Stage 2 Visual Arts Studies (Art base or Design base)

Course Length: 2 units
SACE classification: Arts/Humanities/Social and Cultural Studies (HESS General)

Where does it lead?

Visual Arts Studies provides an excellent background for a wide range of tertiary courses and careers. Tertiary courses include Architecture, Engineering, Design and careers include Architecture, Illustration, Web Design, Brochure Design, Graphic Design, Town Planning, Product Design and Teaching.

Prerequisites

There are no formal pre-requisites. Drawing skills are an advantage, but not essential. Studying either Art or Design at Stage 1 is an advantage.

What is in the course

The subject can be studied with either an Art bias or a Design bias, or even a mixture of both. It is designed to develop students’ critical understanding of historical and contemporary visual arts through analysis, research and practice. As well, attention is paid to the understanding of the visual qualities of various environments and understanding the role of visual arts in the community, including a range of social and cultural perspectives. An important element will be the development of the skills required to take an idea from conception though to planning and completion. It is a requirement for students to create two finished major art or design practicals. These must be supported by a folder of backup work outlining the development of the ideas including preparatory experiments, drawings etc. The theory component comprises 2 sections, the Student Choice Topic and the History Component. The student choice topic must investigate some aspect of visual arts and will typically take the form of a written investigation. The History Component addresses 2 topics, the Australian contemporary artist Hossein Valamanesh (Contemporary Study) and Japanese Art of the Edo Period (Historical study).

Assessment

Practical 50%
History Examination 30%
Student Choice Topic 20%

A more detailed description of this subject can be obtained from the SACE Board website.