“Sometimes on Curriculum Nights boys will come and ask me if they should take art as a subject because it is their favourite. I say to them ‘Choose subjects you like doing, that you are passionate about, because it is much more likely you will follow that passion and work hard’. Parents sitting there usually accept this, too.’’ All Year 9 and 10 boys take art as a subject. They are given a wide variety of different art experiences, including photography. Year 13 student Bailen Thatcher says art is his favourite subject. He enjoys being in the art room, which is “the best room in school, with great views, where you can relax and be with yourself”. He enjoys working independently, though says it is a big workload which can be tough at times when he is trying to finish a number of things. “You are always working in art, it is never really finished until the end of the year when you hand in your portfolio. But for me the best thing about the subject is it is not all about what the teacher thinks is right, it’s about what we all think. It is good to know how you could improve. Art can be quite a solitary thing and it is good to be collaborative. That is why I really enjoy the class.
“Some boys see it as a drop- out subject, but that definitely is not the case. It is different from other subjects, because there is not so much written work. It is more creative, and boys take it very seriously and work really hard all year.’’ Bailen was intending to study architecture, but has his eyes set on a cricket career. For George McKnight, art classes offer the chance for a different way of thinking. “You learn things through your own work and research rather than it being teacher-driven,” he says. “You have to manage your own time and have lots of self-discipline. “With art you always get a boost of achievement as it is something that is yours and original. You always
Previous page: Art by Bailen Thatcher.
Top left and right: Paintings by Bailen Thatcher.
Above: Bailen Thatcher and George McKnight at work on the classroom.
Right: Art by George McKnight.
feel like you’re going on a journey and developing a little idea into a bigger one. As a student in art you drive yourself to places you have not been and you get to push boundaries of your imagination. Mr George always gives a wee pep talk and says, ‘Don’t go for little day trips to Dunsandel or Amberley, get on the ferry to Wellington and continue up to Kaitaia.’ ” George has a plan for the whole year, which he says is essential so he can visualise where he is going.
Christ’s College Canterbury
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