A little bit of 80s Narrabundah College on show

Posted on 16 February, 2021

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” Pablo Picasso.

Chances are this is less of a problem if you want to Narrabundah College where the artistic streak runs strong through alumni, no matter their age. This weekend, a group of college graduates will reunite, more than 30 years after graduating in the 80s, to put on a special exhibition, Alight After Dark.

Some are full-time artists, others have desk jobs by day and indulge their creative spirit in their spare time, but all of them continue to enjoy the self-expression that comes through the artistic process having been to a college which truly encouraged creativity.

Event organiser Mags Stewart, herself a Narrabundah graduate who is now based in Sydney running an actor’s agency, said “This exhibition celebrates the artistic lives of 14 people from the subcultures of Canberra of the 1980s. It explores how coming from that place and time has shaped us and who we are now.”

 

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“Some are currently professionals in the visual arts and some have created privately for decades. The show incorporates works from landscape painting to crafted textiles to a post-apocalyptic vehicle and photographic and sculptural responses to last year’s fire season.”

 

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Mags said 2020 had been a testing time for all, but particularly for artists: “I want to illuminate the very necessary role creativity plays in everyone’s life, especially in challenging times such as now.”

The focus of the exhibition is not about commercial viability—although some artists have work for sale—nor critical appraisal, but on providing a dynamic event of artistic engagement and enjoyment.

Works include the hand-made “slow fashion” of Kirstie Kearney, a Public Servant by day, and by night a sewer, knitter, upholstery restorer and scavenger of vintage patterns and materials who is also skilled at printing and all things textile-related.

Kirstie Kearney in her own printed T.

“I have never lost that creative urge since my time at Narrabundah. It was a school which really encouraged us to be ourselves and at our 20-year reunion it was clear that so many of us still pursue our creative passions, whether it is through a job such as landscaping, or building Mad Max cars or being a commercially-successful artist,” said Kirstie.

One such commercially-successful artist is Heidi Jackson, who was born in Sierra Leone, lived in a number of countries as a child and after arriving in Canberra was encouraged to enrol at Narrabundah to further hone her artistic bent.

Now the Head of Art at Sydney Church of England Grammar School, Heidi is also an accomplished painter, who produces pieces to exhibit a solo show every 12-18 months as well as taking part in group exhibitions.

Her landscapes consider connection and belonging and Heidi attributes her decision to pursue a path in art to her then Narrabundah College art teacher Steve Roper, with whom she is still in touch.

“We are all still in touch, and Narrabundah gave us that great sense of connection and camaraderie. It really was the most astonishing place to learn. I feel very lucky to have been there.”

 

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College principal Kerrie Gundy said the yearbooks attest to some impressive artists having graduated from Narrabundah—not least Patricia Piccinini, whose Skywhalepapa recently took to the skies with Skywhale.

Alicia Mosqueira has been a finalist in both the Archibald and Wynne Prizes, while Tim Hardy followed photography and has had numerous fashion shoots published in magazines. Meanwhile, Anna Raupach is a practising artist exhibiting art all around the world and is now a lecturer at the ANU School of Art.

Kerrie was delighted the exhibition was taking place.

“What we see in the corridors, in student art classes and exhibitions, in all the different creative classes we offer, continues to amaze me. I think students come here, they find like-minded peers and passionate teachers and they thrive.”

Kerrie also believed that the wider Canberra community valued the arts and that appreciation filtered through the college.

“I really do love seeing the energy, excitement and talent coming out of our art classes, and I am thrilled that this group has kept in touch and kept their artistic work going. This exhibition shows that once the seeds of creativity are sewn, they are always there.”

Feature image: Arrival by Heidi Jackson