The Year 12 and 13 photography students set out to explore various Auckland art galleries to expand their knowledge and interest in the art of photography.
They gathered together to travel by bus to Auckland city, with the first art gallery visited being located in Silo Park. Some were fascinated to realise that there was an exhibition located in Silo 6, a tall cement building, inside which many great artists’ works were presented.
Artists such as Dina Goldstein and Shahria Sharmin had their works presented in the industrial building. An interesting part of the exhibit was Dina Goldstein’s work as she explored elements of human condition through the lens of Pop Surrealism. There was a photograph paralleling the ‘Last Supper’ which surrounded Jesus with modern forces of technology, science and secularism. This was interesting to the eye as her work sees the world through a different perspective.
The students were then able to explore Silo Park enjoying their time with their peers. After this, they travelled to another gallery called ‘Two Rooms’ where an artist named ‘Mark Adams has his work presented.
The young photographers were given information and facts to build up their knowledge of Mark Adams which sparked ideas for them to carry with them when they left the exhibition. Adams’ art touches base on the idea of how pictures were taken in the olden days using film with the inability to see the photo on a digital screen straight after taking one. So, he takes photos (where he can’t see the photos digitally after taking them) and hopes that when he places them together it creates a photograph. That is why when the students saw some of his work, the pictures (when put together) weren’t perfectly aligned.
Lastly, the students hopped off the bus to Auckland Art Gallery where they could venture off to have their lunch and then find other galleries to explore. This allowed the students to independently roam the city to find more artists work to expand their creative minds.
Overall, the students thoroughly enjoyed their time in the city. They left with inspiration and ideas to ignite and apply to their own photography in class and for their own interest.
Angelique Castro
