Visual Arts

Course description

Visual Arts provides opportunities for students to enjoy the making and studying of art. It builds an understanding of the role of art in all forms of media, both in the contemporary and historical world, and enables students to represent their ideas and interests in artworks. Visual Arts enables students to become informed about, understand and write about their contemporary world.

What do students learn about?

Students learn about the pleasure and enjoyment of making different kinds of artworks in 2D, 3D and/or 4D forms. They learn to represent their ideas and interests with reference to contemporary trends and how artists, including painters, sculptors, architects, designers, photographers and ceramists, make artworks.

Students learn about how art is shaped by different beliefs, values and meanings by exploring artists and artworks from different times and places and relationships in the artworld between the artist – artwork – world – audience. They also explore how their own lives and experiences can influence their artmaking and critical and historical studies.

Students learn to make artworks using a range of materials and techniques in 2D, 3D and 4D forms, including traditional and more contemporary forms, site-specific works, installations, video and digital media and other ICT forms, to build a body of work over time. They learn to develop their research skills, approaches to experimentation and how to make informed personal choices and judgements. They learn to record procedures and activities about their artmaking practice in their Visual Arts diary.

They learn to investigate and respond to a wide range of artists and artworks in artmaking, critical and historical studies. They also learn to interpret and explain the function of and relationships in the artworld between the artist – artwork – world – audience to make and study artworks.

As well as the practical art making component, students will analyse, interpret and study the works of particular art histories and their artists.

Visual Arts allows students the opportunity to develop critical judgment, critical and practical autonomy and the skills for reflective action. They will learn to express themselves and understand others through visual language, and to worship God as they develop and use their God-given gifts.