Senior Course Description
Students learn about:
The practices of Art Making, Art Criticism and Art History
The agencies in the artworld and how they function – The role of the artist, the nature of the artwork, how interests in the world are represented, and the role and value of the audience.
The different interpretive frameworks for understanding artworks: Structural, Subjective, Cultural, and Postmodern.
How to develop meaning and interest in their own work.
Working in different art forms and making investigations to build understanding over time.
All students are capable of studying Visual Arts for the HSC. However, it is very strongly recommended that students wishing to study Art in Years 11 and 12 will have completed the elective course in Years 9 and 10.
It is expected that students show considerable interest and ability in each of the three components of the course. These are - ART MAKING, ART CRITICISM and ART HISTORY. The Art Making component is the largest of the three, with approximately two thirds of course time dedicated to it. The remaining third is split evenly between Art Criticism and Art History.
In the Preliminary Course students complete practical work in a variety of media areas, with a particular emphasis on the skills required in the fundamental areas of drawing and painting. Students refine and consolidate these basic skills, as well as develop individual strengths in particular media areas. During Year 12, students produce a “Body of Work” for their HSC submission. The “Body of Work” is intended to reflect the knowledge and understanding a student has of art making practice, and to demonstrate their ability to resolve a conceptually strong series of works. Considerable initiative is needed to generate interesting and challenging themes to explore in these submissions. The “Body of Work” is worth 50% of the HSC result.
Theory work during Years 11 and 12 moves from a broad investigation of concepts in Art Criticism and Art History to a deeper and more complex one. Students develop a number of strategies to help them determine meaning in the Art World, and then undertake a series of case studies that critically and historically investigate artworks, critics, historians and artists from Australia as well as those from other cultures, traditions and times. A written examination comprises 50% of the HSC result.
Visual Arts in Years 11 and 12 is demanding. Students need to be dedicated and industrious in their work habits. Natural artistic and creative ability is essential.
Career opportunities for students studying Art in Years 11 and 12 are many and varied. The knowledge, understandings and skills that students are provided with during Years 11 and 12 form a valuable foundation for a range of courses at university and other tertiary institutions.
Career opportunities for Visual Arts students include: Architecture, Illustration, Advertising, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Interior Design, Production and Direction in Film, Stage and Television, Fashion Design, Teaching, Gallery Management and Curating, Photography, and in Fine Arts such as Painting, Sculpture and Printmaking.