Visual Arts
This term, our Year 7 art students have been on an exciting journey exploring the intriguing concept of appropriation and its application in the world of art. Appropriation in art involves borrowing, recontextualising, and transforming existing images or ideas into something new.
Through the exploration of this topic students delved into the ethical implications of appropriation, contemplating the good and the bad. At the heart of this exploration is the iconic masterpiece, "The Great Wave off Kanagawa." Inspired by Katsushika Hokusai's renowned woodblock print, our budding artists have embarked on a creative endeavor to reinterpret and appropriate this timeless work in their own unique ways.The students' interpretations of "The Great Wave" showcase their diverse perspectives, incorporating personal experiences, contemporary influences, and imaginative twists. Through this process, they not only hone their artistic skills but also gain a deeper understanding of the power of visual storytelling.
Year 12 have started their HSC course this term and kicked off with a Case Study called Crown Land. This was based on an exhibition of the same name at Maitland Art Gallery featuring artists vigorously engaged in timely discussions of sovereignty and power, whilst also paying respects to the queens of the community here on Wonnarua Country. Students attended an excursion here and were excited to see some new work from artists that we had previously studied in the preliminary course. They also engaged in thoughtful conversations around artmaking and curatorial decisions that the artists had made that they will also need to consider when creating their own Body of Work.
‘Film By…’ Successes
Each year the Arts Unit of NSW Department of Education facilitates a Filmmaking program called “Film By…” whereby, each school community holds their own Short Film festivals.
The Cessnock Community of Greater Public Schools hosts ‘Film By the Vines’ led by Scott Anderson, Principal at Bellbird PS and driven by Vanessa Miller of Ellalong PS. The year long film making experience culminates in a Gala Red Carpet event at PACC.
This year, two films from Mount View High school were successful as Finalists to be screened at the ‘Film By The Vines’ Short Film Festival on Wednesday 8th November.
Congratulations to Ava Vickers, Year 10 Photography and Digital Media student and Lilly Harris, Year 11 Visual Arts Life Skills student who had their films on show and who both received many public choice votes.
Lilly Harris’ film “Home” has also been selected by the NSW Arts Unit as a state finalist and screening at the Film By Invitation event hosted in Sydney on Tuesday 14th November. Chris Dodds of the NSW Arts Unit attended the Cessnock event to formally invite Lilly to the event and made comment on the high quality of submissions on offer at ‘Film By The Vines’, commending Lilly’s film “Home” on its strong concept and simple animation stylings.
AusMusic T-Shirt Day November 30
Staff and students at Mount View LOVE Australian music and especially love LIVE Australian Music.
This year to commemorate AusMusic month and to show support for ‘Support Act’ the music industry charity, we threw open the LEAP Centre doors and invited students to come in and perform for each other. The music boomed through the playground and a crowd gathered to cheer on our young Australian Musos.
Huge thanks to Mr Daniels and Mr Waterson for helping build students' performance skills and confidence.
Big thanks also to all the staff who got into the spirit of the day and wore their favourite Australian Band or Performer T-Shirt. It was a fun day.
Stage 4 and Stage 5 Music students have been hard at work, completing their performance assessments across the first half of Term 4
In recent weeks, students have showcased their musical expertise on a diverse range of instruments. From the soothing melodies of the piano to the rhythmic beats of drums, students have explored a wide range of musical pieces.
Stage 4 and Stage 5 Music students have been collaboratively working together. They have formed small ensembles that demonstrate the true essence of teamwork and creativity. These collaborative efforts have allowed them to further develop their small group performance skills, elevating their overall musical capabilities.
In an exciting beginning to their HSC Music course, Year 12 students are diving deep into the world of composition. They’ve embraced the music software program Mixcraft. This tool enables them to explore and demonstrate their composition skills.
