Art is many things, and is ever evolving. Art has, however, always been a powerful means of communication. It can serve as a reflection of culture, experiences, history and emotions. Beyond the obvious, art offers something even more profound; art is a way to explore and express our identity.
Rivendell has prioritized this within our walls and challenged both students and staff to be introspective about who we are and how we express ourselves. At its core, identity is about how we perceive ourselves and how we are perceived by others. Through painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, gluing, tearing, splattering and creating, an artist is able to depict their story and express thoughts and emotions they might not have the words to articulate. Art becomes a reflection of the self–a method of externalizing an internal experience.
Through our year in Art class, students have explored materials and artists while looking inwards and at those around them. We have looked at art that allows us to share experiences with a sense of community and solidarity among people with different backgrounds and perspectives. We created works that represent us, or at least who we are today. Creating art can be a space for many to explore different aspects of themselves. When we engage in viewing and making art, we can experiment who we are and how we want to be seen and understood. In the art room we are allowed to make mistakes, see them, reflect on them, own them and change them if we want to.
Below are some links to some of the artists we have discussed so far this year:
TARWUK
Mark Bradford
Rachel Jones
Petrit Halilaj
Tracey Emin
Roberto Lugo
Oliver Chanarin with Adam Broomberg
