Year 9 and 10 Visual Arts Excursion
On Wednesday 26 March, me and my fellow Visual Arts students from Years 9 and 10 had the wonderful opportunity to visit the Art Gallery of NSW in Sydney. On this trip, we were accompanied by Mr Bentham and Mrs de Hass, who guided us through the four main parts of our excursion. Throughout the experience we were able to see numerous forms of artworks – including installations, photographs, paintings, sculptures, and drawings. Additionally, we were also able to see how art takes the form of a wide range of creative expressions. Having an appreciation of these many artworks helped inspire us with our own artmaking – both in and beyond the classroom!
When we arrived in Sydney, we headed towards the Naala Badu building of the Art Museum campus, where we had a look at an installation by contemporary artist Angelica Mesiti. “The Rites of When, located in the former wartime tank underneath the building, was a large-scale video and sound installation artwork. It had us fully immersed in our senses; it was a feast for the eyes and ears! “The Rites of When” explored the themes of connection, culture, seasonal changes, and the future. Each of the seven screens spread around the room made us feel that wherever we stood, we remained a part of the art! Mesiti’s use of moving photography, videography, choreography, vocal choruses, and collective sound-making created a rich visual display us as the viewers.
The second part of the excursion was the visit to the Yiribana Gallery: a display of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artworks. In the Sydney language, “Yiribana” means “this way.” In this gallery, we were able to experience a diverse range of works by many Indigenous artists. We only had a brief time in this section of the Naala Badu building, but my peers and I truly felt inspired by all the art and media styles! Since its opening in 1994, the Yiribana Gallery continues to showcase the dynamic and rich art of Indigenous Australia.
We then went to the Naara Nura building of the campus, where we looked at ARTEXPRESS. This part of the gallery is an annual exhibition of the selection of HSC artworks by Year 12 Visual Arts students. In this section, we were able to discover several forms of expressive artmaking such as painting, drawing, ceramics, sculpture and photomedia. For me personally, ARTEXPRESS was a major inspiration on this excursion; it gave me an insight into what my artworks for the HSC could be like. It also inspired me with my own art and how I can incorporate things that matter to me into my future artmaking.
Our last part of the Visual Arts excursion was going to the Grand Courts. In this vast gallery, it showcased historical artworks from the 15th to 19th century. We were able to view art from significant art periods including the Rennaissance and the Victorian Era. Experiencing these types of art was crucial in our understanding of human society from those time periods. For us Visual Arts students, knowing a historical context of art is immensely helpful and inspiring!
As a Year 9 Visual Arts student, I have enjoyed this excursion very much! Walking down the steps of the Naara Nura building, it made me want to go back again and revisit it! In my own time, I want to explore and have the full experience of every floor and part of the Art Gallery of NSW. I hope that my peers and I will have another opportunity to visit the gallery once more!
Ruby C, Year 9