Artworks Surrealesville and Kids these days are the outcome of a Youth Art Project led by artist Gülsen Özer and supported by Yarra Ranges Council and the It Takes a Town Steering Group. During 2018, Gülsen worked with Healesville young people, aged 13-18 years, in a series of creative development workshops to co create these two temporary public artworks.
Kids these days (pictured above), is an artwork largely informed by conversations Gülsen had with young people over several months during the course of the project. In these conversations the young people were often talking about the importance of being able to see things from different perspectives and to see the bigger picture, beyond a singular action or activity. Other themes included the need to remember the importance of compassion, empathy and education in a broad sense, to help people get along with others, as well as to support people in making positive life decisions and reaching their goals, dreams and potential.
This artwork which will be displayed at the rear of Toscano's Yarra Valley from March till June 2019, seeks to open up a discussion. The statements within the work are not an attempt to minimise the problems associated with phone overuse, an issue affecting all age demographics, including young people and of which the young people who worked on this project are very aware.
Through words and the symbolic use of colour this art work engages with ideas of black and white thinking, stereotypes and intergenerational judgement. It is also a celebration of hope, our capacity to care and make a difference in the lives of others. Each aspect of this work; the wording, colour and font, has been developed in collaboration with young people.
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Surrealesville (pictured below), is an artwork about place and time. Specifically, Healesville and the time of childhood/youth. This artwork will be installed at the Memorial Hall in Healesville from March till June 2019.
The work is a distillation of ideas, themes, visual art concepts and content from young people in Healesville. Gülsen led a group of local young people through a creative process to develop this work; physically and emotionally mapping Healesville, developing and drawing characters and symbols of people, places and experiences significant to their lives.
The work is a distillation of ideas, themes, visual art concepts and content from young people in Healesville. Gülsen led a group of local young people through a creative process to develop this work; physically and emotionally mapping Healesville, developing and drawing characters and symbols of people, places and experiences significant to their lives.
Gülsen collected a large number of diverse artefacts; from written descriptions, to drawings, photographs and clay sculptures from the young people she worked with and then developed the composition of the artwork. The artwork was then designed and illustrated by collaborating artist Andrea Innocent with art direction from Gülsen and the young people involved.
Surrealesville presents to the viewer a work that is many things. A call to openness towards people and things different to you, or that you don’t understand. A celebration of the pleasure young people take in the natural landscape of their hometown. A thank you to a town where so many young people enjoy growing up and feel supported. The work also seeks to highlight the importance of peer friendships in the lives of young people, including looking out for and caring for their friends during difficult times. The work is designed to be thought provoking and to offer a sense of joy and possibility through both its content and colourful, larger than life presence.
Surrealesville presents to the viewer a work that is many things. A call to openness towards people and things different to you, or that you don’t understand. A celebration of the pleasure young people take in the natural landscape of their hometown. A thank you to a town where so many young people enjoy growing up and feel supported. The work also seeks to highlight the importance of peer friendships in the lives of young people, including looking out for and caring for their friends during difficult times. The work is designed to be thought provoking and to offer a sense of joy and possibility through both its content and colourful, larger than life presence.
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Pictured - Gulsen with Andrea Innocent; collaborating artist and illustrator.
Some images from development process below. 
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