Year 9 Visual Arts Excursion

Year 9 Visual Arts students explored how artists challenged traditional approaches to art-making, paving the way for new ideas, techniques and the emergence of modern art.

On Thursday 22 October, Year 9 Visual Arts students immersed themselves in a full day of artistic exploration, visiting the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) to experience the Monet to Matisse: Defying Tradition exhibition.

Through guided tours led by AGSA volunteers, students explored the work of influential artists who challenged traditional artistic conventions and helped shape the development of modern art. They discovered how artists began to embrace new approaches to expression, experimentation with colour and light, and abstraction, transforming the way art was created and experienced.

Students also participated in the Make an Impression Studio Workshop, developed by South Australian artists Arlon Hall and Billie Justice Thomson. Inspired by the exhibition, the workshop encouraged students to experiment with light, colour, line and shape, creating their own layered, abstract line drawings through hands-on artistic exploration.

The day continued in the Adelaide Botanic Garden, where students took part in an en plein air (outdoor) drawing activity. Finding their own spot in the natural environment, students observed and captured the world around them, translating their surroundings onto paper. They produced some wonderful artworks, embracing the opportunity to slow down, observe the details of their environment and draw in the moment.

Overall, it was a fantastic day of creativity, discovery and practical learning, allowing students to deepen their understanding of modern art while experiencing the techniques, ideas and processes that continue to inspire artists today!