Year 8

Pop Art- Printmaking

In this unit, Year 8 studied Pop Art and ideas about mass production and celebrity of the 1950s that go along with it. They took photos of themselves in which they posed as celebrities, and from these generated a lino print that could be reproduced many times, not unlike how Andy Warhol created series of screen prints of celebrities like Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley. 

Skulls and Memento Mori- Ceramics

Memento Mori is a latin phrase that means remember you will die. It has its origins in stories of Ancient Roman conquerors, and a long history in the visual arts. In the 1600s in the Netherlands a painting style developed that was highly realistic and featured still life arrangements of abandoned feasts, musical instruments, time pieces, candles and books, and which typically featured a skull. All of the objects were symbols of human mortality, reminding the viewer that life is short. Taking Memento Mori as a starting point, Year 8 created ceramic skulls decorated with their own symbols of life and death and the brevity of existence.