Queensland the Smart State

2007 TOURING EXHIBITION

Departm

ent of Ed

uca

tion

, Train

ing

an

d th

e A

rtsexcellenceawards for

in

Tom AndrewLeah AtkinsonBianca BossoLaura BourkeSheree BroomElly BrucePriscilla ChoiPaloma ColeJames CoshCaylie CumminsBrigette Daniel

Rosy FeelySally FrendRebecca GearyGemma GrimaJennifer HallChristopher HampsonNathan HancoxLaura HansenRichard HarrisElliot HarvieBen Holmes

Justiani OeiSimon PetersenFeng QiuSarah ReganGenevieve ReynoldsAdam RobbAnnika SalisburyLyndsay ScafeJade SleightSimon StehbensRia Tierney

Sarah HortonZoe JohansenJason Ka Kit ChuiIan KnightAnne LeePyungwon LeeTim LeeKristen McKenzieSo-Young MoonRobbie MurphyHarriet Nunan

Ashleigh WadmanAmos WangLynn WangAdric WatsonKristal WestCelia Elizabeth Fett WhittleKristen WindowLouise WruckJoyce Yang

Page �

Page �

If a picture tells a thousand words, listen closely to the 53 creative voices behind this exceptional exhibition.

What you will hear is an insight into the hopes, dreams and challenges of Queensland’s creative future. It’s a valuable time capsule of a generation growing up with experiences vastly different to those of their parents and teachers, and whose thoughts and talents are ensuring bright prospects for our State.

In this �007 exhibition, the winners of the �006 Education Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Art showcase the great visual arts work being done in state and non-state schools across Queensland.

Over the past �6 years, this program has recognised more than 700 young artists, awards the efforts of students, acknowledges their teachers and takes young talent to audiences throughout Queensland.

The Queensland Art Gallery has proudly hosted the winners’ work for the past eight years and this year, for the first time, it is displaying the exhibition in its spectacular new Gallery of Modern Art.

With the help and support of Museum and Gallery Services Queensland, the exhibition will also travel to �0 venues across regional Queensland over the next �� months, allowing student peers

and art lovers alike to experience young talent through a wide range of artistic expressions.

The strength of the links between education and the arts is internationally recognised, and our Government is a leader in programs, awards and curriculum that help build abilities and encourage young people to become better learners by developing their creativity.

This exhibition is testament to the outstanding skills of our students and the talents of their teachers that shows maturity beyond the years of the young artists on show.

After all, let’s not forget that they are still high school students, but their inspiring ideas are what art aficionados will be collecting, contemplating and celebrating in the future.

Min

iste

r’s

Fore

wor

d

Rod Welford MP, Minister for Education and Training and Minister for the Arts

Page 3

TOM ANDREWBrisbane State High School

X Marks the Spot

Acrylic on canvas

This work was developed in response to the concept of accidents, mistakes and error and particular accidents that result in change. Human impact on the planet’s environment has had devastating consequences and one of the most horrendous incidents in recent history was the infamous Exxon Valdez oil spill. This artwork explains the impact of this disaster on the surrounding habitat.

Page �

LEAH ATKINSONBurnside State High School, Sunshine Coast

My Glorious Cage

Photographs matted and framed, PowerPoint presentation

Using a camera and Photoshop, I have manipulated light, objects and people to capture different aspects of my school. My Glorious Cage takes two contradictory words to reveal the mixture of emotions I have come to feel at school, a place which has had the largest impact on my life thus far, for better or worse. Therefore, it seemed the fitting choice to base my art upon my school under the theme of ‘Location, location.’ My art compilation goes against the traditional view of ‘beauty’ and exalts more dismal corners of the school; highlighting the beauty lingering amongst all the age and decay.

Page 5

BIANCA BOSSOSt Margaret’s Anglican Girls’ School, Brisbane

History repeating

Conte

My piece is an appropriation of Picasso’s Guernica and represents the same turmoil of the carnage experienced in Guernica – this time in Iraq today. Even though the modus operandi of war has become more sophisticated, there are still the same players, the tyrants, the idealists, the pawns and the victims. Picasso’s minotaur represents both good and evil, as might George Bush and the allied forces. My symbols are mostly ambiguous, although there is irony in much of it, such as the passion flower in the dismembered hand. However, the agony and suffering captured in a universal language by Picasso lends conviction to this contemporary piece, making us wonder whether we will ever learn.

Page 6

LAURA BOURKEMackay North State High School

Duty’s Consequence

Oil pastel, acrylic, ink, found objects

This artwork consists of two parts. The wooden plank holds three disks representing the notion of being unpaired, odd numbers. They represent war’s consequence: widows, displaced families, the missing and lost. The bottom canvas has doilies, old picture frames and other chattels from a wartime era. The photograph shows men marching to war. Optimism and pride foreshadows wartime realities.

Page 7

SHEREEBROOMCathedral School, Townsville

Shattered Perfection

Acrylic on paper

Shattered Perfection;The imperfection of beauty;the women’s perceptions…She is left with the scars offeeling the need to bebeautiful, with each facial featurecut off from the other. She showsthe pain and anguish behind the beautymyth using the loose and expressive marks to show her insecure emotions.

Page �

ELLY BRUCEBrisbane State High School

Hidden Scars

Mixed media monoprint

Domestic violence occurs every day and can happen to anyone. The imagery of cuts, bruises, grazes and scars partially obscured by black markings represents the hidden effects of domestic violence, combined with the feelings of shame and helplessness the victims endure. The shapes of child, mother and father present the viewer with common symbols of family, their faces expressionless, symbolising they are drawn of all emotion and feeling because of the pain and suffering. By characterising the aspect of domestic violence, I hope to encourage a better understanding of the help that is desperately needed for the victims.

Page �

PRISCILLA CHOISomerville House, Brisbane

Girl in the Mirror

Graphite on stonehenge paper

At some point in their lives, everyone must confront the lies within themselves as part of their identity process. As an adolescent undergoing the awkward transition from childhood to adulthood, Girl in the Mirror, explores this idea and poses the question of who or what I might see if I look in the mirror. The greyscale tones used for the figure provide a stark contrast to the enveloping, dense nothingness that surrounds us at all times. In drawing my expression and portrait, I tried to convey the emotions of confusion, amazement and perhaps fear that one experiences during this time of conflict.

Page �0

PALOMACOLEBrisbane State High School

Don’t Look Now

Manipulated digital photography

This artwork documents the underground movement of ‘dumpster diving’ – the retrieval of edible food and other goods, usually from dumpsters behind large supermarkets which has evolved in direct response to Australia’s love affair with disposal. ‘Dumpster diving’ is not only a cheaper and more sustainable way to live, it is also seen as a political statement, that one does not need to conform to the capitalist ideal to live. The title, Don’t Look Now, refers to the wider community’s ignorance and apathetic attitude in regard to the massive amount of waste that Australia produces daily.

Page ��

JAMES COSHDownlands College, Toowoomba

I Miss You Already

Photograms

I Miss You Already is a tribute to my recent travel to Brazil. This experience was one of the most significant events in my life. I experienced so many emotions, ranging from the apprehension and anxiety just prior to leaving, the nervousness when meeting new people and the dread of knowing that I had to leave. These are the emotions I tried to capture in this work. The black and white photos represent the contrasting emotions I felt during the encounter. These intimate images represent some of the mementos of my stay, which all hold great sentimental value to me. The viewer is invited to share my journey to Brazil.

Page ��

CAYLIE CUMMINSMarymount College, Gold Coast

Forest

Pencil

This piece is about the environment, its beauty and its cycles of growth and decay. I began by doing a pencil drawing of a single leaf and saw that it had a delicate beauty even though it was rotting away. The leaf became a symbol for me and I began to draw a series of leaves, as I finished one I would go out and find another. Trying to keep the paper in good condition was a challenge as my cat kept trying to sleep on it as I had it pinned out.

Page �3

BRIGETTE DANIELShalom College, Bundaberg

Control is an Illusion you Infantile Egomaniac!

Mixed media

Control is an Illusion you Infantile Egomaniac! is a cathartic work assisting me through a need to control. There are two symbolic areas within the work. The figures, kept captive by the hands, representing a part of me that controls my every action and the figures working to break free to the right of the work. The background represents that whilst I feel in control of my life presently, it scares me that I cannot control the future. With the inspiration of Immants Tillers’s segmentation, Max Ernst’s decalcomania, Gerard Manion’s free flowing figures and Marion Borgelt’s precision, I was able to create a theme of attempting to control chaos.

Page ��

ROSY FEELYMatthew Flinders Anglican College, Sunshine Coast

Time is Money

Assemblage

Over time industrialisation and evolution have replaced man and beast. Using this concept I developed an artwork based on the composition of the $�0 note. Inspired by Richard Shaw, Po Shun Leong and Nam June Paik, my assemblage is made up of electronics, nuts, bolts, wires and metals in an attempt to invite the reader to consider the development and evolution and its impact on today’s society. The artwork was painted, ink washed and dry brushed.

Page �5

SALLY FRENDSomerville House, Brisbane

Hide or Seek

Graphite and charcoal

The unit that we were given was ‘identity’, and with this I chose to draw a soldier running into the darkness. I chose the topic of war to draw because there is a spotlight on this issue at the moment, and I feel that with it being nearly impossible to escape knowing what is actually going on, that war has become a part of my identity. I specifically drew the soldier running into the darkness, as I feel that most of the time with their job, soldiers are required to run into action completely blind without knowing what may lay ahead of them. I used a shading action to achieve the effect of the night having a consuming effect.

Page �6

REBECCA GEARYSt Ursula’s College, Toowoomba

Prickly Pears

Prickly pear, calico, toothpicks, thread and charcoal

The detail of defence plants is just so interesting and intriguing. However, it is often disregarded, especially with prickly pears as they are a local nuisance. I displayed the pears as little ships, safely carrying their cargo across the hostile seas.

Page �7

GEMMA GRIMACorinda State High School, Brisbane

Hyooshi

Digital imaging

I am passionate about sunsets and the colour and rhythm of clouds. Hundreds of photographs later, I selected this section of a sunset and worked with it extensively in Photoshop to produce the elongated banner printed on silk. The stitched folds of the silk emphasise the natural rhythms of those clouds. Silk has a gorgeous sheen that picks up the colour intensity of them. The fragility of the work is protected by a Perspex case, as the rice paper is nearly 60 years old, given to me by an old German man who had survived in China during World War II by making and selling paper.

Page ��

JENNIFER HALLBoonah State High School

Demise and Rebirth

Clay and acrylic paint

I produced this artwork in response to the theme Cycles and Rhythms. It was my interest in history and ancient cities, such as Rome and Pompeii, that led to my portrayal, in a series of ceramic plaques, of how civilisations are born and how suddenly they are able to either self-destruct or be destroyed by a natural disaster.

Page ��

CHRISTOPHER HAMPSONSt Laurence’s College, Brisbane

Spirituality

Lino cut print

My work symbolises my personal, cultural and spiritual belief of the Torres Strait Islands. I strongly identify with my Torres Strait cultural heritage. I used a Torres Strait Island story of the creation of Mer, Murray Island. The oval type shapes represent a ‘Dhogai’ or evil spirit, the spear or arrow heads in close vicinity of the Dhogai representing the death of the evil spirit. The octopus in the centre at the top of the print represents the eight tribes of Mer. The warrior figure in the centre at the top of the print represents Gelam, the creator of Mer, and the dugong of which he carved from wood that became the island.

Page �0

NATHAN HANCOXMacGregor State High School, Brisbane

Stronger than we could possibly imagine

Photograph

This artwork is the result of the end of my �� month relationship with my girlfriend. I took this photograph the day of the break-up. The image was everything I was feeling. My experience was ‘written all over my face.’ As a result, I took journal extracts and ‘wrote them across my face.’ The image was taken digitally, the contrast boosted to accentuate the darker tones. The depth of shadow was the key to creating a symbolic link to the shadows I was occupying at the time. It was reproduced at A0 size as I wanted to achieve two things: (i) my feelings were huge and I wanted others to see that, and (ii) I wanted to examine myself in/through this experience. I needed to be represented larger than my actual self so that I could really look at who I was.

Page ��

LAURA HANSENMount St Michael’s College, Brisbane

Typed Self Portrait

Type on rice paper

Using a performance process, I physically created an artwork through an old typewriter. Typing my streams of conscious thoughts: referring to songs, stories and random musings. Using the typewriter allowed greater tone and depth to the process investigating my maternal genetic links. The images depict me as a baby, as I am now, as I will be (my mother) and as I will become (my grandmother). The text I used for each portrait varied as my image aged, showing how we, our memories, and what we hold dear to us alter as we progress through life.

Page ��

RICHARD HARRISMountain Creek State High School, Sunshine Coast

Reclining Figure

� dimensional triptych

Markmaking has always fascinated me. I love the spontaneity of Chinese calligraphy artists and their ability to make expressional lines in a single stroke. I have been focused on the female form this year with emphasis on its voluptuousness and curves, in contrast to the gaunt figures of the media, and have aimed to capture the same quality of line and energy in my work.

Page �3

ELLIOT HARVIEWest Moreton Anglican College, Ipswich

Rainbow Trout

Drawing, dip pen and ink

In planning a still life, I decided to avoid ubiquitous, clichéd depictions of fruit and vegetables. Many still life painters from seventeenth and eighteenth century Europe incorporated game and hunting equipment in their works; with this in mind, I purchased a trout from the fish market. I was initially tempted to place the fish centrally on the page, but decided to give the composition more interest and movement by drawing two fish, broken into four parts. The background was left intentionally blank, heightening the contrast between solid forms of the fish and the space around them.

Page ��

BEN HOLMESSunshine Beach State High School, Sunshine Coast

Self Portrait

Clay

This self-reflective clay caricature was created in response to the question, ‘who am I?’ My love of animation and manipulating images inspired the humorous distortion of form in this piece. The plasticity of the medium allowed me to inject the same humour into a sculpture that I usually apply to my cartoon drawings.

Page �5

SARAH HORTONCoolum State High School, Sunshine Coast

Party for One

Shellac, cotton doilies, PVA glue

My favourite adventure was hosting tea parties up in trees. I used to hang each piece of the tea set on a different branch and sit there for hours imagining that people were there with me drinking tea and having a good time. The objects that I would suspend in the trees were tea cups, a teapot, a milk jug, saucers and doilies.

Page �6

ZOE JOHANSENMaryborough State High School

Big Business

Acrylic

The aged today are treated as a commodity and their care is governed by economic matters. Nursing homes are big business where an individual is just another number.

Page �7

JASON KAKITCHUIBrisbane Grammar School

Untitled

Paint, mixed media, canvas

Originally inspired by street culture, I have become absorbed by the surface and superficial marks of graffiti artists. I have also engaged with the deeper marks of the decay of those surfaces. This surface, taken from the railway rolling stock, is reminiscent of the aged, scarred surface of the Australian landscape. We are both fascinated and repulsed by it but it engages us powerfully.

Page ��

IAN KNIGHTBrisbane Grammar School

Oil

Video

The staple diet of contemporary culture is oil. We can’t imagine our lives without it. Oil sustains our lifestyle, powers our transport and provides energy for heating and electricity. We seem to have all our possessions made of it or with it. Our addiction to oil drives us to start wars, clear land, pollute the world and change the climate. We can’t live without it, but we are drowning in it. I used dripping paint to simulate oil dropped and smeared over a person, then added the ripple effect to suggest a person under liquid or drowned in a barrel of oil.

Page ��

ANNE LEEThe Rockhampton Grammar School

Beyond Venus

Sculpture, glass, wood, light, paper, pencil

Using human form as the theme, Botticelli’s Venus was used as a design on glass. Through the reflective strips, one can see drawings and transferred illustrations of people. As society is becoming more materialistic people do not realise the true beauty of a person. Through the traditional standard of beauty – the figure of Venus – one can see the inner beauty that lies beneath. There are four sides to let people see through it at any angle and the light attached to the timber base illuminates both the mobile inside and the glass itself. The light comes out between the strips brightening the whole area.

Page 30

PYUNGWON LEEBrisbane State High School

From Dust To Dust

Ceramic and soil

Poverty is a perpetuating cycle. Children are disproportionately poor. From ����-�000, I had the privilege of living in Zimbabwe and South Africa. While there, I was able to witness and experience child poverty at its worst. The clay symbolises equality. Every individual may have different amounts of material possessions, however we all arrive and depart the world empty-handed. Each pot is in the shape of a flower, signifying the unique beauty of a child. Each hand growing from the flowers represent the stigma, the life and labour of the child.

Page 3�

TIM LEEMount Gravatt State High School, Brisbane

CARE

Computer graphics, multimedia

My works are political. Our fragile world is in both environmental and political turmoil. In CARE, I present the Earth as an egg shell which is breakable. However, if nations address these issues with vigour, problems might be resolved. The hands in the photo represent the pure-hearted holding the Earth shell caringly. The tree leaves fall and become the flying feathers spreading seeds around the world. The second work, Mask, seeks to expose our two-faced acceptance of injustice and impropriety while claiming to occupy the higher moral ground. Napoleon and Lifetime illustrate the need to agitate against tyranny.

Page 3�

KRISTEN McKENZIEMansfield State High School, Brisbane

West End

Lino print

West End was produced as a reproduction of one aspect of the urban environment. It was composed by collaging different images of the suburb and drawing a simplified version of this collage to be printed. It represents the changing face of West End from a working class and industrial area to a dynamic and vibrant suburb of Brisbane due to the urban redevelopment taking place there.

Page 33

SO-YOUNG MOONSt Paul’s School, Brisbane

Self Portrait

Mixed media on paper

The initial inspiration for this piece came from an old picture of my grandmother wearing a traditional Korean ‘Hon-Bok’ suit. This was very new to me as she no longer wears traditional clothing. Everything changes, and is in a constant state of flux — whether it be the house we live in, our diet, attitudes in society and fashion. I once read that the length of skin can vary, depending on the economic situation of the time. At one stage jeans were socially unacceptable, now they are the height of fashion.

Page 3�

ROBBIE MURPHYSt Ursula’s College, Toowoomba

Martha’s Walk

Baked bread cases, applied with glue and shellac

This work was created in exploration of the concept duality. Within this, the elements of mind and matter were given particular focus, the aspect of matter taking the form of the environment, while mind was refined to that of the human consciousness. Following the idea of cracked mud, a surface which constantly brings out the desire for destruction in me, I pursued alternate materials that would provide a similar appearance and ‘crunching’ sensation. I settled on creating a landscape of bread cases that contained ideograms that were symbolic of matter, in this way creating a landscape that aimed to investigate humans’ consciousness of their environment. When the landscape was created, Martha’s consciousness was investigated, as she was asked to cross from one side to another. I wished it to be a situation similar to mankind’s first settlement into a new environment. Will they be aware and careful towards what surrounds them? Or exploit it?

Page 35

HARRIET NUNANDownlands College, Toowoomba

Arrawarra

Photographic print, stone, photographic etching on silk, nylon thread

My artwork Arrawarra is a reflection of childhood memories of my time spent at Arrawarra during family holidays. One of the childhood activities I associate with these experiences is the collection of stones from the beach. My influences for this artwork came from my experiences as a child, and my interest in the inherently occurring patterns in nature.

Page 36

JUSTIANI OEIIndooroopilly State High School, Brisbane

The Three Bears

Mixed media

The Three Bears is an insight into gender stereotypes and roles of suburban life in a daily or weekly routine. Children, a fundamental element of this lifestyle, usually have a stuffed animal in tow, a friend which makes them feel safe. The bears represent ‘security,’ while the objects they are filled with symbolise the daily or weekly routine, gender roles and stereotypes. The Three Bears was created out of clear PVC plastic and sown together with clear nylon thread. The story of Goldie Locks and The Three Bears, Bon Apetit by Thierry Auriac and the works by John Brack were of particular influence in the creation of this artwork.

Page 37

SIMON PETERSENWestside Christian College, Ipswich

Discorporate

Mixed media – ink on vinyl

The more I explored possible hallmarks of identity, the more I realised my identity – or understanding of myself – is not tied to any group such as school, nationality or philosophy (e.g. capitalism, materialism). I am most at home in my own ideas and imagination. My doodles on the vinyl of the computer desk at home (hence the media of ink on vinyl) became my starting-point for Discorporate – an alternative world.

Page 3�

FENG QIUBrisbane Grammar School

Cultural Imperialism

Acrylic and modelling compound

The persuasive and subtle cultural dominance of the United States worldwide is inescapable and it is interwoven into the very fabric of our lives. Americans more than any other country love their flag and embed the colours and patterns into all sorts of everyday items thereby reinforcing their patriotism. The woven paint is the physical embodiment of the interplay of cultural influence and the horizontal banding of the colour recalls the form of the flag.

Page 3�

SARAH REGANRuncorn State High School, Brisbane

Overpowering Pimples – I hate you red!

Polystyrene balls and cushions

The theme of my work is pimples, a theme which was influenced by my obsession with my acne. This relates to ‘Looking Inwards,’ as my obsession of wanting to get rid of my pimples became overpowering and controlling. My work is an installation of cushions and painted polystyrene balls made to resemble actual pimples. In making this I hoped to accept acne, which is why I made the cushion ‘cute’ and ‘cuddly’. They have been crammed into a cupboard to represent my need to hide and be rid of them. The size of the work is big representing how much of a big deal it is for me. The work was also influenced by the work of Yayoi Kusama.

Page �0

GENEVIEVE REYNOLDSCannon Hill Anglican College, Brisbane

This is what people make me

DVD

This work explores the concept of self-identity through stop-start animation techniques. By using memorabilia from my history, I have created a piece that pauses on how people and experiences in one’s life affects and moulds one’s character. The emergence and dissipation of identity throughout life and death is also explored through the symbolic use of black paper, which smothers and reveals images. Personal experiences have been used throughout this work to reinforce the concept of history shaping identity. One in particular appears at the end of the work and relates to a childhood game christened ‘longnecks’ in which hands are representative of dinosaurs.

Page ��

ADAM ROBBSt Patrick’s College, Mackay

Illawong

Pastel on paper

Illawong Beach is my beach. It symbolises much of my sense of place.

Page ��

ANNIKA SALISBURYTamborine Mountain State High School

Tension

Short film on DVD

This piece communicates tension to the viewer in order to create an awkward reaction. The outcome of tension is caused by anything that is either physically or mentally strenuous. Tension is a short experimental film featuring conflicting images; a contrast of innocence and order against repulsion and disorder. The film represents a sense of disarray.

Page �3

LYNDSAY SCAFECoolum State High School, Sunshine Coast

Memories of my Grandmother

Photography

I grew up with my Granny. She was always around. I remember ironing with her, even though all I got to do was the hankies. I remember eating breakfast and she used to cut animals out of my toast. I remember going to antique shows and picking out tea-sets, which she would secretly buy for me. I remember not fully understanding the word cancer. Today the teacups are the memories of my Granny.

Page ��

JADESLEIGHTPacific Pines State High School, Gold Coast

This Land Our Land

Acrylic, pencil on canvas

This Land Our Land is my vision of the typical Australian bush with its iconic gum trees. The ragged textures, soft creamy ochres, pinks and blues come together to describe the billabongs, mountain ranges, rocky landscapes and eucalypt forests. I’m sure Dorothea Mackellar would approve.

Page �5

SIMON STEHBENSSmithfield State High School, Cairns

War Stencils

Enamel paint on recycled fridge metal

I began my research on a social situation that is relevant to me: war. The war in Iraq was the focus of the media at the time and through this media coverage I noticed the limited coverage of behind the scenes. The media largely focused on the base level of the war – the fighting, the casualties, where, when, who, what. My artwork focuses on the behind the scenes; the before, during and after. Each image is placed in one of these categories to tell the story about causes and effects. The texture of the background is corrosive as war is corrosive.

Page �6

RIA TIERNEYSomerville House, Brisbane

Untitled

Black and white photographs

I tried to explore the emotional state when in a certain place or with certain objects. We had five horses on the farm at the start of the year. Now we only have three. It is quite a surreal image to see a dead horse being dragged up the side of a hill. It really got me thinking about how an everyday object can be viewed from a different perspective. I borrowed one of my father’s old Rolleiflex cameras from the ��50s to take these photos, and I spent a stormy day right underneath the horses’ hooves.

Page �7

ASHLEIGH WADMANAll Saints Anglican School, Gold Coast

Urban Witness

Giclee print on transparent film, mirror

Inspired by the passive nature of the ‘inanimate witness’ in Picasso’s anti-war statement Guernica, these images are essentially portholes into another world. The standard incandescent globe, present in every household, silently reflects the private world we live in behind closed doors. This series of photographs explores the reflections presented on the surface of the electric light bulb. The photographs, intentionally ambiguous in nature, capture the secret nature of these events. Applied to a reflective surface, the viewer now becomes, like the light bulb, a voyeur in private worlds. The viewer in fact alters the image with their presence.

Page ��

AMOS WANGYeronga State High School, Brisbane

Any three points must exist in a plane

Acrylic on canvas

This man is precariously balanced atop a number of three legged stools, some of which do not even touch one another. Many of the stools feature nonsensical perspectives, just as we have our own biased views of the world. We may be blind to factors which can destabilise us. The young man’s life hangs in the balance, since although he is very close to the top of his field in the literal sense; his support structure has no real strength. It is not grounded; the bottom stool rests on a cloud. How many ‘balanced lives’ are this perilously close to collapse? The frame deliberately relates to the dubious structural integrity and perspectives of the stools within the painting.

Page ��

LYNN WANGBrisbane Girls’ Grammar School

Stronger

Painting

This artwork is my depiction of the human condition: the strengthening of the human race brought on by the onset of the persistent occurrence of terrible deeds and natural disasters. The human race is depicted to have taken on part animal form, representative of humans’ adaptation in their way of living to become stronger, more resilient and less scared. The element of humour is added as it is an essential ingredient needed to surpass the grief these devastations instigate, creating an expression of human resilience, their facing up, instead of hiding away, to the problems of the day.

Page 50

ADRIC WATSONMaleny State High School, Sunshine Coast

Two and Two Makes Five

Acrylic on canvas

Two and Two Makes Five is a reference to the political novel 1984 by George Orwell. It is a symbolisation of the use of propaganda by power-hungry governments, organisations or groups. It represents their ability to control and convince people into believing anything they say as true. A quote from 1984: ‘If the party announced that two plus two equalled five, you would have to believe it.’ This is an example of total control and the power that false truth holds.

Page 5�

KRISTAL WESTTrinity Bay State High School, Cairns

Hidden in the Shadows

35 mm black and white photograph

The main message I intended to portray in this photograph was the relationship between my young brothers Saul and Ethan. One brother stands in the background of the shot and portrays an innocence that has not yet been lost. This is symbolised by him standing in the light of the rundown suburban alleyway. The other brother stands in the foreground, hidden and silhouetted in the shadows portraying how his culture and innocence are both becoming lost. I wanted to represent a sign of hope as one brother calls the other out of the shadows. To me, this represents a strong family bond that will triumph over all.

Page 5�

CELIA ELIZABETH FETTWHITTLECavendish Road State High School, Brisbane

Slipping over

Acrylic paint, pen on canvas

Slipping over is a depiction of our condition on Earth. We are caught in a frenzy of our own human emotions and interactions, as depicted by the ‘party’ taking place on top of our planet. However, some of us are metaphysically falling off the side of this planet, loosely connected by a string, ‘format’. Acrylic paint was the main medium used as well as some ink and pencils. The colour choice enforces the concept of frenzy on Earth in contrast to a serene and spacious background of the universe, or some unknown and vast darkness.

Page 53

KRISTENWINDOWRobina State High School, Gold Coast

The Keys Of Marriage

Assemblage sculpture

The Keys Of Marriage represents the union between the mariée (bride) and nombre (groom). The mariée wears her veil and holds the bouquet close to her heart. She is soft and delicate in nature. In contrast, the nombre is wearing his pin-striped suit. He is strong and masculine in appearance. The use of similar material which mirror one another in form signify the close bond between the two. The notion of marriage strikes a ‘CHORD’ in anyone’s heart.

Page 5�

LOUISE WRUCKAll Hallows’ School, Brisbane

Festival

Lino prints, acrylic on canvas

In my artwork, I have chosen to realistically portray figures involved in the Chinese New Year Festival as a means of exploring the extraordinary multiculturalism which is present within our nation. A lion dancer, spectacular or congregating group is depicted in each panel. I have endeavoured to encompass the Western interpretation of such festivals, as well as their traditional significance which forms numerous and diverse cultural identities and behaviours inherent in Australian society. These unique practices are not only a means of identification for cultural groups, but also a means of definition which contributes to the diversity of Australia.

Page 55

JOYCE YANGSt Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School, Brisbane

Nu Kai

Acrylic

I belong to a traditional tribe (Nu Kai) in Taiwan. My auntie is a leader of a Buddhist Temple. She is a powerful person. She is able to read other people’s minds and determine their past lives. The other person with me is a friend who is a Buddhist nun. She is in the traditional dress that identifies her. My auntie and I are both wearing tribal princess costumes. The height of the feathers represents my position within the tribe.

Page 56

Queensland the Smart State

2007 TOURING EXHIBITION

Departm

ent of Ed

uca

tion

, Train

ing

an

d th

e A

rtsexcellenceawards for

in

Tom AndrewLeah AtkinsonBianca BossoLaura BourkeSheree BroomElly BrucePriscilla ChoiPaloma ColeJames CoshCaylie CumminsBrigette Daniel

Rosy FeelySally FrendRebecca GearyGemma GrimaJennifer HallChristopher HampsonNathan HancoxLaura HansenRichard HarrisElliot HarvieBen Holmes

Justiani OeiSimon PetersenFeng QiuSarah ReganGenevieve ReynoldsAdam RobbAnnika SalisburyLyndsay ScafeJade SleightSimon StehbensRia Tierney

Sarah HortonZoe JohansenJason Ka Kit ChuiIan KnightAnne LeePyungwon LeeTim LeeKristen McKenzieSo-Young MoonRobbie MurphyHarriet Nunan

Ashleigh WadmanAmos WangLynn WangAdric WatsonKristal WestCelia Elizabeth Fett WhittleKristen WindowLouise WruckJoyce Yang