Term 3 2007 Plus... Careers In Art - Zart Art

Secondary Article
Indigenous Art
The Year 8 art students
of Catholic Ladies’
College have been busy
looking at a variety of
Aboriginal artists both
past and present. Students
studied the symbolism,
interpretations and
meanings in artist Michael
Nelson Jagamara’s works
of dreaming sites of the
Western Desert.
The Wurrundjeri people are
the traditional custodians
of the Catholic Ladies’
College site and with
this knowledge students
researched many aspects of
Indigenous culture including
beliefs, ceremonies and
the importance of art in
everyday life.
Walking around the College
grounds, students looked at
the layout and how it could
be drawn out as a map. They
imagined what it would look
like as an aerial photograph
then designed individual
maps based on the layout
and what was important to
them.
These maps were then
drawn freehand and the
best designs were chosen
to put on canvas. The
canvases were stretched
and primed and the designs
drawn on with a HB
pencil. Acrylic Chromacryl
Paint was applied to the
background and colour
swatches were made from
the College colours and the
surrounding vegetation.
The students practised their
technique with a variety of
brushes and cotton buds
to make different sized
dots. They then worked in
groups creating vegetation
and walking tracks. The
painting was sprayed with
a clear varnish and beads
were added to emphasise
some areas, the students also
wanted to add something
pretty to represent
themselves in amongst the
vegetation.
There is a strong interest
in Indigenous culture
and issues at Catholic
Ladies’ College which is
encouraged through a
variety of initiatives. We
celebrate and strive for
reconciliation though the
Social Justice Group, and
Year 9 and 10 students are
invited to journey to Central
Australia for an Indigenous
Immersion Experience.
We are welcomed on to
the Pitjanjatjara lands near
Uluru by the traditional
custodians of those lands,
the Anangu people, and
we share in their ancient
and sacred story. To
explore Indigenous art is
yet another initiative to a
better understanding and
celebration of Aboriginal
culture.
Melinda Wills
Arts KLA Team Leader
Catholic Ladies’ College, Eltham
6
www.zartart.com.au