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VISUAL ARTIST & CREATIVE DIRECTOR

© Melanie Meggs, Unsolvable (2026), digital video. Collection of artist.

CPTTV301A
TECHNIQUES 5
Teacher: Josee

This course is not simply about learning new tools; it is about interrogating the systems that now shape how images are made, circulated, and understood. I will experiment with digital imaging, mobile applications, interactive mechanics, and algorithmic processes as structural devices that mediate my identity and authorship. By examining the historical entanglement between art and technology, alongside contemporary debates surrounding AI and image ethics, I will position my work within a broader critical discourse. Through studio experimentation and material testing, I will assess both the capacities and constraints of these technologies in relation to my existing interdisciplinary practice. The final body of work will not demonstrate technical proficiency alone, but a considered integration of digital mediation, fabrication, and conceptual coherence, evidencing a sustained investigation into how technology reorganises the self within contemporary visual culture.

Gallery wall with a portrait on a concrete pedestal and two wall-mounted screens showing fragmented black-and-white face images

Gallery wall with a portrait on a concrete pedestal and two wall-mounted screens showing fragmented black-and-white face images

LIFE IN PIECES: final body of work, reflection and evaluation

In Life in Pieces, Melanie Meggs explores chronic illness, memory loss, and identity through sculpture and AI-generated video, examining survival as an ongoing negotiation with a body forever altered.

Jun 1

ARTIST CASE STUDY: Lee Ufan

ARTIST CASE STUDY: Lee Ufan

ARTIST CASE STUDY: Lee Ufan

In Lee Ufan's art, nothingness does not mean emptiness as absence or lack. Instead, it becomes an active space of possibility.

May 23

Blurred person walks past framed artworks on a white gallery wall. The mood is serene with a focus on art in a minimalist setting.

Blurred person walks past framed artworks on a white gallery wall. The mood is serene with a focus on art in a minimalist setting.

Materiality as Meaning: A Critical Analysis of James Rhodes’ The Tangible Image

James Rhodes is a Newcastle interdisciplinary artist, researcher, and teacher at Newcastle Art School whose practice examines photography as a physical and spatial object rather than simply a two-dimensional image.

May 21

Close-up of a black slatted cover over a sepia-toned photo, showing part of a person’s face beneath it.

Close-up of a black slatted cover over a sepia-toned photo, showing part of a person’s face beneath it.

T5 WORKS IN PROGRESS: finalising the resin head

The unmoulding revealed the suspended photographic layers and the slight shifts between them, which created the visual instability I had been aiming for.

WORKS IN PROGRESS

May 14

Black-and-white close-up of cracked, pitted concrete or stone with rough texture and scattered dark holes.

Black-and-white close-up of cracked, pitted concrete or stone with rough texture and scattered dark holes.

T5 WORKS IN PROGRESS: fabrication of the pedestal

This week, the concrete pedestal begins and is finalised for Life in Pieces.

WORKS IN PROGRESS

May 12

T5 WK 10: Social Media and Digital Platforms as Art Spaces

T5 WK 10: Social Media and Digital Platforms as Art Spaces

T5 WK 10: Social Media and Digital Platforms as Art Spaces

Social media and digital platforms have reshaped how art is distributed, viewed, and discussed. Platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, websites, and virtual galleries allow artists to share work without relying only on traditional gallery systems.

Apr 28

Close-up of an eye reflecting a surreal collage of women, flowers, city skyline, butterfly, mountains, and sunset in warm tones

Close-up of an eye reflecting a surreal collage of women, flowers, city skyline, butterfly, mountains, and sunset in warm tones

T5 Wk 9: Ethics in New Media Art

New media art uses digital technologies which creates complex ethical questions.

Apr 20

Upside-down black-and-white close-up of a woman’s face with dark hair and a neutral, intense gaze.

Upside-down black-and-white close-up of a woman’s face with dark hair and a neutral, intense gaze.

T5 RESEARCH: Reham Samir, Illness Identity, and Life in Pieces

Samir draws on theories that describe serious illness as a threat not only to the body, but also to the integrity of the self. This strongly reflects how I feel.

Apr 19

Collage of a woman’s face in close-up, with sepia and blue-tinted versions on a black background.

Collage of a woman’s face in close-up, with sepia and blue-tinted versions on a black background.

T5 RESEARCH: Barbara Webster, All of a Piece, and Life in Pieces

Webster writes from the position of someone living with multiple sclerosis after fourteen years of unexplained symptoms, including fatigue, weakness, and difficulty walking.

Apr 18

A blurred figure in black dances in an empty, dimly lit concrete room, creating a ghostly and mysterious atmosphere.

A blurred figure in black dances in an empty, dimly lit concrete room, creating a ghostly and mysterious atmosphere.

T5 ARTIST CASE STUDY: CLARE WEEKS

Interdisciplinary artist Clare Weeks uses her own body to explore illness, identity, and the relationship between fragility and endurance.

Apr 6

Becoming Sophie Calle, a video

Becoming Sophie Calle, a video

T5 ARTIST CASE STUDY: SOPHIE CALLE

Sophie Calle works in a way where life and art are completely mixed together.

Apr 1

A person stands in front of a large abstract digital art piece with vivid purple and orange patterns, in a modern gallery setting.

A person stands in front of a large abstract digital art piece with vivid purple and orange patterns, in a modern gallery setting.

T5 WK 8: AI and contemporary art

Artists use machine learning to generate images, extend photographic and digital processes, construct speculative worlds, analyse data, automate movement, and create responsive installations.

Mar 30

Abstract grayscale collage of a woman’s face split into tiles, with a dark vertical block and blue outlined frames on white.

Abstract grayscale collage of a woman’s face split into tiles, with a dark vertical block and blue outlined frames on white.

T5 ARTIST PROPOSAL FOR LIFE IN PIECES

My installation, Life in Pieces, sits alongside two digital video works Unsolvable and Frustration, forming a cohesive system that examines the experience of living within a body that no longer functions in a predictable or unified way.

WORKS IN PROGRESS

Mar 26

Open box with a black-and-white portrait of a woman’s face on the bottom, creating a mysterious look.

Open box with a black-and-white portrait of a woman’s face on the bottom, creating a mysterious look.

T5 WORKS IN PROGRESS: the repour of the resin head

The second attempt on the making of the resin head proves a success.

WORKS IN PROGRESS

Mar 26

A person in a blue coat and red pants observes a colorful abstract painting with masked figures in a gallery. The mood is contemplative.

A person in a blue coat and red pants observes a colorful abstract painting with masked figures in a gallery. The mood is contemplative.

EXCURSION TO 25TH BIENNALE OF SYDNEY

We visited both the Art Gallery of New South Wales and White Bay Power Station, two exhibition sites operating within the Biennale program.

INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT

Mar 24

Fiery geometric pattern on a black background, featuring a glowing mandala-like star formed by bright orange flames.

Fiery geometric pattern on a black background, featuring a glowing mandala-like star formed by bright orange flames.

T5 WK 7: INTERACTIVE AND GENERATIVE ART

This week explores how contemporary artists use technology to create artworks that respond, shift, or evolve through audience interaction, code, sensors, virtual reality, robotics, and artificial intelligence.

Mar 22

T5 WORKS IN PROGRESS: adding a second video

T5 WORKS IN PROGRESS: adding a second video

T5 WORKS IN PROGRESS: adding a second video

New decision to add a second video into the installation to communicate the internal frustration and physical tension held within the body.

WORKS IN PROGRESS

Mar 22

Various vintage telephone handsets in red, cream, black, and green lie on an old green cabinet. Cords dangle, creating a nostalgic scene.

Various vintage telephone handsets in red, cream, black, and green lie on an old green cabinet. Cords dangle, creating a nostalgic scene.

T5 WK 6: SOUND IN VISUAL ARTS

Sound plays an important role in the visual arts by adding another layer to how we experience a work.

Mar 15

A black and white artwork of a person leaning is hung on a worn, white wall in a room with a concrete floor. A stool is visible in the doorway.

A black and white artwork of a person leaning is hung on a worn, white wall in a room with a concrete floor. A stool is visible in the doorway.

T5 ARTIST CASE STUDY: Carolyn Craig

Through performance, printmaking, and installation, Carolyn Craig explores the systems and expectations that influence identity and behaviour.

Mar 14

Blurred child in purple jacket reflected in a shiny surface, with blue sky and trees in the background, creating a dreamy effect.

Blurred child in purple jacket reflected in a shiny surface, with blue sky and trees in the background, creating a dreamy effect.

T5 ARTIST CASE STUDY: JULIANNE SWARTZ

Julianne Swartz is an artist known for her installation-based practice that integrates sculpture, sound and architecture.

Mar 13

T5 WK 5 WORKS IN PROGRESS: the resin pour

T5 WK 5 WORKS IN PROGRESS: the resin pour

T5 WK 5 WORKS IN PROGRESS: the resin pour

This week I completed my first resin pour for Life in Pieces, documenting each stage of the process.

Mar 11

Lens focusing on a blurred portrait with dark hair and red lips. Background is pink. The lens creates an upside-down view of the face.

Lens focusing on a blurred portrait with dark hair and red lips. Background is pink. The lens creates an upside-down view of the face.

T5 WK 5: Installation art

Installation art is a form of contemporary art that focuses on creating an environment rather than a single object.

Mar 8

T5 RESEARCH: New technology ideas

T5 RESEARCH: New technology ideas

T5 RESEARCH: New technology ideas

Researching new technologies and experimental approaches has allowed me to consider how digital processes can be applied meaningfully within my body of work.

Mar 7

Close-up of a black-and-white self-portrait split into sections, layered alongside a box diagram with measurements. Text: Resin Layered Box.

Close-up of a black-and-white self-portrait split into sections, layered alongside a box diagram with measurements. Text: Resin Layered Box.

T5 WK 4 WORKS IN PROGRESS

This work in progress develops Life in Pieces through sketches and working drawings, exploring how stacked and layered concrete forms can create a structure that reflects instability.

WORKS IN PROGRESS

Mar 6

Dark project timeline infographic showing weeks 1-15, icons, and a material failure delay; key takeaway: constraints shaped the work.

Dark project timeline infographic showing weeks 1-15, icons, and a material failure delay; key takeaway: constraints shaped the work.

T5 PROJECT TIMELINE: Life in Pieces

This project timeline outlines the development of Life in Pieces across a 15-week process, moving from research and experimentation through to fabrication, installation, and evaluation.

Mar 5

Bill Viola's Martrys video

Bill Viola's Martrys video

T5 WK 4: Video Art and the Moving Image

Video art emerged in the late twentieth century when artists began using video cameras and television technology as creative tools rather than simply as devices for recording events.

Mar 1

words on paper

words on paper

T5 WORKSHOP WEEK 3

This collaborative surreal self-portrait task functioned as both a conceptual and psychological challenge.

Feb 28

The Studio Visit by Avery Singer

The Studio Visit by Avery Singer

T5 WEEK 3: DIGITAL IMAGING

This week we examine the expanded field of photography, digital imaging and animation as contemporary artistic methodologies.

Feb 28

Self-portrait

Self-portrait

T5 WORKSHOP WEEK 2

My approach focused on translating my existing black-and-white self-portrait into a digitally fragmented structure.

Feb 21

Jacolby Satterwhite

Jacolby Satterwhite

T5 WEEK 2: NEW TECHNOLOGIES & CONTEMPORARY ART

The focus is on examining how artists integrate digital and interactive technologies into conceptual frameworks, and how process documentation supports critical development.

Feb 20

Capturing a self-portrait

Capturing a self-portrait

T5 WORKSHOP WEEK 1

In this workshop I am using experimentation as a method of inquiry into how emerging technologies can restructure my existing practice.

Feb 14

Introduction to new technologies

Introduction to new technologies

T5 Week 1 – INTRODUCTION TO NEW TECHNOLOGIES

From early video art to today’s AI images, artists have used new tools to question ideas, not just to make different-looking work.

Feb 9

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