Across three days in February, our Year 11 and 12 Visual Art students enjoyed a vast array of visual experiences in the Galleries of Sydney City.
On the very first day of exploration, The Art Gallery of NSW provided artistic insights. Students viewed work such as ‘The Modern Masters’, ‘William Kentridge’ and also the annual Art Express display. Amidst gallery exploring, students had the opportunity to capture everyday life within the city during a street photography session.
Next, the students visited the Museum of Contemporary Art and had a tour guided by practising artists who drew
The Hazelhurst Gallery at Gymea, housed another fantastic selection of HSC Body of Work artworks in the Art Express exhibition for students to unpack. This was followed by a tour and drawing workshop on Cockatoo Island.
Students travelled back to the Art Gallery of NSW permanent collection. An insightful art gallery assistant skillfully guided students through their path of analysis as if she were sitting right there with them in their final written exam.
All over, this was an extraordinarily valuable and worthwhile trip. Here are some of the student’s comments:
Contemporary Art and David Goldblatt – MCA
“This tour was very fun and interactive. I really enjoyed walking through rooms of installations and seeing all the big artworks and 3D pieces. We did lots of little activities and they all related back to the artworks and made it a fun and memorable experience.”
“The emotion I felt while being there is something I hope that in future I can create or replicate in some way.”
“I found contemporary art has a lot more than the surface and knowing the context of the artist is essential as embedded meaning is common.”
Art Express, Modern Masters and HSC Writing – Art Gallery of NSW
“Each and every piece that was displayed not only grasped my attention by the ears but, in their own way, told a story about what they were trying to convey.”
“The talent shown in Art Express was detailed, and the concepts were expressed thoroughly. It was engaging to see what other techniques and art practices they used when creating their project.”
“Before returning back to Port Macquarie on Friday art students had the opportunity to be guided around the Art gallery of NSW for an essay writing and art analysis workshop. This was one of the highlights for all students, our guide was simply amazing at explaining how to answer questions about artworks, and I’m very happy we were able to attend!”