Visual Arts

Art is unquestionably one of the purest and highest elements in human happiness. It trains the mind through the eye, and the eye through the mind. As the sun colours flowers, so does art colour life.
―  John Lubbock

Artists explore the world around them in multiple ways. They perceive, interpret and represent their ideas and feelings in their work. Students will understand and apply learning from artists in their personal context, communicating ideas through processes and techniques in creative and inventive ways. Students will explore and master a range of media, sometimes taking risks with their application to learn and appreciate the inherent qualities that different media brings to art.

• Explore ways in which the Visual Art curriculum can have a powerful and positive impact on others. 

• Understand and apply learning from artists in various contexts and from diverse cultures. What has motivated selected artists in the communication of ideas and impacted their choices of media?

• Learn to compile portfolios showcasing their artwork throughout the unit. Portfolios will include a variety of pieces representing different styles, techniques, and themes.

• Explore media and take risks with their application, to appreciate how the inherent qualities of different media - and chance - may enhance the visual representation of ideas. Students will work in traditional media, painting, drawing, three-dimensional media, and emerging media using digital technology.

• Develop and refine ideas through a process of dialogical thinking, using specialist art terms in a visual form, and addressing different perspectives in the formulation of their own ideas.

• Curate a range of Outcomes that expresses a theme through visual, spatial and written means.

Grade 9 Course

• Me, Myself and I
  This unit asks students to think about who they are: their background, their culture, and how they identify. In sketchbooks, students work through a process of discovery to decide the final outcome: a work made in three media that represent who they are.

• Culture By Design
  This unit focuses on the role of design in identifying cultures. Students learn how important these designs are to cultures and how they are often shared and adapted by other cultures. Looking through the lens of late 19th Century Art Nouveau in England as a beginning point, students work through a process of discovery in their sketchbooks, to decide what they will make in response to the task. The final outcome will be made in a variety of media chosen by the student. The work will be scanned and displayed as a feature unit for Grade 9.

• Etching To Be Free
  In this unit, students work with a focus on photography and digital manipulation to create an image and several drypoint etchings. The process of drypoint etching is very satisfying and is conducive to fantastic results. In sketchbooks, students work through a process of discovery, taking several photographs, and evaluating them for possible inclusion in the final process. Students learn how to use a proof sheet and annotate their analyses and judgments.

*A series of individual lessons will also be used throughout the course to enhance skills techniques processes and media development.

Grade 10 Course

• Overview
  The UWC Grade 10 Visual Art curriculum is designed to empower students to find their personal artistic voices while raising awareness of the critical issues that impact them both personally and globally. Through creative expression and exploration, students will not only develop their artistic skills but also become advocates for positive change in their community and the world. This unit fosters the belief that art is a powerful medium for addressing global challenges and encourages students to become socially and environmentally conscious artists.

• Emphatic Storytelling
  This unit serves as a catalyst for our learners to explore self-expression through a multifaceted approach, encompassing concept development, brainstorming, storyboarding, and collaboration. By establishing this conceptual foundation, students embark on a creative journey where they delve into a rich repertoire of techniques and materials. These include photography, drawing, painting, colour study, and printmaking, providing them with diverse avenues to unleash their creative potential.

• Cardboard Canvas - 3D
  Transitioning from 2D mediums, this unit strongly emphasises collaboration, tactile engagement, and innovation in artistic endeavours. Learners are tasked with the creative challenge of constructing intricate cardboard structures, employing a diverse array of techniques and processes to breathe life into their ideas and concepts.

• From Heart to Art
  Students continue to formulate their own identities as artists. At this stage they are encouraged to independently explore materials, techniques and processes within the art department and alongside art staff. Students begin to identify how to take ownership of their own art-making experiences, choosing artists, processes and experimentations to shape their creative goals. 

• Curation & Celebration
  Students have an opportunity to curate, organise and celebrate their artwork alongside the school community. This allows students the opportunity to understand the importance of curation, display and the power of their artwork when viewed through the eyes of the wider school community. 

Artistic and Aesthetic Skills

• Working with drawing as a foundational skill of Art

• Analysing and understanding the use of the elements and principles of Art

• Thinking creatively and with innovation 

• Giving abstract ideas visual form (and vice versa)

• Applying theories of composition, framing, and abstraction

• Understanding current issues in art and design

Analytical and Communication Skills

• Gathering, analysing, and interpreting information

• Viewing issues from multiple perspectives through weighing options

• Exploring work using the elements and principles of Art

• Presenting and displaying work for feedback and assessment

• Preparing a portfolio for self-fulfilment and assessment 

• Communicating visually 

• Utilising digital media as an alternative to traditional media

Technical Skills

• Understanding qualities and limitations of a variety of media, refining and developing them with artistic intentions

• Developing concepts of craftsmanship for personal satisfaction

• Drawing and photographing as ways to develop and present ideas

• Reflecting on processes for refinement and alignment to set tasks

• Develop and explore ideas

• Refine and improve ideas

• Record and communicate ideas

• Outcomes developed to finality

Work is submitted digitally to an Assessment Instrument (AI) shared with students through the OLP. Deadlines are agreed to and set by the class.