PRACTICE

An understanding of practice introduces students to the beliefs, interests and values circulating in the visual arts and how these may inform their own work. An understanding of practice will affect such things as students’ intentions, interests, interpretations, decisions, actions and judgement. Students also learn about how artists, art critics and art historians contribute to the field of the visual arts.

Artmaking Practice refers to the series of actions taken by artist in the production of their artwork. These actions are the consequential outcomes of decisions made by the artist. In the production of art, artists make choices and take action on a number of issues. When investigating the practice of an artist, we need to consider all the significant elements influencing and involved with the production of an artwork.

When we look at the practice of an artist or designer we discover:

a) The artist’s working methods

b) The development of his or her style

c) What the artist is influenced by

d) What the artists intention is in his or her artmaking

e) The frames within which the artists works

Art practice covers THREE aspects:

artmaking; art history; art criticism.

Students learn about the importance of practice in the visual arts in artmaking, art criticism and art history.

They learn that practice refers to the:

agency of artists, art critics and art historians and the work they produce
social structures, positions, actions and sequences that affect choices, procedures and judgements
perceptions, directions, ways of working and views of those involved in the visual arts.

Students learn that the nature of practice involves:

intentional, informed human activity
the inculcation of beliefs, actions, motives and ideas over time
recognition that the field of visual arts and design has a history and is continuously transformed by innovations and new knowledge, technologies and agents
recognition that conceptions of practice are fluid and transform with changes in the field of visual arts and design. Notions of practice are not only informed by the new and the emergent but also by the re-emergence of existing or traditional conventions of practice.

Artmaking

Practice in artmaking requires an understanding of how a network of procedures can be used to make art.

Students learn how critical judgement is central to making informed decisions and developing autonomous knowledge in responding to the world, making artworks and communicating with audiences.

This judgement entails a knowledge of how and when a particular type of action is appropriate to a context or situation. Judgement also entails the practising of skills to develop mastery of technique as well as experimentation and research to provide greater access to strategic knowledge of ways to proceed with artmaking.

Students learn how the conceptual strength, meaning and resolution within an artwork, or body of work, are concerned with representing artistic intentions and holding an interpretive position. They learn how audiences interact with and respond to the strength of concepts and layers of meaning of their works. Students learn how these interpretations of the meaning of their artworks can be different from their own intentions as artists.

Students learn about the resolution of material, physical and virtual properties of the expressive forms and their significance and meanings within the traditions of the visual arts. They learn about the potential of materials, processes, techniques, styles and qualities.

Art history is the study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts; that is genre, design, format, and style. The study includes painting, sculpture, architecture, ceramics, furniture, and other decorative objects.

As a term, art history (its product being history of art) encompasses several methods of studying the visual arts; in common usage referring to works of art and architecture.

Art Criticism and Art History

Students learn about practice in art criticism and art history which complements and extends their understanding of the visual arts gained in artmaking. They learn how to evaluate and explain the significance of particular artists, artworks, audience responses and representations of the world in these studies.

Practice within art criticism and art history requires an understanding of how networks of procedures can be used to speculate about the meanings of artworks, and locate them in critical narratives and significant histories. An understanding of the forms, strategies, characteristics and values of art critical and art historical practices will support students in making informed representations of their knowledge.

Students learn about artworks and significant ideas in the visual arts as they have been critically and historically interpreted and explained, at a certain time and over time. This may take into account art critical and art historical views about such things as artistic practice and artists.

Students investigate points of view made in critical and historical writing about artists, artworks or styles, audience responses and changing interpretations of the world and consider how well-reasoned accounts are developed.

In art criticism and art history, students learn how judgement contributes to the development of well-reasoned accounts. Judgement plays a prominent role in art criticism in terms of arguing a case about the qualities of an artwork or an issue or event of some significance and also plays a central role in how a case may be assembled in art history. Judgement involves a knowledge of the different value positions which will affect how information is interpreted and explained.

Students learn how art criticism and art history provide for the exchange of opinions and viewpoints that are informed by a knowledge of practice. Students learn about art criticism and art history by reading and reviewing critical and historical interpretations of particular artworks, artists, responses and ideas; by visiting and evaluating exhibitions and relevant internet sites and following debates about relevant issues in contemporary and emergent forms of communication technologies. Developing a reflective understanding of the practices that inform these instances of art writing assists students to contribute to discussions, exchanges and research, and prepare and present oral and written accounts.

Students should build their understanding of practice in art criticism and art history in conjunction with their understanding of other aspects of practice through the conceptual framework and the frames.

Since meeting Duchamp, we realise that artmaking need not necessarily be solely about manipulation of materials, but about ideas. Duchamp marked the earliest example of this art which privileges ideas over aesthetics (Conceptual Art), though it was not known as that in his time.

Duchamp, Hat rack, (suspended from ceiling, so non-functional), Originally 1917, lost and reconstructed 1964.

Art criticism is the discussion or evaluation of visual art. Art critics usually criticise art in the context of aesthetics or the theory of beauty. A goal of art criticism is the pursuit of a rational basis for art appreciation but it is questionable whether such criticism can transcend prevailing socio-political circumstances.

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