Before the First Class

Best Creative Work: HSC Visual Arts Body of Work

Boxed In

3.75m x 1.58m

Acrylic, acrylic ink, pen, pencil, charcoal

Humanity is being boxed in.

We live in a congested urban wasteland that is quickly overpopulating. Our ignorance keeps us moving up rather than out and as such we’re being caught in a complex labyrinth of box-like buildings. We are unaware our current model of living has caused the degradation of our natural world.

My artwork 'Boxed In' urges us to 'box out' of our boxes. We need to consider the ramifications of urbanisation and our increasing population in order to undo the harm we have caused to our world.

I put the most amount of effort into this year long project to create this artwork in its enormity so to me this is my best creative work so far.

The City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, Spain

The City of Arts and Sciences is a large complex dedicated to the unique cultural and scientific aspects of Spain. It comprises of five main buildings that accentuate the growing fascination with science, technology, the environment and art: the Hemisfèric (IMAX cinema), the Umbracle (landscaped exhibition space for art and a vantage point for the rest of the complex), the Príncipe Felipe Science Museum (which uses interactive science), the Oceanográfico (the biggest aquarium in Europe) and the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía (opera house). The Ágora, another building, serves as a multifunctional space used for events ranging from congresses and concerts to sport tournaments.

The avant-garde designs by Santiago Calatrava and Felix Candela make this place one of the most spectacular pieces of architecture pieced together to complement the Spanish culture, nature, art, science and technology in the 21st century.

My Original Photograph: Original Nathan's Famous Frankfurters, Coney Island, New York

Last year, I went on a Visual Arts Tour to New York with my school and one of the places we went to was Coney Island. It's a peninsula and beach in southern Brooklyn, famous for its amusement parks since the 1830s, gaining popularity in the first half of the 20th century until it's decline after WWII that led it to degradation and neglect. It is now more a tourist attraction rather than a functioning amusement park but food stores such as Original Nathan's Famous Frankfurters are still busy, making one of USA's renowned foods: the famous and delicious hot dog. They actually served one of the best hot dogs I've ever tasted.