This studio-based course emphasises both students’ creative process and their final artistic product in 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional arts forms. As students develop their craft they will conduct thoughtful inquiry into their own thinking and art making processes, recording this learning in written and visual formats. All stages of the creative process must be thoroughly documented and evidence of in-depth research into chosen areas of interest and ideas for work must be shown and explained in detail. Students are expected to be independently motivated as they research the history and practice of a chosen art form and “big idea” or thesis across cultures, time periods and disciplines. They will learn how to connect their research to their own work, creating art that expresses personal meaning within a cultural, historical and discipline-based context. In addition to learning how to appreciate and evaluate their own work and that of others, students will be encouraged to stretch and explore their own work and share it with an audience.
Students should aim to foster the following characteristics during their time on the course:
Studio Work – Exhibition of up to 11 pieces at HL and 7 pieces at SL (40%)
Students submit for assessment a selection of resolved artworks from their exhibition. The selected pieces should show evidence of their technical accomplishment during the visual arts course and an understanding of the use of materials, ideas and practices appropriate to visual communication.
Process Portfolio – Providing evidence of the developmental process – up to 25 slides at HL and 18 slides at SL (40%)
Students submit carefully selected materials which evidence their experimentation, exploration, manipulation and refinement of a variety of visual arts activities during the two-year course.
Comparative Study – An evaluative illustrated document, comparing and contrasting the work of 3 artist and their work (20%)
Students analyse and compare different artworks by different artists. This independent critical and contextual investigation explores artworks, objects and artifacts from differing cultural contexts.
