ARTIST STATEMENT
‘Graduation’ explores the overall experience of adolescence with collaboration of the 2022 Art class. The artwork uses a combination of perspective, expression and colour to outline each student’s emotional response of high school – whether that be frustration or deep thought. From obvious perception, the artwork has been inspired by Da-Vinci’s ‘Last Supper’, a revolutionary painting that portrays a pivotal moment in Jesus’ life. ‘Graduation’, in a contrasting viewpoint, demonstrates a pivotal memory in all our lives being growing into young adults. The artwork spans to 121.5cm x 60.7cm, allowing audiences to walk through the journey of each student’s individual perspective.
ARTWORK PROCESS
Before the painting was begun, a survey was conducted to the 2022 art class with the question of “what emotion sums up your experiences with high school and adolescence?” Each student responded different, and their emotion was influenced by how they were portrayed in the painting. Throughout the process, the foreground was painted first with a flicking water brush technique to resemble the time-worn texture of Da Vinci’s work. Each subject was then painted individually with contemporary items suggesting their personal viewpoints in today’s experience.
