Latest news with #TheWestAustralianPulse
Perth Now
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Young talent gives ballet culture a ‘bad wrap'
The intense demands and 'toxic culture' surrounding ballet forced Charley-Marie Travia to quit the sport she loved from age 3 to 17. The Iona Presentation College graduate turned her experience into Stored Away, a series of photorealistic oil paintings of her ballet possessions covered in plastic. One of canvases, a representation of her favourite ballet dress, features as part of this year's The West Australian Pulse exhibition at the Art Gallery of WA. The 18-year-old also created eye-catching images of her trophies and pointe shoes, all wrapped in plastic to be stored away. While she dreamt of joining one of the great European or New York ballet schools, Ms Travia left the demanding sport to focus on her high school studies. Iona Presentation College graduate Charley-Marie Travia, with her artwork Stored Away at The West Australian Pulse exhibition. Credit: Danella Bevis / The West Australian 'If you want to take it seriously, you have to leave (school) at 15 and go to a different country and start a new life,' she said, 'and then your career is done by 25, at the oldest.' Now studying architecture at Curtin University, Ms Travia said the 'ballet industry is very toxic' with potentially detrimental impacts on the mental and physical health of young dancers. 'Whatever you do, it's never good enough,' she added. 'When you're in a ballet studio, you're surrounded by mirrors, so it's very hard on your body image. 'Mentally, it's a very tough sport, as well as physically.' Charley-Marie Travia and fellow Pulse artist Ben Ioannou at the Pulse exhibition opening night. Credit: Alan Chau / The West Australian Partly inspired by American collage artist Barbara Kruger's use of slogans, Stored Away features the phrase 'I was once your favourite' emblazoned on her ballet dress. Ms Travia said the Pulse artwork closed a chapter in her life. 'I can now move on to bigger and better things,' she said. Can she see herself ever dancing again? 'No, I don't,' Ms Travia laughed. 'It's a very traumatising career — I don't think I'd ever go back.' Mentored by Iona teacher Lisa Corbett, Ms Travia enjoyed the process of painting Stored Away but said she never thought her work would end up on a wall in WA's most prestigious art gallery. 'The standard in Perth, especially for Year 12 students, is crazy,' she said. The West Australian Pulse exhibition is free and runs until August 31.
Perth Now
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Art Gallery of WA celebrates next generation of fashion designers in The West Australian Pulse
The next generation of WA fashion designers were greeted by a sellout crowd as they showed their creations in a high-energy runway show on Saturday night. The West Australian Pulse, the Art Gallery of WA's annual celebration of talent, passion and creativity, showcased the work of fashion and design students from North Metro TAFE, South Metro TAFE, Curtin and Edith Cowan universities. This year's catwalk parade was dedicated to the memory of fashion designer and AGWA collaborator Aurelio Costarella, who died in April. The fashion show, which featured WA's top fashion graduates and emerging names, is part of AGWA's annual celebration of art created by young people. It coincides with The West Australian Pulse visual arts exhibition, chosen from the best works submitted by Year 12 graduates. With the demise of Perth Fashion Festival in 2018, Pulse has become an essential annual runway experience for student designers. Around 115 student volunteers — including designers, dressers, apprentice hairdressers, makeup artists and ushers — rolled up their sleeves and donated their time backstage to help the show run smoothly.
West Australian
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- West Australian
The West Australian Pulse: Jodie Rankin expresses her journey of anxiety through artwork
Edvard Munch's work has inspired many artists, but it was some words from the master painter that really spoke to Jodie Rankin. The teenager interpreted the revered Munch's quote, 'From my rotting body, flowers shall grow, and I am in them, and that is eternity', through the lens of her anxiety disorder to create her intricately embroidered piece, Eternity, which is on show at The West Australian Pulse exhibit. 'It is my interpretation, not only of Munch's quote, but my portrayal of how my anxiety manifests and feels,' the 18-year-old said. 'In creating the piece, it was very soothing for my anxieties, and the chaoticness of it and all the different aspects of it reflect how anxiety has so many different aspects but there's good and bad parts of it, positives and negatives.' The free West Australian Pulse exhibit is at the Art Gallery of Western Australia.
Perth Now
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Story behind young Perth artist's powerful piece
Edvard Munch's work has inspired many artists, but it was some words from the master painter that really spoke to Jodie Rankin. The teenager interpreted the revered Munch's quote, 'From my rotting body, flowers shall grow, and I am in them, and that is eternity', through the lens of her anxiety disorder to create her intricately embroidered piece, Eternity, which is on show at The West Australian Pulse exhibit. 'It is my interpretation, not only of Munch's quote, but my portrayal of how my anxiety manifests and feels,' the 18-year-old said. 'In creating the piece, it was very soothing for my anxieties, and the chaoticness of it and all the different aspects of it reflect how anxiety has so many different aspects but there's good and bad parts of it, positives and negatives.' The free West Australian Pulse exhibit is at the Art Gallery of Western Australia. Artist Jodie Rankin's work is featured in the West Australian Pulse Exhibition. Credit: Michael Wilson / The West Australian
West Australian
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- West Australian
Birdland: Identical triplets take the WA music scene by storm
Will these Perth triplets be the world's next big boy band? Conrad, Oscar and Francis Cvitan have been turning heads across WA for their identical look, and their incredible musical talent. They are the 16-year-old brothers behind the WA band Birdland. With over 185k followers on TikTok and a WAM Song of The Year nomination under their belts, the teenage trio shows just how far raw talent and a good hook can go. Francis — who plays guitar and sings — agrees that international attention is mind-blowing. 'It feels very flattering, it's wonderful to see us have such a reach in audience,' he said. 'We wouldn't have thought this year we would be having people in Brazil and Indonesia and the Philippines and America and the UK hearing our music, saying, 'it's really amazing'.' In typical sibling fashion the brothers can't agree on which genre Birdland's music falls under but say it's safe to say it's a combination of Indie, Funk, and Pop. Their music has been compared to Rex Orange Country, Crowded House, and Maroon 5. Despite the bands uncertainty around genre their social media success has led fans to demand the triplets go on tour, and the Birdland brothers have devised an innovative solution. Oscar — who plays bass, sings and manages the band — said obviously, they can't travel worldwide yet, but they have been using the live stream function on social media to perform online concerts. 'It's accessible, and people get to hear it and see what we're really like,' he said. Although the brother's success exceeded expectations, Birdland has set bigger goals for the future. For Conrad — who plays the drums and sings — the next milestone will be to play at a sold-out local venue where fans sing along to their songs. 'My biggest dream for our band is to play at Scarborough Amphitheatre with a packed out crowd and them singing our songs,' he said. Francis is aiming for a bigger venue with a few more people. 'Playing in front of 1000 people while they sing our songs, actually, let's dream bigger, let's go 10,000 people while they sing our songs, and not at Scarborough Amphitheatre,' he joked. Birdland is reeling in local recognition, along with its international support and social media success. 'It's really cool. I didn't expect that to happen, but I'm very happy and very excited,' Conrad said. The 16-year-old stars have a strong foothold in the WA music scene, playing multiple local gigs, including opening The West Australian Pulse exhibition earlier in the month. Birdland's second single, On My Mind — inspired by Francis' recent breakup — drops at the end of June. For West Aussies keen to see the next big boy band live, they will be playing at Y HQ in Leederville on June 20 for the launch of their new single.
