Art Making and Exhibiting

Scope of study

VCE Art Making and Exhibiting (formerly named Studio Arts) introduces students to the methods used to make artworks and how artworks are presented and exhibited.

Students use inquiry learning to explore, develop and refine the use of materials, techniques and processes and to develop their knowledge and understanding of the ways artworks are made. They learn how art elements and art principles are used to create aesthetic qualities in artworks and how ideas are communicated through the use of visual language. Their knowledge and skills evolve through the experience of making and presenting their own artworks and through the viewing and analysis of artworks by other artists.

Visiting and viewing exhibitions and displays of artwork is a necessary part of this study. It helps students understand how artworks are displayed and exhibitions are curated. It also has an influence on the students’ own practice, and encourages them to broaden and develop their own ideas and thinking around their own art making.

A strong focus on the way we respond to artworks in galleries, museums, other exhibition spaces and site-specific spaces is integral to study and research in VCE Art Making and Exhibiting. The way institutions design exhibitions and present artworks, and also how they conserve and promote exhibitions, are key aspects of the study.

Rationale

Learning in VCE Art Making and Exhibiting provides students with opportunities to recognise their individual potential as artists, encourages self-expression and creativity, and can build confidence and a sense of individual identity. The study allows students to explore and experiment in creating, developing and engaging with the visual arts and helps build a strong skill set. Learning through, about and in the visual arts develops students’ critical thinking skills and their ability to interpret the worlds they live in. Students are encouraged to work both independently and collaboratively, as learning from each other can develop innovative and exciting ideas.

By engaging with artworks in different galleries, museums, other exhibition spaces and site-specific spaces, either in person or using online content, students have the opportunity to view and research artworks and artists from local, national and international contexts. They also gain an understanding of how institutions present and display artworks and how they work with artists.

Looking at the artworks of a range of artists encourages students to become aware of difference and diversity in the views of others working in the arts industry, giving students a stronger understanding of the various forms that art may take. Importantly, students also gain an understanding of how their own and others’ artworks are curated, displayed and conserved.

Aims

This study enables students to:

·        explore the characteristics and properties of materials, techniques and processes

·        understand the use and application of materials in relation to the historical development of art forms, across different periods of time and cultures

·        develop an understanding of aesthetic qualities in artworks and how they are used in art making

·        learn how to work independently and collaboratively

·        develop an understanding of the sources that inform and influence art making

·        investigate the practices of artists from different periods of time and cultures, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, and their use of materials, techniques and processes, and how these contribute to the making of their artworks

·        understand how artists use visual language to communicate ideas and meaning in artworks

·        understand how exhibitions are planned and produced by galleries, museums, other exhibition spaces and site-specific spaces and how artworks are curated and displayed for audiences

·        understand the methods used and considerations involved in the preparation, presentation and conservation of artworks.

Structure

The study is made up of four units.

·        Unit 1: Explore, expand and investigate

·        Unit 2: Understand, develop and resolve

·        Unit 3: Collect, extend and connect

·        Unit 4: Consolidate, present and conserve

Each unit deals with specific content contained in areas of study and is designed to enable students to achieve a set of outcomes for that unit. Each outcome is described in terms of key knowledge and key skills.

Entry

There are no prerequisites for entry to Units 1, 2 and 3. Students must undertake Unit 3 and Unit 4 as a sequence. Units 1–4 are designed to the equivalent standard of the final two years of secondary education. All VCE studies are benchmarked against comparable national and international curriculums.

Assessment

Satisfactory completion

The award of satisfactory completion for a unit is based on the teacher’s decision that the student has demonstrated achievement of the set of outcomes specified for the unit. Demonstration of achievement of outcomes and satisfactory completion of a unit are determined by evidence gained through the assessment of a range of learning activities and tasks.

Teachers must develop courses that provide appropriate opportunities for students to demonstrate satisfactory achievement of outcomes.

The decision about satisfactory completion of a unit is distinct from the assessment of levels of achievement. Schools will report a student’s result for each unit to the VCAA as S (satisfactory) or N (not satisfactory).

Levels of achievement

Units 1 and 2

Procedures for the assessment of levels of achievement in Units 1 and 2 are a matter for school decision. Assessment of levels of achievement for these units will not be reported to the VCAA. Schools may choose to report levels of achievement using grades, descriptive statements, or other indicators.

Units 3 and 4

The VCAA specifies the assessment procedures for students undertaking scored assessment in Units 3 and 4. Designated assessment tasks are provided in the details for each unit in VCE study designs.

The student’s level of achievement in Units 3 and 4 will be determined by School-assessed Coursework (SAC) and a School-assessed Task (SAT) as specified in the VCE study design, and external assessment.

The VCAA will report the student’s level of achievement on each assessment component as a grade from A+ to E or UG (ungraded). To receive a study score the student must achieve two or more graded assessments in the study and receive an S for both Units 3 and 4. The study score is reported on a scale of 0–50; it is a measure of how well the student performed in relation to all others who took the study. Teachers should refer to the current VCE and VCAL Administrative Handbook for details on graded assessment and calculation of the study score.

Percentage contributions to the study score in VCE Art Making and Exhibiting are as follows:

·        Units 3 and 4 School-assessed Coursework:        10 per cent

·        Units 3 and 4 School-assessed Task:                         60 per cent

·        End-of-year examination:                                                30 per cent.

Details of the assessment program are described in the sections on Units 3 and 4 in this study design.

Authentication

Work related to the outcomes of each unit will be accepted only if the teacher can attest that, to the best of their knowledge, all unacknowledged work is the student’s own. Teachers need to refer to the current VCE and VCAL Administrative Handbook for authentication rules and strategies.

Unit 3: Collect, extend and connect

In this unit students are actively engaged in art making using materials, techniques and processes. They explore contexts, subject matter and ideas to develop artworks in imaginative and creative ways. They also investigate how artists use visual language to represent ideas and meaning in artworks. The materials, techniques and processes of the art form the students work with are fundamental to the artworks they make.

Students use their Visual Arts journal to record their art making. They record their research of artists, artworks and collected ideas and also document the iterative and interrelated aspects of art making to connect the inspirations and influences they have researched. The Visual Arts journal demonstrates the students’ exploration of contexts, ideas and subject matter and their understanding of visual language. They also document their exploration of and experimentation with materials, techniques and processes. From the ideas documented in their Visual Arts journal, students plan and develop artworks. These artworks may be made at any stage during this unit, reflecting the students’ own ideas and their developing style.

In order to receive constructive feedback on the progress of their art making, and to develop and extend their ideas, students present a critique of their artworks to their peer group. Students show a selection of their developmental work and artworks from their Visual Arts journal in their presentation. After the critique students evaluate their work and revise, refine and resolve their artworks. More information about the critique is available in the online Support materials for VCE Art Making and Exhibiting.

Students will visit an exhibition in either a gallery, museum, other exhibition space or site-specific space. They must visit or view a minimum of two exhibitions during the current year of study. Exhibitions studied must be from different art spaces, to give students an understanding of the breadth of artwork in current exhibitions and to provide a source of inspiration and influence for the artworks they make. The exhibitions can be selected from the recommended list of exhibitions in the VCE Art Making and Exhibiting Exhibitions List, which is published annually on the VCAA website. Students must select one exhibition space for study in Unit 3 and a different exhibition space for study in Unit 4. Students research the exhibition of artworks in these exhibition spaces and the role a curator has in planning and writing information about an exhibition.