Making Art at Kia Kaha Primary School

Thursday School Journal

It is Art Day in Room 13 at Kia Kaha Primary school.

Art Day is fun! 

You can paint a picture. 

Or you can make a sculpture.

Or you can make a diorama.

Or if you think that’s dumb and no use to you in later life whatsoever you can just trace a picture of your favourite Disney character and colour it in.

Ms Barry says, 
The art we are going to make today is going to be all about struggles.
Who can give me an example of a struggle?

Russell has his hand up.

Russell says,
Miss, it’s like when you go to Burger King and there’s someone in the line in front of you and so you have to wait there like a dumbarse for like two or even three minutes god it’s the worst.

Russell is very good at winning all the trophies at the school sports.  

Russell is not very good at sharing.

Ms Barry says,
Thank you Russell, that’s an example I suppose. 
Who else has an example?

Greta has her hand up.

Greta says,
Miss it’s like when you try to get grownups to stop burning down the planet and all they do is pat your head and say “you speak very well for such a little girl” and just go on burning things.

Ms Barry says,
That’s a very good example Greta thank you. Russell, please leave Greta’s pigtails alone.

Ms Barry says,
Who else has an example of a struggle?

Judith has her hand up.

Judith says,

Miss, it's like when you think you're against something but then you decide you're for it but then you find out you need to be against it so you tell people you're against it but they just go LOL make up your mind Judith do you even know how to put your shoes on?

Ms Barry has a kind look on her face.

She says to Judith,
And how does that make you feel, Judith? 

Judith stands up and puts her hands on her hips and says
Who says it was me Ms Barry? Honestly.
and glares at her.

Ms Barry says,
I’m sorry for getting the wrong idea Judith, why don't you sit back down?

Ms Barry says,
Right, now that we know what struggle is, let's make it into art. 
I want you all to think of a struggle and make a picture or a sculpture or a diorama out of it.

Judith and Nicola have their hands up. 

Ms Barry says,
Yes Judith and Nicola you can just trace a picture and colour it in.

The classroom has paint all over it!

All the children are making Struggle Art!

Ms Barry is walking around and looking at the children's work.

Russell has painted a picture using red and blue and black and white.

It looks like the Weetbix flag!

It is the Weetbix flag!

Ms Barry says,
What does your picture show, Russell?

Russell says,
Well it’s obvious eh.

Ms Barry says,
Why don't you tell me anyway?

Russell sighs and says,
Well, the Government turned New Zealand into a dictatorship and it’s promoting fear.

Ms Barry says,
So is it like an allegory, Russell?

Russell says,
Yeah sure why not?

Ms Barry asks,
So what does the fern stand for?

Russell says,
Well that would be your champion Kiwi athletes wearing the silver fern on the world stage making us all proud eh. Only we can't any more because the dictator government  won't let us.

Ms Barry says,
But aren't all the All Blacks in America right now? And aren’t the Black Caps at the World Cup?

Russell says,
Well yeah okay but we can't do anything here at the moment.

Ms Barry says,
Like what, Russell?

Russell says,
Well like get a haircut or go to a bar and get on the piss.

Ms Barry asks,
But is that forever Russell, or just until we have more people vaccinated in a few weeks?

Russell looks at Ms Barry.
Russell pushes his bottom lip out.

Russell asks,
What's your point Miss have you like even got one?

Russell starts pushing his brush hard into the picture.

Oh no! The stars are all getting black on them!

Ms Barry says gently,
I'll let you keep painting, Russell and maybe you can do a little bit more thinking.

Seymour is making a diorama!

Look at all the glue all over Seymour!
Seymour likes to stop and sniff it.
He still has a lot of diorama left to make.

Ms Barry asks,
What is this in your diorama, Seymour?

It is my Uncle Richard’s worst nightmare,
says Seymour.

Poor Uncle Richard, says Ms Barry, what is his worst nightmare?

It is that Eastern European regimes seize control of  the means of urban planning and make us build three storey affordable accommodation for everyone, Miss,
says Seymour.

It looks quite nice, Seymour, what are all these little people?
asks Ms Barry.

They are people on bikes riding five minutes to their work and the shops Miss,
he says.

You know, Seymour, it doesn't  look like all that much of a nightmare or a struggle to me, 
says Ms Barry.

No, says Seymour.

Seymour looks disappointed.

He says,
I copied it from a magazine article called the Insane 15 Minute City Social Engineering Experiment.
But it doesn't look nearly as horrible as Uncle Richard said it would be.

Ms Barry says,
Never mind Seymour, keep trying.
Go easy on the glue won’t you?

Damian is painting a scary looking picture.

It has soldiers and swastikas and a checkpoint.

Ms Barry asks,
what are you drawing, Damian?

Damien says,
this is about my Dad's struggle at the Battle of Mercer.

What’s that?
asks Ms Barry

He says,
Dad and the Convoy of Truth tried to drive to Waitangi to expose the Nazi things that are happening but they wouldn't let him through.

Oh no! says Ms Barry, and did they take him away and throw him in a cell and starve and torture him?

Damien says,
no Miss, they made him park on the side and they all walked over to McDonalds for Sausage and Egg McMuffins.

Well that's a relief, says Ms Barry,
and what is this barbed wire?

That's the camps where they are going to take you if you don't let them poison you with the vaccine Miss,
says Damian

Are you sure that's what they are doing?
asks Ms Barry.

Yes Miss, he says,
it was all in my Dad's facebook group.

I see,
says Ms Barry,
and did it have anything in there about how the vaccines are safe and the idea of them is to protect us from a really horrible disease?

Well yeah,
says Damian,
but Dad says that's all lies and they are acting in blatant contravention of the Treaty of Messerschmidt.

Ms Barry goes to say something but stops.
She pats Damian on the shoulder and says,
If you ever hear anything that frightens you, just come and ask about it,  won't you Damian?

Amelia is making a picture that looks like a poster.

It reads: 

• General Admission: £90.45 

• Primary Entry: £111.85

• Gold: £273.95 

• Diamond VIP Experience: £379.95

• VIP Terrace: £434.95 

• Ultimate Bar Diamond and Ultimate Terrace = £579.95

What's this, Amelia? asks Ms Barry

It's a list of prices to see Adele at Hyde Park in London Miss,
says Amelia.

And what's the struggle? asks Ms Barry.

Amelia says,
Well you know how the other day how you said that advertising sometimes runs out of words because it exaggerates things so much? I think whoever came up with the words for this was like really, really struggling, Miss.

Ms Barry laughs. She says,
I think so too Amelia.

Owen is making an enormous picture. The colours feel like the bush and the church. He is writing words in enormous letters.

The words on the picture say:

What do you say to the people in the South Island who you've failed to protect?

Ms Barry says,
this is just amazing Owen. It reminds me of a famous painter. What is your picture about?

Owen says,
I just saw Dad watching the 1.00 pm press conference. He says that some days he just really really struggles to keep listening.