Elphinstone Secondary School held its annual Fine Arts Night last week to display the students' work to parents and the community. The lively show revealed how the kids have embraced contemporary techniques in the production of their art.
The evening included a drama, A Date with Fate, put on by the Acting 11/12 class, videos by the TV class and a striking display of artwork.
Still life or floral paintings were nowhere to be seen. The artistic themes reflected the busy lives of teenagers and their involvement with contemporary media. There were depictions of faeries and creatures from fantasy, comic book covers, poster art, photography and sculpture. Computer graphics were very much in vogue with several displays of sketches that had been scanned, digitally manipulated and coloured. Student Beau Gris used many examples of this technique in showing his rich, fantasy world.
Popular culture turned up in posterizeddepictions of celebrities, such as Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe, suggesting that the students were acquainted with the work of Andy Warhol. Grade 10 student Eric Allen cleverly rendered his fighting figures in wax, the type of medium that is used prior to bronze casting. The figures later turned active during an animated video.
A highlight of the ceramics display was Sam Lyons' sculptural portrayal of the heads of exotic strangers. Grade 9 students Selena Bell and Carlie Jamieson worked together on a vividly colourful painting of an elephant silhouetted against the sunset. Selena, who says she loves art, has never been to Africa - she used her imagination.
