LEROY D'SOUZA: Hi, my name is Leroy D'Souza, and I studied visual arts at Killara High School. My body of work is about the relationship between the structure and the environment, and my primary focus throughout my major work was to think about the relationship between the audience, and the way they view my work, and whether my material practice and material selection will be effective in communicating my conceptual idea.

My body of work consists of 4 sculptural pieces which are then photographed within their environment to emphasise the sense of perspective and scale. And this kind of illusion was created to further enhance the relationship between the individual viewing the artwork and the structure itself. So, my sculptures we made using perspex, which was then laser cut. And I also use mirrored acrylic as well. And these materials allowed me to have a more precise and intricate cut.

And I've always been very interested in triangular forms, and I decided to pursue that in my body of work. So, I emphasised the angular and geometric sequences within all my models, especially through very intricate laser cut angles. So, there was a lot of mathematical calculations involved through the laser cut files, and this allowed me to get a more accurate indication of what it would look like.

I try to have a bit of variety in each of my sculptures, however, I wanted them to all be cohesive and tell the same story. So, I achieved that through the use of angular forms and geometric sequences. After a lot of experimentation with sketches and drawings, I finalised on 4 different sculptures, which all connect together to create the bigger picture of my body of work.

So, having worked with perspex and mirrored acrylic for the first time, I had to do a lot of experimentation and testing, especially with the use of Acrifix glue, which had a particular bond fabrication technique. Having to complete this major work during COVID and online learning with all the restrictions on how far you could travel, I was not able to go to the locations that I decided on.

However, through the guidance of my teachers, I was able to photograph all my models in one location and create illusions through perspective and primarily light and shadows to create a more dramatic effect. And I photographed them during sunset specifically, so I could get those orange hues and then contrast those with the blue tones. This kind of contrast worked really well, in my opinion, in my body of work, and it added a bit of drama and complexity to my final presentation.

So, studying the visual arts course, I was exposed to many contemporary architectural artists such as Anish Kapoor, whose concepts really resonated with me, and I wanted to explore that kind of relationship between the audience and the environment. Some other artists that also inspired me are Edoardo Tresoldi and Lucien Hervé whose photographs and architectural sculptures were also very closely linked to my concept, and understanding their practice allowed me to elaborate my body of work and make sure that my use of materials aligned with my concepts.

So, my body of work is an extension of my interest in architecture, and studying architecture at the University of Sydney is a clear link between me and the visual arts course. Having completed the body of work, I noticed that time management is extremely crucial to ensuring success in the visual arts course, and I would encourage future students to be organised, but also try new things, and explore a new concept, a new idea that you are really passionate about so that you can ultimately enjoy the process of making your body of work.

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