Creative contemplation: reflecting the personal through the arts
Creative contemplation: reflecting the personal through the arts
Two of the things that are core to St Andrew’s Cathedral School, is the focus on the whole student – and the pursuit of creativity. From art, to writing to design and music, year after year, students excel in this area – but very importantly, they are able to reflect something very personal about themselves.
In starting a creative piece of work, they start their journey of better understanding themselves, their families and the world around them. And students are not shy of the big issues that are part of doing that – and giving us all meaningful things to reflect on.
By Gavin Hanbridge.
We talked to former and current students on the personal reflections they made through creative projects. And as amazing as their works are, they represent just brief snapshot of all the explorations of the arts currently underway at the School.
Olivia Phoon’s (OA2023) (pictured above) series of beautifully blurred images titled Hazy recollections had the honour of being selected for ArtExpress last year. The artwork is based on faded stories and memories of her grandmother’s life. Olivia was one of 27 St Andrew’s Cathedral School students nominated for HSC Showcases last year.
She was drawn to creating this work by her interest in feminist perspectives of women in families but also by how much she didn’t know about her paternal grandmother’s life.
“The blurring effect used throughout this series of images represents this obscured connection. Most of the photos were taken in Singapore, but I’m not sure as my grandmother moved around a lot.
“I went through her photo album and I chose images that I thought would work with this piece.”
For Olivia, while the journey began with the album and family story, it extended out to be a more universal reflection on the recollection of family history and how that memory fades. She says she has mixed feelings about creating a work that represents both private stories and public reflection.
“I have shame in the artwork because it implies that I didn’t get to know my family in the process,” she says. “On the other hand, I’m proud of the work as it was displayed in a public place (the Art Gallery of NSW) where people can have some understanding of my interpretation of the photographs. I hope the work will shape how people view their lives with family members.”
Finnian Agnew (OA2023) (right) also focused on a connection with his grandmother when he created his wearable art piece. It paid homage to his grandmother’s hometown, Patonga on the NSW Central Coast. Finnian understood that sustainability was a major concern for the area and so he focused on the development of sustainable fabrics that displayed the intricate aesthetic qualities of Patonga’s fishing nets and geological formations.
Finnian’s project was not only nominated, but also selected to be featured at the 2024 SHAPE Exhibition, another HSC Showcase.
Finnian says, “This project celebrates the natural beauty of the town of Patonga. Practicing growing the fabric under different conditions was definitely a labour of love, but the result was better than I could ever have imagined!”
Finnian said Textiles was his most challenging subject. “Practising growing the fabric under different conditions was definitely a labour of love but the result was better than I could ever imagine!” he said.
For Bronte Critchley (OA2023) (pictured below) her written work was an unexpected journey. She did English Extension because English was a subject she was strong in. While she expected to do a critical essay as it would be relatively quick, a topic caught her eye that changed all that – and gave her new-found inspiration in life.
Bronte has always loved Greek mythology and feminist literature and found a way to incorporate them both into a project – a personal essay telling a first-person story of Circe, the mythical daughter of Helios, the sun god, and the ocean nymph Perse, critiquing how under-represented she has been in history and literature.
Bronte says as she explored the story and legend of Circe, she was drawn further into it.
“The story connected with so many different interests of mine,” she says. “From pre-Raphaelite art to the literature of Margaret Atwood.”
“By researching so deeply I could see all these connections.”
The essay is 5,000 words and Bronte didn’t think she could do such a big project she says.
“But by taking it on, I discovered more about what I was capable of,” she says.
Bronte says this is a theory that can be applied to the real world.
Through doing the work, Bronte reflected on the struggles women have faced to gain more freedom and a more realistic and recognised role in society. She could see that women face further struggles but the path is easier than it was.
“Just as Circe journeyed, so did I,” Bronte says. “The patriarchy back in the day used to be really oppressive but now there’s a way through it – and that’s very inspiring to me.”
