Visual Arts (2U)
Board Developed Course (240 hours)
Available in Years 11 and 12
This course is designed to equip students with an advanced level of knowledge, understanding and technical competency in the areas of artmaking, criticism and historical investigation.
It aims to increase the students’ skills at an advanced level in areas such as drawing, digital and photographic media, painting, sculpture, and film while providing them with opportunities to explore, develop and reflect on values and beliefs relating to issues of personal identity, community and the world at large.
In their artmaking it enables them to:
gain increasing independence and confidence in their abilities to represent ideas in the Visual Arts.
develop knowledge, skills and understanding of how they may represent their interpretation of the world in their art-making as an informed point of view.
Visual Arts also promotes the students’ understanding and appreciation of the role of the artist and the function of the artwork.
In their study of images and objects it enables them to:
understand and value how an artwork is subject to different interpretations.
develop knowledge, skills and understanding of how they may represent an informed point of view about their Visual Arts in their critical and historical accounts.
Course Structure
Preliminary Course (120 indicative hours)
In term one students will explore the notion of Self and Identify using expressive artmaking techniques, in particular drawing and digital photography (Photoshop); and by studying various artists and photographers.
In term two students will create a Body of Work based on the notion of Self and the World through the exploration of various painting and photographic techniques and modes of representation; and by studying relevant artists and photographers.
In term three students create a 2D (digital art); 3D (sculpture or installation) or 4D (film) artwork based on Postmodern concepts that challenge traditional ideas about art. They study the work of Duchamp and various Postmodern artists who seek to challenge art traditions, mainstream ideas and stereotypes.
HSC Course (120 indicative hours)
Students will focus on creating a Body of Work from a wide range of forms including:
Drawing
Graphic Design
Painting
Sculpture
Photography
Ceramics
Digital Media
Textiles and Fibre
Film and Media
Design Objects and environments
Printmaking
Collection of Works
Documented Forms
Digital Media
Film
They will also complete five case studies on various topics in the Visual Arts.
Prerequisites
Every student is capable of doing Visual Arts for the HSC. Although highly recommended, it is not essential for students to have completed an elective course in Visual Arts or Photography in Years 9 – 10. All students can develop the ability to use their own ideas to create artworks and to interpret what they see with sensitivity and discrimination.