Cambridge Park High School

Learning to Grow

Client would like an original artwork created to put around the school and on our uniform. Looking at the following ideas: 

• Artwork on glass windows and glass door 
• A canvas for their wellbeing hub and the office.
• Artwork to go on uniform

Learning to Grow represents the journey that the students from Cambridge Park High School are on, from entering the grounds as fresh faced year seven students, to their learning and growing journeys into adulthood.

 At the centre of the artwork, is the school grounds and building envelope. The aerial view encapsulates the position of the buildings, which makes up a small part of the whole grounds, this is also to demonstrate that while we enter new beginnings (coming into High School) and we feel quite small and insignificant, in the grand scheme of our new world, it is but a small but significant part of our life’s journey. The brick design and colour are to emulate the original colouring of the buildings.

 There are a number of key elements that are attached to the school grounds. The four large coloured meeting places, in yellow, blue, green and red, represent the four house colours :

 Above the school grounds is the yellow meeting place – Corren – Hard ground – The surrounding area in brown tones represents a dry, cracked hard ground, design to capture the essence of Corren.

 To the right of the school grounds is the Blue meeting place, the house of Dakara – White man’s settlement – This is represented by the white cross  hatched lines. I chose this to represent structure in white society. There is also a subtle clock face to this area, which represents white man time, something that I have always referred to is that time is simply a construct of white culture.

 Below the school grounds is the large green meeting place. This represents the house of Balabada – The Last of the Hills. Directly below this meeting place, I have added a series of hills to represent the last of the hills. The area around Cambridge Park High School is also located among the last of the hills before you reach the Nepean River and Blue Mountains.

 Finally the last of houses is the Red meeting place, Adelong – Land near the river. This meeting place sits along the Nepean River, the contrasting blue circles around the red meeting place represent calmness, flow, connection and healing.

 Each of the four meeting places have white “U” symbols surrounding them, this is an Aboriginal symbol for people, which represents the students of each house colour, coming together. It also represents working together.

 At the base of the school grounds, next to the journey line of Balabada, is a green journey line that snakes across the artwork from left to right. There are 7 meeting places along this journey line, the first six, represent years 7 to 12. The foot prints represent the journey of the student’s learning journey. The footprints are black to represent travelling on Aboriginal land, and walking pathways that have been used by Dharug people for thousands of years.

 Each meeting place along the journey line grows in size, this is to represent the growth of each student’s knowledge. At the centre of each meeting place sits the teacher, facing the incoming students, representing the teacher embracing the next tribe of young minds eager to learn. They are surrounded by the students, who sit with open minds and hearts.

 The final meeting place (number 7) at the top right of the artwork, represents all students that have come into the school, and then journey out into the world. The four journey lines represent the numerous directions in which each student will take, some will go onto to University, others will move straight into the work force, many will take up a trade, while others will defer to travel and gain life experience.

 Their journeys are all different, but they all have a common bond, and that is their Learning  Journey through Cambridge Park High School.

 The next part of the artwork are the journey lines in white that run from all over the artwork to the school grounds.

 The meeting places in Green and Yellow, represent the school colours, and the students that attend the school. All students come from different backgrounds and have different beliefs, this is represented by the meeting places that are different sizes  and located in different places It also represents Cambridge Park High School embracing all students, and giving them equal opportunity to learn and gain knowledge that will help mould their futures.

 The final part of the artwork with significance is the Nepean River that runs down the left side of the artwork. A silhouette of a lone Platypus swims along the river bank, as a large school of fish swim by.

 I chose the platypus, as it is a mammal that is present in the Nepean river, but it also represents uniqueness, which I believe that the school embraces the unique qualities of its students, their individuality and ability to adapt to their environment.

 Everything about a Platypus celebrates diversity, uniqueness, and favourable modification. Something we all strive to have.

 The school of fish is a clear representation of the students, their ability to mingle, work together, and at the same time still be individual in their pursuit for growth.