NCAT CREATE 17 EXHIBITION 'FOUND'

© Image: Aylsa McHugh, 'Untitled No1'

'Found' is an exhibition of work by 2017 graduates of Northern College of Art and Technology's Create course.

Each Create artist brings with them a wealth of previous study, working life and personal experience and this is reflected in the depth and breadth of the work produced.

The 28 artists forming the Create 17 collective have explored feminism, motherhood, health and the human body, Australian landscape and environmental sustainability across a broad range of media. Sitting together in the studio, artists shared stories of searching for home and belonging, in new places, new careers, and in creative communities. The work spans from memories of childhood to recent experiences of mothering, caring for ageing parents and dispatching stereotypes.

The show opened on Friday 9th February 6-9pm at Neon Parlour, a multi-purpose creative space in inner Melbourne's Thornbury. It was opened by NCAT Create Program Leader, Tracy Paterson

ARTISTS: Ali Griffin / Ali Ferrett / Aylsa McHugh / Bella Wenging Hi / Bronwyn Calcutt / Cate Laidler / Chantal Camilleri / Christine Pike / Chrissy Imbessi / Clare Rantall / Cy O'Neill / Nardine Keriakous / Helen Meikle / Judy / Schaube / Julie Vinci / Kate Clifford / Katy Hood / Leanne Coughlin / Maribel Arcilla / Mel Vizard / Natalie Kouts / Nicola Hoyle / Nicole Thibault / Nikki Frankel / Ruth Shepherd / Sarah Coffey / Serina Mukerjee / Shirley Billing

Opening night featured sound by DJ Helter Stupid.


    

                       

 EXHIBITION: Wed 7 Feb - Sun 25 Feb 2018

OPENING NIGHT: Fri 9 Feb / 6 - 9pm
Neon Parlour, 791-793 High Street, Thornbury, Victoria, Australia

NCAT Create | Folio Preparation Facebook Page

Neon Parlour Facebook page

NCAT FOLIO PREPARATION | CREATE STAFF

Welcome back for a bumper year at NCAT Folio Preparation. Our staff are looking refreshed and ready to go!

Left to right: Bei Janetzki, Rachel O'Connor, Mark Russell, Ian McKey, Anne Connors, Program Manager Tracy Paterson, Neil Davis. Absent: Ali McCann and Jess Tupper

NCAT CREATE'S COUCHFEST COLLABORATIVE PROJECT

This year's Create students played a pivotal part in NCAT's premier annual event, Couchfest, a collaboration of music, visual arts and performing arts with key values centred around diversity and sustainability. 

The Create students were given the brief to work collaboratively to repurpose curb-side couches as art installations for the music and arts festival. Each group was given a couch or arm chair and a very short time line. They had to negotiate through inspiration, ideas, processes, obstacles and personal preferences to find a shared and sustainable vision for each couch.

The couches ranged from:

• The Silent Reviewer: a movie couch, replete with popcorn, videos and remote 
• A boat like couch called Imagination where children's stories come to life and wishes come true
• The Couch as nest: Branches, twigs, feathers and leaves formed around this snug couch
• The Deconstructed Armchair: An old armchair is completely dismantled and rebuilt into a sculpture
• The Love Hotel Couch: Based on Japanese Love Hotels, this couch investigates ideas around intimacy in our crowded world
• The Ai Wei Wei Column: Inspired by the installation work of Chinese artist Ai Wei Wei, three plastic Bunnings chairs in faux marble sit precariously atop a roman column
• The Desert Armchair: Eroding in the desert winds, this chair and side lamp are slowly disappearing

Initially the student's were unsure about working together, but they threw themselves into the project and discovered the joys of collaborative art installations.

One group decorated a tiny house, built by the college's Building pre-apprentices, as a very old school comfy lounge room! The Tiny House was used as a stage on the day for acoustic acts.

Special mention also goes to one student who went off on a side track to investigate emoticons and why there is never the right one for your mood. She explored as an interactive piece the possibilities of a series of NCAT emoticons.

All images ©NCAT

NCAT CREATE PORTFOLIO REVIEWS

AS A REQUIREMENT OF THEIR COURSE, THE NCAT CREATE STUDENTS PRESENT THEIR PORTFOLIOS AT MID AND FINAL REVIEWS. PORTFOLIO PRESENTATIONS GIVE STUDENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISPLAY THEIR ARTWORK AND LOOK AT IT AS A BODY OF WORK.

Often a lack of space stifles the ability to look at all the work a student creates and therefore they miss out on seeing an overview of their emerging style, plus identifying strengths and areas for improvement. At mid and final portfolio review, Create students are able to lay out all their work in an allotted area and examine it as a body of work.

Portfolio review also allows students to be actively involved in group-based critiques. Critiquing each other's portfolios helps students to explore the creative process and their experience as a developing artist. The process of group critiquing is about finding a balance between compliment & constructive criticism. Students learn that the criticism is never personal – It is about the portfolio of artworks not the artist. Critiquing should always be balanced, neutral and constructive. Group critiques enable students to build skills by being exposed to different styles, options and approaches. It also assists students to push their responses to art beyond the initial "I like it" to questions of why and how, articulated using art based language.

The Portfolio review whilst initially potentially challenging to some, is an excellent opportunity to build creative confidence.The review process brings together the artworks produced in NCAT Create students' Studio, Digital and Life Drawing classes.

Accompanying their portfolio is a written Artist's Statement and in the final review, a creative resume.

All images ©NCAT Create

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