VISUAL ARTS (Higher and Standard Level)

The Visual Arts are an integral part of everyday life, permeating all levels of human creativity, expression, communication and understanding. They range from traditional forms embedded in culture, to the varied and divergent practices associated with emerging conceptual forms of visual language. They may have socio-political impact as well as ritual, spiritual, decorative or functional value; they can be uplifting, persuasive and subversive in some instances. enlightening and uplifting in others. We celebrate the Visual Arts not only in the way we create images and objects, but also in the way we appreciate, enjoy, respect and respond to the art-making practices of others. Theories and practices in Visual Arts are dynamic and connect many areas of knowledge and human experience through individual and collaborative exploration, creative production and critical interpretation.

Course Objectives

Having followed the visual arts course, students are expected to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of specified content
   • Identify various contexts in which the visual arts can be created and presented
   • Describe artwork from differing contexts, and identify the ideas, conventions and techniques employed by the art-makers
   • Recognize the skills, techniques, media, forms and processes associated with the visual arts
   • Present work, using appropriate visual arts language, as appropriate to intentions
2. Demonstrate application and analysis of knowledge and understanding
   • Express concepts, ideas and meaning through visual communication
   • Analyse artworks from a variety of different contexts
   • Apply knowledge and understanding of skills, techniques, media, forms and processes related to art-making
3. Demonstrate synthesis and evaluation
   • Critically analyse and discuss artworks created by themselves and others and articulate an informed personal response
   • Formulate personal intentions for the planning, development and making of artworks that consider how meaning can be conveyed to an audience
   • Demonstrate the use of critical reflection to highlight success and failure in order to progress work
   • Evaluate how and why art-making evolves and justify the choices made in their own visual practice
4. Select, use and apply a variety of appropriate skills and techniques
   • Experiment with different media, materials and techniques in art-making
   • Make appropriate choices in the selection of images, media, materials and techniques in art-making
   • Demonstrate technical proficiency in the use and application of skills, techniques, media, images, forms and processes
   • Produce a body of resolved and unresolved artworks as appropriate to intentions