Close observation and attentive perception in nature and art
Nature in the Pöllau Valley Nature Park also serves as a source of inspiration and material in winter. From 10 to 14 February, when everything seems grey and lifeless, it takes careful observation and attentive perception to discover shapes and colours as well as usable materials and objects for artistic creation. Provided with background knowledge of natural history, pupils collect the raw materials, which they process into their own works under the guidance of three artists.
The project "Hibernation? Not at all!" allows for an intensive artistic exploration in the perceptual field of nature and art. The area surrounding the secondary school in the Pöllau Valley Nature Park offers ideal conditions for training pupils' perceptions in winter. In order to be able to recognise trees, shrubs and perennials in winter, it is necessary to look closely at the few existing features. This is also a good exercise for looking at works of art.
What shapes and structures can I recognise, what colour nuances can I distinguish, what are the surfaces like, what do they feel like? And: how can I use found material artistically?
With an introduction by Veronika Zukrigl, biodiversity expert at the Pöllauer Tal Nature Park, the pupils learn to identify plants in nature. The accompanying artists point out usable plants and other natural materials. These are collected and used to design creative and artistic works in three workshops.
Doris Reinbacher: Under the guidance of the artist, the pupils learn how to make natural colours with which they can design their impressions in prints. The focus is on the usability of the collected objects for colour extraction.
Dunja Krcek: The workshop focuses on the colour nuances and materiality of the objects and their possible combinations. The students create their own personal winter colour palettes by arranging the collected material in colour coordination and exploring the effect of colours on different backgrounds. They also arrange the material into three-dimensional objects.
Erika Kronabitter: Here, the pupils develop texts on nature observation that accompany the processes of the workshop and document them in free photographic works.
At the end of the week, the resulting works are presented in an exhibition in the school auditorium.
