Human Archetypes, The Uncanny Valley, and Inorganic Human Forms The work interrogates the recurring concept of humankind’s fascination with replicating herself in her own image. Just as the Judeo-Christian God is said to have created humans in his own image, we replicate ourselves in art and then science. We seek to make an artificial intelligence that may well be fraught with our own survival as a species, and we refine these creations until we can no longer tell if they are human or facsimilie. Even when this is impractical; when a non-human robotic form may well be better suited to the task, we persist in making our new companions in human form. So much so that when our creations develop their own ability to create human forms, they inherently seek perfection of human characteristic when no such thing exists, and all humans are flawed. My work takes the human and reverses this process, seeking to see how dehumanising one can make the subject of portraiture before it becomes ‘the other’. In doing so, I look for what makes us human, and how we portray or present various aspects of humanity and human endeavour as stereotypical archetypes. I have used, as a paying subscriber, the artificial intelligence presented in the Adobe Creative Suite, which is ethically sourced from Adobe’s own stock collection which itself has been purchased from artists, as a launchpad for this exploration, thus invoking concepts of meta - where the AI works on a project that attempts to dissect the very reasons and underlying foundations of humankind’s desire to create AI in the first place. Some of the work touches on the idea of a human/AI connection, extending to the concepts of an interspecies symbiosis, and whether a human could experience a genuine love of a non-organic human form, and vice versa.

Clayton KEEFE Completed a Bachelor of Visual Art at Federation University Arts Academy in 2023.

Colour photograph of metal arm and hand holding a wine glass, in front of a window.

clayton keefe, available, photography, ai, alumni

Victor Ernest COBB OM (14 August 1876-2 December, 1945) Born Footscray, Victoria Victor Cobb studied drawing under Bernard Hall at the National Gallery School in 1896. He was self taught in the art of etching, creating his own press and tools. He became known for his popular views of Melbourne and as a teacher of etching. Melbourne Grammar School marked its sesquicentenary in 2008. As part of the celebrations, a Talents Committed Exhibition was staged. This exhibition recognised 150 Old Melburnians who have made a difference to the City of Melbourne, the State of Victoria and the wider community in Australia and overseas. The above profile was included in the Talents Committed Exhibition in 2008.

Double sided sketch by Victor Cobb. One side is 'At Castlemaine, the other is some line work towards a landscape

V.E.C. At Castlemaine 26/4/31

victor cobb, castlemaine, a.m.e. bale, landscape

Victor Ernest COBB OM (14 August 1876-2 December, 1945) Born Footscray, Victoria Victor Cobb studied drawing under Bernard Hall at the National Gallery School in 1896. He was self taught in the art of etching, creating his own press and tools. He became known for his popular views of Melbourne and as a teacher of etching. Melbourne Grammar School marked its sesquicentenary in 2008. As part of the celebrations, a Talents Committed Exhibition was staged. This exhibition recognised 150 Old Melburnians who have made a difference to the City of Melbourne, the State of Victoria and the wider community in Australia and overseas. The above profile was included in the Talents Committed Exhibition in 2008.

Double sided sketch by Victor Cobb. One side is 'At Miss Bale's, Castlemaine, the other is some line work towards a landscape

26/4/31 At miss Bale's Castlemaine V.E.C.

victor cobb, castlemaine, a.m.e. bale, landscape

victor cobb

One artwork comprising of 5 individual wooden board panels, oil and acrylic. Painted panels depicting one women in yellow coat with white pants on a purple background, each panel is a segment of the women's form.

Tony HANNING (1950- ) Dr Tony Hanning is an internationally recognised glass artist whose work is represented in all major collections in Australia and many overseas collections including the V&A Museum in London and the Tacoma Art Museum in the USA. The imagery in Tony Hanning's work often is representative of the Gippsland landscape. He has a PhD from Mondash University (2008), a Master of Arts from Monash University (1998); and a Diploma, Visual Arts, Gippsland Institute of Advanced Education, Monash University, Melbourne (1971). From 1971-1980 Tony Hanning was the Director of Latrobe Valley Arts Centre (later Latrobe Regional Gallery, Morwell)

Framed and mounted charcoal drawing depicting large trees (conifers and probably deciduous) in a field rendered with hatching

Lower right, signed Tony Hanning '15

tony hanning, staffmember, landscape, trees, treescape, alumni

gippsland campus art collection, printmaking

Focusing on personal memories, the Creatures of Change series is a collection of sculptures and objects that depict and embody memories of change. The works are stylistically and thematically divided into two groupings: one focusing on memories of growth, the other on death. Utilising organic shapes and lines, the works aim to express the need for life, death and change within our lives as these natural forces shape and mould us into who we are. Influenced by organic shapes, textures and colours, the two groupings are characterised by specific physical attributes. The growth works exhibit shapes of seeds or blossoming flowers, they grow outwards representing the outward growing we experience throughout life. They exhibit signs of expansion and movement through cracked surfaces and exude life as signified by the colour green. The death shapes are represented by tree stumps, a common gravestone symbol. The dead shapes are textured with broken and crumbling edges and sharp corners, symbolic of the feelings those in mourning experience. The death works are decorated with a deep, moody blue, conjuring up sadness and thoughtfulness. Accompanied by small hanging pieces which represent fragmented memories, the two sets of sculptures share a sense of druid creation. These creatures, with jointed legs, have a sense of life and movement. Born of memory, they embody a sense of willingness to change and respect for nature. Change as brought by life and death is a force beyond our power, these works endeavour to show the grasp change has on us and the power of our memories.

Sarah MISCHKER (1996- ) Born United States Arrived Australia 2017 In 2023 Sarah Mischker completed a Bachelor of Visual Arts at the Federation University Arts Academy. Her final folio focused on the 'Creatures of Change' series, a collection of sculptures and objects that depict and embody memories of change

ceramics, dvc art award, alumni, sarah mischker

This building was officially named the E.J. Barker Library by the Council of the Ballarat College of Advanced Education on 13th December 1989 In recognition of Mr E.J. Barker Principal School of Mines and Industries Ballarat'1964-76 Foundation Director Ballarat College of Advanced Education 1976-1987 President Director Mr E.T. Oppy Dr J.R. Sharpham

e.j. barker library, library, ballarat college of advanced education, jack barker, e.t. oppy, john sharpham

Wendy WHITFORD (1942- ) Born Ballarat, Victoria Wendy Whitford'swork has an Her emphasis is on texture and colour., and she paints in acrylic and produces limited edition prints on an etching press. She attended evening Life Drawing classes with Geoffrey Mainwaring at the Ballarat School of Mines, and undertook group srudies with artist Edward Heffernan. Undertaking full time formal art training inher thirties,, she completed a Diploma of Art at the Ballarat College of Advanced Education (later Federation University in the early 1980s. During this time she was introduced to Printmaking by Satish Sharma,and has alternated printmaking with painting until the present day. Wendy Whitford is a members of the Soldiers Hill Art Collective, a group of practicing artists who all live in the Ballarat suburn of Soldiers Hill.

wendy whitford, printmaking, satish sharma

katherine douglas, landscape

After a quiet period, interest in bookplates in Australia began to increase in the early 1970s, Entrepreneurial art and book collectors such as Edwin Jewell and others commissioned multiple bookplate designs from a range of well known fine artists. At a 1997 meeting in Melbourne of the Ephemera Society of Australia Edwin Jewell and others announced the formation of the Australian Bookplate Society. The society was instrumental in promoting the art of the bookplate through establishment of the Australian Bookplate Design competition. The competition includes a design award for secondary schools students.

Signed Irena Sibley lower right below image

bookplate, printmaking, australian bookplate design award, keith wingrove memorial trust, mirka mora

Signed Irena Sibley in pencil lower right beneath print.

bookplate, printmaking, australian bookplate design award, keith wingrove memorial trust

Signed Irena Sibley in pencil lower right beneath plate

Signed Irena Sibley in pencil below print.

Signed in pencil Irena Sibley

Irena Sibley