Graffiti 2009-10

MIRANDA WHITTAKER

Everyone at NT has their big event to plan, stress-over, and enjoy when the time finally comes. For many of us- dancers, models, designers- it’s Fashion Show. For the more musical of us, it’s Maytime Melodies. There’s Classics Conference, the Sears Festival and any number of semifinal and final games and race for our school athletes. Every extracurricular and department has their time, their finale. For the the NT art department, that event is the grade 12 art show.

For those of you who don’t know, every year the grade 12 art class puts on a show in a professional gallery, displaying the art pieces they worked on in the preceding months of school. Most of these students have taken art all the way from grade nine to twelve, and many of them are applying to art schools and colleges, such as OCAD, Emily Carr and even schools in Europe and the States. In other words: this is the art students’ finest. This year one of our grade twelve students, Sebby Tory-Pratt, won in a competitive art show held at Central Tech. He and Amber Day have both been accepted to major art schools based on their Portfolio Day interviews. Overall, this year has seen an exceptional display of leadership and involvement from the graduating class- how could their show be anything but spectacular?

This year’s show was was just that- ask any of the visitors. There was overwhelming enthusiasm from staff and students alike. It seems that the art show is the favorite event of many teachers, particularly if you’re a “museum- goer,” like Mr. Zohar. Many were impressed with the variety and maturity of the collection. Many exclaimed: “I can’t believe this is a high school show!”

Each art show has a name, which is chosen along with a logo by class vote. This year, for those of you who haven’t been listening to Hot Air for the past few weeks, the show was called “Details.” Why “Details?” you may ask. Well, this year the students chose to focus on their process work. The what? The stuff that comes before the final painting that you see: the sketches and doodles made when they are planning. In the show catalogue there are pictures of these early sketches, the brain- storm-drawings. Again, why?! Well, this way the gallery-goers could see the evolution from simple doodle to full fledged painting. These sketches are works of art in their own right, and give an inside look into the creative process. The public go to enjoy each finished piece as a whole, as one does at any art show, but they also got to see the details and doodles that led to them. The way each art piece began.

Finally, not to brag, but anyone who was there can also tell you it was quite the classy event. One third of the class (we were grouped into teams, each responsible for a different task) set out fancy finger foods, and a string quartet of NT’s own music students created a delightful ambiance. Then, of course, there is the gallery itself: Tod Morden Mills is a lovely space, connected to historic buildings and a theater. During intermissions the theater audiences have been able to stretch their legs while, hopefully, enjoying our work. Add to this the works themselves and you have an inspiring environment.

When it comes to artwork, pictures are better then words. I can describe the colours and compositions, the brushstrokes and base coats but the truth is you really do have to see them with your own eyes. I can say that the pieces explored all kinds of styles, from photographic realism to more abstract forms,with several mixed media,where the artist used, say, collage images, ink drawing, charcoal, chalk pastel or even fabric in addition to acrylic paint to create the work. No two paintings were alike, and as each student made at least two (some made more, but there were two assigned to us in class) you could see the aesthetic taste of each artist in the way they worked with the paint and subject matter.

All in all the art department has much to be proud of. As this year’s students graduate and move on to other things, they can look back on Details as the end of their time at NT, but hopefully, the beginning of their exploits in art.