Great Lakes College graduate Petra Flower has had her painting, ‘The Door’ selected for inclusion in the ARTEXPRESS exhibitions this year.
Department of Education Secretary, Mark Scott has congratulated Petra, who’s Higher School Certificate artwork opened at the Art Gallery of NSW on Wednesday (January 31), and will be on display until April 25.
Petra’s painting will then be exhibited at further individually curated exhibitions across the state, including the Armory at Sydney Olympic Park, the Manning Regional Art Gallery, and the Glasshouse at Port Macquarie.
On top of the incredible success of her artwork, Petra is about to head off to Paris for her dream job, dancing and acting at Disneyland. Click the photo below for the full story.
“This opportunity is super exciting,” Petra said of her painting’s success.
“My art teacher, Melissa Laurantus has played a very important part in helping me bring my ideas to life, along with the support of my amazing parents.
“My work explores the overarching concept of opportunities. That includes taking opportunities, opening doors, risk taking, discovery, new beginnings, personal growth and the emotions that follow.
“It’s a reaction to my personal world, the world around me, as people around me are entering adulthood where we are forced to make decisions that can shape our futures.
“Whether that might be taking the opportunity of going to university, or travelling overseas, taking a job, or moving across the country, these are all forms of opportunities that are being exposed to us either now or in the near future.
To have an artwork chosen for ARTEXPRESS is an immense honour.
- Department of Education Secretary Mark Scott
“Through an interactive composition the audience is invited to touch, open and explore the work’s symbols, as they simultaneously explore opportunities within their own lives.
“The concept has been presented in the form of a physical wooden door, with smaller doors on its front, as I explore the common quotes like "when one door closes, another door opens" and “one closed door leads to another open door", all indicating opportunity.
“Each small door holds small symbolic images, which can be interpreted differently for individuals as they reflect upon their own lives.
“The figure crouched down looking into a pond on the back of the door symbolises “reflecting” on where you have come on your journey, as the figure looks at her “reflection”. It has a “blurry”, “unfinished” painting style to suggest that the future is yet to be uncovered, and is incomplete.
“It’s pretty crazy now that I look back on this work that I was creating last year, not knowing that I would be in Paris the year after, taking an opportunity of a life time.”
Mr Scott said ARTEXPRESS showcases some of the best artworks presented for assessment by HSC visual arts students.
“It is a tribute to the creativity, ingenuity, imagination and flair of our emerging young artists and the guidance and motivation provided by dedicated art teachers in our public schools,” he said.
“To have an artwork chosen for ARTEXPRESS is an immense honour.
“These artworks will be an inspiration to up and coming art students.
“ARTEXPRESS is used by many schools to encourage art students as they prepare for the HSC and show them the amazing standards that our student artists achieve.”
Works in ARTEXPRESS range from painting, photomedia, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, graphic design and documented forms to textiles and fibre, ceramics, time-based forms and collections of works.
Petra’s painting will be on exhibition at The Armory Gallery at Sydney Olympic Park from March 13 to May 6, and then on to the Manning Regional Art Gallery from May 18 to June 24.
Finally, the painting will finish its tour at Glasshouse in Port Macquarie where it will be on exhibition from September 14 to November 4.
