IB Art Retreat 09

IB Art Exhibit 2009

IB Art Exhibition & Charity Auction

On January 31, 2009, second year art students exhibited work during the annual ISKL Jazz Night at the Yoga Life Cafe just off of Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur. The evening was a resounding success with many high bids and positive comments throughout the night. Photographs of the artworks and the artist's statements are included in this post.

Never, Never Canst Thou Kiss by Charlotte Pringle
Acrylic & Mixed Media on Canvas
The prevalent theme in my artwork is the relationship between reality and a romanticized world. Being painted in golds, this woman conveys a certain sense of godly immortality, yet the deeply sad and melancholic expression on her face confronts the disadvantages of being, like art itself, frozen in time for eternity. Here is this everlasting beauty, whom being trapped in a world where time has no presence, will never age nor lose her beauty. Yet nor will she ever be able to have any of the human experiences that make our fleeting existences themselves so beautiful.


The Outsider by Elena VanDoorn
Charcoal on Paper
Inspired by Edgar Degas I used the concept of dancers to emphasize conformity and judgement. The emphasis on the “fat” ballerina brings the idea of being different to the forefront. The “outsider” still has her own identity even if the public doesn’t value her as much as the others.





Madonna & Child by Tom Janetzko
Acrylic on Canvas
This piece is an abstract version of Da Vinci’s “Madonna and Child”, focusing on the intimate relationship between mother and child by using colors to represent emotions. My art theme is symbolism, therefore I searched for a way to show the unique connection that a mother and her child shares, ultimately expressing my own view on one of Da Vinci’s greatest works, the Madonna.




Butterfly Effect by Camille Standen
Acrylic on Canvas
Inspired by Egon Schiele’s dark tone and lines, I created this piece with the intent of depicting the troubled life of a growing female. As she is coming to a point in her life when she is meant to be ‘blooming’, this metamorphosis becomes tainted by the expectations and pressures placed on her by others. While this natural progression into adulthood is beautiful it exists alongside pain and troubles.


Superficial Love by Ria Hurley
Acrylic on Canvas
These figures symbolize superficial love. Images of genuine love contain both passion and a connection between two individuals whereas my painting shows figures that are separated and there is no intimacy present. I have also included valentine love hearts on the piece is to further illustrate how love has become commercialized in contemporary culture.


Koi by Evan Slagle
Acrylic on Canvas
This piece was inspired by traditional Japanese tattoo designs of koi fish. Rebellion was the theme behind the piece as the koi fish symbolizes the action going against the flow of water. I chose to use an analogous color pallet on the fish to represent strength and the cherry blossoms unify the traditional Japanese design. With the combination of tattoo principles and the meaning of the koi fish, I feel that rebellion is emphasized.




Anak Asli by Sabeela Nasser
Photography
These two photographs of Semai children from Slim River relate to my theme of modernization as I attempt to illustrate my awareness of indigenous peoples. I have manipulated their faces to show that those who do not wish to modernize are left unnoticed by the rapidly developing societies surrounding them. The Orang Asli’s voices aren’t being heard, as the Malaysian government continues to relocate them in order to expand the nation’s development. This issue however is not only occurring in Malaysia; it is discussed all over the world regarding most indigenous communities. With this piece I hope emphasize that we need to listen to their voices.

Bright Night by Sae-Hoon Kim
Watercolour and Pastel on Paper
As my theme is “Light and Shadow”, this artwork shows the brightness of a night cityscape in Korea. I wanted to simultaneously emphasize light and the bustle of an Asian city. The street scene is inspired by a photograph I took while visiting Korea. The feel of the city is crowded as the land area is small; there is energy and a fluorescent overtone to the night. This contrasts to Kuala Lumpur as the city is quieter, there is more room and the pace seems slower. I was trying to achieve a glow in this work and a nostalgic view of my homeland.


Surface Confusion by Larissa Kuscher
Acrylic on Canvas
My theme is Truth and Lies. I chose to paint the apartments various bright and solid colours to create an unusual look and a flattening of space. By doing this, I have changed the truth and purpose of a building. I was inspired by the German artist Hunderwasser, because he creates actual apartments like this that people live in. I believe that the work enters the world of magical realism, which manipulates realism and truth.




The After Life by Jenny Moon
Batik
This batik piece illustrates the Maori face tattoo: Ta Moko, an artistic and traditional construction of identity that reflects their customs. This fit into my theme of ‘Alternate Expression’ through its connection to tattooing as an outlet for conveying oneself. The Maori believe that after death, a light shines through, disintegrating, their bodies. However, it is thought that the Ta Moko filters the light, leaving the shape and contours of the face to remain, maintaining the person’s identity even in the after life.


Four Movements by Joan Tan
Acrylic on Canvas series
This abstract piece was inspired by musical instruments and notations. I incorporated my personal interpretation of the different aspects of being a musician - passion, dedication, technicality and talent, symbolically represented by the four vibrant analogous colour schemes. This one piece of artwork is made up of separate canvases, representing the aspects of a musician and of music appreciation.



Prisoner of War by Alisya Mohd. Kamal
Mixed Media on Paper
This particular piece was inspired by Claude Monet’s various paintings of the Rouen Cathedral. It explores the relationship between visual commentators, like the media and news broadcasters, and how we perceive things. The background, where skeletons lie on a cot alongside a wounded soldier, represents the bleak outcomes and deaths that result in war. The foreground, occupied by a vase that reflects soldiers in gas masks, symbolizes humankind’s tendency to commemorate past wars and their victors. It is a social commentary on the destructiveness of war and the atrocities committed.

Mt. Kilimanjaro by Zarina Othman
Chinese Ink on Paper
Influenced by Al Gore’s documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, these drawings represent the transformation of Mount Kilimanjaro as a result of global warming. Over the decades, the amount of snow covering the mountain has greatly decreased, with only a small white cap left. Using a crosshatching technique with pen and ink, the details of the mountains are revealed.

Works in Progress Dec 08

Students have been working towards finishing a number of pieces before their practice oral exam during exam week. The following voicethread includes both student and teacher comments and gives some insight into the work of the IB art class. It also serves as practice and a group critique as students will be able to see each other's work and hear ideas behind the research and studio pieces.

The Natural World - using the environment to inform concepts and artwork.

Students explored a range of artists who incorporate elements from the landscape or integrate the landscape into their work. They created their own proposals and works of art that integrated both elements of the landscape as well as integrating the work of art itself into the landscape. The resulting works incorporated their personal themes and the environment in and around Sungai Slim, Malaysia. See the full assignment at http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dghfkfdm_0h44vn8gn

The portfolio of work and student comments can be viewed in the following voicethread file.