VCE Art Creative Practice

UNIT 1

Students focus on the making of art and examine how artists communicate ideas and meaning in artworks. They examine artists in different societies, cultures and historical periods and develop their own interpretations and viewpoints about the meanings and messages of artworks. Through their analysis and interpretation students learn how to formulate and substantiate personal opinions about artworks. They explore how artists create new ways of thinking and representation, while developing their own art practice. Students apply the Structural Lens and the Personal Lens to analyse and interpret the meanings and messages of artworks and to document the reflection of their own ideas throughout their art practice. 

UNIT 2

Students use Inquiry learning to investigate the artistic and collaborative practices of artists. Students explore the collaborative practices of artists and use the Creative Practice to make and present artworks. They develop visual responses based on their investigations, exploring the way historical and contemporary cultural contexts, ideas and approaches have influenced the artworks and the practices of the artists they investigate, as well as their own art practice. They use the Cultural Lens, and the other Interpretive Lenses as appropriate are used to examine artworks from different periods of time and cultures, and to explore the different ways that artists interpret and communicate social and personal ideas in artworks. 

UNIT 3

Students use Inquiry and Project-based learning as starting points to develop a Body of Work. They explore ideas and experiment with materials, techniques and processes using the Creative Practice. The research of historical and contemporary artists is integral to students’ use of the Creative Practice and informs the basis of their investigation. Students also investigate the issues that may arise from the artworks they view and discuss, or those evolving from the practice of the artist. Unit 3 commences with students researching the practice of a selected artist as the starting point to develop a finished artwork. The finished artwork will contribute to the Body of Work developed over Units 3 and 4. 

UNIT 4

In Unit 4 students continue to develop their research and exploration to support the development of their Body of Work. Throughout their research students study the practices of selected historical and contemporary artists to inform their own art practice. They use the Interpretive Lenses to analyse, compare and interpret the meanings and messages of artworks produced by the artists they study. Students apply the Interpretive Lenses throughout the Creative Practice to resolve and refine their Body of Work. Students continue to build upon the ideas begun in Unit 3 and present a critique of their use of the Creative Practice. They reflect on the feedback from their critique to further refine and resolve a Body of Work that demonstrates their use of the Creative Practice and the realisation of their personal ideas.