The Top 53

MATT CONNOLLY, ‘Untitled’ from the ‘Skin’ series, pen and ink, Swinburne Senior Secondary College, Hawthorn; WILL SUTHERLAND, ‘Coyote?’, oil stick, oil pastel, synthetic polymer paint, chalk, pastel and pencil, Scotch College, HawthornOn the weekend I headed to the gallery to check out the Top Arts 2010 exhibition. Top Arts showcases Victoria’s most talented art students graduating from high school, and is in its 17th year. Over 1800 students apply, and this year only 53 of them were accepted.

KATE NELSON, ‘One last sip’, porcelain and porcellaneous stoneware, Strathcona Baptist Girls Grammar School, Canterbury

Top Arts (formerly Top Cats, which was a much more fun title) is always enjoyable, and I try to view it every year. For the most part I deliberately don’t read the explanatory text that accompanies the artwork. Many of the students fumble inarticulately for some profound rationalisation for their art, but although it often sounds juvenile presumably it is a requirement for their assessment. I, however, am not a teacher, so I prefer to let the art speak for itself. These pictured here were some of my favourites.

Go check out the exhibition if you’re in the state, and see what it says to you. It’s on at the Ian Potter Gallery, NGV at Federation Square, until 19 June. Read more at The Underage.

Images: Matt Connolly image from The Underage; all other images from WA Today.

DEMI GERARDI, ‘A series of absurd events’ (detail), colour inkjet prints, Ballarat High School, Ballarat

JUSTIN WHITELOCK, ‘Bursting water balloon’, type C photographs, Ballarat High School, Ballarat; MARISA LAI, ‘Unit’, cut paper, cotton thread, Carey Baptist Grammar School, Kew