Visual Arts Two units for each of Year 11 and HSC NESA Developed Course Exclusions: Between Content Endorsed Courses and the NESA Developed Visual Arts course: Ceramics – Visual Arts HSC Ceramics Body of Work Furnishing – The Furnishing Integrated project(s) cannot be used as a Body of Work Photography – Visual Arts HSC Photography Body of Work Visual Design – Products developed cannot be used as a Body of Work in Visual Arts
What background knowledge do I need to study Visual Arts? Nil.
Why study Visual Arts? Visual Arts, as a subject, fosters an interest and enjoyment in the making and studying of artworks. Engagement in the Visual Arts can be of great significance to a student’s life as it enables her to gain an intellectual autonomy, as evident in the making of artworks, through the representation of ideas and creative choices related to the execution of an idea. The development of a critical and historical understanding of artworks as demonstrated in the writing and talking about art is also an equal component of the course. The Visual Arts course offers a broad range of artmaking experiences in a wide range of media across a number of forms. Creative activities are the result of students’ engagement with their own ideas, independent choices and an awareness of the work and influences of other artists. Media investigations are complemented by an historical and critical study of international and Australian artworks and cultures that support the students to understand the broader relationships of the artworld.
Course description: Visual Arts involves students in the practices of artmaking, art criticism and art history. Students develop their own artworks culminating in a Body of Work in the HSC course that reflects students’ knowledge and understanding about artmaking practice and which demonstrates their ability to resolve a conceptually strong work. Students critically investigate artworks, critics, historians and artists from Australia as well as those from other cultures, traditions and times. The Year 11 course is broad, while the HSC course provides for deeper, increasingly more independent, investigations. While the course builds on Visual Arts courses in Stages 4 and 5, it also caters for students with more limited experience in Visual Arts.
Main topics covered: Year 11 Course learning opportunities focus on:
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The nature of practice in artmaking, art criticism and art history through different investigations.
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The role and function of artists’ artwork, the world and audiences in the art world.
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The frames and how students might develop their own informed points of view.
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How students may develop meaning and focus and interest in their work.
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Building understandings over time through various investigations and working in different forms.
Subject Choice for the Higher School Certificate
