IB Visual Arts exhibition – Student essay
“I chose IB arts because I am an artist.”
Antonia Villet
Just before term break, our IB Visual Arts students had the chance to share all the work they had produced over the last two years of their course. Students previously got to see the exhibition setup throughout the week and admire the beautiful art as well. The exhibition took place on Monday 27th. Parents, friends and teachers had the chance to come after school hours and hear the artists explain the stories behind their creations. This year, 11 extraordinary pupils, taught by Madame Bezançon, shared their art with the crowd.
Art is unique because everyone can interpret it as they like. I would describe art as an opportunity to showcase how we perceive the world. A way to freely challenge and discuss current issues or an escape from our dull reality into a world we create. It is personal to each individual and should inspire creativity in the masses. IB Visual Arts tries to encourage the same quality – creativity – to develop constantly. Zoe Wong – one of our year 13 art students – was proud to say that “[you get] a lot of freedom to choose what you want to pursue and it’s diverse. It’s such a great opportunity.” Madame Bezançon also explained that students have two years to create a maximum of 11 artworks. In addition to this, they must excel in at least three different mediums: 2D – where they work on graphic pieces: 3D – where sculptures and recycled pieces are made; and digital art. It is a challenging period of time as seen when all eleven of the students taking IBVA described art as one of the hardest subjects they take.
When asked about people’s thoughts on the subject, IBVA student Laetitia Dionne explained “I think a lot of people underestimate art because they think it’s not stressful. That you just turn in your pieces and you’re done. The reality is that there is so much thought, sketching and time consuming work that goes into everything.” Her classmates added that there are ups and downs but that they are all worth it. Despite the amount of time and sweat put into all the work, all the students expressed zero regrets about choosing the course. And their teacher, Mme Bezançon, was proud to say that all her students would be pursuing higher art studies all around the world, from France to Canada and the UK and even Korea!
This year, the Year 13 had a large exhibition with an impressive variety of pieces on display. All of them made an impact on the viewers. Mr Ian Clayton explained that you do not need to be adept at art to appreciate it. Especially when the creators of said art are here to guide us. “[The pieces] don’t just aesthetically look good, but there’s a story behind each one that is personal to the artist. It’s wonderful!”
There were several pieces based on fashion – mostly constructed of recycled materials. Antonia Villet produced a stunning piece called “All eyes on me”. A dress made up of 500 red sunglasses. The whole ensemble (complete with accessories also made of sunglasses) took her a year of extra hours in the art room every week but it is one of her proudest accomplishments. Zoe Wong created a gorgeous hand-crafted red leather jacket that perfectly highlights what she will study next year: fashion. Alissa Thys decided to literally turn her failures into success by creating a paper dress out of old homework assignments and tests she didn’t like.
However, there were also multiple digital displays around the exhibition. QR codes ready to scan and projections onto the walls. Star digital art pupils Nikki Thorne and Ines Tang produced the majority of their exhibitions in this medium. Nikki wishes to work in animation in the future and showed the public her beautiful online designs by projecting and printing out some of her still images. Another completely different approach to the assignment was done by Ines, who crafted two children’s books. One was accessible only by a QR code and is over 18 pages long whereas the other was printed out with her own cover art for passersby to flip through.
Portraits and photographs were also on display. Interpretations of modern issues and controversies were the main subjects of these pieces. Laetitia Dionne decided to focus on her favorite medium: photography. She showcased a photo series about society and its perception of the female body. It is an issue she really cares about: victim-blaming. Sharing her thoughts on the matter through her art made her extremely proud!
Armelle Baranger produced several 3D models. Her favorite is “Blossoming” which are clay flowers on a panel. She is most proud of this piece because it used a material she had scarcely used. It is now a technique she can’t wait to use in future projects.
Madame Bezançon was happy to state that this year’s students were some of the most talented she’d seen. When asked about any advice they had for future art students, the three most common answers given by the talented group were to know how to manage your time properly, to make sure you are passionate about art, and to stay creative! They all agreed that art is not something to be taken lightly. As Mme Bezançon would say, playtime is over. It’s easy to lose your passion for art and make it a chore if you are not on top of your work. As Claire Niem explained, “If you know you won’t dedicate most of your time to art, take Standard Level or don’t do it at all because it can be very emotionally draining. »
You may ask why these students stick to a subject they describe so toughly. And the answers all followed the same theme. These peers all know they could not live without art in their lives. Several of them hadn’t approached the canvas in 2 years. And yet, it is what they naturally crave. They also couldn’t see themselves in non-creative fields after graduation. With a range of future professions such as architects, digital animators, children’s book illustrators, fashion designers, and creative prodigies! However, what appealed to most of these young adults was the challenge and creative development IBVA offered them.
What did we learn? IB Visual Arts is a very difficult but extremely rewarding subject. A subject that gives you the opportunity to showcase your work to friends, teachers, family and even strangers! You will discover numerous new techniques and take risks along the way. However, most importantly, you discover more about yourself when adding your personal touch to each piece you produce.
By Nina Martin
