Art

Course summary

Through the initial skills based Built Environment project in the Autumn term of Year 12, you foster and develop a higher level and understanding of drawing, media use and strive for a greater creative approach in your work. You try new media, explore new techniques and look specifically at Ian Murphy and John Piper, challenging yourself to work in their styles with an architectural focus. This reflection and refinement of your skills is taken into the Personal investigation (component one), where you research a theme of your choosing over the course of a year. Themes often cover topics students are interested in, motivated to do as a career (architecture for example) or something that really challenges them. These have included pain, horror, rap, 60s music, the human figure, comics, nature, manga to name but a few. You continue to test and experiment in media and materials, exploring the way in which they can be taken further, taking risks throughout the investigation. You will be pro-active in taking your own photographs and encouraged to use a smaller A5 sketchbook where ideas, media tests, quick sketches and responses can be recorded. The expectation is that at home, you continue to work on this in-depth and detailed project, managing your own time effectively. Above all, on the course you will experience art in a way that challenges you, inspires you and motivates you to succeed further in the arts. This course provides links to English using subject specific vocabulary, annotations, and critical understanding of your own work and that of others. Within Component One, a written element of 1000-3000 words is completed, inspired by your own personal investigation, you go into more detail about an aspect of what you have looked at, with a focus on what you learn and how it will inspire your own work. This can be presented creatively and is included in the marking of the coursework. Component Two is where the exam board supply a list of topics that you will choose from. You then have a shorter period of time (approx. 3 months) to investigate the theme and present your findings and evidence of your media use, ideas and testing on two A1 boards. This preparation is then taken into a 15 hour exam over three days where you will complete a final outcome for the chosen theme. Guidance and peer examples are provided throughout so it is clear exactly what is expected.