the image of Brooks, a character from the movie Shawshank Redemption, who ultimately commits suicide after release from fifty years in prison because he cannot make the adjustment to the new 'alien' world. I have used a traditional media of pencil and wood to reinforce the meaning in the work.
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Logan Siziba St Brigid’s College Restless 2015 wood, glass, acrylic paint, paper clay, porcelain, bullets, LED light 30 x 16 cm diameter War leads to physical wounds and psychological trauma. This porcelain paper clay sculpture depicts a human heart from the perspective of a soldier. Ben Quilty is the Australian artist who influenced my artwork conceptually because he focused on the effects of war on soldiers, through his series of paintings titled After Afghanistan. The war is still within the soldiers, it lives inside their hearts and minds and it is now part of their identity.
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Imogen Spiers-Wilkes Applecross Senior High School Protection from myself 2015 graphite and acrylic paint on board 45.5 x 61 cm I have created this work to give voice to the issue of masking one's thoughts and feelings. The arms have been placed over the head and heart to represent my efforts to control my thoughts and protect my heart and feelings from any harm caused by others. I chose to use graphite as it is subtle and delicate yet has a strong effect, which directly symbolises my nature and supports the deeper meaning of the work.
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Nell Van Georgiana Molloy Anglican School Furbidden 2015 digital print on paper three parts: 43 x 77 cm (overall) Inspired by Polly Borland’s photography, I manipulated the human form to reflect and comment on the way we treat animals, with over two million cats and dogs being slaughtered in the fur industry annually. In this piece, the subject wears attire suggestive of bareness, made by hand to represent animals' vulnerability in the world. Crosses placed over the subject’s eyes represent the death associated with the industry. The human hands represent mankind’s contribution, while the coat hanger symbolises humans’ ability to turn a living creature into a product for their own consumption.
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Tess Williams Balcatta Senior High School Forgotten treasures 2015 digital print on board; polaroids; pen on board seven parts: one at 79.5 x 14 cm; one at 70.5 x 22.5 cm; five at 13.6 x 9.1 cm Forgotten Treasures depicts vintage items which are being rapidly replaced by flashier, more disposable ones. As they become lost, so does their beauty. My work is about appreciating the beauty of these objects and holding onto these treasures before they are discarded. The work in three parts includes photographs printed onto ply, Polaroids, pen on wood and printed ink drawings. My influences include Walker Evans and Christopher Makos, one for mood and the other for technique.
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Simone Wilson St Mary’s Anglican Girls School Able-enable 2015 wire, wood, enamel 73 x 145 x 47 cm Able-enable depicts a female para-athlete in a racing wheel chair. It celebrates diversity and technology; the idea that technological advancement has the ability to merge with human abilities, enhancing them. As an athlete, I admire the determination of para-athletes who persevere and strive to succeed in spite of disabilities. I was inspired by David Oliveira and the organic nature of his wire sculpture. I used line repetition to suggest movement, a key technique adopted by Futurist artists such as Umberto Boccioni.
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Jaidyn Wood Wesley College Balance 2015 resin, wood, metal, lights 28 x 28 x 26 cm (variable) This work is a small-scale sculpture intended for a large-scale public work. Through my work, I have explored my experience as a young adult, the quest to find balance in my senior years. Year 12 comes with conflicting priorities such as sporting requirements, social life and other personal things, each person’s set of circumstances is unique. My work is intended to express the sense of achievement in learning to balance these things and how difficult it can be to do this in reality.
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Madeleine Woodcock St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls Seven days 2015 acrylic and gold leaf on wood 80 x 80 cm My artwork comments on the juxtaposition of the authority of the Catholic Church and evolutionary biology to allow the viewer to clearly see the conflict between the two ideological frameworks. I have represented the two ideologies using gold leaf which was used in traditional religious art and icons, symbolic of the importance of the subject as being holy and sacred.
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Department of Education
COVER Arabelle O’Rourke Warren 2015
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School Curriculum and Standards Authority