Top Arts 2017

Ideas behind the work…
This artwork captures my idea of a stereotypical adventurer, with her appearance and movement being reflective of her true personality.

Starting points and influences…
I began with exploring my chosen concept of Anatomy and Characterisation. This led me to explore anatomical expression and personality through poses. I was then inspired by the unfairness of the way humans judge each other on appearance, and how appearance does not define a person’s identity. This drove my exploration more towards characterisation, and inspired my creation of a character whose true identity – their personality and traits – is expressed outwardly in their appearance. I used some fantasy themes and symbols to emphasise the character’s values, such as the sword as a symbol of that character’s strength and responsibility. I wanted to keep the character relatable, and so I kept a realistic appearance with human anatomy.

Favourite artists…
Salvador Dali has inspired me since I was young. His flamboyant personality and Surrealist concepts have always fascinated me. Dali’s technical virtuosity with its incredible detail, brings his concepts to life. I also enjoy how his artwork often travels between humour and dark, dream-like themes, bringing all sorts of feelings to light. One of my favourite Dali quotes is “Surrealism is destructive, but it destroys only what it considers to be shackles limiting vision.”

Materials and processes…
I made a wire armature for the skeleton base of the sculpture and used aluminum foil to build up some anatomy volumes. I then began to build with Super Sculpey – an oven bake clay – onto that. To preserve the details sculpted into the clay, I did the baking in layers. I then attached it to a Perspex block base using superglue. I found it challenging when sculpting Super Sculpey clay because when baked, thin pieces can break easily. I overcame this by using thinner wire inside weak pieces of the clay as well as sculpting on a wire armature.

Ideas behind the work…
This year I explored the relationship between nature and technology, and what is considered beautiful’or grotesque. I was interested in how our aesthetic preferences have changed with the development of technology and the uniformity and soft, smooth textures of manufactured products. In Mirrors, I examined skin and portrayed it in a subtly grotesque way by highlighting the wrinkles and bulges deemed undesirable. I was interested in taking images of skin that contrasted the soft, smooth, taut presentation of it in advertising film and media. Using reflection and folding to distort the human form, I hoped to instill feelings of both repulsion and fascination, prompting a conflicted response from the viewer. The form of the installation references the use of faceted abstract geometric structures in modern architecture (representing technology and the manufactured) whilst creating parallels with nature’s complex networks and the intersecting lines engraved into skin’s surface.

Inspirations…
Living in Melbourne is special to me. This city is dense with creative people and entrepreneurial projects, which inspires and drives me to realise my own ideas. Analytical and philosophical thinking about human nature, society, and physical environments is a driving force in my creative thinking. I am inspired by alternative views and perceptions, pushing boundaries and questioning norms both aesthetically and conceptually. I draw inspiration from what I observe in daily life, mentally magnifying and cropping what I see – textures, materials, or objects. I like to zoom in on corners and crevices, joins and small spaces. I also feel creatively empowered by emotion and feeling, whether tired or jittery and nervous. Sensitive observation is an important tool for gaining an understanding of what different kinds of art can evoke. I consciously absorb and observe poignant emotional and physical sensations. I view these feelings as a fascinating aspect that is common to the human experience.

Materials and processes…
I began by photographing skin of varying ages using different lighting conditions, angles and depth of fields. In Photoshop, I  collaged several photos into one pentagonal image and mirrored, reflected and rotated the image in varying ways so that when I joined the pentagons, the image would reflect along all sides. After discerning the best paper to create a crisp image with the required strength for folding, I printed batches with several images to a page. I explored varying methods of joining the pentagons and resolved construction issues by creating flesh coloured tabs on all edges of the pentagons joined with double sided tape. I tested various scales and arrangements of the pieces to develop a system for joining and reflecting the images. This resulted in the convex undulating form. I measured and cut foam core and joined it to mimic the corner of a ceiling, providing support to the paper form and making installation simpler. To create the ball form, I downloaded a mathematical net for an icosahedron and rotated, reflected and manipulated a single image so that when it was assembled the images would reflect along the folds.

Ideas behind the work…
Branch Series, is a series of three small branch paintings. Each image portrays a different tree and different times of the day, with a close-up of only certain part of the branches. I decided to only capture the branches of the trees as those parts contain the most detail, and my main intention was to capture the minor elements of nature.

Inspiration…
My main source of inspiration is nature. I love observing different types of landscapes throughout my travels. Nature is something that I love to paint and draw because of its fine detail. I enjoy being amongst nature for feelings of relaxation and tranquillity. Bob Ross, an artist who painted realistic landscapes, and made videos that show the process of creating his work is another inspiration. He uses oil paints, paintbrushes, and palette knives. I have watched many of these videos, which have inspired me to use similar techniques. Learning about his approach to this subject matter has been a huge source of inspiration for me throughout the year.

Materials and processes…
For the Branch Series, I used oil paint and paintbrushes. I began the paintings by creating the sky and clouds. I then began to paint on the main thick branches by using a thin brush and referring to my reference photograph. I painted the smaller and finer branches with an even thinner brush, without referencing the picture, which was a slight challenge.

Ideas behind the work…
Through my artworks, I have reflected upon the theme of suicide and its effects. Specifically, I have focused on the devastating impacts of adolescent suicide. I have represented the turmoil of emotions that are associated with and are caused by the act of suicide. My aim was to evoke subtle feelings of pain, sadness and some hope in my audience without being too confronting. The exterior of the sculptures resembles doll houses, to represent childhood and innocence. I explore the idea that young people who contemplate suicide are innocent and crying out for help.

Starting points and influences…
In 2014, when I was in Year 10, my cousin committed suicide. This event severely impacted my family and I and has had a lasting effect on me. I used Studio Art as an outlet for my own thoughts and emotions, and as a way to raise awareness of a subject that is all too often stigmatised. Having  firsthand experience of having to deal with the repercussions of suicide, I was able to directly relate to my theme and express it in a personal manner. I was able to broaden the topic beyond my own experiences to make it easier to complete the works. I did this by making the works about all childhood and adolescent suicide rather than my own specific experience.  I knew that I wanted to address this time in my life at some point, so I saw this an ideal way to express my own heartache.

Materials and processes…
Each Doll House exterior is made from plywood and covered in white house paint. The roof structures are covered in corrugated cardboard to create a realistic style. The windows and external details are also made from plywood. The making of the exterior structures required lengthy processes which involved sawing, nailing, gluing and screwing. The interior of the works is created from cartridge paper. I used a bone knife to score each layer to develop a rough layout for the tears. I then tore the paper to create a raw aesthetic.

Ideas behind the work…
This work examines how many societies force Eurocentric standards of beauty on black and brown women, conditioning us into believing that our natural selves are not beautiful due to our natural features not mirroring those of white people.

Inspirations…
The theme of race and personal identity was a focus for my work, and as a whole, was very personal for me due to the fact that I am a person of colour. In order to create each piece, I had to learn new things about myself. It was the extensive research I did in the exploration part of the folio that really made me think deeply about the subjects I wanted address in my final artworks and how they affected not only me, but those around me. By talking to the people of colour I knew, we were able to share our experiences with each other which really helped me learn about aspects about myself. I also learnt about different privileges that do not apply to me, as well as the privileges that I do have that I hadn’t thought about until now.

Favourite artists…
One of my favourite artists would definitely have to be Lalla Essaydi. I greatly admire and am inspired by the discussion in which she engages through her artwork, looking specifically at Western societal perceptions of Islamic culture. For example, she uses calligraphy to cover her subjects and their backgrounds using henna. This subtle aesthetic makes her artworks truly unique and intelligent, exhibiting the traditions of her culture beautifully. I can relate to some of the messages conveyed in her artworks, coming partly from an Islamic background, and being raised with intersectional feminist values, which Essaydi constantly infuses in her photographs.

Materials and processes…
I created this piece digitally using the Sketchbook app, and proceeded to print the finished image on an A1 foam board.

Ideas behind the work…
The idea for Outback Graveyard stemmed from the setting: the old car yard of an outback station with cars ranging from ten to ninety years old. The rusty metal of the cars contrasted with the sublimity of the Milky Way made for an interesting composition, highlighting the tranquillity of the scene and the peacefulness of the outback setting.

Starting points and influences…
My inspiration for this piece grew from my childhood in the outback. I began by photographing the picturesque, tranquil settings of the Australian landscape, and this slowly developed into more than just a love for the land. As I progressed with my photography, I was able to use different techniques and capture better photos -such as images of the Milky Way. I began to include urban settings in my work along with that of the bush. The interplay between the two contributed to the broader ideas of my folio.

Favourite artists...
My favourite artist is a New Zealand photographer named Mark Gee, famous for his incredible shots of the Milky Way and the moon. Gee has won multiple awards for his works and I admire his ability to wait for the perfect shot, even when it means returning to the same spot. His ability in creating a perfect composition is something I try to implement in my work.

Materials and processes…
With use of a small light and a fire, I was able to softly light the foreground of the scene to create a focal point whilst ensuring that the focus remained largely on the stars. I used slow exposure settings (30 seconds) to gather as much light as possible for my images, and a low aperture to also assist with light intake. During this shoot I used a Pentax 645z and a tripod. The panorama was completed using six images stitched together in a post-processing application called Adobe Lightroom.

Ideas behind the work…
“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it.” This quote by author, lecturer and political activist Helen Keller, was the core inspiration for my subject ‘security’, which I have explored in my artworks. I looked at how security, in Keller’s mind, is only an illusion, as it does not exist in nature, and one is therefore never truly safe or secure from anything in this world. For my artwork, The story of a misconstrued illusion of security, I created a mixed media sculptural work that demonstrates the gradual breaking down of a natural form of security, a cocoon, thus demonstrating this illusion that we have created.

Favourite artists…
Shaun Tan is my favourite illustrator. He is technically competent, but also makes use of story telling in his work and often conveys a message, such as in The Arrival. In Four Seasons, he conveys a story purely through illustration. He is my primary influence when it comes to drawing and storytelling through art. I am also inspired by artists such as Brigit Heller and Fiona Hall, who make use of interesting materials in their work, and similarly convey layered messages within their art. Heller uses wire, metal, canvas and leather to create delicate, intricate and organic sculptures, and has a beautiful, organic aesthetic to her work. Fiona Hall often confronts interesting concepts in her work, and uses her materials in a symbolic manner that makes her art interesting.

Materials and processes…
I produced the illustrations with graphite on cold-pressed 250gsm paper, using a stencil to maintain the same position and proportions of the drawings on each page. The binding was created by making a series of ‘folds’ then sewing each fold together. I attached a square of muslin to the edge of each page to create the illusion of a bound book. To create the stack and cut out of the book, I ‘laminated’ a large stack of 270gsm stock together, coating the edge of the stack in PVA and water. I then ripped out a hole in the centre to house the 3D cocoon. This cocoon was created using an eggshell mould, covered in tissue papier mache, cotton, wisteria vines, coffee stains and human hair.

Ideas behind the work…
12/09 07-12 presents the idea that colour is intimately connected with emotion, symbolism and perception. The colours within each piece in the first series can be viewed as a timeline of emotions, showing different colours that once provoked some emotions, but now provoke others. The colours from the start of the process all have symbolic meaning in that they were chosen based on the colours I see when I close my eyes, which is a direct reflection and connection to my moods and emotions. The concept underlying this is that the connections between colour and emotion are constantly changing, which means I can never see anything exactly the same way as I once saw it, highlighting the fact that no one can see anything how I once saw it, or how I see things. I feel that the elements in this series such as colour, line, tone and texture convey different emotions and communicate different things to different people. This, in turn, effectively highlights my theme of contrast.

Inspiration…
I started off the year very uninspired, looking at my own body for inspiration. I remember using the shadows of my hands that had been cast onto the wall to take photographs and create outlines and interesting patterns. From here, I was inspired to use different lines to represent emotion, as I feel that a lot of emotion can be shown through the hands. This is when I was inspired to start creating line on Adobe Photoshop, and the other elements of my piece followed along as I started writing more in my journal.

Materials and processes…
Throughout the design process I utilised many materials and techniques such as digital manipulation, hand painting, spray painting, mono printing and screen-printing. Once the digital versions of the final pieces were finished using Adobe Photoshop and basic tools such as the paintbrush tool, gradient tool and basic editing tools, I used them to work off as a plan for the manual versions. I then put together 2 boards at 600 x 700 mm, primed them with GAC and Gesso and then painted the boards white with acrylic paint. I used Mask it and masking tape to block off the areas that had to be left blank for the gradient, digital line and clay print. I then rolled 3 coats of acrylic paint onto the board for the background of each board. When the monoprint was dry on the background, I peeled off the Mask it and masking tape to expose the blank areas so I could then fill them in using different materials. The digital mark is painted using a thin paintbrush and white acrylic paint, then dried and masked up so the other two rectangles can be filled in with the airbrush and the screen printer.

Ideas behind the work…
In this artwork I decided to explore the ways in which fantasy and stories influence people at different stages of their lives. I chose to do this by having a range of creatures that are commonly found in popular children’s fantasy consumed widely by young audiences, as my main subject matter. The fact that they are portrayed as miniatures and situated in jars is significant.  This is representative of the way that as children, we are allowed to imagine and believe in whatever we please, regardless of whether it is fictitious or not. As we grow up, it is expected that these beliefs must be shed or hidden. The characters in my work are restrained within clear jars to emphasise that although we are still influenced by the things we believed in as children, they must be contained when society demands from us a new level of maturity and uniformity.

Starting points and influences…
When I was younger, my mum encouraged me to read often. I became familiar with tales of grand mythical creatures and glorious mythological deities, as well as stories of the glorious empires and rulers that decorate history. As I’ve developed my art, I’ve carried elements of many characters and figures from these stories with me in my creative journey as the subject and inspiration for numerous personal artworks. The importance of imagination and being true to oneself is something that I began to value more as I grew up. I also began to question my own beliefs, which is why the mason jars – which relate to concepts of expressing and repressing beliefs – resonated with me in the first place.

Materials and processes…
In the creation of my work Mason Jars, I followed a similar process in creating each of the three pieces in the set. I began by carving an A3 sized piece of lino into the shape of a mason jar, which, once printed, was used as a border of sorts for the illustrations. I experimented with a variety of papers as well as water and oil based inks, creating countless trial prints until I settled on watercolour paper. Watercolour was not only best suited to the quality of the print itself, but also suited the plans I had to add watery gouache paint to the artwork later on. Once I had created ten perfect editions of the print, I chose my three favourite prints and traced the illustrations I designed earlier inside the printed mason jar borders. I went over the sketches in fine liner, then applied colour, light and shadow, and a slight sense of form by painting each individual section within the lines using gouache. Because this part of the process got a little bit messy on such a small scale, I went over all of the pieces in fine liner again as a final touch.

Ideas behind the work…
A Grain of Sand centres on the idea of change as a way to overcome the sometimes oppressive nature of contemporary life, both within the workplace and domestically. The main character of the film takes control of his life and finds liberation in collective action. This idea seems very relevant to the state of the world today and the suffering that many people experience.

Starting points and influences…
The concept art from Dishonoured, a video game by Bethesda Softworks, provided me with intriguing new ways of creating faces. The filmmaker Wes Anderson inspired my compositions and colours, and artist Shaun Tan gave new dynamics to my illustration style. The portraiture of Ben Quilty was also a major influence. Another animation that I drew inspiration from was DreamWorks’ Pinched, which inspired the three dimensional aspect of my work.

Favourite artists…
My favourite artist is director and cinematographer Wes Anderson. His films are highly artistic, as they hold a particular aesthetic which is more commonly associated with the work of a painter. In his recent film The Grand Budapest Hotel, he uses geometry and symmetry to frame scenes and guide the viewer’s eye, further drawing them into the action being portrayed.

Materials and processes…
To create the desired aesthetic for A Grain of Sand, I had to use several different computer applications. I utilised Adobe Photoshop for illustration and frame by frame animation, Adobe After Effects for compiling all the assets into a single 3D space, and Sony Vegas Pro for the final cut and audio. I illustrated the animation with a Wacom Intuos Pro drawing tablet.

Ideas behind the work…
The theme that formed the basis of my artwork was Connections; a broad concept that was concerned with different forms of representation. I explored this by creating three paper lanterns of different sizes and shapes that capture connections and interrelationships in society. Each strip of paper was attached to another in one continuous circular spiral pattern, so as to reinforce this idea of connections being omnipresent even if we can’t see them. With a strong focus on aesthetics to visually communicate my idea, I aimed to create an atmosphere that surrounds the viewer and urges them to look for these connections, playing with light and shadows to enhance the overall experience.

Starting points and influences…
I began by researching a number of artists I was interested in, including Onishi Yasuaki, Viviane Sassen and Akiko Ikuechi . They are all very different artists, however they all employ an aesthetic that I am drawn to and am inspired by. Having extensively researched String Theory, I felt comfortable with the knowledge and inspiration I had to begin my search for a way of best representing my theme and idea.

Inspirations…
Day For Nights by Frederick Reiken was a book I read a few years ago that has been on my mind ever since. It is a story with many stories and illustrates how disparate and distant people can be, but connected in the most unusual and seemingly impossible ways. Reiken’s novel motivated me to choose ‘connections’ as the theme and focus for my artworks; to show these ties and associations in visual form.

Materials and processes…
For each of the three paper and wire works, I created paper templates which were used to cut out the strips of paper attached to the different sized lanterns. Keeping with the same of shade white for all three lanterns, I glued each of the 2000 strips of paper in a spiral motion, attaching and overlapping each piece to ensure a voluminous and full form. My initial idea was to install a light globe in the centre of each lantern. However, no light escaped from the piece because of its density. I had to consider other methods of illumination to create the atmosphere I was wanting to achieve. Using spotlights underneath the works proved to be the best option and in this way I was able to create the overall mood that I had been searching for.

Ideas behind the work…
The idea for my artwork stemmed from a family trip to South Africa in early 2016. After days of searching we came across a ‘crash’ of white rhinos. I learnt that the poaching of rhinos for their horn is a primary threat to their existence. I was inspired to create this work which explores the consequences of poaching and the subsequent demise of rhinoceros populations across Africa. My work attempts to highlight the crude nature of the illegal trade of these majestic animals, an issue that is often ignored or overlooked by our society

Materials and processes…
The skull is made from a Malaysian timber called Jelutong. Jelutong was an ideal timber choice as it is extremely soft, making it incredibly easy to carve. The Jelutong came roughly sawn and in small sizes, meaning that I had to run the boards through the thicknesser and laminate layers to gain depth in the timber. From the solid block I used the chainsaw to form the rough shape, then using a grinding disc and chisels I refined the details. The horn is made from a foam core armature coated in fiberglass, then covered with a polyurethane filler. Once the horn was correctly proportioned and smooth, it was painted with an acrylic spray paint.

Inspirations…
My inspiration comes directly from a family tradition of working with timber. Building has always been a major part of my life, as both my father and grandfather are builders. Personal life experiences and traditions such as these are my greatest inspiration. With art you cannot force inspiration; your best artwork will always be created when you are passionate about what you are doing. I am also inspired knowing that I can have an impact on the viewer, that my work may resonate with a past experience or generate a feeling or reaction.

Favourite artists…
Ricky Swallow and Dean Colls have motivated my work equally this year. Ricky Swallow’s work inspired my first artwork Extinction as he uses Jelutong timber to create many of his own sculptures. I was impressed with the amazing detail and sheer scale of many of his works. Dean Colls is a Melbourne-based artist who has created a number of works that I admire. Colls’ sculptures inspired my artwork for Unit 4. By studying Colls’ technique, I was able to adapt it in order to create a metal version of Horts Kiechle’s paper torso.

Ideas behind the work…
The idea behind the work was to explore the personal struggles that arise from isolating oneself from reality. I positioned the model in a stance that made him look uncomfortable. By placing him off centre in the composition, I sought to evoke the sense of being enveloped by the encroaching darkness of the backdrop. I wanted to ensure that there was a rich tonal variation between the highlights on the skin and the dark shadows to help blend the outline of the model into the background. The connotation here is that the feelings of isolation are overpowering for the figure. I took a close up shot to highlight the distraught expression on the figure’s face.

Starting points and influences…
I knew in Year 11, that I wanted to explore the theme of ‘Isolation’ in my Year 12 work. The topic of isolation really appealed to me due to the strong emotions I feel when I am isolated and how, despite being more connected as a society than ever, people are still crushed by isolation. Everyone feels this isolation at some point, but no one wants to talk about it. I used various websites such as Pinterest and Instagram to gather my initial thoughts . Pinterest was incredibly useful as it allowed me to find artists and links to other websites and virtual galleries to further expand the topic.

Materials and processes…
For this photoshoot, I set up a makeshift studio in a storeroom at school. I used two separate light sources to illuminate the model, both the same height and strength. The lights were placed on tripod stands to elevate them sufficiently. I captured the images using a Nikon D7100 and a Sigma 10-20mm wide angle lens. The wide angle lens didn’t distort the image much, added depth to the model and helped him to stand out more as the focal point. I used a standard black, textured drape as the backdrop to help isolate the figure within the composition. I decided against using a tripod, as this allowed me greater flexibility in the angles that I wished to shoot at.

Ideas behind the work…
Living Inside My Head is based around my own experience, having suffered from anxiety throughout most of my adolescence. Del Kathryn Barton once said, “My thing is happening”. The murky territory of anxiety that Barton experienced as a child is explored in this work. Living Inside My Head was a way in which I was able to express and portray my own intrusive and obsessive thoughts. I incorporated abstract subject matter, such as random, organic and biomorphic shapes, which grew from my thoughts. The main idea behind this work is derived from a quote from artist Louise Bourgeois, “what is the shape of this problem?” I was fascinated by this, and as a result, I began to think, what is the shape of my anxious thoughts? What would they look like? From this, I based my work around the question, ‘what is the shape of this thought?’

Inspirations…
My inspirations come from Louise Bourgeois, Del Kathryn Barton, music, novels such as 1984 by George Orwell, as well as visiting galleries and artist-run spaces. Being surrounded by my family and friends, travelling with my family – especially to places such as Noosa, Lorne and Mornington Peninsula – the beach and the natural bush land also inspire me.

Materials and processes…
To create Living Inside My Head, I employed watercolour, gouache, pencil, fineliner and liquitex inks on various types of paper. It was a fairly intuitive process for all of the individual works. How I started each work varied depending on the recall of my anxious thoughts. For some of the works, I began by drawing intuitively onto the paper with either black fineliner, stamps or pencil. For other works, I began by applying red inks directly onto the paper with a pipette or brush, which allowed me to create very a random, raw and organic aesthetic. The process for each work was ultimately governed by the thought ‘what is the shape of this thought?’ The materials and processes used, depended on the nature of the thought I was trying to portray.

Ideas behind the work…
I created my work Frida to pay homage to the artist Frida Kahlo. The centre image relates to Kahlo’s work, The Two Fridas (1939). The duality of two figures is significant as Kahlo had multiple aspects to her personality, such as her conflicting Mexican and European identities and her feminine and masculine aspects. I used flowers in my models’ hair as Frida Kahlo often included flowers in her paintings, and included the use of bold clothing and colour similar to those that the vivacious Kahlo wore.

Inspirations…
Most of my Studio Arts folio this year was inspired by things I had studied in Psychology the year prior, and also the work of Oscar Wilde. I’m always finding inspiration online, in particular Instagram and Flickr, but I also try to go to lots of exhibitions in real life where I often get ideas. Sometimes ideas for photos come from conversations that I have with friends.

Materials and processes…
To create my Frida series I took the images of my friends in natural light outside on my Canon 6d DSLR camera and did quite a lot of post production work on Photoshop. I had a friend help me do their hair and make up. As for styling, we picked some flowers from my garden and used bobby pins to attach them to the models’ hair. The clothing items were ones that we already owned. For editing, I first created a subtle new pink and red gradient background in Photoshop to add cohesion with the red and pink tones of the flowers in the photo. Initially I tried a variety of different colour and opacity gradients for the background. I then replaced the skin tone with black and white to further emphasise these red and pink tones. I didn’t own any red lipstick at the time so I digitally painted the lips red to add to the vivacity of the image. I also added quite a lot of dodging and burning to the images. I printed these three images onto satin paper on the inkjet printer and chose simple black frames to put them in.

Ideas behind the work…
Untitled 1 is a sculpture based on the minimalist idea that the aesthetic qualities of the artwork inspire an emotion within the observer, and no further interpretation is needed. I used a very minimal, relaxing design of multiple rectangular forms, decreasing in size, in a swerved arrangement. I really wanted to perfect the minimalist aesthetic – smooth and clean, combined with brutal, geometric shapes – to create that awe factor.

Favourite artists…
Donald Judd is my favourite artist. His artwork really connects with me and I believe we share the same minimalist approach. Judd creates large scale sculptures in a very clean and perfectly executed manor, usually with very industrial materials. I think that his work is timeless. Even though his most famous artworks were produced over fifty years ago, they seem as though they could have been made today. His work was what motivated me to pursue sculptures and geometric forms and he has been a huge influence in the making of my final artworks.

Materials and processes…
I designed all of the 2D shapes to be cut out on Adobe Illustrator, keeping in mind the thickness of the Perspex, so that all the shapes would fit together to create 3D forms. After these shapes were cut out using the laser cutter, I glued them together with a Perspex solvent. I also made a vice contraption that made a perfect cube in three directions. I used this vice to help perfectly align the 3D forms while they dried. After all of the 3D forms were constructed, I sprayed each one evenly with matte black paint .

Ideas behind the work…
My theme was The Culture of Melbourne. I wanted to explore the 1960s, a time when Melbourne was booming economically. The top end of Collins Street was known as the ‘Paris End’, boasting large retail shops, businesses and banks. The architecture was eclectic, referencing European influences. In his work Collins St, 5 p.m.  John Brack depicted Melbourne as socially depressed. The office workers appear dreary as they commute home from work. My photorealist representation from a 1960s photograph, using gouache, watercolours and fine liner on Fabriano paper, shows an alternative viewpoint, one of optimism.

Favourite artists…
My favourite artist and inspiration for my Unit 4 folio was John Brack. His depictions of Melbourne are a record of what he saw as the culture of Melbourne after World War II. Collins St, 1960 was inspired by his piece Collins St, 5 p.m. My interpretation, however, is a little more optimistic. I also admire Brack’s Melbourne based subject matter and the distinctive style which makes his work immediately recognisable. I met Surrealist artist Graeme Drendel who also inspired me to dig deeper in my own work.

Materials and processes…
The image was sketched using an old overhead projector in order to achieve the precise scale and detail of the image. I found that I needed to go back to the projector a few times throughout the process, as details were often lost in the layering of paint. Using a medium brush, a light wash of watercolour paint was added to the entire painting as a way of differentiating the shapes. Darker layers of colour were then added. I wasn’t satisfied with the realism of the painting at this point and had to change the pigments significantly. Gouache allowed me to completely cover some areas due to it’s thicker consistency. Outlines were added with a fine liner, and this also proved the best material to use in the intricate branches of the Autumn trees. I framed the work as I wanted to protect it from smudges. The top left hand corner isn’t flush to the trim and there is a gap. Piet Mondrian also left a line unfinished to show that it was painted by hand.

Inspirations…
My interests in artists are varied. I admire the works from the old masters, the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, the Impressionists such as Degas, Surrealists, Pop artists, Photorealists and some Australian artists. My musical interests are also diverse. I am drawn to music from the past as well as the present, specifically Greek and Croatian music, as this is my heritage. I enjoy reading classics; authors Steinbeck and Hemingway are a few that I admire. I have been to the NGV many times as my parents have a passion for art and I have also undertaken work experience there. I have been to the National Gallery in Canberra, Heide Gallery, The Australian Gallery in Collingwood, ACCA, the Louvre in France, and many other museums in Melbourne and overseas.

Ideas behind the work…
Ennui is a feeling of utter weariness and discontent resulting from satiety or lack of interest; boredom. Ennui encapsulates the feelings and questions I had been pondering throughout Units 3 and 4 of Studio Arts. I explored aspects of my relationship with the stimuli around me, and my hunger to be entertained. I’m restless, and shift my attention rapidly. When there is nothing left to hold my interest, I feel as though I am going to burst out of my skin, but feel lethargic at the same time.

Starting points and influences…
My starting point was the idea of having a radical and spontaneous work, and I practised this throughout my media trials. My starting point was always a loose sketch in willow charcoal, and this inspired my final painting, which I treated a lot like a sketch. My sketches strongly influenced my painting and the style that I eventually developed in Ennui.

Materials and processes…
Because of the size that I was planning to work, I decided it would be more effective to stretch my own canvas. I roughly primed the canvas with only two layers of gesso, as I wanted the oil paint to be absorbed by the surface, creating a drier, grittier consistency to the paint. After my first sketch onto the canvas, I decided to completely start over, and slapped more gesso over the top. I then went in with charcoal and acrylic paint, sealing this with a fixative. I began the painting with fairly thin mixes of warm neutrals, scrubbing this into the charcoal in order for them to bleed together. My process had to be fast, in order for me to stay attentive and interested. I used thick blobs of paint to worked up areas, and splashed turpentine on the blank space. I used my hands to blend this in with the charcoal. I went back in with the willow, defining some of the features, and lightly rubbed this back to adjust the depth. After the piece had dried, I used a spray varnish over the painted areas to ensure the longevity of this ephemeral and unfinished process.

Ideas behind the work… I called the work The Bigger Picture. As the name suggests, I wanted to take the most important conflicts I see in our world, and show the possible repercussions of these situations and their broader effects. I designed a confronting, claustrophobic and dark landscape, real and not real at the same time. I wanted the viewer to experience my fears and worries, to see a depiction of what I think the future holds if we continue in the direction we are going. I used Pablo Picasso’s Guernica as inspiration because it is a very famous and respected work with a well known story of disaster, death and destruction. The bombing of Picasso’s home country is the same tragedy I fear for my home: complete and utter decimation.

Starting points and influences…
Pablo Picasso is my favourite artist, hands down. I respect and appreciate many others, but I have a connection to the way Picasso saw things. His painting Guernica was the staring point for this work. I was also influenced by Jackson Pollock’s ‘all-over’ style of composition, where there is no end and no beginning. I was inspired by the illusion and intelligence of Escher. Included in my work are staircases that go nowhere, inspired by Escher’s endless stairs and the inference that we as humans are going in circles. I was also very moved by Shaun Tan – his wild imagination and talent for drawing. In my work, I wanted to create a realistic yet impossible scene, somewhat surreal.

Materials and processes…
I used compressed charcoal, which can produce a wider tonal range than willow charcoal, to create a unique blackness, which increased the contrast between the light and dark areas. In pencil form, I was able to avoid smudging and had more control over the charcoal. I used 300gsm cold-pressed paper, which has a beautiful texture that I wanted to use to enhance the figures. In terms of the processes I used, I planned the work, designing it so it was interwoven and balanced and then worked on it piece by piece. The main process was drawing, but there was a lot of work leading up to the final, including interpretive tracing of the original Guernica and then filling it in without referencing it. Because I wanted the effect to be overwhelming, it was overwhelming to produce. So, Chuck Close style, I worked on it bit by bit, researching visual conflict and fitting bits together like a puzzle.

Ideas behind the work…
Each of my landscapes represent differing climates and worldly elements. The idea behind creating these landscapes was to comment on how we may come to perceive the world through a different lens because of the developments made during the digital age. My artwork represents a contemporary perception and approach towards otherwise traditional subject matter.

Starting points and influences…
It seems as though more and more interest is being given to immersive technology, especially after the success of the augmented reality game, Pokémon Go and the popular virtual reality Oculus headset. These developments create an opportunity for amazing design and beauty, which inspired my landscape finals. I wanted to show that computers are capable of creating beautiful things. I believe this meeting of worlds should be explored further given the endless opportunities that the technologies bring. While exploring this idea, I came across the artists Jona Dinges and Mark Kirkpatrick, who both explored the low-poly geometric style. I thought their artworks were beautiful, with a contemporary aesthetic that only digital art could create. This was the starting point for my landscapes, along with my love for nature and its beauty.

Favourite artists…
It’s hard to pick favourites, but an artist who has definitely inspired and influenced me is Justin Maller. He creates intricate digital art which usually focuses on colourful subject matter with a contrasting plain coloured background. He inspires me to explore digital art further as he creates amazing images that only take him moments to produce. His work could be utilised for many purposes and brings with it endless opportunities, which he demonstrates by uploading a new artwork to his website everyday. I would love to learn more about his methods and processes so I can further explore my own digital art.

Materials and processes…
I created my digital landscape finals using the program Cinema 4D, which allows you to create interactive 3 dimensional objects and landscapes. I used materials to add texture to the different aspects of the landscapes. For example, I used a blue, transparent and reflective material for the ice aspects of the Icy abstract landscape and a white noise material for the snow. The low poly style was achieved by using a polygon filter on each layer. The mountain terrain was created by using the mountain tool and manipulating the height, seed, sea level and using the brush tool to create the shape I desired. Each of these aspects worked together to create the final composition. I created each landscape with only one view in mind. When finished, I rendered the view to a very high resolution image – the rendering process took up to two hours to complete. I then took the large image files into Photoshop to add final lighting and saturation effects. Finally, the landscapes were printed on a large scale.

Ideas behind the work…
My exploration began with the concepts of energy, the metaphysical and spiritual. In this piece, I merged two forms to represent the relation between the physical and energetic worlds. The ceramic tubes, created from an extruder, are a representation of the soul. Each tube represents a lifetime, with its form fluid and continuous. I incorporated repetition and stacking as a reference to reincarnation: the continuity of the soul and the spiritual. In terms of cradling the tubes in a chair, I was influenced by the 1960s art movement Arte Povera which influenced how artists used objects deemed worthless and commonplace. I combined this idea with notions of stillness, rest and content, expressed in the way the armchair cradles the tube arrangement.

Starting points and influences…
I am fascinated by how individuals develop their beliefs and opinions on the world; this is connected with my great interest in the existence of religion. I am curious about the ways religions play a part in society and how they assist in molding a society’s customs, systems and functions. I related this to the idea of rebirth, and explored the existence of a soul or essence. I looked at the existence of the physical and spiritual worlds and how they function simultaneously. I explored this visually through form, the use of everyday objects, specifically a chair as an expression of the physical world. In addition to the material world I looked at the natural world, in terms of its colours and forms. I briefly looked at coral, plants and flowers. In relation to the soul I looked at the concepts of heaven and hell, and how they associate with the energetic and spiritual world.

Favourite artists…
I am inspired by artists such as Lauren Berkowitz, George Gittoes, Max Ernst, and Ai Wei Wei. I am completely fascinated, yet saddened and sometimes disturbed by Gittoes subject matter. It is thought-provoking and has a clear expression of honesty which I greatly admire. I seek to create this in my own work, where my ideas, techniques and concepts derive directly from my own experience, interests and thoughts. There is an authenticity about Gittoes work that I find inspiring: the distorted and shocking themes show human experience and interaction in a completely alternate light. For me, Gittoes work challenges our perceptions of war, conflict and human suffering in a way that cannot be forged.

Materials and processes…
I began experimenting with the stacking of extruded ceramic tubes on a retro style arm chair. I created various lengths of ceramic tubes. Once they were dry, they were bisque fired. I used the tubes without underglaze or glaze, as I wanted to maintain a monochromatic white/cream/sandy composition. I started to plaster bandage the armchair, as a way of creating visual harmony throughout the entire arrangement. I used thin strips of plaster bandage to wrap around the chair. It took me 3 weeks to completely cover the chair. Once the chair was covered and dry, I then began stacking the tubes. I did this multiple times until I was happy with the final arrangement of tubes. The final process I used was stacking the tubes starting at the back, using large tubes, as I stacked the tubes upwards, I added small lengths.

Ideas behind the work…
The aim of recreating Max Dupain’s The Sunbaker, was to make a statement about how our technological age has influenced many aspects of society, including the art world. Through subtly including the mobile device, I am commenting on how quickly and easily technology has become a part of the social norm. A mobile phone has become a necessity in society in the last decade, with each new device an update of an old one. The constant need to be connected can leave us searching for happiness in a screen. In small doses, this technology can be beneficial, but the adage ‘too much of a good thing cannot be good,’ comes to mind, acknowledging that the fixation with our devices has become an issue due to how little time we spend doing anything else. Ultimately, this piece shows the way we love yet abuse technology today, and how blind we have become to its overwhelming intrusion.

Inspirations…
I really enjoy visiting exhibitions and exposing myself to all types of art. I also engage well with magazines such as Frankie and find myself becoming inspired by the covers, posters, inserts and artists I read about inside. Music is a huge passion of mine which I gain the majority of my inspiration from. I cannot sit in silence very often, otherwise the room feels empty and boring. By occupying a space with music, it feels alive and I become consumed in the way I feel and often find myself creating things. Instagram is also a great platform for emerging young talent. I follow many artists who post images of their artworks and also I post some of my own work from time to time. Although not very traditional as a source of inspiration, these artists from across the country have often sparked ideas and concepts to trigger my own creation which I then share for those who may also seek inspiration.

Materials and processes…
In creating this piece, I used both a digital SLR camera (Nikon D7000) and an analogue camera (Pentax) using 400 ISO 35mm film. Once the shoot was finished, I had to develop my film in the darkroom and make a contact sheet of the negatives through the use of the chemical process of developer, stop bath, fixer and a wash. To mimic Dupain’s piece as closely as possible, I chose the analogue approach, disregarding any further development of the digital images. To create a large print to again match Dupain’s dimensions of the original image as closely as possible, I removed the enlarger from its upright position to lay it on a flat surface, projecting the image onto the wall for more flexibility in sizing. This also required test strips and trials to be stuck to the wall using tape before taping the final to the wall for exposure without damaging the paper. I used Ilford 16 x 20 light sensitive paper with a pearl finish to produce my final. I also used the sepia toning process to produce a warm yellow/brown tint, again attempting to replicate that from what I could see in Dupain’s artwork.

Ideas behind the work…
The idea of this work was to transform my own ideas, thoughts and feelings about a piece of literature into an artwork. Edgar Allen Poe’s 1845 poem, The Raven, is one of my favourite Poe pieces, and has the most meaning to me. What stands out to me is the mood of the piece, and what the ominous raven represents: sadness, loss, anxiety, death and paranoia. When I was reading it, the tone of the work instilled similar uneasy feelings in me. My painting features Poe himself in the middle of a swarm of ravens. The birds are sharp, stylized and embody certain feelings. They fly from Poe’s head, which is indistinguishable from where the swarm begins. He creates these ‘birds’ with his mind, an external representation of anxiety and negative thoughts.

Materials and processes…
This work is a painting done primarily with liquid ink. The ink was diluted with varying amounts water when needed, and painted onto the canvas paper. The ravens near the man are a mixture of painted and drawn figures. Dip pens were used to create the linework in several places, including the face and birds. The solid black ravens were done with undiluted ink and the paper birds are cut-outs of cartridge paper glued to the surface. Pencils were used afterwards to either lighten or darken certain areas, and a white gel pen was used to highlight certain areas. The most difficult part of using this ink was getting it to blend, as once it has dried, it is water resistant. Unlike watercolour, you couldn’t move it at all. But I did love the opaqueness it had when undiluted, which was especially helpful in depicting the ravens.

Inspirations…
Whenever I create a piece of artwork, I am almost always inspired by other artists. Seeing how creative they are with their use of materials or subject inspires me to do the same. I also like trying out techniques that other artists have used, and seeing if it suits me or is enjoyable to do. I find that after I go to a gallery or exhibition, I get the urge to draw or paint, as seeing other people being creative inspires me to do the same. But there are also times where I am just in the mood to draw or paint, and just act on those feelings.

Ideas behind the work…
The focus of my folio this year has been informed by a relationship between art and science and exploring the space where the two may co-exist. Within this theme I have referenced the wunderkammer or ‘cabinet of curiosities’. A wunderkammer or ‘wonder room’ was used in 16^th century Europe to display collections of objects that were considered curious, unusual or historical. The wunderkammer collections were organised to inspire wonder and stimulate creative thought. I have created multiple works that reference these types of collections, specifically scientific or archival collections.

Specimen Two is a graphic representation of the intrinsic beauty of biology. This idea is investigated through the creation of biomorphic abstractions using human hair as an unconventional material. I have taken biological material and turned it into curious objects, my aim being to provoke strong emotions in the viewer, drawing them in or repulsing and confronting them. The hair used is my own which creates a meaningful and personal connection to the work and references my theme of science and art. Both the hair sculptures and the ink drawings have a gestural quality and directional movement, with the circular drawing and the circular hair objects moving the viewer’s eye in a circular motion over the composition.

Starting points and influences…
My passion for art and science is explored in this work. During an RMIT science scholarship, I was given the chance to work with cadavers and examine the internal structures of the body. Viewing the internal organs, muscles, tendons and veins significantly influenced how the theme of science was referenced in my work. Science has always been an interest and passion of mine, so it was natural for me to incorporate this into my theme and work this year. I have always been interested in sculpture and installations and I particularly wanted to represent scale in my work, both large and small whilst maintaining elements of delicacy and fineness. I also knew I wanted to use hair and bones and other unusual materials to challenge people’s perceptions of art in that it doesn’t always have to be beautiful and that it can also evoke feelings of uneasiness and disgust.

Materials and processes…
Specimen Two was created using a silicon mould covered in foil. I placed fine sections of my own hair into the mould which was then sprayed with adhesive and removed when dried. To create the ink drawing component of the work I dropped black ink onto paper, then using a bamboo skewer and fluid circular gestures, I dragged the ink around the page. I photographed the two together and printed them in A2 format to introduce a sense of scale to my work.

Ideas behind the work…
This work began with a love of colour. There was a great deal of experimentation, trialling and play behind these sculptures. Folds Into Eternity is a play on words, accentuating the repetition within the sculptural forms: you cannot be sure where they begin and where they end. The repetition of the curving folds accentuates the idea of a never-ending eternity within the work.

Inspirations…
Texture is a huge source of inspiration for me. The juxtaposition and combination of textures in art in particular is something that I find really interesting. I am obsessed with play and experimentation with materials. Unexpected Pleasures, an NGV exhibition of contemporary jewellery, was a great initial inspiration for my work and assisted in the development of my artistic style. The exhibitions that have been held at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art over the past couple of years have also been a huge inspiration for me.

Materials and processes…
I began by looking at my potential directions, the works I had created so far, and the shapes that I was aiming to produce in my final sculptures. I used materials such as ezy cut stencil paper, which I cut to create organic, free flowing shapes. I used a silk-screen and squeegee to transfer the stencil onto the fabric with colours I mixed myself. I began screen-printing onto some white cotton drill fabric. Once all the screen-printing was completed, I used a full strength sealer to seal both sides of the fabric, giving it a plastic effect. I then used fabric scissors and a rotary wheel and cut accurately measured lines to create the distinguishable long pieces. Ibegan experimenting with shapes, repetition and folding of the multiple layers of fabric, and used a drill and nickel book binding pieces to secure it in place.

Ideas behind the work…
Life That Glows is a book that transports a boy on wondrous adventures, where he is able to discover some of the naturally occurring magic in the world as he reads.

Starting points and influences…
My story was inspired by the documentary Life That Glows by David Attenborough, in which he explores phenomena in nature that are magically glowing. I was also inspired by an advertisement in which a Harry Potter book comes to life to engage the audience and invite them to go deeper into the book. I thought showing words as drawings was a great way to tell a story visually.

Favourite artists…
Currently Shaun Tan is a great inspiration to me, with his beautiful and detailed sketches and drawings as well as his heartfelt stories and wonderful ideas. His drawings are loose and appear to be uncontrolled and free-drawn. I admire his skill and imagination.

Materials and processes…
I used paper, a stencil blade, glue and wire to create my work. The making process for each sculpture was different, but generally consisted of ripping a page out of the book, gluing it down to card and then carving out the shape. The set was made out of a cardboard box and lined with black paper. The moving background was created by sliding paper through slits in the back of the box. To create the animation, I took a series of photos in the same position with exception of slightly moving figures in the set to create movement. I then imported these photos into iMovie which reads the images in a short time so it appears as though the figures are moving.

Ideas behind the work…
The title of my work is SunWuKong (The Monkey King) door god. My images are based on a traditional Chinese door god which is believed to keep evil spirits from entering the home. I referred back to my childhood memories, finding inspiration in the popular literary character Sun Wukong the Monkey King. I explored personal identity capturing the idea of place and home. The figure on the left represents my Chinese heritage with a native squirrel perched on the shoulder. The figure to the right incorporates the honeyeater, representing my home in Victoria.

Starting points and influences…
I was originally born in Jiangsu,China but have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to study and live in a westernised society. This opportunity has led to me stumbling across the great cultural divide between the two countries. I always miss my home, and this is what gave me the passion to explore further and present my knowledge of my cultural heritage to Westerners as they may not have the same understanding that I do. The Monkey King is an extremely popular character in China. When I was young, every day after school the first thing I would do was to lay down on the couch to watch the TV show Journey to the West. I remember there were shops all around my school that sold Monkey King masks. Almost all of the children including me, wanted to become the Monkey King.

Materials and processes…
I used lino board, oil based printing ink, gold leaf (chine colle), decorative paper (chine colle), watercolour, composition board and acrylic paints as my materials for the Monkey King prints. I started by posing a life model to help me capture the body movement of Sun WuKong. I took a series of photos of him to help me refine the form. After that I added a squirrel and a honeyeater to my sketches. Each animal is a native to a specific area and each symbolises my Chinese heritage and my home in Victoria. I then carefully transferred my drawings onto two different lino plates. After many hours carving out each plate, I was able to create some test prints. Colour was achieved by creating multiple plates that were cut to specific shapes that could jigsaw together. Each print took about 6 hours to print from start to finish and I have made around 6 copies of each. I presented my work on two wooden panels that refered to the traditional Chinese Door God and symbolise my personal sense of home and place in both China and Australia.

Ideas behind the work…
Selfies is my interpretation of the current phenomenon of publishing images of oneself – the ‘selfie’. Throughout social media we see people attempting to justify their own worth and security through a single image captured in a transitory moment. The act of painting a detailed portrait subverts the superficiality of the modern self portrait. It pays respect to the traditional purpose of portraiture – to capture and depict a person’s appearance – a role that photography has assumed today. Painting, however, manages to capture something intangible and enigmatic that many photographs cannot; soul, vitality, dynamic realism and sense of humanity and spiritual presence

Starting points and influences…
I am inspired by the history and traditions of art. Not so long ago, the arts were all society had for entertainment, and they were venerated to the same extent that we worship television or phones today. I was also influenced by the human form. I love the process of painting flesh and the illusion that muscle and blood lies behind this two dimensional form. The power of emotion also inspires me. I’m interested in how simple adjustments of the mouth and eyes can portray a distinct emotion.

Materials and processes…
I went for the traditionalist approach when it came to creating my portraits, using oil paint and board. I have worked with oil paints since I was twelve, but wooden board was a new material for me. I discovered that the wood was a beautiful surface to paint on as the smooth texture best gave the illusion of porcelain skin and the paint seemed to soak into the porous wood. There were many laborious layers involved, however I found I worked most effectively when painting alla prima, and became hypnotised by the tranquility of blending together smooth, cool, wet pigments in order to render glowing flesh. Every layer would see the faces become more and more realistic and refined. My first layer served to block out mounds of flesh tones and colours in order to give later layers a foundation to stick to, whereas my last included painstaking blushes of rose in the cheeks and the most minute of shadows.

Ideas behind the work…
This artist’s book is a journey through time, depicting the change in a blackened landscape at Arthur’s Seat after a bushfire. Having spent my whole life visiting the area, I was both shocked and fascinated when I saw the area stripped of all vegetation and turned to charcoal. With some rain and sun, nature was able to reassert herself and I saw immense beauty in the regeneration, as more and more plants started to pop up, turning the black area into a mass of vibrant green life. I documented both before and after the regeneration, depicting this in my series of prints.

Materials and processes…
I used the method of relief printing which involves carving into lino (in my case by hand) and applying ink to it before printing. When I printed using a press, the ink remained on the surface and all carved areas were white. I chose Hahnemuhle paper to print onto due to its off-white colour, rough texture and thickness. I like the way the black ink contrasts against the colour of the Hahnemuhle paper without being too stark, and the thickness of the paper creates a sturdy book.

Inspirations…
After seeing the National Works on Paper exhibition at the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, I was transported by the work of Dianne Fogwell. The intricacy of her prints continues to amaze me and is something I admire in such a time consuming medium. I also love Fogwell’s layering technique and this is something I am going to adopt in my own prints; creating various lino block cutouts and printing them using different tones and colours. Some other artists that I have been fascinated by recently are Tim Jones, Robert Mapplethorpe and Marina Abramovic. I visited Abramovic’s exhibition at MONA last year and was enthralled from the beginning as performance art was new to me. Aside from these artists, I am inspired by many other things including the poetic lyrics of Leonard Cohen, Lou Reed and Bob Dylan. In the wake of Cohen’s death, I have been reading Book of Longing; a book of his quotes and poetry which inspires me all the time.

Ideas behind the work…
My intention was to create works that reflect mood through the use of light. I have been greatly influenced by Tenebrism, from the Italian tenebroso (murky), also called dramatic illumination. This style of painting involves using pronounced chiaroscuro, where violent contrasts of light and dark make darkness the dominating feature of the image. Also underpinning my style is an emphasis on realism. The absence of movement and life in my landscapes enabled me to direct my focus solely on the effect of lighting in dark spaces. I find the quietness of an empty, late night urban landscape comforting, as it is a stark contrast to the everyday bustle that normally characterises these locations. I do, however, also appreciate that other viewers may see the dark solitude of these environments as threatening or dangerous. I live close to the Victoria Market and wanted to depict it in a way that other people may have never experienced before.  I have attempted to provide the viewer with an alternative perspective; a fresh outlook on unfamiliar individuals and familiar places.

Inspirations…
The artist I was most inspired by was Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. I am drawn to how Caravaggio’s works were so controversial in their time for their innovative, revolutionary style. The intense, dramatic contrasts of light and dark, resolute realism, meticulous attention to detail and life-like models set Caravaggio’s paintings apart from all the masters that preceded him.

Favourite artists…
Recently I’ve taken a strong interest in Ian Fairweather. After reading his biography, and watching videos and a documentary about him, I was completely fascinated by his life. I really admired his work, and was entranced by the broad range of influences from Chinese calligraphy, Post-Impressionism, Cubism and Abstraction to Aboriginal art that strengthened and individualised his style. I also admire his ability as a master colourist: he uses colour sparingly but manages to achieve intensely reflective and emotional compositions. Prior to my introduction to Fairweather’s art, there were very few abstract artists that I was fond of. This quote from Fairweather illustrates his views on abstract painting. “Painting to me is something of a tightrope act; it is between representation and the other thing—whatever that is. It is difficult to keep one’s balance.”

Ideas behind the work…
The dark colour palette enables the audience to focus on the main subject matter, the three gamers. The gamers may (or may not) appear to be antisocial: they are certainly playing something that could be interpreted as being antisocial or unacceptable. My intention was to not glorify, but to develop the idea of knowing and not knowing. Are these gamers enacting a stereotype of negative social behaviour? Of course these people are just acting, but the importance lies in how the image could be misinterpreted. The rhythmic body gestures and the playful, childish colours of the toys contrast the monochromatic palette and make us question what is behind the seemingly innocent games.

Starting points and influences…
Before starting my folio, I read a book by Susan Sontag called On Photography. Her discussion on the aesthetics of urban culture, photography and the role of the flaneur really inspired my concepts for my own folio. From this, I had a context in which to further develop, experiment and express many of my own concepts of contemporary photographic aesthetics, techniques and images.

Favourite artists…
My favourite artist is Alejandro Cartagena, a contemporary Mexican photographer. I like the aesthetic of what he records, that is, the observed and unobserved changes within a large sprawling landscape of Mexico City. I am particularly inspired by his documentary photographs of ceaseless suburban sprawl, and his exploration of the influence of technology upon the Mexican family and work culture. I admire his sensitivity for the subject of his portraits, and his use of pattern and alternation to visually emphasise the balance of form and content. His photographs are direct, challenging and powerful.

Ideas behind the work…
The Machine shows the vintage sewing machine used by my grandmother for most of her life working as a seamstress following her migration to Australia. This sewing machine acts as a symbol of my family’s working class background. The positioning of the setting, including the dried broad-beans and odd pieces of fabric, was not arranged prior to taking the photograph. It is a candid representation and insight into my grandmother’s character and is emblematic of my familial background and cultural heritage. The ideas behind this work centre around not only my own cultural identity but the identity of my entire family. This inanimate yet profoundly meaningful object has greatly influenced the type of woman my grandmother became and, consequently, the cultural environment that I grew up in.
The Seamstress, a portrait of my grandmother, focuses on the familial culture and sense of tradition that has been passed on by my grandparents. The facial expression captures my grandmother’s character and her cultural identity. I have aimed to pay homage to the lives of my grandparents and celebrate their influence on my own life.

Starting points and influences…
The starting point for my work was my familial background, in particular the lives of my grandparents. My grandparents have helped raise me and have contributed sigificantly to the type of person that I have become today. I have always been intrigued by their stories of migration and consequently, decided to focus on their home and unique characters as beginning points for my art. They have always stressed the importance of maintaining strong cultural traditions and often showed me the traditions that belong to our Greek background. Working with my grandparents, I realised that they share a similar story with an entire generation of migrants that came to Australia from across the world. As a result, the cultural diversity of Melbourne’s community also acted as a broader influence for my work this year. Starting with my local Greek community, I wanted my art to be a candid representation and documentation of the beauty of our society’s incredible ethnic diversity.

Materials and processes…
Each photograph utilised a very similar system of materials and processes. Each photograph was captured on separate days using a Canon EOS 450D camera and fixed zoom or a normal zoom lens. There was no ‘set’ as such – each work acts as a candid portrayal of a snapshot in time. Following each shoot, the images would be filtered and then editedin Adobe Lightroom in order to alter the contrast, vibrancy, shadow and coloring of each of the works. Some works were cropped in order to accentuate and add focus to specific areas of the photographs. The images were printed onto quality photographic paper.

Ideas behind the work…
The idea behind a c e t a t e was to create a sense of motion through the manipulation of proximities in lines; in particular, large scale contour drawings of natural landscapes. I transformed these drawings into a multidimensional interactive installation featuring three works that allowed the viewer to participate in the generation of the motion. I wanted motion to be created firstly by the inherent aesthetic of the line work, and secondly by the way in which the viewer moves, producing optical effects both chaotic and calm.

Starting points and influences…
The starting point for this work was the stimulus images that I found on the internet. With the idea of a natural landscapes in mind, I used Google and did extensive further research to source photographs of different landscapes; deserts, mountains, oceans, forests, rocks, etc. Whilst drawing each of the three designs individually, I was always thinking about another landscape to use. I ultimately chose a photograph of a rock wave formation, a coral reef and a thick jungle. When drawing the lines I was struck by the natural lines, shapes, patterns and movement that appeared in the image and nature itself; the forced and natural movements of my wrist and arm, determining the control of the line with the pen; the lighting, tones, positive and negative spaces in the image.

Materials and processes…
I  discovered the sensation of movement by accident when using two identical acetate sheet trial prints in Unit 3. Deciding this would be great for a final, I began sourcing and requesting copyright permission for pictures of three natural landscapes: a rock wave formation, a coral reef, and a thick jungle. Using a light box to firstly sketch in grey lead the basic outline of the strongest shapes, I filled them in various sizes of black fine liner pen to create depth, using the stimulus image as a basis for the lines. It took ages! My dad’s friend runs a professional printing company, so I was lucky enough to use his facilities and his acetate sheeting to enlarge, enhance the quality of the prints, and print the works. I hung the acetate using wooden dowel rods bought from Bunnings.

Ideas behind the work…
This is the first painting from a series of two works that juxtapose the process of creating ideas under different circumstances. Painting #1 illustrates the ease with which ideas come when one is relaxed as the mind flows more freely. Painting # 2 shows the difficulty in extracting an idea under pressure and the resultant damage caused by this force. I happened to conceive the idea for this piece in the bathroom.

Favourite artists…
Currently, it is Kim Jung Gi. I really admire his ability to construct a narrative in his illustrations – the level of detail he manages to achieve is incredible. His figures and subject matter always appear so grounded in his work as his instinct for perspective allows him to create very realistic settings and compositions. Additionally, his process is crazy to watch as he only needs to take pen to paper for the ink to flow into rich and intricate drawings – no preliminary sketches required.

Materials and processes…
I decided to use plywood as it is an inexpensive, structurally sound material with a smooth surface that takes oil paint well. I created the initial sketches with a red pencil, referring to photographs while taking some liberties. I began the painting process by outlining the drawing with red oil paint. I then mixed the darkest tones to fill in the shadows and let it dry before adding the lightest tones. I smoothed out the tonal variation using a mid-tone.  I refrained from over-blending in order to maintain the stylised appearance. After completing the bulk of the painting, I went back and touched up the details by cleaning up lines and adding highlights.

Ideas behind the work…
Fragments explores the notion of distorted realities and how the memories of people adapt and alter over time.

Starting points and influences…
Feeling lost and uncertain as to the direction of my final work, I used all of my trials and exploration of media as my starting point. Merging them all together gave me the idea for Fragments.

Favourite artists…
Darren Wardle is an artist I admire. His use of colour and the manner in which he creates a composition with a sense of stillness and an immersive story is inspiring.

Materials and processes…
Multiple trials were merged together in order to create the abstract shapes. A picture was then taken and then projected onto a wall, in order to trace the outline onto a piece of MDF wood. The traced shapes – the ‘fragments’ – and the silhouettes representing people, were cut out using a jigsaw. Each fragment was painted with gouache and white acrylic paint. Each silhouette was painted white and then glued onto a fragment. Finally, blocks of wood were mounted on the back of each fragment in order to elevate it and allow for the composition to be mounted along a wall.

Ideas behind the work…
The title of my work is Nurtured Connections. My subject matter symbolises the idea that friendships and relationships start out fairly simply, and then over time, with care and nurturing, they can turn into something wonderful.

Inspiration…
When it comes to my art, the things that inspire me usually revolve around personal experiences or things that I have an emotional connection to. I am heavily involved in music within my school and within my Church. I connect well with song lyrics and melodies because I am a singer and flutist. Exhibitions such as Top Arts and Top Design have also influenced me a lot in my high school years.

Materials and processes…
For my artwork Nurtured Connections I decided to use acid etching and aquatint because I had never attempted to use this medium before and it really intrigued me. After only trialling one plate in Unit 3 as part of a potential direction, I was keen to continue the use of this medium as I wanted to see what interesting marks I could create with it. The other reason I chose to use acid etching and aquatint was because I believed that it would give my subject matter some power. I really liked the marks that I created on my trial and wanted to achieve that level of detail in my final piece. The deep contrasting tones in my prints did make my subject matter appear powerful and important to the viewer and allow the images to stand out from the background. Each plate has been printed onto a separate piece of rag paper to emphasise the stages of friendship and that each stage is important when building relationships.

Ideas behind the work…
This photo creates a strong mood. The adolescent appears defenceless and helpless, vulnerable and disjointed, showing how the pressure of social expectations can lead to disappointment and distress making the person feel weak and anxious.

Starting points and influences…
I was prompted to explore the theme of desolation by the growing threat of global warming, pollution and environmental degradation. I was also interested in the pressure placed on people through social expectations, and how they affect individuals in different ways. Even though I have not personally suffered hardship in my life, the people around me who have suffered have inspired me to explore this theme. These stories made me want to visually convey what other people can’t, to show the struggles and hurt that they have lived through.

Materials and processes…
When taking this picture, I used a Cannon 1000D camera, as well as natural lighting to create a softness of white tones on the walls and the model’s skin. I placed the model inside a tyre cover. After capturing the photo I manipulated the image in Photoshop. I enhanced the brightness, and dodged the arms, face and hands of the figure, creating more contrast and tone within the photo. I changed the levels and curves to make the shadows and mid tones darker, and to create a gloomy atmosphere. I then made the photo black and white so I could enhance the different levels of tones and shadows in the textures from the skin and human body. In the light room I changed the highlights and the exposure to get a high black and white contrast and placed a subtle vignette on the photo, to draw the viewer’s eyes towards the subject matter, and create a dark, glum mood. I tried printing my final artwork onto different types of paper with an Epson inkjet printer, settling on pearl paper as it enhanced the tones and texture within the image, making the details stand out more. I printed my final artwork on pearl A3 paper.

Ideas behind the work…
This work comes from the series Who Cares which addresses different issues that are causing irreparable damage to the ocean. Who Cares (Sushi Shark)? depicts a Great White shark cut into five sections with the central section represented by a can of Shark fin soup. I wanted to illustrate the cruelty of the practice of shark finning. I used the image of a Campbell’s soup tin as a Pop culture reference to Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s soup tin series made famous in 1960s. I changed the brand name ‘Campbell’s’ to ‘Cruelty’, which also references Warhol’s initial idea of pop art being all about consumerism.

Starting points and influences…
I began my work in Studio Arts exploring the general theme of the ocean as this is my personal passion. I focused my investigation on the human influence on the ocean and how we are contributing to the destruction of our planet. In particular, I focused on over-fishing, whaling and the cruelty of shark finning. I gained inspiration from Pangeaseed, a foundation that aims to raise awareness of issues concerning the ocean through art. I hope to become a part of this foundation and to have my art featured on their website. They share the work of artists across all mediums and all countries and continue to influence my work.

Favourite artists…
Right now my favourite artist is Peter Booth, as I studied his work during Year 12. I admire the way he has successfully translated his drawing style into painting and the confidence he has when creating work. Booth works very quickly, wet on wet, with oil. He describes the act of painting as being very physical, with his thick application of paint creating a unique tactile, sensuous texture. I love the bold and emotive subject matter achieved though the use of dark earth tones and dramatic tonal contrast.

Ideas behind the work…
My work Continuum was influenced by the respective cultures of Thailand and Morocco, including the patterns, architecture and nature surrounding both of these cultures. The title, Continuum alludes to the concept of a continuous representation of the ongoing traditions, symbols and designs within certain cultures, and the notion that a culture is sometimes altered but never lost. The continuous scroll of cultural patterns represents the idea that cultures can be sustained across many generations. The shape of the cut-out patterns resembles that of a stained glass window, and the arched windows and pillars of Morocco. The natural light passing through the cut out patterns also parallels the light passing through carved wooden windows or stained glass. The cutting out of these designs also represents the idea that although we might not always fully understand a culture or language; through pictures, designs and patterns we can understand something of its spirit.

Starting points and influences…
I have always been very interested in different cultures and the diversity within them. I think the idea for my artwork came from my love for patterns and detail, and I wanted to use this in a unique way. The paper cutting within my artwork was originally influenced by Lisa Rodden’s work, as she does very beautiful paper cutouts. When I trialled this type of art form, I fell in love with the way the patterns catch the light and ceate a very delicate aesthetic. The large scale of my artwork was a way for me to emphasise the delicacy of the cut outs.

Materials and processes…
In Continuum, the main material used was paper. The thicker type of paper I used allowed for the paper knife to carve out very neat and straight lines, which helped to avoid potential rips and rough lines. I used a paper-cutting knife to cut out the designs. I chose not to draw the patterns and designs onto the paper before cutting them out, as it would leave grey lead markings on the scroll. This left me cutting out the patterns as I went and fitting the patterns together in my head before cutting the paper. I folded some of the petals and leaves forward, to bring a bit more texture and dimension into the artwork.

Ideas behind the work…
My folio explores how gender can dictate a person’s involvement or representation in a particular field. My work focuses on the gender bias in motor sports and aims to provide a more accurate image of girls who ride motorbikes. My photographs presents the first girl my age I met who also rides motorbikes – Bella. I wanted to capture her both before and during a race to exhibit her talent and emphasise her youth. My hope is to inspire people not to allow factors like age or gender determine their involvement in something they enjoy. Bella inspired me to start racing, and I hope this series motivates others to break out of their comfort zone.

Inspirations…
My passion for riding dirt bikes was particularly influential. Being regularly at the track or surrounded by bikes allowed me the flexibility to take photos and continually refine ideas and techniques. The website The Women’s Moto Exhibit features photography by Lanakila MacNaughton and was also a source of inspiration for me. Lana captures women who ride and the website presents individual series of each women she photographs. I came across the website while researching other women who ride in search of inspiration. The photographs capture carefree women riding – women defiant of stereotypes and misrepresentation. Each woman photographed is different to the last and the website allowed me to appreciate these differences as well as the female riding society as a whole.

Materials and processes…

These pictures were taken on a Cannon 550D at the Yarram and Rosebud motocross clubs during the Gippsland Motocross Championships series.Various shutter speeds were used for different circumstances: fast shutter speeds for action shots, slower for portraiture and slow again when panning. Panning involves focusing on a moving object and using a slow shutter speed to follow their movement. This creates the illusion that although the background is moving, the subject matter remains clear and frozen. The colours were enhanced using Photoshop.

Ideas behind the work…
Distortion of Reality #3 uses space and colour to depict disconnection with reality. Colour is symbolic of meaning in this work, with the gradual fading of colour and overtaking of black and white representing a deterioration of meaning in my everyday life due to my negative emotional state. The fractured shards, sharp and crisp, are symbolic of my painful, piercing internal world that has influenced how I see my everyday life.

Inspiration…
I am deeply inspired by people and personalities. I have always been interested in this area, but only started to investigate this interest further when one of my school friends introduced me to the MBTI Personality test. After taking the test and reading hundreds of pages of each of the sixteen possible personality types, I am still deeply intrigued by how the mind works and how different people experience the same situation in vastly different ways. Studying Psychology in Year 12 and learning about the Imaginative Landscape in English aligned with this interest and was a further source of inspiration for me.

Materials and processes…
To create this piece, I first took photographs of various moments of my everyday life. I selected white paper of 250 gsm to draw onto. I used Prismacolor pencils for the outer areas surrounding the drawn shard of each piece, and Unipin fine liners ranging in widths from point 0.1 to point 0.8 for the detail within the shards. Finally, I cut and pasted the six pieces onto a sheet of Fabriano paper.

Ideas behind the work…
Conceptually, I wanted to explore the idea of moral relativism and how it applies to teenagers, whose brains haven’t fully developed. Working within the genre of portraiture, I explored what society determines to be wrong and right. Moral relativism is the theory that morality, or standards of right and wrong, is culturally-based and therefore becomes a matter of individual choice. I created three bodies of work that focus on Moral Nihilism, Moral Absolutism and Moral Universalism exploring my personal views, beliefs and past experiences.

Inspirations…
I have multiple sources of inspiration. Artists such as Jon Cattapan, Jean-Michel Baquiat and Ben Quilty inspire me. The raw aesthetic of the city is also a great source of inspiration for me: the movement of the people around me, the old damaged walls..

Materials and processes…
I used a wide variety of materials. I use acrylic and oil paints to build up texture. I will generally come back over the top with spray paint and oil sticks. In some of my works, I have used a collage-like approach, using images and old papers, re-contextualising the meaning. I have worked on materials such as canvas, wood, paper, found objects and mirror.

Ideas behind the work…
This work was a very expressive piece to create. It is 6 x 5 feet, so to cover the canvas, I found myself moving my body in a manner similar to performance art. I found the process to be cathartic. The streaks of paint aren’t connotative of anything other than an investigation. I explored the notion of ‘removal of intention,’ wherein I attempted to make work in a non-deliberate manner. The two panels aim to create a broken rhythm. As the eye follows the downwards motion of the paint, it is interrupted and jarred by the break in the two panels.

My work is largely process-driven abstraction, which allows me to create expressive pieces that encourage an exploration of self, experiences and emotion. The large element of chance in my work creates an immense challenge, as it leaves lots of room for failure. I had many works this year that did not turned out as I had hoped. This was disappointing, but these works enabled me to learn and develop as an artist and I built on successful techniques, filtering out the failures.

Starting points and influences…
A lot of my work begins with an experience, or something that is an ongoing presence in my life. August began as an opportunity for a form of release. I also considered the impact of the work on an audience: I wanted a huge canvas that the viewer would stand in front of and be entirely engulfed by. I wanted to share my experience with the viewer through abstraction, encouraging them to undergo their own experience in front of the work.

Favourite artists…
I have always loved and been fascinated by Gerhard Richter. His works have an amazing energy to them and he creates a fascinating depth and visual effects with his use of paint. I have a similar admiration for Mark Rothko. I recently saw one of his works in the flesh at the NGV and I was captivated by it. I love the idea that art can create an experience. That is exactly what this work did for me as I stood in front of it. I experienced a profundity and felt overwhelmed by the work. Perhaps it prompted me to slow down, and simply consider my surroundings and my own presence. I also have great admiration for the likes of Alex Prager and Gregory Crewdson. Both photographers have a highly staged, narrative style and create amazingly refined and composed works.

Ideas behind the work…
At once familiar, functional and culturally relevant, windows encapsulate representation, as well as the division between passive observer and active participant. They provide a rectangular frame for everyday scenes and can transform regular interiors into compelling, filmic scenes seen fleetingly as you drive past them at night. In Observation, a variety of domestic scenes progress in a sequence. From their vantage point, the viewer is voyeuristically aware of the subjects’ privacy and proximity as they are allowed a constricted glimpse into their personal worlds. Isolated by the formal grid pattern and dark expanses, parallel narratives develop. Despite living in close proximity to one another, the building’s inhabitants appear to be very much alone.

Materials and processes…
The photographs were taken using a variety of lighting equipment loaned from school. The coloured LEDs were precisely adjustable so they were extremely useful for creating the specific hues. For ‘Observation’ I took around 2000 images of a number of different scenes, with different set dressings, actors (friends and family) and lighting setups. Afterwards I carefully selected 3 sequential shots from each setup and used Photoshop to combine the first 18 images into one ‘wall’. This was a painstakingly slow process of smoothing over each brick to get them to match up evenly. For the following 2 compositions I switched interiors without changing the entire photos, which sped up the process a little. Otherwise, editing involved compensating for lens warping as well as adjusting colours to improve the realism of the bright nighttime interiors.

Favourite artists…
My favourite artist is perhaps Gregory Crewdson. His works have a stunning depth to them. From attractive aesthetics, to nuanced narratives and eerie atmospheres, the photographs are truly stunning and deeply engaging. I admire his handing of light and composition as well as his skillful and subtle control of narrative and suggestion. From the theory of the ‘decisive moment’ to the saying ‘the camera doesn’t lie’, photography is often seen as a medium for recording reality. This suggestion is, I think, highly ignorant of the power of the camera to warp, disfigure or entirely transform reality, as well as it’s ability to create new things, images totally imperceptible to the eye. I really admire Crewdson’s complete departure from photography as a medium grounded in spontaneity or organic reality, a sense of imagination is constructed through his absolute control over the scenes. Perhaps it’s almost more complex to take reality and craft it into your vision than to take a medium like paint and shape it into reality. His work unites photography with the complete control of the traditional artist.

Inspirations…
I once read that photography is purely the study of light, and at the time I didn’t really believe it, I thought about composition and colours and subjects. But more and more this statement has influenced my practice, and this year my work has been very much inspired by physically encountering light. To get a feel for how it behaves and interacts, light needs to be felt, so I think I’ve really been impacted by experiencing light in everyday life. From sunsets to neon signs to torches to concerts, I’m inspired by the transformative power of light as it impacts our experiences and our environments. Similarly, the skilfully transformative way cinematographers or filmmakers like Wes Anderson, Alfred Hitchcock or Joe Wright can manipulate a setting, people, and lighting to enhance emotion and communication inspires and amazes me. Just as photography is often concerned with communicating something about the physical world, my work’s major influences have been grounded in a similarly tangible sense of reality, things like personal experiences, emotions, opinions and discussions.

Ideas behind the work…
For these portraits I aimed to challenge myself to explore the creative potential of digitally manipulating faces to create dynamic images. I wanted to produce images that reflect my own personal and creative interpretation of the theme of portraiture. I aimed to explore the elements of the face and use digital manipulation to create surreal and slightly creepy portraits of a brother and sister. By choosing to photograph children, I set out to highlight an idealistic vision of youth, too perfect to be real.

Inspirations…
Many artists and photographers have inspired the development of my work. In particular I have looked at the work of photomedia artists Loretta Lux and Oleg Dou. I admire the way that Lux photographs idealistic visions of children and how Dou creates portraits with a bold, minimalist aesthetic. I have also looked closely at the way they both digitally enhance and manipulate their images and their overall working method. The slightly unnatural and surreal elements of their works and the way they interpret their subject matter is inspiring. I also greatly admire their perfectionism. Oleg Dou would have to be my favourite artist. I admire the simplicity of his portrait compositions, and how even though the works have such a minimal aesthetic they are still so bold and captivating.

Materials and processes…
For these works, I started by photographing my model in a studio using a Canon digital camera and studio lighting to capture a clear, sharp image, highlighting the facial features of my model. I then selected the best image and used digital manipulation to create the unnatural and surreal aesthetic. Using the software Portrait Professional I made subtle changes to the facial features including enlarging and changing the colour of the eyes, as well as smoothing out the skin. Opening the image in Adobe Photoshop, I made the faces symmetrical by selecting and duplicating the left side of the face, while keeping the original hair. I made the skin paler using several adjustment layers and filters while selecting the freckles on the face and making them darker. I removed the eyebrows and eyelashes using the patch tool and clone stamp tool and painted over the eyes to make them lighter. I then used the liquefy tool to enlarge the eyes and alter the shape of the face. Finally, I flattened the image and printed it.

Ideas behind the work…
Vanita, composition with fruit and lamp is a modern interpretation of a still life vanitas painting, used to portray the transience of life through particular symbolic objects. I have incorporated my own possessions to create a 21st century context. Items such as the porcelain skull pot, cosmetic mirror and IKEA lamp prompt viewers to consider the value our possessions hold in our lives. Ultimately, this work marries conventions of both traditional and contemporary art, even with the work’s medium – modern acrylic paint on a traditional wood surface.

Starting points and influences…
Vanita, composition with fruit and lamp started with various self-portraits in mirrors. This approach was something I’ve always found interesting, in that self-portraiture is almost like looking in a mirror. I found multiple artists who also used this technique: Brett Whiteley’s Self Portrait in the Studio (1976) uses a self-portrait as the focal point in a larger composition or space he’s created; Navin Rawanchaikul’s Tales of Navin 3(2013-15) also influenced the scale and amount of items I decided to include, as I found using a large range of objects had a shrine-like atmosphere to it.

Favourite artists…
F. Scott Hess is my favourite artist as his works always depict people in action and therefore always have a story to tell. The viewer has the freedom to interpret what occurred before and after the bizarre snapshot we are given, and the backstory of each figure depicted. His artwork is always mysterious because it is so outlandish and out of context, but you can always interpret the atmosphere present and the emotions felt by the subjects in the scenarios he paints. I also admire his vibrant and rich colour palette and the way that he manipulates light and colour to create an ambient glow.

Ideas behind the work…
In this portrait, the bruising and scarring on the male figure’s face represents the inner grief that he is feeling. I was interested in the idea of people being easily able to see physical scars, but emotional pain remaining invisible. I wanted to make emotional pain visible, portraying it as physical scars on the individual in this work. I want to communicate that emotional pain is just as damaging to an individual and should be taken just as seriously as the scars we can see. Just because you can’t see the pain doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.

Starting points and influences…
I began by taking photographs of my subject, directing their expressions and body-language to fit the melancholy state that I wanted to depict in the painting.

Favourite artists…
One of my favourite artists and the one I was greatly influenced by is HI, a Japanese animation artist. HI stays anonymous, only posting artworks on social media. HI often illustrates subjects expressing a melancholy expression in bright colours, which I admire. Staying anonymous allows the viewers to get to know the artist solely based on the artwork. I felt personally connected with HI just by viewing the works.  I took influence from artists like HI and Agnes Cecile because they both have many portraits of others expressing melancholy, which inspired me to create one of my own.