Entitled Echoes of Tarnanthi, the exhibition will feature artworks by 160 students who have taken their inspiration from Adelaide’s most recent Tarnanthi Festival and who have explored ways in which symbolism is used in art to convey important messages about life, culture and meaning.
The students, currently enrolled in Years 7-11, have spent an entire semester exploring how contemporary First Nations artists such as Vincent Namatjira, Tiger Yaltangki, Nyangulya Katie Nalgood and Janet Fieldhouse draw from cultural iconography to tell their personal stories.
As part of this investigation, the students have considered how they might also use symbolism to make meaning of their own lived experiences and express their unique personal narratives.
The outcome is an expansive, lively and deeply reflective exposition that traverses ceramics, textiles, painting, drawing and moving image, showcasing a range of exciting artistic techniques.
“Visitors will be surprised by the depth and volume of work on display, and the vibrant and moving way that the students have captured their own personalities and life experiences through art,” says Tatachilla Lutheran College art teacher, Coral Winterbourn.
Each artwork stands alone as a unique visual statement of the self, but also exists as part of a collective narrative that speaks to the human journey as a whole, with all of its twists, bends, revelations and joys.
Exhibition-goers can expect to see:
- painted clay pots that depict scenes from students’ memories, holidays and special journeys (inspired by the work of Judith Pungarta Inkamala)
- mixed-media ‘pop’ collages that celebrate students’ favourite musicians and songs (influenced by Tiger Yaltangki’s well-known artistic homage to AC/DC)
- stop motion animations that use photography and painted paper to explore a personal story (reminiscent of the work of Sally M. Nangala Mulda and Marlene Rubuntja)
- clay busts that express an element of students’ unique identities, culture and worldviews (inspired by the use of symbolism in artwork by Elizabeth Close, Djakaŋu Yunupiŋu and Janet Fieldhouse)
- handmade, native Australian felt animals embellished with colourful thread to create a textured surface (inspired by work of the Yarrenyty Arltere Artists in the Northern Territory)
- paintings of native birds using the impasto technique modelled by Nyangulya Katie Nalgood
- clay vessels decorated using the sgraffito design technique employed by the artists of Ernabella Arts in the Pukatja community (Northern Territory)
- life-size self-portraits that reflect students’ perception of themselves and draw on the portraiture techniques used by Vincent Namatjira in the creation of his self-portrait, Close Contact
“Through this unique artistic project, students have not only gained an insight into themselves but also an understanding of the processes involved in constructing artworks and producing a large body of work for a real exhibition,” Coral says.
“They have refined their technical skills in art-making and learned how curation affects the meaning of an artwork and how concepts and ideas can be presented in a myriad of ways.”
The opportunity to exhibit as part of the SALA Festival is just one of the ways that Tatachilla’s visual arts program seeks to bring the arts curriculum to life, expose students to real-world artistic settings and equip students with the skills they need to produce their own artistic portfolio in readiness for their future professional lives.
Echoes of Tarnanthi will be exhibited in the college’s beautiful 3.4-hectare EcoSanctuary.
A free exhibition catalogue will be available to all visitors.
Where and when:
Tatachilla Lutheran College EcoSanctuary
211 Tatachilla Road McLaren Vale SA 5171
Thursday 29 August 2024, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Saturday 31 August 2024, 10:00am-12:00pm
How to book:
Entry to the exhibition is free, however visitors must register to attend opening night on Thursday 29 August 2024 (5:30pm-7:30pm): https://events.humanitix.com/echoes-of-tarnanthi
No registration is required for Saturday 31 August 2024 (10:00am-12:00pm).
For more information:
