In the VCE world, students have a great range of disciplines to choose from. Once such area is the Visual Arts department, giving students the opportunity to create unique projects that reflect their passions, interests, and aspirations. Meet James, Tracy, Grace, and Thanh, four Year 12 individuals whose subject choices have led them to explore an array of intriguing projects across the four Visual Arts VCE offerings: Product Design and Technology, Art Making and Exhibiting, Media and Visual Communication Design.
James: A musical craftsman
Tracy: The artistic visionary
Grace: Dancing through Media
Thanh: Managing mindfulness
James, a dedicated student of Units 3 and 4 Product Design and Technology, has this year immersed himself in crafting a conga drum, a percussion instrument originating in Cuba. What sets his project apart is its innovative design, constructed out of a series of segmented wooden rings and creating a unique look. Although James envisions a future in music or audio engineering, as a passionate musician this choice of project fit right into his love of Latin music. The opportunity to work with intriguing equipment such as the wood lathe has been a highlight of the year, and James shared that he would like to take up woodturning as a hobby. “I hope one day to be able to craft wooden bowls, plates, furniture, and other such products”, he said.
Tracy is a student who has undertaken Art Making and Exhibiting this year. Her project centres around an oil-on-canvas masterpiece, a visual manifestation of her beliefs and her unique perspective on the future. Art has always been a cherished interest for Tracy, providing a balance to her subject selection between the academics and the arts. She plans to continue her artistic endeavours as a hobby next year. Tracy shared that her fondest memories of class this year revolve around the excursions, “it was a great opportunity to explore galleries and delve into the culture and history of art” she said. The course itself also contributed to improving her time management skills, due to the largely self-directed nature of a portfolio subject.
Grace is a Media student with a profound passion for storytelling. Her final project, a short film titled “Blossom,” explores the theme of societal loneliness through the art of dance. The main character in her film finds solace and happiness by reconnecting with others through dance. Grace’s shared that one large benefit of the project has been honing her organisational and time management skills which are largely transferable to life outside of school. She envisions a career in physiotherapy but plans to continue nurturing her love for media as a hobby. Her most cherished moment was the first test screening of her production in front of the teacher and class. “It was a positive experience as I got really constructive feedback and it felt like all my hard work was being seen and that my dedication had paid off” Grace said.
Thanh is a Visual Communication Design student. Students undertaking this class are tasked with selecting a client and creating design solutions for them in the form of products, packaging, branding and other reading materials. This year, Thanh’s folio revolves around the design of products promoting mindfulness goals. His project supports his client Mindfulness for Teens, a not-for-profit organisation who aim to help young people with their mental health. His hard work and commitment to his project, though demanding at times, has been extremely rewarding and ran alongside his passion for creative thinking. As his client Mindfulness for Teens notes, “when life seems a lot, all you need to do is stop, breathe, and be aware in the present moment”. Post Year 12 Thanh aspires to move into the world of animation, taking with him the creative processes and project management skills he has acquired through his folio work.