Artist: Jane Kennedy
Mediums: Watercolour on watercolour paper with thread
Dimension: 10cm x 21cm x 1cm
Price: $ 35.00
Artist Statement:
Small spontaneous studies from my walks along the NT coastline, using watercolour and sewn thread.
Art Educators of the NT
ZART Conference reflection- Jane Kennedy
Day 1
Patricia Piccinni Keynote talk
Patricia Piccinini’s contemplation of the significance of care and empathy within her artistic works resonated profoundly, particularly in our contemporary context. I had previously attended talks delivered by Piccinini, where her focus delved into genetic mutations and the moral quandaries entwined with genetic engineering. During a past presentation to senior secondary students across two Catholic high schools, I witnessed her knack for propelling viewers to question personally held moral perspectives in a manner that was profound and effective.
When first encountering her sculptural works, one might initially be captivated by the unsettling nature of her visuals. The hybrid human chimeras she portrays, often engaging affectionately with ordinary humans, challenge us to venture beyond our comfort zones. This encourages a deeper exploration of the emotions associated with empathy and the essence of humanity itself. Piccinini’s ability to evoke these reflections through her art is both powerful and thought-provoking.
Work Shop
Christian Bonnet: Fun Clay Cars
The ceramics workshop led by Christian Bonnet proved to be a valuable experience. Christian’s passion for integrating classic cars into art was obvious, and it was genuinely captivating to witness his artwork firsthand.
The workshop methodically guided participants through the intricate process of crafting a clay car, breaking it down into comprehensible stages. We began with constructing the chassis, progressing to the sides, roof, and bonnet, and finally, embellishing the vehicle with distinctive features like a bumper bar, lights, and tires. For my project, I opted to recreate a vintage Ford F truck pickup, characterized by its blocky and boxy design—perfectly suited for the task at hand.
Reflecting on this experience, it brought to mind my previous attempt years ago when I endeavoured to create clay cars with a design class of year 8 students. That assessment task required students to conceptualize and design a toy car, including the production of technical drawings as an integral part of the design process. Building the clay cars at that time was a somewhat haphazard endeavour, with varying degrees of success.
If I were to undertake a similar project with my class in the future, I would unquestionably employ Christian’s technique for constructing clay cars. The step-by-step stages of crafting these miniature vehicles are easily graspable, making it an ideal choice for middle school students.
Artist: Jane Margaret Kennedy
Mediums: Oil on canvas
Dimension: 70cm x 35cm x 4cm
Price: $ 350.00
Artist Statement:
What is the difference between ignorance and innocence?
Clarissa Pinkola Estés writer and Jungian psychoanalyst delves deeper into this question.
This is overlayed with the bitter fruit of knowledge.
I attended the first day of the conference on September 12. As expected, as with all the ZART conferences and PL, it was rewarding, informative and gave the opportunity to learn new skills. I attended in person at the Durack community art space, which gave the opportunity to network and have some valuable conversations with other arts teachers. What perhaps was the most exciting thing was the box of goodies arriving in the mail, including a welcome pack and all the materials you need for the practical workshops. The workshop pack contained 3 sets of beautiful waxy crayons called, “Slicks” which were delightful to use with gorgeous colours. The practical workshop I participated in was the “Stitching” workshop. It is great to have workshops where you can try new materials which you wouldn’t normally order for your classes.
It was also a privilege to listen to Julie Rapp speak about her practice and extensive career as an academic and artist. I found it personally of interest to hear her speak about how her work reflects on the body she inhabits and about “the gaze” and the female body and how it is perceived in art. In my experience as a Visual and Creative arts teacher, I would definitely consider her as an artist to focus on for Stage 1 or for a student whose theme is about the body in their Visual Study.
Artist: Jane Kennedy
Mediums: Mixed technology and lightbulbs
Dimension: 20cm x 30cm x 30cm
Price: -$ 80,120.00
Artist Statement:
These mixed media sculptures were a response to what was coming out of the media and the many conversations about Covid 19. They were created during lock down with left over pieces from a previous series of mixed medium sculptures. I intended to have a bit of fun with the corona virus and it was a response to the doom and gloom. The form of the corona virus is quite beautiful, named Corona because of its crown like appearance. Here are some different ‘variants”, some more dangerous and some more gentle.
Artist: Jane Kennedy
Mediums: Mixed electronic parts and flashing lights
Dimension: 70cm x 30cm x 30cm
Price: NFS
Artist Statement:
Viruses have made their way into our world in more ways than we realise. In recent times something as tiny as a virus has managed to bring the world to a holt. As well biological,there are the technology viruses. They have evolved to become a major threat to the stability of computer networks worldwide. And the more I think of viruses, both biological and digital, the more amazed I am by their similarities. I have played with our fear of the unknown and of what we can’t see and I have created viruses from discarded technology. These viruses were created just befere we knew about Covid 19, so I thought I might bring them out of hiding.
Artist: Jane Kennedy
Mediums: Watercolour and sewing thread
Dimension: 28cm x 40cm x 1cm
Artist Statement:
This series is about collecting and my love of beachcombing. Every fish I catch and shell I find I identify and paint. I have incorporated machine stitching into the images, mainly for aesthetic purposes but to remind the viewer of the fragility of the sea environment and what else lies beneath the water.
Artist: Jane Kennedy
Mediums: Watercolour and sewing thread
Dimension: 12cm x 18cm x 1cm
Artist Statement:
This series is about collecting and my love of beachcombing. Every fish I catch and shell I find I identify and paint. I have incorporated machine stitching into the images, mainly for aesthetic purposes but to remind the viewer of the fragility of the sea environment and what else lies beneath the water.
The Art Educators of the NT (AENT) is a Professional Teachers Association for Visual Art educators. Focusing on visual art teaching practice.