Published on: 21 February 2014




Years 11 and 12 Art students got a taste of university life as part of the 2014 Art Camp last week. The boys spent two days at Curtin University’s School of Design and Art (SODA) learning from some of WA’s leading arts educators and artists.

The annual art camp is an integral part of the Years 11 and 12 2AB and 3AB Art courses providing boys with practical workshops in drawing, sculpture and printmaking, sessions on art analysis and production, and a visit to the John Curtin Gallery.

Art teacher Jean-Marc Rivalland said a highlight this year was an assemblage challenge task led by SODA lecturer and artist Mark Parfitt. Mr Rivalland said the task was to break apart a chair and create a specific form of sculpture. “With access to the workshop, a range of materials and tools, the boys set about the demanding task of creating works to a very high standard,” he said.

“Artworks, dealing with the concept of space, were attached to the building whilst others had inferences to functional objects. Some were carefully broken apart and constructed into formal arrangements and others took on subtle anthropomorphic appearance, suggesting an animal-like appearance.”

The two-hour session finished with the boys creating their own Rube Goldberg-style constructions, which once activated created a domino effect, triggering movement within the artworks. “Although this task was daunting, the satisfaction of completing such successful work in such a small time frame was very rewarding for the boys,” Mr Rivalland said.

The assemblage sculptures and other works from the camp will be on display in the Design, Technology and Visual Arts Centre gallery space (upstairs). Visitors are welcome.