Super Eight Cultural Festival - Visual Art
The Super Eight Cultural Festival took place over the weekend of May 21st and 22nd and was hosted by Napier Boys' High School. The Visual Art competition consisted of one junior artwork and one senior artwork from each Super Eight school to represent each Art Department.
Palmerston North Boy's High School are pleased to announce that we placed 2nd in the Senior category with a painting by Cody Whitley, and 1st in the Junior category with a drypoint etching by Ryan Pearce. Well done to both the boys involved, an outstanding achievement given the calibre of the work on display.
Junior Entry - 1st place (photo at top of article)
Student: Ryan Pearce - Year Level: 10
Media: Dry point etching
This work is a response to an exercise titled ‘What Animal are You?’. I was introduced to the role of animal hybrids in ancient myths and legends. Within Greek mythology fantastic creatures are typically depicted as Minotaur, Centaur, and Chimera. After reflecting on my own identity, I selected an animal from which to create a hybrid self-portrait. My response to this brief has been to explore my connection to birds and a childhood dream for human flight.
Senior Entry - 2nd place (photo below)
Student: Cody Whitely - Year Level: 13
Media: Acrylic Paint
The theme I have been exploring this year is based around the impact of war and the lasting effect it might have on the people or a place. In some instances, cultures are assimilated, and landscapes take on a new identity where tradition meets the perpetrator halfway.
In my work this year, war does not take place between two earthly nations but instead, another planet infiltrates earth’s defence force and a war breaks out.
In this acrylic painting, I have combined earthly and the otherworldly architecture amid a sandstorm. The earthly element sits in the foreground of the painting and is a reminder of the simplicity of the past. In the background, futuristic buildings are seen to dominate the landscape, yet there is an attempt to have them coexist in the same space. Seemingly a successful integration of worlds…..yet…..a storm is coming.