Each year the Damascus Art Department chooses two pieces of student work to be purchased by the school and placed on permanent display within the College. These pieces represent a high level of skill in the chosen medium, effective visual communication and an ability to explore materials, techniques, ideas and concepts. One piece is from a student in year 7 to 9 and the other from a student in year 10 to 12.

The two pieces chosen this year are from year 9 student Zoe Angove with an oil pastel depicting an urban landscape at night, and year 12 student Finn Mauriks with an etching titled “Jandamarrah”.

This oil pastel artwork was for a Multimedia Landscape task in yr 9 Art.

The task we were set was to create an urban landscape at night. I added and then removed the pastel with a plastic ruler to add a scratchy, textural surface. I also blended the oil pastel to create layers and to mix colours. I didn’t want to add too much detail into the buildings, so as to create an ominous, ambiguous landscape for the viewer to interpret. Overall, I really enjoyed creating this piece and loved exploring the medium of oil pastel.

Finn Mauriks 2022 Senior Art Acquisiton artist statement:

my Unit 3 folio, I have explored the concept of cultural suppression of Indigenous people over Australia. The title ‘Jandamarrah’ refers to the Bunuba warrior Jandamarrah who turned against his European captors and fought a guerrilla campaign against White Settlers in the Kimberley region. The etching is a collection of landscapes within Bunuba territory that represent the ancient landscapes and its untouched quality free from European destruction.