Year 12 Art History students swapped the classroom for two of Auckland’s cultural landmarks recently, visiting Auckland War Memorial Museum and Auckland Art Gallery to explore how art and architecture reflect the time and place in which they were created.
Perched high above the city, Auckland War Memorial Museum provided a chilly but valuable setting for students as they developed their personal responses to the design and meaning of the 1920s building. Its imposing scale, Neoclassical columns and portico, carved friezes and imported English stone façade provided plenty to examine, with students considering how these architectural elements connect with the social and political changes that have shaped Aotearoa New Zealand since colonisation.
The learning continued at Auckland Art Gallery, where students examined the intricately detailed portraits of Gottfried Lindauer and considered how his work documented a period of significant cultural and social change in New Zealand.
Experiencing these works firsthand gave students the opportunity to consider how artists and designers communicate ideas shaped by a particular time and place. Examining the symbols, styles and historical context firsthand helped deepen their understanding of the stories and perspectives held within both art and architecture.
