Visual Arts

2 units for each of Preliminary and HSC Board Developed Course

Exclusions:

Exclusions between Content Endorsed Courses and the Board Developed Visual Arts course:

Ceramics – Visual Arts HSC Ceramics Body of Work

Furnishing – the Furnishing Integrated project(s) cannot be used as a Body of Work

Photography – Visual Arts HSC Photograph Body of Work

Visual Design – Products developed cannot be used as a Body of Work in Visual Arts

Course Description:

Visual Arts involves students in the practices of art making, art criticism and art history. Students develop their own artworks culminating in a ‘body of work’ in the HSC course that reflects students’ knowledge and understanding about the practice and which demonstrates their ability to resolve a conceptually strong work. Students critically investigate works, critics, historians and artists from Australia as well as those from other cultures, traditions and times.

The Preliminary course is broad, while the HSC course provides for deeper, increasingly more independent investigations.

While the course builds on Visual Arts courses in Stages 4 and 5 (Years 9 and 10) it also caters for students with more limited experience in Visual Arts.

Main Topics Covered:

Preliminary Course

  • The nature of practice in art making, art criticism and art history through different investigations

  • The role and function of artists’ artwork, the world and audiences in the art world

  • The frames and how students might develop their own informed points of view

  • How students may develop meaning and focus and interest in their work

  • Building understandings over time through various investigations and working in different forms

HSC Course

  • How students may develop their own informed points of view in increasingly more independent ways using the frames

  • How students may develop their own practice of art making, art criticism, and art history applied to selected areas of interest

  • How students may learn about the relationships between artist, artwork, world, audience within the art world

  • How students may further develop meaning and focus in their work

Particular Course Requirements:

Preliminary Course

  • Artwork in at least 2 forms and use of a process diary

  • A broad investigation of ideas in art criticism and art history

HSC Course

  • A development of a body of work and use of a process diary

  • A minimum of 5 Case Studies (4-10 hours each)

  • Deeper and more complex investigations of ideas in art criticism and art history

Major Project

In Visual Arts, students have to produce a Major Project (Body of Work). This is externally marked by NESA representatives. The Body of Work consists of developing and making an artwork or series of works in a material choice to the student. It should demonstrate the understanding of art making as a practice and represent the student's ideas and interests through the interpretation of subject matter and use of expressive forms. The Practical project is worth 50%. The remaining 50% is based on the HSC exam.

School Fees: Preliminary Course $120 HSC Course $120