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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

Testing the water, 2010

by Grace Roberts

Testing the water, 2010

Year 11, St Mary's Anglican Girls' School WA
synthetic polymer paint on board

Testing the water is about the changes occurring during adolescence, particularly in relation to perception of self and the world around us. 'Home' is depicted as a sanctuary. Facing away from the sun represents rejecting childhood pleasures and replacing them with new 'grown-up' experiences. Testing the water, or going into the unknown, is risky, yet also exciting. Water reflections create distortion much like our conflicting self-identities. The study of Grace Crowley's cubist techniques informed my representation of architectural and human forms in the context of landscape.

Headspace 10

Headspace 10
(More information, View all 99 images)

Cowgirl
The angry boy
Taboo
Self portrait

Related information

The Precasso Armoured Butterfly, 2010 by Alicia Mozqueira
The Precasso Armoured Butterfly, 2010 by Alicia Mozqueira
The Precasso Armoured Butterfly, 2010 by Alicia Mozqueira
The Precasso Armoured Butterfly, 2010 by Alicia Mozqueira

Headspace 10

Self/reflections

Previous exhibition, 2010

Headspace 10 is a national, secondary school art exhibition from all states and territories exploring the theme, Self/reflections, through portraiture.
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The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance

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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

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