Top Arts Showcases Young Artists at NGV

Written by David Hagger on 13 April 2014.

Top Arts 2014 running at from 11 April - 20 July 2014at NGV is one of the highlights of the Melbourne arts calendar, and is celebrating its 20th anniversary of young artists thriving. The World Loves Melbourne attended the launch evening and was highly impressed with the talented young artists. The highlight was meeting the artists themselves and hearing them speak about their art.

The exhibition presents outstanding work by students who have completed Art or Studio Arts studies in the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) and provides insight into young people’s ideas, thinking and creative practices. StArt Up: Top Arts 2014 will be displayed in NGV Studio, the Gallery’s popular and dynamic contemporary art space at NGV Australia at Federation Square and features folios, developmental material and preparatory work as part of the installation. StArt Up: Top Arts 2014 presents the work of our freshest and most inspiring young artists and builds on a well-earned reputation for being one of the liveliest and most visited exhibitions on the NGV calendar.

A range of informative and interactive programs will run throughout StArt Up: Top Arts 2014, including introductory talks by exhibiting artists and student and teacher professional learning programs.

Adelle Elksnis

Botanical anatomy 1

colour digital inkjet print

Loreto Mandeville Hall, Toorak

The idea behind my work was to create a surreal idyllic landscape made up from repeated images of the female figure. I wanted to produce a piece that is more than what meets the eye.

We considered this print to be genius, with layers of perception revealed on considering the piece. Not only is the theme bold but also the colour pallette.

One of the most popular, diverse and engaging exhibitions on the NGV calendar, StArt Up: Top Arts 2014 supports arts education and the future of contemporary art in Victoria.

Kelly Bull

midnightRUN

black and white digital flash file transferred

to DVD, silent, 208 pages

Box Hill High School, Box Hill

midnightRUN is a work of fiction that follows the character Jamie Matheson and the events surrounding a number of street gangs made up of the homeless.

Kelly shows her talent here both as an artist and as a storyteller. Her theme is contemporary and we enjoyed the social comment of the piece.

To celebrate its twentieth anniversary at the NGV, Top Arts has been given a fresh title, StArtUp: Top Arts 2014, which pays tribute to the role the exhibition has played in starting the career of many of Victoria’s emerging and established artists and creative practitioners.

Kate Ferrari

Close up

colour inkjet prints

I wanted to capture the beauty and fierce nature of cars the highly polished painted surfaces by contrasting with the reflections

of natural elements surrounding the car.

Metallic dress

aluminium, metal rings

Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar School, Ivanhoe

My love for fashion and statement accessories inspired me to create a garment that conveys the idea of feminism and the growing strength and power of women in

today’s society.

Kate has captured the imagination with here fashion as well as artistic skills, with another bold social comment on feminism and the power of women in today's society.

We have picked out a few of the artistic pieces that enthralled us, but all of the artists displayed showed outstanding creativity and artistry.

Guests at the launch heard an inspiring speech by the Hon. Heidi Victoria MP, Minister for the Arts.

“StArt Up: Top Arts 2014 allows us to share in the artistic journeys of creativity and learning undertaken by our talented VCE class of 2013”

- Hon. Heidi Victoria MP, Minister for the Arts

Isabella Kelly

Creating existence

pencil

Sacré Coeur, Glen Iris

As individuals our personalities should be considered before our appearances. This work depicts the persistence of stereotyping and labelling of individuals within our society.

Isabella shows great skill in depicting depth of character in this pencil art.

Here are some highlights of Top Arts 2014:

49 young artists chosen from over 3,000 submissions coming from VCE Art & Studio Arts students from government, independent and catholic schools.
Now in its 20th year, NGV have been celebrating youth creativity since 1994.
To celebrate, the exhibition has been renamed to pay tribute to the role it has played in starting the careers of so many artists & creative practitioners
The exhibition is held at NGV Studio - a popular and dynamic contemporary art space.
There are also opportunities for the public to get behind the curtains to meet the people involved and gain an understanding of what goes into putting together an art exhibition!

Shortlisted students

These students were shortlisted for the exhibition:

Danny Abdulahad St Albans Secondary College, St Albans
Phoebe Arvanitis Loreto Mandeville Hall, Toorak
Lauren Bartlett - Bragg Firbank Grammar School, Brighton
Tegan Bell Loreto College Ballarat, Ballarat
Sarah Beyer Lavalla Catholic College, Traralgon
Lucy Boehme Woodleigh School, Baxter
Sam Brett Mt Eliza Secondary College, Mt Eliza
Lauren Broide Star of the Sea College, Brighton
Stephanie Burns Melbourne Girls’ College, Richmond
Ashleigh Buultjens St Monica’s College, Epping
Amy Chen Lauriston Girls’ School, Armadale
Georgia Lee Chiarella Mount Saint Joseph Girls’ College, Altona
Vanessa Clothier St Columba’s College, Essendon
Candy Cooper Caulfield Grammar School, St Kilda East
Hannah Costello Loreto Mandeville Hall, Toorak
Mitchell Crameri Brighton Grammar School, Brighton
Rachelle Criticos Avila College, Mt Waverley
Nanami Dade Newhaven College, Newhaven
Lucy Davidson Genazzano FCJ College, Kew
Charmaine De Lima MacKillop Catholic College, Werribee
Helen Demetriou Covenant College, Bell Post Hill
Hayden Farrell St Bernard’s College, Essendon
Alessia Ferraro St Columba’s College, Essendon
Michelle Fitz-Gerald Glen Waverley Secondary College, Glen Waverley
Jessie Geinitz Upwey High School, Upwey
Stella Greaves St Leonard’s College, Brighton East
Chester Greaves St Michael’s Grammar School, St Kilda
Ellen Hatton Waverley Christian College, Wantirna
Thomas Hoy St Patrick’s College, Ballarat
Alexis Infeld Methodist Ladies College, Kew
Natasha Jovetic Wodonga Senior Secondary College, Wodonga
Eliza Katsourakis Williamstown High School, Williamstown
Georgie Kemshal-Bell Beechworth Secondary School, Beechworth
Maddison Kraus Flinders Christian Community College, Tyabb
Margot Lapalus Girton Grammar School, Bendigo
Ashley Lark St Leonard’s College, Brighton East
Elaine Leong Presentation College, Windsor
Celeste Magee MacKillop Catholic College, Werribee
Hannah Mangan Distance Education Centre, Thornbury
Bailey Dior McErvale Ballarat High School, Ballarat
Lauren McKay Monbulk College, Monbulk
Greta McMillan Lauriston Girls’ School, Armadale
Emily McNeil Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College, Canterbury
Matthew Mickelburough Mentone Grammar, Mentone
Sarah Moss Camberwell Girls’ Grammar School, Canterbury
James Mulcahy Scotch College, Hawthorn
Asha Murray Portland Secondary College, Portland
Aviya Naccarella Presentation College, Windsor
Chevon Oakley Werribee Secondary College, Werribee
Rachel O’Brien St Joseph’s College, Echuca
Margaret Olney Loreto Mandeville Hall, Toorak
Madison Packer St Leonard’s College, Brighton East
Emma Paine Ballarat Clarendon College, Ballarat
Alexis Polidoras Swinburne Senior Secondary College, Hawthorn
Julia Quirk St Leonard’s College, Brighton East
Hannah Roberts St Catherine’s School, Toorak
Sylvie Saisch Melbourne Girls’ Grammar School, South Yarra
Johanna Schreiner Woodleigh School, Baxter
Patricia Sofra Notre Dame College, Shepparton
Benjamine Sourivong Westbourne Grammar School, Truganina
Kimberley Sternfeld Lauriston Girls’ School, Armadale

Rose Stimpson Ballarat Grammar School, Wendouree
Alison Waskowicz Beaconhills College, Pakenham
Joshua Woods St Monica’s College, Epping
Jessica Yates Firbank Grammar School, Brighton
Adriano Zarosinski Catholic Regional College Sydenham, Sydenham

Get on the toparts14 exhibition and visit soon!