Visual Arts – Photography
Introducing the Visual Arts – Photography winners of our first ever Sydney Catholic Schools’ Lockdown Arts Festival.
The moments in time captured by our category winners and highly commended photographers – including the creators’ descriptions of their own work – are sure to impress.
Early Primary (K-2)
Title: The Infant, Samuel
This is Anabel’s version of ‘The Infant Samuel’ by Joshua Reynolds. Anabel is 7 years old an loves art.
Middle Primary (3-4)
Title: The attack of the Toilet Role
I used forced perspective photography to take a photo of my sister Skye being squashed by a toilet role
Title: Bored in Lockdown
I am always daydreaming about getting out of lockdown and back to playing soccer.
Upper Primary (5-6)
Title: Waves
I took this photo on The Henry Head Walking Track in Sydney. This photo I took was taken on a very windy day where the waves were huge and crashing on the rocks. I thought this photo was a very cool photo because I had never seen waves like that before.
School: Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School, Carnes Hill
Title: Minute of Imagination
This is basically telling people how I feel and how I wish I could do those things.
School: Our Lady of Mt Carmel Catholic Primary School, Mt Pritchard/ Bonnyrigg
Title: Stop and smell the roses
My artwork was inspired by the roses I grow in my garden. I feel like roses and plants symbolize groth and freedom as they are a lovely thing to look at, grow and smell. My roses always bring me joy and happiness no matter how I feel. During lockdown my parents, brother and I were planting roses as we wanted to see how much they would change during lockdown. We had fun taking photos of them everyday.
Lower Secondary (7-9)
School: Marist Catholic Collge, North Sydney
Title: Companionship
My photograph is of my rescue dog, Rocco, who has been my constant companion during lockdown. Rocco is a loyal and loving friend who has been by my side all the time whilst learning at home during lockdown. Taking him for daily walks and enjoying the outdoors with him helped me when I felt alone.
School: Mount Saint Joseph Milperra
Title: Untitled
My dad did artwork 1 named ‘Chaos’ – He describes the artwork as experiencing chaos in times of hardship and uncertainty during these unprecedent times we are all experiencing in our own way. My artwork 2 is named ‘Hope Lives Here’- I have chosen to use a bright backdrop to represent coming out of lockdown. I want my painting to bring people joy and hope as even in uncertain times no-one can take this away from you. I included a dove as a sign of peace, hope and faith. My mum helped me with the outline of the dove and bird a little.
School: Mount Saint Joseph Milperra
Title: Untitled
Upper Secondary (10-12)
Title: Isolation
I took inspiration from sources like Benny Productions. I am the original author.
School: Holy Cross College, Ryde
Title: Caged In
Photo taken in Sydney city (hidden location). Aspiring street photographer
School: De La Salle Caringbah
Title: Morning Waves
During lockdown I would go to my local beach to take sunrise photos.
School: Domremy Catholic College, Five Dock
Title: Take A Seat
This work began as an exploration of the chair as an object however through the artmaking process and journey it developed into self investigation. I use the chair symbolically to reflect myself, both as a part of a greater whole and as an individual. The audience is invited to consider a distorted combination of positive, negative, and unclear emotions accumulated from what I can remember of the past 18 years. I’ve struggled with mental illness since I was a child and through the pain, the therapy, the isolation, and the hope, chairs were always around.
Secondary Class
School: Marist College Kogarah, Bexley
Title: Outlooks
Reflecting on the places they would like to visit post-lockdown, students used Adobe Photoshop to transform photos into an expressive painting style of their choice to convey emotion and a reimagined sense of place.
Title: We are all called to be Saints
All Stage 4 students at the new South Hurstville Campus were invited to contribute photos they took during remote learning to represent the theme “Life beyond Lockdown” as well as the 5 aspects of the Marist Charism. The images students submitted accompany photos of every student and staff member on the campus to create a mosaic of St Marcellin Champagnat. The artwork name refelects that every person is called to sainthood and indeed every person on the site can be seen in the image of St Marcellin. The included quote is one of St Marcellin’s favourite sayings in describing the call of the Marist Brothers. There are a just a little over 1,700 images that make up this mosaic.
Staff Member or Group
Title: Unforgotten Past & Surreal Present
This is a photograph I took at Wynyard Station using my iPhone 12 Pro while on a walk during COVID-19 lockdown. To me it juxtaposes the past with our surreal present during this pandemic. The past is represented by the sculpture that has been created using the original wooden escalator steps from Wynyard Station, and the present by the lone person wearing a mask.
Family Submission
School: St Bernard’s Catholic Primary School, Botany
Title: Strange Days Indeed
During an hour of freedom during lockdown, my daughter and I took the opportunity to go for a walk before the weather turned. Here Samara contemplates life beyond lockdown as she uses her superpowers of strength, hope and happiness to tackle an uncertain future.