Course Overview

Ok…so you’ve enrolled in Studio Art – Well done! This is a really great course because it gives you the chance to work solidly on developing your own ideas but it still has a fair bit of structure so you wont feel completely lost. This course is divided into both a practical artmaking side and a theoretical side which will actually support what you are doing in your prac work. You’ll be looking at how artists have used materials, techniques and processes to create aesthetic qualities.You’ll also start to think about the idea of style – what is that anyway and how do artists get their own You’ll also be studying types of galleries and what goes on behind the scenes of an art show. Conservation and appropriation are also studied in this course. So here is the two units in depth;

Here is a break down of how the course is marked

• Unit 3 School-assessed Task (SAT) : 33 per cent

• Unit 4 School-assessed Task (SAT) : 33 per cent

• End-of-year examination (SAT) : 34 per cent.

* There are no SAC’s in this course – only SATS.

Unit 3 Prac

The first thing you will do is develop an exploration proposal to define the areas that you are interested in developing. There is more information about what this involves in the drop down menu of the same name. From there you will work on trialling ideas and developing your concepts which will culminte in the production of a design process or, in simple terms, a folio (sketchbook) of trials which records your thinking and working methods. You will then pick a minimium of two ideas which will be called your  potential directions which you will develop into finished artworks in unit 4.

Unit 3 Theory

You will be studying at least two artists in this unit, who will be from two different cultural and/or historical periods. By examining  their use of materials and techniques, you will come to understand how an artist develops a unique. All of this will hopefully teach you  something about your own art making practise. Think about it for a minute – how else do we learn but from looking at other peoples work? Some people actully take it as far as using elements of peoples work in their own – this idea of appropriation is also something we will cover here. You are also expected to visit at least two different exhibition spaces in their current year of study.

In Unit 4 Prac

Here is where you take the two potential directions you developed in unit 3 and turn them into something amazing! You are required to complete at least two finished works but you may choose to undertake many many more. You will also be required to record your working methods every step of the way and will be asked to hand in another sketch book which documents your journey. The final part of your practical work for this unit is the reflection/evaluation statement which is actually a written piece of work, detailing how you went about making your work, the materails and techniques used etc etc.

Unit 4 Theory 

This unit investigates aspects of artists’ involvement in the art industry. You will be focusing on a variety of exhibition spaces and the methods and considerations involved in the preparation, presentation and conservation of artworks. You will also think again about the idea of appropriation and delve into the murky world of copyright.

Ok GO! : )