How to use this resource
This resource is designed for the classroom,
displayed on an interactive whiteboard or via a
laptop and projector.
Guidelines for teachers are contained within the
notes section along with links to further education
resources and any documents you may wish to
print for your students.
Welcome to the MCA
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Creative Guide to Contemporary Art
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Pre-Visit
What is Contemporary Art?
THINK
What do you think
contemporary means?
What do you think art is?
Let’s look at some art!
Nicholas Folland
The door was open... 2006
Pre-Visit
Performance Art
Rebecca Baumann
Hiromi Tango
Rebecca Baumann
Improvised Smoke Device 2010/2011
Hiromi Tango
Hiromi Hotel – Mixed Blood 2011
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Pre-Visit
Video Art
THINK
Shaun Gladwell filmed
himself doing tricks on his
skateboard in slow motion.
What do you think makes
video art different
to other types of art?
Shaun Gladwell
Storm Sequence 2000
Pre-Visit
Installation Art
Some artworks change shape
depending on where they are
exhibited.
This is called an ‘installation’.
Maria Fernanda Cardoso
Woven Water: Submarine Landscape I 2003
See more of her ‘animal’
sculptures here.
LOOK
What do you think Maria
Fernanda Cardoso used to
make this installation?
Pre-Visit
Painting?
Rosalie Gascoigne cut up
old road signs and
rearranged them to make
these artworks that are
displayed like paintings.
THINK
Are these really paintings?
Why/why not?
Rosalie Gascoigne
Tiger Tiger 1987
Hear curator Hannah Fink speak
about the artist here.
Pre-Visit
Sculpture
Hany Armanious made a large sculpture of part of the body.
Can you guess what part it is?
See how this large sculpture arrived at the MCA!
Hany Armanious
Fountain 2012
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Pre-Visit
Conceptual Art
Sometimes contemporary
artists don’t make the
finished artwork
themselves.
Kerrie Poliness has left
instructions so others can
make her wall drawing for
exhibitions.
Kerrie Poliness
Red Matter wall drawing #2 1994
Pre-Visit
Instruction Drawing
Pre-Visit
How was it made?
See how
Red Matter Wall
Drawing #2
was made.
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Pre-Visit
Movable Sculpture
Gemma Smith makes
paintings and
sculptures that explore
colour, space and
shape. She calls her
sculptures ‘adaptables’.
Gemma Smith
(Left) Adaptable (dark peach/red oxide) 2008 (Right) Adaptable (mint/golden green) 2008
LOOK
Which parts do you
think might move?
Pre-Visit
Movable Sculpture
Watch Gemma
Smith moving one
of her
adaptables.
(start at 4:30min)
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Pre-Visit
I want to see for myself!
Let’s go and
visit the MCA
and explore
contemporary
art.
Post-Visit
How was your visit?
Post-Visit
Make a word cloud!
Create a word cloud based on
your visit to the MCA here.
Post-Visit
Guess what I saw?
REFLECT
Choose an artwork you
saw at the MCA and tell
someone about it!
Nicholas Folland
The door was open...
2006
Stephen Birch
Untitled 2005
Brown Council
The One Hour Laugh 2009
Maria Kozic
Manster (the picture of Dorian Grey) 1986
Robert Owen
Sunrise #3 2005
Post-Visit
Your exhibition
RESPOND
Did you make anything at the
MCA?
Photograph your class work
and project it onto the
whiteboard or create a virtual
exhibition.
Post-Visit
Drawing without a pencil
RESPOND
You are a contemporary
artist! Use some unusual
materials to create art.
Make a drawing without
using any pens or
pencils. Be creative!
Here is some
inspiration…
Pendulum Painting 2
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Post-Visit
Can I use that wall?
You may have noticed
many wall drawings at the
MCA, by artists like Helen
Eager and Robert Owen.
Follow artist Lucas Ihlein’s
instructions to make your
own wall drawing.
Post-Visit
Or…
Use your interactive
whiteboard to create a
wall drawing.
The artwork may exist for
a short-time only (known
as a ephemeral).
Bridget Riley, Composition with circles 4
being painted by an MCA Art Installer in 2004
Post-Visit
See you soon!
We look forward to
your next visit at the
MCA.
www.mca.com.au
Be creative!
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