Studio Arts NGV Excursion
On Wednesday the 23rd of March, the Year 11 & 12 Studio Arts students attended the VCE ART Analytical Frameworks program at NGV International (Melbourne CBD) as part of their curriculum. This was a special time where students gained insight on how to analyse art from contemporary & historical contexts. Students explored high quality artworks within the “NGV” exhibition Collection.
Students practiced applying the Analytical Frameworks – Structural, Personal, Cultural and Contemporary – out of the classroom. They discussed, analysed, and interpreted original works and objects from the NGV Collection.
A highlight to many were the immersive artwork installations; where we reflected on the great Australian landscape in which we live in. ‘Pond(er)’ and ‘Bark Ladies’ were real standouts. Not only did we enjoy the contemporary works, but we also looked carefully as we studied many old masterpieces from the 18th & 19th Century collections.
We enjoyed catching trains and eating hot food at lunchtime, as well as the fun social aspects of wandering around the Melbourne cityscape! Here are some student responses after this enjoyable excursion:
“I particularly enjoyed observing the different art styles from different periods. Also going on an excursion for the first time in two years was nice and refreshing. My favourite part was the Pond(er) and seeing the Chanel bags.” Riya
“Some things that I enjoyed from our trip to NGV were some of the art pieces we got to see. Especially art pieces such as the Pink Lake (Pond(er)) where you got to interact with the piece instead of just viewing it from afar. The 18-19th century collection was also interesting, with a mix of realistic paintings, sculptures and even pottery.” Jamie
“I thought the excursion to NGV was a really great experience that I found really interesting and engaging, especially when discussing the artworks and I learnt more about how to analyse artworks and break down each aspect of an artwork. I really liked the Chanel display and the ‘Bark Ladies’ display in particular, as I liked seeing the interesting traditional Aboriginal art. It was a great experience to socialise as well with friends on a day out with the class.” Lila
“In the excursion I enjoyed the aboriginal art and the sculptures outdoors. It was a good day and I liked going to the city and looking at all the artworks and city life. I enjoyed being social with my friends and classmates.” Maddy
“Our experience of just going to the city was a different experience due to many reasons, one being the ability to travel via public transport. As for the museum, I enjoyed spectating art works such as the peeing boy fountain by Julian OPIE, Pond(er) and the 18-19th century NGVI collection. All the paintings were well preserved, so it allowed us to really enjoy the artist’s emotions and ideology whilst they painted their pieces. The freedom to be able to choose our own lunch was nice too.” Avrielle
“I found this excursion fun and very interesting, I liked being out of school for the day with friends and being able to explore different forms of art as well as learning more about it. It’s interesting learning in detail about art pieces and looking for further meaning in them.” Sierra
“The excursion to the NGV was inspiring. The Bark Ladies exhibition in the gallery proved how unconventional materials, such as bark, can be used to create art. Learning how to see art through the personal, historical, and cultural lenses was interesting as the meaning and message of artworks was able to be interpreted. My favourite exhibition, the 18th – 19th Century collection which consisted of many landscapes, caught my attention.” Lucas
Linda Karman, Secondary Teacher