The Visual Arts ATAR course encompasses the practice and theory of the broad areas of art, craft and design. Students have opportunities to express their imagination, develop personal imagery, develop skills and engage in the making and presentation of artwork. They develop aesthetic understandings and a critical awareness that assists them to appreciate and make informed evaluations of art.
The Visual Arts ATAR course aims to enable students to make connections to relevant fields of study and to more generally prepare them for creative thinking and problem-solving in future work and life. It aims to contribute to a sense of enjoyment, engagement and fulfilment in their everyday lives, as well as to promote an appreciation for the environment and ecological sustainability.
Prerequisites:
Successful completion of the Year 12 ATAR Visual Arts course is required.
Syllabus:
The Year 12 syllabus is divided into two units, each of one semester duration, which are typically delivered as a pair. The notional time for each unit is 55 class contact hours.
Unit 3 – Commentaries
The focus for this unit is commentaries. In this unit, students engage with the social and cultural purposes of art making to produce a unique and cohesive body of work. Broad and innovative inquiry includes the conceptualisation and documentation of experiences within contemporary society. Students transform ideas and develop concepts using innovative approaches to art making and presentation. They document their thinking and working practices, having the flexibility to work across media and art forms.
Students research artwork providing critical comment on the meaning, purpose and values communicated. They examine their own beliefs and consider how the visual arts have reflected and shaped society in different times and places.
Consideration is given to the roles of artists in different societies, for example, hero, outsider, commentator and social critic. Students investigate the social functions of art, for example political and ideological expression, satire, social description or graphic communication. They address the relationship between form, function and meaning and develop understandings of how artists are influenced by pervasive ideas, events and circumstances, and how re-contextualisation contributes to meanings and messages in artwork.
Unit 4 – Points of view
The focus for this unit is points of view. Students identify and explore concepts or issues of personal significance in the presentation of a sustained, articulate and authentic body of work. They engage in sustained inquiry, exploring ideas and developing concepts to communicate a personal point of view.
Students investigate a range of solutions using visual language and document the progressive resolution of thinking and working practices. Skills, techniques and processes are combined in the pursuit of new art forms, innovation and personal style.
Students use critical analysis frameworks to develop an understanding of the practice of art making and art interpretation. They research and analyse factors affecting points of view such as time, place, culture, religion and politics, synthesising this knowledge to express a personal viewpoint or position. In the analysis of their own and others’ artwork, students reflect on the relationship between artwork, audiences and contextual factors, and consider how these contribute to the development of different perspectives.
Pathways:
The Visual Arts ATAR course aims to enable students to make connections to relevant fields of study and to more generally prepare them for creative thinking and problem-solving in future work and life. It aims to contribute to a sense of enjoyment, engagement and fulfilment in their everyday lives, as well as to promote an appreciation for the environment and ecological sustainability.
More Information:
For further information regarding this course click here.