15 December 2017

Where Souls Soar in the Air Above Water

Several weeks ago, I commissioned my students to work on a collaborative painting that would help to transform our rather empty-walled canteen into a budding art gallery. We looked into contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama’s work as we worked together –and occasionally over each other– to construct a rich tapestry of marks, circles, lines, and patterns.

Students in Years 6, 7, 10, 11 and 12 examined the work of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, whose colourful and obsessive patterning reflects her poetic and spiritual vision of infinity. Their research served as the starting point for a multi-panel large-scale painting. They worked collaboratively to paint circular motifs on board and build up layers until every available surface was colonized by pattern. They were challenged to share authorship of each area of interest and to allow the work to progress in new or different directions with each session in the studio. The end result is a hard-fought constellation of circles, colours and patterns that bleeds over the edges of the board.

The Year 6s and 7s kick-started the project and laid down much of the foundation for the piece. Year 10s and some of the Year 11s and 12s continued the painting by laying down more shapes and patterns and adding more details to refine the motifs. Whilst my students worked well collaboratively, I could tell some of the older ones were understandably more comfortable being the sole authors of their work. The project helped to illustrate the sometimes-messy nature of collaboration and the tension between building over versus building upon.

Two panels made it into our canteen, and one was installed in the library. I would like to think I am making progress toward one of my goals to invigorate our communal spaces with colour and creativity. There’s more to come!