In this course the student has the opportunity to develop contemporary works of art in all media by direct observation of and engagement with the diverse landscape and cultural legacy of The Centennial Parklands (Centennial Park, Queen’s Park and Moore Park). The class takes place outside (en plein air) and involves fieldwork complemented by time in the studio. In consultation with the lecturers, the student will undertake a body of work that establishes a relationship between their own ideas and those originating in theories and practices related to the history of a man-made landscape. Considerable potential exists for a creative interaction between contemporary responses to culture and nature, both in this instance exemplified by a single location in close proximity to COFA and the UNSW main campus. Students will be encouraged to develop an understanding of the links between contemporary land and water usage and established ways of seeing such as the Picturesque, Classical and Romantic traditions in addition to more recent tendencies such as site-specific interventions in the landscape. Students will experiment with a wide variety of media and strategies in locating this urban landscape within the framework of both their own individual creative processes and a range of conceptual and formal concerns emerging from this important historical urban landscape.