2016 Pure Talent artist program

To celebrate National Youth Week 2016, Maroondah City Council
presents the 'Pure Talent' exhibition and performance
evening featuring the VCE work of 29 inspiring and talented
young emerging artists across Maroondah.
FROM THE
MAYOR
MEET THE
MAKERS
MEET THE
MOVERS
FROM
THE
from the Mayor / PAGE 3
I am delighted to introduce the 2016 Pure Talent Youth Arts Showcase. Through these
pages you will meet an exciting and diverse group of twenty nine creative young
people who in 2015 studied VCE visual and performing arts subjects at eight
Maroondah secondary schools, and whose work has now been selected to feature in
the 2016 Pure Talent Showcase.
Pure Talent is a showcase extraordinaire. It celebrates some of the great
achievements of young people in our community as part of Maroondah City Council’s
celebration of National Youth Week 2016. National Youth Week is Australia’s largest
celebration of young people aged between 12-25 years and focuses on the
importance of young people having a voice and an active role in our community; and
having the opportunity to be able to use that voice to create positive change.
Our community puts a high value on the role of the arts and cultural expression. We
know that the arts and creativity are a vital part of the lives of many of the 20,000
young people that live in Maroondah. Council has made a commitment in its Arts and
Cultural Development Strategy to recognise and promote the achievements of young
emerging artists. Pure Talent is an important way of doing this.
The imaginative and lively range of these artworks and performances – which
includes textiles, painting, sculpture, photography, short film, design, music and
drama - shows us how different and unique each individual’s expression and
interpretation of the arts can be.
VCE is a challenging year and developing a folio of artworks during this intense year
of study also presents its own added challenges. Each and every one of the young
people featured in this showcase has achieved important steps in their own
development as young artists, designers and performers. In sharing their work with
the broader community through the exhibition at Wyreena Cmmunity Arts Centre, the
performing arts showcase at Karralyka, and in this catalogue, young people are also
helping to make Maroondah the kind of creative and vibrant place we all want to live
in.
To the young artists who are featured in the Pure Talent exhibition and performance
event, I congratulate each and every one of you and wish you ongoing fulfillment
through your path in the arts.
Cr Natalie Thomas
PAGE 4 / Mayor’s message
VISUAL ARTS EXHIBITION Wyreena Community
Arts Centre, Croydon
A NN A L I S E
L AW N
Norwood Secondary
College
‘Skin Prints’ - zinc plates, soft
ground in solid form, watercolour
paper, black relief ink, my skin.
‘Skin Prints’ was inspired by skin. Skin
is something that we see everyday
and is sometimes taken for granted
and not fully appreciated for what it
can do. My prints show the intricate
details of skin allowing every detail to
be visible when printed on
watercolour paper.
the Makers / PAGE 5
B E N JA M I N
S HI E L D
Heathmont Secondary
College
‘Strip the Beat’ - balsa wood, MDF, model VW Kombi Van,
model train grass and gravel
‘Strip the Beat’ was inspired by dance and the way people can
express themselves. I wanted to create a transportable ‘Street Dance
Competition’ that could visit many cities. This included a promotions
vehicle, a merchandise trailer and a dance floor.
PAGE 6 / the Makers
G E NE VI E VE
U NDE R HI L L
Yarra Valley Grammar
‘Mrs Mayor’ - cotton, tuelle, bemsilk
‘Mrs Mayor’ was part of the costume collection for the school
production ‘Seussical’. I had a specific brief to stick to, which
included designing and constructing a dress, bag and headpiece that
suited the character, using only red and white fabric. The garment
also had to make the performer feel comfortable and confident.
the Makers / PAGE 7
H UD S ON
GRANT
Melbourne Rudolf Steiner School
‘Organic Three’ - white paku clay
My sculptures were created to be
held by the viewer. I used natural and
organic objects such as shells,
organs and bones as my
inspiration. Each piece has a unique
way in which it sits in the viewer’s
hands and each piece has a unique
tactile texture that intends to evoke
a different feeling from those holding
it.
JA ME S
ME A D OWC R O F T
Yarra Valley Grammar
The main goal was to redesign the
Australia Post logo to appeal to a
younger audience. Birds were used as
the main focus of the redesign with
each section of post
represented by a different bird. For
example, a pigeon was chosen to
signify international post as they can
be found nearly everywhere in the
world, the eagle was chosen for
express post as it represents speed.
PAGE 8 / the Makers
JESSICA
WI L L I A M
Melba College
‘Devouring Freedom’ - fineliner,
watercolour pencil, watercolour
paper
My artwork is a personal expression,
reflecting my thoughts and feelings
at the time.
J ODI
C L E A R I HA N
Heathmont Secondary
College
‘Untitled’ (Pointillism self
portrait), HB pencil, 200gsm
paper, fine liners
I have a strong interest in drawing
portraits. Over the years I have been
inspired by my loved ones, however
this time I decided to focus on myself.
I wanted to create a self portrait to
depict a piece of me and to show how
far I have come this year. I also wanted
to show that there is more to a picture
than its face value and to inspire
others to follow their dreams like I
have done.
the Makers / PAGE 9
MA DE L I NE
GREEN
Melba College
‘The Blooming of a Plant’ photography
I was inspired by my love of flowers, I
wanted to show the audience the
beautiful details I see when I look at
them.
ME AG A N
B R O OK S
Ringwood Secondary
College
‘Querencia’ - watercolour paints
on paper
When spoken or heard, the word ‘home’
exudes a certain sense of warmth,
casting a feeling of belonging as it
brings to mind images of comfortable
beds and brewing tea. Throughout my
folio, I explored the different factors that make up a ‘home’. I developed a
deep understanding of the multi-dimensional aspects within the meaning of
‘home’. My final artwork examines the intimate and personal aspects of what
‘home’ means to different people. To complete this artwork, I asked friends to
capture what ‘home’ means to them by taking photographs of meaningful
places in their houses, which I then cropped and edited.
PAGE 10 / the Makers
ME GHA N
C L AY
Norwood Secondary
College
‘Artwork 2’ - fabriano paper, etching ink (black),
watercolour and fineliner
My artwork is inspired by anatomy and how astounding it is that
two creatures can appear to be so different, but once the flesh
is stripped away these two creatures could have the same bone
structures or heart chambers, making us more similar than we
originally believed. The printing process involved sketching the
skulls, scratching this image into plastic plates, inking the plates
and printing using a press, before adding watercolour shadows
to create the realistic image that I wanted.
the Makers / PAGE 11
P HO E B E
L AC E Y
Melbourne
Rudolf Steiner School
‘Old Woman’ - compressed
charcoal on paper
I wanted to create an artwork that
explored emotions through realistic
expression. I found charcoal on
paper to be the most effective
material for me to create the strong
emotions and to capture the true
lines and expressions of the face of
an Alzheimer’s patient.
S HAY L A
C L E VE R LY
Norwood Secondary
College
‘Bedside Table’ - Victorian Ash,
Plywood, Blackwood
I was inspired by today’s furniture
designs featured in current
magazines and passing furniture
shop window displays. To experiment
with different woods, I created my
bedside table out of Victorian Ash,
Plywood and Blackwood.
PAGE 12 / the Makers
S I MONE
L AY
Ringwood Secondary
College
M I L Y- inkjet on matte paper,
‘EStella’
GREEN
photography
Melbourne is synonymous with art
and design. The magazine explores
numerous Melbournian creatives
within this sub culture, who work with
an array of different mediums and
ideas. The features of other existing and noted publications, designers
and artists, such as Yen Magazine and Ana Strumpf, motivated my
creative process.
h e a lt h y • susta i na b le • f a i r
Northern Flicker
Collection Out Now
emilygreen.net
lovingearth.net
TRENT
JAC K S ON
Yarra Valley Grammar
‘ OG Skateboards’ - wood,
stickers and a t-shirt
From a young age, my interests and
talents have been based around
riding boards, such as surfboards,
snowboards and skateboards! It was
a great opportunity to base my VCE
Visual Communication Design folio around the creation of a brand
which required a promotional package including a logo and stickers.
the Makers / PAGE 1 3
VI C TO R I A
F R E E MA N
Ringwood Secondary
College
‘ Down the Rabbit Hole’ - fineliner, foam mounting squares
and coloured pencil on yellow pastel paper
As a novel enthusiast from a young age, Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice’s
Adventures in Wonderland’ is a work of fiction that has remained in
my top four favorite books. I adore the characters and the dreamlike
escapism of ‘Wonderland’, including all present day interpretations
of the story. My primary inspiration behind this work is the scene in
which Alice tumbles down the rabbit hole in pursuit of the White
Rabbit, set against a backdrop of other still frames from later in the
book.
PAGE 1 4 / the Makers
Z A NDE R
R OB I N S ON
Aquinas College
‘Forged Leaves’ - mild steel and Perspex
My inspiration was nature, particularly gum leaves. I liked their
clean lines and shape, and I wanted to capture how a still
moment in nature can be art. I used mild steel and a brass wire
brush to achieve the gold effect. Mounting the leaves in perspex
allowed the leaves to be the focus of the artwork.
the Makers / PAGE 1 5
PERFORMING ARTS EVENING Karralyka, Ringwood
BA I L E Y
P Y MA N
Tintern Grammar
‘Diana’ - DRAMA
My solo is about an egotistical, middle-aged actress, Diana,
auditioning for the part of Lady Macbeth in an upcoming
amateur theatre showing of ‘Macbeth’. In doing so, we see
glimpses of Diana’s past, including her previous experience with
the same amateur theatre group in a showing of ‘Romeo and
Juliet’, as well as her interactions with the other members of
cast and backstage. She also demonstrates highlights from her
recent one woman musical dedicated to the women of
Shakespeare. My performance explores Diana’s vanity and
delusional arrogance, with these traits being symbolised by a
red bow on her head. My solo is mostly done at high pace and
energy, with a light-hearted and humorous style, making use of
non-naturalism and incorporating aspects of musical theatre.
PAGE 1 6 / the Movers
B R E ND ON
GREEN
Tintern Grammar
‘ White Room’ - MUSIC PERFORMANCE
Starting guitar at age 6, I grew up listening to the likes of Jimi
Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan, and was influenced by
their blues rock style. Studying VCE music performance gave me a
greater appreciation of other styles of guitar. The song ‘White Room’
by Cream, written in 1968, captured what I enjoy most about
playing - the use of wah, soloing and the blues rock sound which I’m
trying to replicate.
DAVI D
C HA NDE L A R
Melba College
‘ White Rabbit’ - DRAMA
The solo’s premise is that the White Rabbit, from Alice in Wonderland,
is running for Prime Minister of Australia. As the solo progresses, we
hear the Rabbit announcing his candidacy, we look back to his life in
Wonderland, we look toward his campaign, and we see how the White
Rabbit compares to past Prime Ministers. The reoccurring theme
of the Caucus Race references the original novel and demonstrates
how politics goes around and around and never gets any further. The
scene referencing not having jobs, is making fun of the assessor, and
the nodding/fit scene is referencing Tony Abbott.
the Movers / PAGE 1 7
ELLIE
B R I ND L E
Norwood Secondary
College
‘ Landslide’ - MUSIC PERFORMANCE
I will be performing ‘Landslide’ by the Dixie Chicks. This is a country
song with an acappella twist on it. Zoe, Kirsten and I have worked
throughout the past year to create perfect harmonies and a nice
blend of our different voices.
GRACE
COLLINS
Yarra Valley Grammar
‘ The Backup Singer’ - DRAMA
‘The Backup Singer’ was my 2015 VCE drama solo. It’s inspired by
stories of backup singers throughout the ages as well as African
American history. In the beginning, I (as the backup singer) give
advice to a young and naive ‘America’s Got Talent’ contestant.
Throughout the seven minute performance, I highlight the difficulties
backup singers face as they are used, objectified and under
appreciated. By weaving through recognisable songs, linked to
moments of African American history, I reveal the basis of group and
backup singing. Two requirements I had to factor into my solo was
the style, non-naturalism, and the theatrical convention, song.
I hope you enjoy!
PAGE 1 8 / the Movers
JUSTIN
T HOMA S
Ringwood Secondary
College
‘Lenny’ - MUSIC PERFORMANCE
I will be performing a piece of music by one of my idols, Stevie Ray
Vaughan. The way in which he plays every note with an incredible
amount of soul and intense tonal qualities is what gravitates me
towards the guitar everyday and increases my love of performing and
my goal of pursuing music. How emotions and feelings can be
portrayed through a piece of music is something that really inspires
me and I’d love to be able to achieve that when I play.
KIRSTEN
STEWART
Norwood Secondary
College
‘ Soon We’ll Be Found’ - MUSIC PERFORMANCE supported by
Ruby Heaver
My aim was to convey a unique interpretation of this piece and
highlight my musical talents. ‘Soon We’ll Be Found’ is a particular
piece that resonated with me and I wanted to perform it in a way that
stayed true to the original, but also showed my own unique take on
the song.
the Movers / PAGE 1 9
MA R K
FO R D - L E A R NE R
Melbourne Rudolf Steiner
School
‘ Charlie Feehan’ - DRAMA
My solo is called Charlie Feehan and is based on the novel ‘Runner’ by
Robert Newton. In this solo, Charlie is summoned to Squizzy Taylor’s
house where he is pressured to assist Squizzy with his illegal
activities. Due to Charlie’s previous experiences with Squizzy, he
declines and shows Squizzy why he chose to lead a more simple life.
Charlie shows Squizzy the benefits of going straight by
completing scenes that are in the novel ‘Runner’. He also performs a
series of vignettes from the 1920s, such as the 1929 Wall Street crash
that demonstrates the benefits of having an occupation that gives
you financial stability. Lastly, he also shows Squizzy the rise in
corruption in the 21st century. In this solo I had to include
Biomechanics theatre which is based of the work of Vsevolod
Meyerhold. As biomechanics is about primarily using the body to
convey certain messages, I was able to more easily use stillness and
silence which I had to incorporate into my solo. The props that I used
were an axe made out of cardboard and an old metal bin. I used the
bin because my solo is set in the 1920s and I thought it symbolised
our bygone era, the time before plastics.
PAGE 2 0 / the Movers
NATALIE
MULLIGAN
Aquinas College
‘Diana’ - DRAMA
My performance is a non-naturalistic piece about an absurdly
ostentatious woman who is auditioning for the lead role in her theatre
company’s newest production. We meet her husband, director,
costume designer, makeup artist and choreographer, all of whom
have different experiences within the theatrical world. Inspired by the
musicals of the late 20th century, my piece aims to explore the cost of
love, pride, greed and extravagance within the theatre.
NI C K
R I C HA R D S
Melba College
‘ Stix: Tournament’ - MEDIA
“Stix: Tournament” was an idea that originated from a time when I
would animate “birthday presents” for my friends, depicting them in
an animated environment, attacking a stick figure with a “fighting
game” aesthetic. During one day of school, one of my friends
approached me and said ‘You should make a whole game out of this!’
“Stix: Tournament” is the result of that quote, two years later. This
project depicts my emulation of “fighting games”, wherein two
combatants brawl it out in an over-the-top display of fantasy violence.
It provides no profound message, nor is it meant to stimulate the
audience to think about things differently. It is nothing more than
entertainment.
the Movers / PAGE 2 1
VI C TO R I A
MA NG A NO
Luther College
‘Nexus’ - VISUAL COMMUNICATION
Inspired by my musical background and interest in new age
philosophies, Nexus, which means connection in Latin, draws upon
the assembly of our mind, body and spirit. This short film explores the
physical representation of this connection through the use of body
percussion and my own vocals. Utilising a makeshift home studio,
using editing software that was both familiar and unfamiliar, I was
able to learn and excel in various aspects of multimedia whilst
allowing my passion for music to influence my artwork and concepts.
This subsequently led to a fascination and interest in Sound Art. The
contrived sounds made by the body fuse aspects of one’s internal and
external conscious state through the use of knuckle cracking,
cheek/lip popping and chest beating. Utilising my own vocals allowed me to create a tranquil and harmonious atmosphere to mirror
the emotions one experiences through a complete state of calm and
awareness.
PAGE 2 2 / the Movers
ZO E
HI G G I N S
Norwood Secondary
College
‘Stop’ - MUSIC PERFORMANCE
My concept in my choice of set list for VCE music was to implement
a contemporary twist on retro and vintage music. Dating back as far
as 80 years, I chose music from the 30s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s and
intertwined these with personal and modern successes, hardship and
love. In doing so, I hoped to create a connection between all people of
all ages, thereby broadening and understanding my audience whilst
allowing them, through my mixed array of music, to understand me.
ZOE
STEPHENSON
Tintern Grammar
‘Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered’ - MUSIC PERFORMANCE
VCE Music Performance was equally the most time consuming and
rewarding subject I studied in 2015. One of the songs I sang for my
solo assessment was the jazz classic, ‘Bewitched Bothered and
Bewildered’. I was inspired by Lady Gaga to choose this song, as she is
an amazing artist and has sung a rendition of this song on her jazz
album with Tony Bennett. I also liked that there were so many
renditions out there that I could take inspiration from to create my
own version of the song.
the Movers / PAGE 2 3
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Booklet designed by Simone Lay