ARTWORKS AND STATEMENTS

Cordelia Mead-Small

Ignorance is Bliss - Contemporary Society

Acrylic on canvas

Ignorance is Bliss depicts the beauty and innocence of animals as they remain detached from the maelstrom of contemporary society’s angst. Irrespective of the upheaval surrounding them, animals maintain an inner peace and unconditional affection and loyalty.

The gentle, repetitive application of paint to create the image reflects the consistent nature of animals.

Cordelia Mead-Small

Identity divided  - Identity

Acrylic on canvas 

Identity divided is a diptych depicting a powerful male physique reclining in a deceptively relaxed pose but with tension emanating from a powerful and frustrated right hand, questioning his identity and how he fits into the world around him.

Cordelia Mead-Small

Enlightenment  - Contemporary Society

Acrylic on canvas 

Enlightenment portrays the tragic acceptance of death of a seemingly innocent African-American youth.  The innocence exuded by the boy as he stares helplessly in the face of death highlights the inequities of modern police ‘justice’ where African-American males ages 15 to 34 are 9 times more likely to be killed by police officers than any other demographic.

Aizha Poynton

‘Kitchen Couture’

Photography and Ceramics

Porcelain Chanel Perfume bottles x5

The body of work, ‘Kitchen Couture’ strives to represent the timeless issues centred on women, through the juxtaposition of glamour, sexualisation and stereotypes.

I have used both a series of photographs, of myself dressed in wearable art and a series of ceramic channel perfume bottles, to articulate my concept.

My photographs have me, represented as a 1940’s housewife, engaged in the cliché task of gardening. To add to the artistic intent, my wearable art is made solely from kitchen items; tea bags, tea towels, baking paper, brown paper, icing, spoons, forks, whilst still appearing glamourous.

My ceramic perfume bottles wear the label of ‘kitchen utensils’ whilst being dressed in the florals of the 40’s. Around their necks are 40’s embellishments of pearls, ribbons and flowers.

The stereotype of the ‘housewife’ the ‘woman’ in society is timeless. Whether 1940’s or 2016, the truth remains that women are objects; disposable and useable. They continue to strive for perfection in beauty, whilst also fulfilling the ‘working role’.

Briannah Michaels

 ‘Fragility’

Glass and resin mounted on steel poles and Hebel block. 

1. 57 x 15 x 10cm

2. 48 x 15 x 10cm

3. 41 x 15 x 10 cm

4. 32 x 15 x 10cm

5. 30 x 15 x 10cm

The ‘mind’, through art, can be portrayed in any way the artist can perceive in their imagination.  I have chosen to portray the concept of ‘the mind’ through the use of glass. Glass is an ancient material composed of all four elements; fire, air, earth and water, a complete set of metaphysical properties. Glass symbolises fragility, transformation, rebirth, focus and communication. 

As my work focuses on the fragility of the mind, glass was used specifically as the ‘fragile object’.  There seems to be a fine line between having clarity of thought and loosing that clarity, once emotion and life get involved. The smashed pieces and shards are symbolic of the expectations, anticipations, dreams and wishes that we have, that don’t quite come together as we hope they would. They become embedded in our memory and hopefully we learn from them as we grow.

Katherine Barker

‘Destruction’

Mixed Media: ink, shellac, charcoal, acrylic on fabric

‘Destruction‘is part of life and is happening all the time. Yet it is generally seen as a negative and not often seen as a ‘creative force’. When you think of it, from ‘destruction’ comes change, something new, and depending on how we look at it, new can be good! Often times the ‘destructive’ process may look scary, ugly and often repelling, but we need to wait to see what the new is that comes from it before we judge it to be good or bad. We also need to learn not to fear it, in ourselves or in others, so that we can help the process rather than hinder it.

Makayla McGovern

The Pointe

Charcoal, graphite and conte

My artwork alludes to the unrelenting hard work needed to succeed in the dance industry and the illusionary beauty created, juxtaposing the refined final product that mimics perfection and gives the audience only a glimpse of the underlying intensity of determination that lies beneath the surface. The starting point for my series was from a photograph I took of my pointe shoes. They seemed the perfect metaphor for my concept, as the pointe shoe is perceived as the elegant universal symbol of dance, recognized as the epitome of the beauty of ballet and yet the time, energy, blood, sweat and tears spent in the shoes is known well by every dancer. This cliché influenced my desire to expose the underlying intensity that dancers endure but effortlessly conceal. My first works, the charcoal and conte A1 drawing and my pointe triptych began my journey.

Micaiah Jensen

‘Balance’

Print making, Photography, Photoshop

          

‘Gender roles’ have been considered a stereotypical set of ‘rules’ that everyone must follow in order to ‘fit in’. For centuries, anyone who hasn’t followed the societal norms have been marginalized. This body of work is inspired by the natural forms of flowers and trees and their relation to masculinity and femininity. It can be seen that natural forms possess both masculine and feminine qualities. My work embodies the concept that not everyone can follow the specific roles dictated by society and by breaking them, a balance can be found.

Melody Drummond

'Beauty as a Concept'

Digital photos

'Beauty as a Concept' is a series of manipulated self-portrait images which explore the concept of narcissism. Using Photoshop, my work attempts to appropriate the facial structures of iconically beautiful women. This imitation highlights the desire for physical attention, essentially a narcissistic trait inherit in us all. Whether we’re Grace Kelly or Marilyn Monroe, this quest for affirmation still exists and it will never be fulfilled.

Tahlia Berghuis

‘Carrying Words’

Digital Drawings

The battle to cope with life is often made more challenging by the words other people say to us. At times, ‘throw away’ comments appear superficial and irrelevant but frequently these words are carried with us, adding to our everyday struggles. My work uses basic line drawings, I compose them in digital form with patterns and words. The girl in my work is represented in contemplative poses, as if she is pondering the words and ideas that she is carrying. I have used phrases and words in my work that are deliberately ambiguous because I want my audience to carry these works with them and contemplate them.

Hannah McFadden

‘Landscapes’

Digital Photos

'Landscapes' is a series of digitally manipulated portraits communicating that our existence is tied to our environment, that we are a part of nature rather than superior to it. The series of photos have contour lines superimposed on them to illustrate the complexity and beauty of the human body.

Haram Lee

‘What you Wannabe’

Digital Drawings

This work is inspired by a tragedy in my country of Korea. In 2014 a ship sunk off the island of Jeju, killing over 300 passengers. Among these victims were a number of seventeen year old students. I focused on the concept of unfulfilled dreams, expressing the story of five of these young victims. Ironically, these five students had written their future aspirations on their school lockers prior to the event. The work juxtaposes the lost dreams of these individuals against the reality of the tragic accident.

Ibaia Kervella

Elapsed Relics

Acrylic Painting

Elapsed Relics is a photo-realistic still life that delves into the life of my mother. The painting is a composition of five keep-sakes from my mother’s past, each item carrying a story in itself. The feel of browned paper and broken instruments add to the antique aura of this artwork. These mementos are now part of who I am.

Grace Pemberton 

Broken

Acrylic Painting

Broken is an acrylic expressionist painting that explores the personal issue of domestic bullying. The painting depicts an ageless female who is emotionally damaged by a family member. She is doing her best to conceal her psychological pain, however, the agony consumes her.

Emily Jones

Time Over Time

Video

Time Over Time is a video which expresses the suffering of a deaf person with Tinnitus. This artwork creates awareness of the struggle this condition brings; time over time, it is constant; it is repetitive. The elements of sound, fire and water communicate the emotional and physical pain. This is my life.

Emma Tatam

Skins

Acrylic paint, ink and graphite on wood

The portraits series Skins was created around the concept of perceptions. I am intrigued about the way assumptions are made about a person based on simple factors such as outwards appearances. In particular the way one dresses, to how much makeup they wear, and finally the way those expectations are built up on and play up from stereotypes. 

Ellen McVeigh

Passenger of a Medical Condition

Ink, salt, watercolour paint on canvas

I am a passenger of a medical condition as I was born with pulmonary valve stenosis. This artwork explores the five heart surgeries that I have undergone. Each heart represents a surgery from my valve being ballooned opened, to open heart surgery adding a pig valve at the age of 12 and the last at age 14 where a cow valve was used to replace my own valve. The last of the 6 canvases is a set of floating legs representing the present and the future as it is unknown when my next surgery will be.

Caitlyn Taylor

Inextricably Connected

Biro on vintage paper

The Inextricably Connected series is comprised of thirty biro sketches depicting significant places where I experience a strong sense of place.  The topophilia or affective bond between these surroundings is predominantly biographical or spiritual in connection. The history book Worlds Old and New (1964) was purposefully chosen as the medium as it alludes to memories and past experiences that I have developed with the places I have drawn.

Madison Baker

The Battles You Ignore

Mixed media on canvas

The Battles You Ignore conveys a socio-political narrative confronting society’s beauty ideals and the increasing sexualisation of women within contemporary culture.  The experimental mixed media canvases challenge the stigma associated with menstruation and the concept that what is considered taboo about women are the parts that cannot be sexualised.   My work references powerful feminist artists such as Judy Chicago and Barbara Kruger, who demote the objectification of women, promoting awareness of the struggles women face when experiencing menstruation. Each canvas symbolises an aspect of the battles women have to fight as they demand acceptance from men for a completely natural bodily function. 

Claire Pryor

Water Horses (Aqua Equus)

Oil on watercolour paper

My paintings were inspired by mythical Scottish stories of powerful horses that gallop upon the waves of the sea and emerge from the ocean only to be tragically captured by unsympathetic humans as racehorses.  I have captured the horses as they emerge from the raging surf and as they deserve to be portrayed: powerful and beautiful, without human interference.  Fragmented Latin text, used in limited circumstances for over 2000 years in Scotland, provides a historical context, suggesting that the creatures are both ancient and rare.

Nic Tossmann

Sacred Detritus

Mixed media sculpture

My work Sacred Detritus explores the transitional states of the sacred to the banal, and treasure to waste.  My series of eleven hearts have been constructed from found materials and detritus.  This creates an interesting juxtaposition between the “worthless” materials and the most important organ of the human body, the heart.  Without the essential heart the body would cease to function and life would cease.  In contrast the waste and excess we create in society is without value.  These hearts have been removed from the human body and suspended in a scavenged gilded frame.  The question I wish to pose is: have these commonplace materials regained value when recontextualised as art? 

Tia Adams

Ravaged Earth 

Mixed media sculpture

My work Ravaged Earth conveys an environmental narrative about the violent devastation of our planet at the hands of humanity.  The burnt torsos symbolically refer to Mother Earth being torn open by catastrophic human actions like mining, where the earth is raped of her abundance. White origami butterflies suggest cycles of life and freedom from the horrors of the ravaged earth and a possible hope for the future.  My work encourages the viewer to consider the concept that we must not ignore nature’s despairing plea and act now to safeguard the future of our species on this planet.  

Silvia Lamacchia

Equality

Oil on canvas

My work conveys a political narrative based on George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the novel that playfully retells the story of Russia’s Stalinist regime.  The portrait of Stalin transitions into Napoleon, a pig from the novel who uses military force to intimidate the other animals and consolidate his power.  The text “all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others” is a quote from the novel and refers to Napoleon’s dangerous view of the concept of equality.  My work conveys a warning to viewers that all members of society must question authority and not blindly accept governmental propaganda.

Shaye Tendolle

Artificial Youth

Found objects and graphite on watercolour paper

As the faces of my five female portraits transition between natural and unnatural, human made and artificial, a sociological narrative about humanity’s future is conveyed.  Science and medicine are currently making enormous leaps in knowledge and humanity will eventually evolve to include cyborg elements, represented by mechanical parts on my portraits.  The young faces suggest that future medical and scientific advances will ensure that we all live in a youthful state forever.  Our current scientists are the true alchemists as they will find a way to achieve immortality.

Shelby Monk 

Absence of Knowledge

Graphite and pen on cartridge paper

Absence of Knowledge conveys a message about beauty and societal expectations. The cosmetic culture we encounter on the Gold Coast is restricting.  All that matters in our society is the surface and what is considered beautiful to the eye.  Attributes of deeper importance such as knowledge and wisdom are irrelevant, symbolised by the lack of ears on the female portraits.  The stippled female portraits and flowers encourage the audience to consider what they consider beauty to consist of; females in the blossom of youth or the soft, organic structure of flowers in nature.  Both forms of beauty are fleeting and ephemeral; they will not endure. 

Layla Everstets

Separating String

Video

‘Separating String’ is a performance and installation created to tell a personal and emotional story of separation and letting go. I have learned that people make mistakes; you can choose to forgive them or to let them go if they are the reason for your unhappiness. The cutting of the black string represents a personal experience I have dealt with involving the relationship between my father and I and the process of disconnection. My mother is a selfless woman; the thick white rope represents her strength and purity. My Lebanese culture is key to my identity, represented here by the Arabic hymn and traditional Lebanese dress.

Elsa Farahmand

Cultural Palimpsest

Various fibres, Giclee print

My body of work illustrates the continually shifting identity of my Persian culture as it blends with Western (Australian) culture. The small woven samplers are a form of ancient Iranian ‘Faravahar’ and drawn on imagery from traditional Persian rugs. Worn around my neck they remind me of my heritage. The other images are a métissage of Persian symbolism; the stapled fabric scraps represent the way that I am trying to hold on to my culture, even if it is not as pure as it should be. The continual influence of a dominant culture on another creates, through me, a new hybrid culture.

Sara Donnelly

Untouched

Hand felted articles, Plaster of Paris

Touch and being touched is a basic human need and the unspoken language of touch universally understood. Felt is a very tactile substance which invites touch, its properties are fragility but at the same time resilience just like the human spirit. A resilient person has moments of fragility, which is fundamental for change and growth. The felt balls have been coloured with watercolour also suggest this state of change. Plaster is a metaphor for the mask people wear to hide their vulnerability, the book a personal narrative where the thread signifies the words of this unspoken language.

Lauren Hughes

Overlooked

Monoprints and fabric on Rosapina

Referred to for centuries women as the ‘weaker sex’, this series explores the duality of a woman’s role. The coat hangers represent order whilst the patchwork cloth, made from Chux wipes, is the image of repetition and labour. The strength and determination of women who ‘hold it all together’ is overlooked, just as is the usefulness and importance of common objects such as these.

Lauren McCarthy

Vernacular Cosmopolitanism

Giclee Prints on coreboard, wooden hangers, clothing rack

‘Vernacular Cosmopolitanism’ is an oxymoron that joins the contradictory notions of local comfort and the exquisiteness to feel at ease in many different countries/cultures. When applied to fashion, this concept can be seen as a display of ‘social intercourse’, demonstrating the way fashion is shared on a global basis. Street fashion photography is an accurate reflection of the changes occurring within society, as it effectively captures the zeitgeist of the era. More, it captures the ephemeral nature of fashion trends. Daphne Guinness stated, “The process of dressing is to embrace a role…” Taken on a recent visit to New York the subjects extracted from the backgrounds in these images. The replacement block colours represent the personality of each person. Accompanying the images is a quote by that person which also sums up their attitude.