HSC Year 12 Visual Arts Complete Course Notes (2022) 1922394955, 9781922394958

Table of contents :
I Art Criticism and Art History
Historical Overview
Timeline
Manifestos
Practice
Artmaking
Artmaking Practice Example: Grayson Perry
Sample Essay
Art Criticism and Art Theory
Sample Analysis of Criticism
The Conceptual Framework
Four Agencies in the Artworld
Artist
Audience
Artwork
World
Drawing links between Agencies in the Artworld
Sample Essay
The Frames
Subjective Frame
How to approach the subjective frame
Sample analysis using the subjective frame
Cultural Frame
How to approach the cultural frame
Sample analysis using the cultural frame
Structural Frame
How to approach the structural frame
Sample analysis using the structural frame
Postmodern Frame
How to approach the postmodern frame
Sample analysis using the postmodern frame
Summary of Frames
Sample Essay
Case Studies
The Reclining Nude
Exploring concepts
Comparative analysis table
Exam Techniques and Tips
Advice for Section 1
Advice for Section 2
Preparation: selecting artists and artworks
Preparation: study notes for artists and artworks
Choosing and analysing a question
Structuring a response – how to write a Visual Arts essay
Useful Vocabulary
Art Elements Vocabulary
Colour
Line
Texture
Tone
Shape/form
Scale
Proportion
Space
Unity
Balance
Emphasis
Contrast
Repetition
Movement
Materials and Techniques Vocabulary
Practice Vocabulary
Conceptual Framework Vocabulary
Frames Vocabulary
II Artmaking
Exploring Artmaking
Process Diary
Body of Work
Expressive forms
Formation of concepts
Experimentation
Finalising your Body of Work
Concept Statement

Citation preview

Year 12 Visual Arts Complete Course Notes 2022–2024

Madeleine Wainwright

Published by InStudent Publishing Pty Ltd 91a Orrong Cres Caulfield North, Victoria, 3161 Phone (03) 9916 7760 www.atarnotes.com As and when required, content updates and amendments will be published at: atarnotes.com/product-updates Copyright © InStudent Publishing Pty Ltd 2022 ABN: 75 624 188 101 All rights reserved. These notes are protected by copyright owned by InStudent Publishing Pty Ltd and you may not reproduce, disseminate, or communicate to the public the whole or a substantial part thereof except as permitted at law or with the prior written consent of InStudent Publishing Pty Ltd.

Title: HSC Visual Arts Complete Course Notes ISBN: 978-1-922394-95-8 Disclaimer No reliance on warranty. These ATAR Notes materials are intended to supplement but are not intended to replace or to be any substitute for your regular school attendance, for referring to prescribed texts or for your own note taking. You are responsible for following the appropriate syllabus, attending school classes and maintaining good study practices. It is your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy of any information, opinions and advice in these materials. Under no circumstance will InStudent Publishing Pty Ltd (“InStudent Publishing”), its officers, agents and employees be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on these materials, including any adverse impact upon your performance or result in any academic subject as a result of your use or reliance on the materials. You accept that all information provided or made available by InStudent Publishing is in the nature of general information and does not constitute advice. It is not guaranteed to be error-free and you should always independently verify any information, including through use of a professional teacher and other reliable resources. To the extent permissible at law InStudent Publishing expressly disclaims all warranties or guarantees of any kind, whether express or implied, including without limitation any warranties concerning the accuracy or content of information provided in these materials or other fitness f or p urpose. I nStudent P ublishing s hall n ot b e l iable f or a ny d irect, i ndirect, s pecial, i ncidental, consequential or punitive damages of any kind. You agree to indemnify InStudent Publishing, its officers, a gents a nd e mployees a gainst any loss whatsoever by using these materials. HSC examination questions and syllabus extracts are reproduced by permission from NESA (www.educationstandards.nsw.edu.au). Trademarks "ATAR" is a registered trademark of the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (“VTAC''); "HSC" is a registered trademark of the Board of Studies Teaching and Educational Standards (“BOSTES''). VTAC and BOSTES have no involvement in or responsibility for any material appearing in these guides. Nor does BOSTES endorse or make any warranties regarding the material in these books or sold by InStudent Media Pty Ltd. HSC syllabuses and related content can be accessed from the BOSTES website. HSC examination questions and syllabus extracts are reproduced by permission, from NESA (http://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au)

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Preface Welcome to Visual Arts! When I completed my HSC, Art was one of my favourite courses. I loved the chance to be creative and indulge my passions, whilst still gaining course credit. It was fun to spend hours experimenting and putting effort into my major work, and be able to pass it off as study! I also managed to enjoy art theory throughout the year. I tried to be inspired by what I read, visit art galleries as often as I could, and become invested in my favourite artists' work. This course is rewarding because there is so much room to follow your own interests. You choose your own practice, and you choose the artists you get to study, so this subject offers more freedom than most other HSC options. Try not to forget this over the course of the year – it will help you stay motivated and interested in this subject, which has so much to offer! About the HSC course The HSC assessment for Visual Arts is divided into two sections: Artmaking (50%), and Art Criticism and Art History (50%); this 50/50 weighting is the same for internal and external examinations. They're equally weighted, so in theory you should dedicate equal efforts to them. In reality, you will need to spend more time on developing your body of work, but you shouldn't neglect your theory, as having a good theory mark can make a huge difference overall. The course is designed to be complementary. The markers want to see elements of art theory critical thinking in the development of your major work, both practice and concept. You should highlight this in your process diary, and in the development of your concept statement. Likewise, you should be using your experience in artmaking to better inform your understanding of artistic practice, both in terms of motivations and procedures. About these notes I've written these notes with a strong focus on Art Criticism and Art History, as it is often the area which students struggle with most. This book is broken down according to the syllabus, where I've discussed and provided examples for how to analyse Practice, the Conceptual Framework, and the Frames. I've chosen artworks to illustrate how these critical tools can be used, but you definitely shouldn't treat them as prescriptive. Try to adapt my outlines to your own investigations and artworks! I have tried to use as many scaffolds and mind-maps as possible, because as a visual thinker, that always helped me learn best. Hopefully this can serve as a template for your own notes. There's also a section on useful vocabulary to help you in developing your critical voice. Some essays outlines have also been included, with explanations and annotations to illustrate structure and help you to approach unseen questions. Along with the exam technique section, this should allow you to focus your study, and hopefully get you into the essay-writing mindset as early as possible. The Artmaking section of the notes contains tips and tricks drawn from my experience of creating a body of work. I have a million things I would change if I could do it again, and I hope my advice helps you to be organised and confident in your practice! Good luck and happy artmaking!

— Madeleine Wainwright

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Contents I

Art Criticism and Art History

1

1

Historical Overview 1.1 Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2 Manifestos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Practice 2.1 Artmaking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1.1 Artmaking Practice Example: Grayson Perry 2.1.2 Sample Essay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.2 Art Criticism and Art Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.2.1 Sample Analysis of Criticism . . . . . . . .

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Case Studies 5.1 The Reclining Nude . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.1.1 Exploring concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.1.2 Comparative analysis table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Exam Techniques and Tips 6.1 Advice for Section 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.2 Advice for Section 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.2.1 Preparation: selecting artists and artworks . . . . . . . . 6.2.2 Preparation: study notes for artists and artworks . . . . . 6.2.3 Choosing and analysing a question . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.2.4 Structuring a response – how to write a Visual Arts essay

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The Conceptual Framework 3.1 Four Agencies in the Artworld . . . . . . . . . . 3.1.1 Artist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.1.2 Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.1.3 Artwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.1.4 World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.2 Drawing links between Agencies in the Artworld 3.3 Sample Essay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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The Frames 4.1 Subjective Frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.1.1 How to approach the subjective frame . . . . 4.1.2 Sample analysis using the subjective frame . 4.2 Cultural Frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.2.1 How to approach the cultural frame . . . . . . 4.2.2 Sample analysis using the cultural frame . . . 4.3 Structural Frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.3.1 How to approach the structural frame . . . . . 4.3.2 Sample analysis using the structural frame . . 4.4 Postmodern Frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.4.1 How to approach the postmodern frame . . . 4.4.2 Sample analysis using the postmodern frame 4.5 Summary of Frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.6 Sample Essay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Useful Vocabulary 7.1 Art Elements Vocabulary . . . . . . 7.1.1 Colour . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.1.2 Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.1.3 Texture . . . . . . . . . . . 7.1.4 Tone . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.1.5 Shape/form . . . . . . . . . 7.1.6 Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.1.7 Proportion . . . . . . . . . . 7.1.8 Space . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.1.9 Unity . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.1.10 Balance . . . . . . . . . . . 7.1.11 Emphasis . . . . . . . . . . 7.1.12 Contrast . . . . . . . . . . . 7.1.13 Repetition . . . . . . . . . . 7.1.14 Movement . . . . . . . . . . 7.2 Materials and Techniques Vocabulary 7.3 Practice Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . 7.4 Conceptual Framework Vocabulary . 7.5 Frames Vocabulary . . . . . . . . .

II

Artmaking

1

Exploring Artmaking 1.1 Process Diary . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2 Body of Work . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2.1 Expressive forms . . . . . . 1.2.2 Formation of concepts . . . . 1.2.3 Experimentation . . . . . . . 1.2.4 Finalising your Body of Work 1.2.5 Concept Statement . . . . .

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Part I

Art Criticism and Art History

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1

Historical Overview

Section 1

Historical Overview S YLLABUS :

Students will develop knowledge, skills, and understanding of how they may represent an informed point of view about the visual arts in their critical and historical accounts.

Section 1 – Historical Overview

Art criticism and art history in the HSC is designed to complement your artmaking practice. It aims to give insight into the importance of art – to the individual and to the world – so that you can become a better artist yourself. You will learn about three modes of inquiry: • Practice • The conceptual framework (agencies in the artworld – artist, artwork, audience, and the world) • The frames (subjective, cultural, structural, and postmodern)

K EY P OINT :

All three of these will be assessed in your exam, and though they are closely linked to one another, you should be confident in your understanding of each three individually as well. By analysing art history using these tools, you should gain an appreciation of the role of artists and the significance of artworks in our communal and cultural histories, and within contemporary society. Using critical inquiry, you should spend your year constructing a body of thought, containing significant art histories, critical narratives, and other accounts of representations within the visual arts. Essentially, you should be looking beyond simply listing and analysing artworks, and instead start to place them in the context of art history, drawing links and analysing relationships in the artworld. You should always be looking for links between artworks, and be thinking about how to forge connections to create an understanding of what we call 'art.' You must establish an informed point of view by researching existing critical theory, and combining this with your own opinions to create a considered approach to your analysis. By understanding how others approach artistic practice, and create meaning in their works, you should gain a better understanding of how to do the same in your body of work. If you find an idea intriguing, try to experiment with it yourself. Actively take on the role of the artist; you are part of the artworld, and your work contributes to the narrative.

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1.1 Timeline

1.1

Timeline Art Period

Major Artists/Artworks

40,000 BCE – present

– Rock paintings/engravings – Bark paintings – Landscapes of country – Papunya Tula art

– Albert Namatjira – Clifford Possum – Tjapaltjarri

25,000 BCE

– Natural minerals (stone, dirt, clay) – Subject: everyday life

– Fertility figure – Cave rock carvings

3,000 – 250 BCE

– Sophisticated culture – Polytheism – Recording information – Dedications to gods

– Pyramids – Sphinx – Hieroglyphics

1,100 – 27 BCE

– Classical, idealised human figures – Polytheistic culture of gods and goddesses – 'Golden Age' of Greece

– Marble sculptures – Clay urns

146 BCE – 500 CE

– Similar themes to Greek Art (idealised figures and mythological themes) – Exaltation of Emperors – Celebrating Roman Empire

– Pompeii wall art – Roman busts (e.g. Caesar) – Marble sculptures

200 – 550 CE

– Old Testament themes and iconography (salvation, death, resurrection) – Architecture: rounded arches, frescoes, ceiling paintings in churches – Increasingly elaborate

– Decoration of catacombs (e.g. Roman catacombs) – Illustrative castings, such as the Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus

Byzantine

330 – 1453 CE

– Highly symbolic – Particularly religious – Surface decorations (frescos, mosaics) – Elaborate architecture

– Mosaics adorning the interiors of churches across Europe – Centralised cross-in-square architecture – Intricate carvings

Romanesque

1000 – 1100 CE

– Architecture: fortress-like – Strength and stability – Religious iconography – Lavish decorations (tapestries, wall art) – Illuminated manuscripts

– Vezelay Abbey in Burgundy – Winchester Bible

Prehistoric Art

Egyptian Ancient Art

Greek and Hellenistic

Roman

Early Christian Medieval Art

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Section 1 – Historical Overview

Characteristics

Indigenous Australian Art

Date

3

1.1 Timeline

1100 – 1500 CE

– Architecture: increasingly tall, pointed arches, flying buttresses, lofty spires, stained glass windows

– Cathedrals: Notre-Dame de Paris, Chartres Cathedral (made by Giotto Lorenzetti, master builder)

Renaissance

1300 – 1500 CE

– Both mythological and religious themes – Return to the classical forms and to ideas from Greek and Roman Art – Bronze and marble – Frescoes, oil paintings – First appearance of canvas

– Michelangelo – Da Vinci – Botticelli – Titian

Baroque

1500 CE

– Dramatic, emotional, highly decorative – Strong contrasts of tone – Biblical and mythological themes interpreted in a dramatic fashion

– Rembrandt – Caravaggio – Rubens – Velazquez

Rococo

1700 – 1760 CE

– Extension of Baroque – Expressing opulence, playfulness, carefree – Themes such as romance and aristocratic life – Curves, swirls – Frivolity celebrated

– Boucher – Goya – Watteau

Romanticism

1780 – 1900 CE

– Revolt against hierarchal political structures and the aristocracy, as well as rationalism of the Enlightenment – Focus on power of nature – Emotions of awe and horror

– The Lady of Shalott by Waterhouse – Wanderer above the Sea of Fog by Caspar David Friedrich

Realism

1800 CE

– Focus on themes of everyday life, humble objects – Return to reality – Rejection of the fantastical, impractical, and visionary

– Olympia by Edouard Manet – The Thinker by Auguste Rodin – The Stone Breakers by Gustav Courbet

Gothic

Section 1 – Historical Overview 4

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1.1 Timeline

– Capturing the impression of an environment (light, tone, colour) – 'En plein air' painting – Everyday scenes and leisure activities

– Monet – Renoir

1860 – 1910

– Extending on impressionist ideas and practices – Focus on intense, often arbitrary colour, and stronger geometric forms

– Van Gogh – Gaugin

Fauvism

1905 – 1910

– Intense, bold, sometimes unnatural colour to elicit emotional responses – Creation of energy (violent and spontaneous) in compositions using dramatic lines and forms

– Matisse – Joan Miro – Andre Derain

Expressionism

1905 – 1925

– Distorted reality for eliciting subjective emotional effect – Bright colours, unusual, dynamic compositions

– Eduard Munch – Wassily Kandinsky

Cubism

1907 – 1915

– Fragmented form including multiple viewpoints, distorting images and shapes, often geometrically – Collage techniques and oil on canvas

– Picasso – Braque

Futurism

1909 – 1914

– Expression of movement, speed, and power – Inspired by industrial advancements of the period

– Boccioni – Balla – Severini

Dada

1915 – 1924

– 'Anti-art' intended to shock and ridicule – Denial of intellectual rigidity, tradition, and aesthetics – Introduction of 'ready-mades' – Highly satirical

– Man Ray – Marcel Duchamp – Hans Arp

Bauhaus

1919 – 1933

– Art school originating in Weimar, Germany – Emphasising a design approach to practice, focus on practicality, and clean aesthetics

– Walter Gropius – Paul Klee

PostImpressionism

Modern Art

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Section 1 – Historical Overview

1850 – 1900

Impressionism

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1.1 Timeline

1924 – 1965

– Exploration of imagination, dreams, and the subconscious – Drawing ideas from Freudian theories

– Salvador Dali – Max Ernst – Alberto Giacometti

1943 – 1965

– Focus on spontaneous/ subconscious creation – Rebellious, anarchistic themes and styles – Emotionally intense and anti-figurative

– Jackson Pollock – Willem de Kooning – Mark Rothko

Kinetic Art

1953 – 1954

– Movement of works creates effects for audience – Embracing technology, machines, and everyday objects

– Alexander Calder

Pop Art

1953 – 1970

– Use of images from popular culture, exploring themes of consumerism and commercialism

– Andy Warhol – Roy Lichtenstein – Keith Haring

Op Art

1964 – 1965

– Use of optical illusions, abstraction, movement, hidden images, patterns

– Victor Vasarely – Bridget Riley

Minimalism

1960 – 1970

– Complete denial of Expressionist concepts – Sleek geometric forms, avoidance of 'fine art' feel, use of negative space

– Eva Hesse – Sol LeWitt

Superrealism

1960 – 1970

– Influenced by photography, rendered in sculpture and paint – Sharp focus, extremely realistic

– Ralph Goings – Charles Bell

1950 – present

– Exploration of post-industrial societies – Challenges ideas and boundaries of traditional art

– Yasumasa Morimura – Barbara Kruger

Surrealism

Abstract Expressionism

Section 1 – Historical Overview

Postmodernism

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1.2 Manifestos

1.2

Manifestos

Art manifestos are public works written by artists to declare their intentions and motives with regards to an artistic movement. Manifestos may serve as an impetus for the creation of art movements, or can serve to crystallise the particular views of a movement. The purposes of a manifesto are varied, they can be intended to inform, educate, or shock. They can provide commentary on a period, or be intended to revolt against previous schools of thought. Manifestos are important for artists as a tool to express themselves, declare themselves as part of the artworld, and give meaning to their artworks. They can be written by individual artists, or groups. Although it is popularly accepted that the best-known manifestos were created in 20th century leading up to World War II (e.g. the manifestos of the Futurists, Cubists, Dadaists, and Surrealists), they are still being generated today. K EY P OINT :

Manifestos are an excellent tool for enriching our understanding of art history, and will be especially useful for your critical essay in Section 2 of your final paper. Inclusion of quotes from a manifesto could provide further evidence for your arguments, and show your marker that you have read widely across art history. For example, I studied Marcel Duchamp, and was particularly interested in his work with the Dada movement. I wanted to understand more about the themes, so I turned to the Dada Manifestos written by Hugo Ball (1916) and Tristan Tzara (1918).

– Dada Manifesto (1918), Tristan Tzara Not only were they amusing to read, but the works really demonstrated some of the key ideas in Duchamp's works. They explored the nihilistic tendency towards to chaos driving the Dada mindset, and were an attempt to completely subvert classically accepted ideas and forms in art. Suddenly, Duchamp's Fountain (1917) makes more sense in its context. Below I've included a few interesting quotes from manifestos I read, to inspire further reading: • “Let us rise up! With our raging passion and iron intellect, we will create a world interwoven with colour, line and form!'' – Manifesto (1932), The Storm Society • “Blackwomen artists are here, we exist and we exist positively, despite the racial, sexual and class oppressions which we suffer. . . '' – There Have Always Been Great Blackwomen Artists (1986), Chila Kumari Burman • “we are the virus of the new world disorder rupturing the symbolic from within'' – Cyberfeminist Manifesto for the 21st Century (1991), VNS Matrix • “Art is not a luxury. Art is a basic social need to which everyone has a right.'' – Manifesto on Artists' Rights (2012), Tania Bruguera

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Section 1 – Historical Overview

“DADA DOES NOT MEAN ANYTHING''

Practice

Section 2

Practice

Section 2 – Practice

Of all the aspects of art theory, analysing artworks through the practice lens will probably be the easiest and most intuitive for a lot of students. As artists, we can use a lot of our own experiences in making works to inform our understanding of how others make art. So, as you're approaching practice questions, think about what you would do, how you would make a work, and why. Put yourself in the shoes of the artist, and it'll be a lot easier to let answers flow. To begin with we need to define what practice is. K EY P OINT :

Practice refers to the agency of people in the artworld (artists, critics, historians) and their individual ability to create works within their individual contexts from their individual perspectives. We analyse works with the knowledge that individual agency (i.e. a person's choices, procedures, and judgements) will have been influenced by social structures, positions, actions, and sequences. As such, perceptions, directions, ways of working, and views of individuals will always be inherent to artistic practice. For the most part, we analyse art with the assumption that it is a product of intentional, informed human activity. We assume that the artist had specific intentions, deliberately creating the work to express certain ideas. Artists try to convey certain beliefs, actions, and motives by imbuing them in their work, and these ideas can be viewed differently over time by critics and historians. The artworld is vast and complex with a significant history. Whenever I go to galleries and read about art, I'm always struck by the way in which art can act like a visual conversation across time. I found it was always important in practice questions to think about the historical aspects of an artwork in two ways. 1. Firstly, we may view art in terms of what was happening in society at that time; innovations, expanding fields of knowledge, and technological advancements. How do these changes influence how we perceive the role of art, as well as how we create it? 2. Secondly, we may consider the role of art history as an influence on practice. How does the work fit into the canon of art history? Does it refer to other artists or works? Is the artist reacting to previous works? How is this piece similar or different to those with a similar history? Perceptions of art are likewise influenced by changes over time; conceptions of practice are fluid. Notions of how people practice art, and why, can change. New ideas can emerge, or old ideas can re-emerge. Artistic conventions are constantly changing to accommodate our ideas about practice.

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2.1 Artmaking

In summary: • Practice is usually intentional, so you should analyse it as such. • Members of the artworld express their agency in diverse ways – artists might paint, critics write reviews, historians record observations in essays, etc. • Practice is influenced by social context. Individual contexts also influence individual perceptions, views, directions, and ways of working. • The ways in which we express beliefs, actions, and motives change over time, as do perceptions of this by critics and historians. • Art has a history: – Art is influenced by historic events. – Art is influenced by previous works in its canon (e.g. the 'Western Canon' of art). • How we define and analyse practice changes over time. Classically accepted notions of art can be challenged, or traditional ideas reaffirmed. K EY P OINT :

Below are some key words to look out for when identifying practice-based questions: Sample Question

'Practice'

Examine how culture influenced this artist's practice as seen in Artwork 1.

'Methods'

Investigate the ways in which these artists have used their methods to convey their personal views of consumerism.

'Techniques'

Analyse how this artist's techniques showcase their interpretation of the world.

'Processes'

Discuss the extent to which artistic processes are a product of social context.

'Procedures'

How do this artist's procedures affect the meaning of the ideas in their works?

Section 2 – Practice

2.1

Key Word

Artmaking

Practice in artmaking refers to the intentional, informed activity of artists in creating bodies of work. By studying practice, we can understand that art is the product of a network of procedures. You should use skills gained in your own body of work practice to critically analyse the decisions made by artists. When approaching the idea of practice in artmaking I like to break it down into two simple questions: 1. What is the artist doing? (execution) 2. Why is the artist doing that? (ideas) Think about art as a translation of ideas in and about the world into visual and aesthetic forms. An artist will choose certain procedures and forms which best represent their ideas. Everything is purposeful. K EY P OINT :

When structuring your responses, use aspects of artworks as evidence. Deconstruct them technically (medium, colour, vector lines, etc.), identify important elements, explain what these are, and then analyse them on a deeper level. Put yourself in the shoes of the artist, and try to justify their representational choices.

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2.1 Artmaking

Below are some mind-maps I used to help my analysis. Try to respond to each of these questions when looking at unseen artworks, and keep them in mind when selecting and analysing works for Section 2.

Section 2 – Practice 10

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2.1 Artmaking

2.1.1

Artmaking Practice Example: Grayson Perry

Grayson Perry, b. 1960 United Kingdom Annunciation of the Virgin Deal, 2012 Jacquard woven tapestry in wool, silk, cotton, acrylic, polyester, with cotton wrap Artist Background

Ideas and Intentions

Characteristics of Artmaking

Techniques and Materials

– English contemporary artist – Working-class family – BA in Fine Art from the University of Portsmouth, 1982 – Reflections on difficult childhood and upbringing – Commentary on British society, tastes, and class – Satire of global, social, and political current events – Explores notions of identity, gender, sexuality, and religion – Challenges traditional conceptions about 'high art' by elevation of traditional craft mediums

Section 2 – Practice

Influences

Grayson Perry, b. 1960 United Kingdom Alan Measles and Claire Visit the Rust Belt, 2017 Glazed ceramic

– Greek pottery and folk art – Use of traditional craft mediums and classical forms, including ceramics and tapestry, sharply contrasted against their contemporary subject matter – Recurring personal motifs and narratives, including use of his alter-ego 'Claire' and childhood teddy bear 'Alan Measles' – Social and political satire and commentary – Sexually explicit iconography – Ceramics – Printmaking – Drawing – Embroidery and textile work – Film and performance

Media and Process

– Ceramics: – Sketching to develop ideas – Traditional coiling method to produce classical forms – Glazing, incision, embossing, photographic transfers – High degree of skill, many cycles of firing to create layers

Quotes

– “No matter how brash a statement I make, on a pot it will always have a certain humility... you have a base that people can understand'' – “Self-consciousness is crippling for an artist''

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2.1 Artmaking

2.1.2

Sample Essay

S AMPLE :

Question: In creating artworks, artists utilise specific methods of practice in order to convey varied concepts and ideas. Discuss this process with reference to at least TWO artists that you have studied. Unpacking the question This question is pretty straightforward, and quite clear in terms of what it wants you to do: • Choose at least 2 artists • Discuss specific methods of practice • Identify how different practices convey varied concepts and ideas (i.e. not the same themes) For questions about practice, I would recommend selecting artists who are very different to one another, so that you have lots of chances to compare and contrast their processes and concepts. For this question, I'm going to use Grayson Perry (using the analysis from the previous page) and Claude Monet as examples. As this question pertains to their practice, it's important to analyse the artist within the context of their body of work, so you should talk about at least 2 artworks per artist. This way, you can talk about the depth and breadth of their practice. If you think you have time, there is no harm in analysing 3 artworks per artist, or analysing 3 artists with 2 artworks each, but make sure to focus on the quality of your analysis. Simply listing off artworks without any critical thinking is not going to push you into the top band. Section 2 – Practice Claude Monet, b. 1840 France Water Lilies, 1919 Oil on canvas

Claude Monet, b. 1840 France Vetheuil in the Fog, 1879 Oil on canvas

Introduction Artworks are a means of expression for artists, through which they explore and represent their personal values and pre-occupations. The methods used to create artworks are therefore deeply personal and important processes, varying from individual to individual. Impressionist painter Claude Monet and contemporary multi-media artist Grayson Perry each explore their personal worlds through vastly different practices. Monet's paintings Water Lilies and Vetheuil in the Fog were created using traditional materials, applied in a unique manner for his time – spearheading the creation of the Impressionist art movement. Contrastingly, Perry's ceramic work Alan Measles and Claire Visit the Rust Belt and his large-scale tapestry Annunciation of the Virgin Deal show a respect for traditional craft practice, however the medium has been subverted through his satirical subject matter. Comparison of these artists' differing practice can help us to better understand the variation which exists in the artworld, as a function of individual ideas and themes.

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– Rephrase the question – State your thesis – Introduce your artists and the artworks you will talk about – Briefly outline your main ideas – Link back to your thesis statement

2.1 Artmaking

Paragraph 1: artist #1 and artwork #1

Topic Sentence: introduce the artist and reference your thesis

Monet was not interested in painting works of hyper-realism; he wanted to capture the essence of a scene, to distil the feeling of being in an environment onto the canvas. This was in part prompted by the invention of the camera, revolutionising the role of painters beyond mere documentation, to navigators of the soul in a scene. Monet therefore adopted a style of 'en plein air' (outdoors) painting, using a form of gestural pointillism to best capture the mood of being in a natural space.

Expansion on topic sentence: discuss the artist's specific themes

Water Lilies (1919) exemplifies Monet's practice, demonstrating his skill at capturing colour and light within a 2D plane. Part of the Water Lilies series, the work reflects Monet's obsessive attitude towards his subject matter. He strived to capture how the mood and tone of a scene changed across times of day, different weather conditions, and seasons. Most works were created in a single, en plein air sitting, facilitated by the invention of portable oil paints in tubes. This meant that the full ‘impression' of the scene as it existed was captured, un-muddied by any retrospective deliberation. Water Lilies captures Monet's pond in Giverny at sunset. Discs of yellow lily-pads sparkle across the surface in the foreground of the painting, accentuated by outlines of burgundy and jade green. The reflection of a sunset sky clouded by willow trees is distinguished by the clever use of finer, more delicate brushstrokes, running perpendicular to brushstrokes used for the lilies. This effect places the two, super-imposed subjects on different visual planes, so we can distinguish the surface of the pond from the reflected image. Colour is expertly used to convey the mood of the time of day. The audience instinctively connects the soft, warm yellows and purples to sunset, with the inclusion of faint strokes of blue ensuring the scene is distinct from the tones of afternoon or morning sun.

Analyse artwork #1 in terms of practice: describe the work, as well as the methods, processes, and procedures used to make it, and highlight specific visual elements as evidence of practice

Monet's practice, as demonstrated in his Water Lilies, exemplifies his desire to escape the rigid dictates of traditional painting techniques and processes. The modern sensibility was to explore the beauty in the mundane and the natural, which entranced Monet. As stated by fellow painter Cezanne “he painted the iridescence of the earth,” a practice which has captured the imagination of the artworld for centuries since.

Refer back to the question: use key words from the question and your thesis statement; try to include quotes to strengthen your arguments

Paragraph 2: artist #1 and artwork #2 • Structure as above: topic sentence, expansion, analysis, refer back to the question. • Analyse the artwork in relation to the varied practice of the artist: – How is it similar/different to artwork #1? – How does this practice explore a different idea or concept? – What does this show about the motives of the artist? • Include synthesis at the end of the paragraph – relate the two artworks and explain what they tell us about the artist's practice as a whole.

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Section 2 – Practice

Claude Monet was a French Impressionist artist, working during the latter half of the 1800s, during the modern period. He is characterised as one of the founders of the impressionist movement, a pioneer through his unique and specific practice.

2.1 Artmaking

Paragraph 3: artist #2 and artwork #1

Section 2 – Practice

As a contemporary British artist, Grayson Perry's artistic practice varies significantly from that of Monet's. His process infuses traditional techniques with distinctly contemporary subject matter, subverting classical forms and mediums to create satirical commentaries on his world.

Topic Sentence: introduce the artist and reference your thesis

Perry elevates craft mediums, such as pottery and tapestry, challenging the audience to re-assess their assumptions about what constitutes 'fine art.'

Expansion on topic sentence: discuss the artist's specific themes

This is demonstrated in his ceramic work Alan Measles and Claire Visit the Rust Belt (2017). The vase is reminiscent of a Grecian urn, complete with depiction of a hero narrative, however with a distinctly contemporary twist. Perry has substituted a mythological god figure for his own personal heroes, Alan Measles (his childhood teddy bear) and Claire (his feminine alter-ego). “It's just me weaving my own personal mythology” Perry states of the scene, in which Donald Trump kneels in reverence, clasping at Measles' hand as the teddy sets off to save the world in a space suit. Melania Trump, Nigel Farage, and Marine Le Pen look on sombrely. Despite its cartoonish appearance, the work is made with a high degree of skill. Perry sketches and annotates his designs across multiple drafts before beginning his sculptures, using traditional coiling methods. The pots then undergo many cycles of firing, each meticulously layering combinations of colour, incisions, embossing, and photographic transfers. The audience is drawn to the shape of the ceramics, which conform to traditional conceptions of beauty, but upon closer inspection a number of reactions are elicited. Shock, distaste, laughter – these are all responses engendered by Perry's satirical approach to art-making. The artist turns the gallery into a personal and political play-pen, an experiment subversion of gender, sexuality, religion, and class structures.

Analyse artwork #1 in terms of practice: describe the work, as well as the methods, processes, and procedures used to make it, and highlight specific visual elements as evidence of practice

Perry's practice demonstrates a unique approach to art-making in which traditional technique and sharp wit are interwoven to create a narrative of his personal world. Unlike Monet, Perry does not utilise revolutionary techniques in medium, he instead makes strong reference to tradition, and in this way, draws more attention to the subject matter, and the farcical nature of fine art practices.

Refer back to the question: use key words from the question and your thesis statement; try to include quotes to strengthen your arguments

Paragraph 4: artist #2 and artwork #2 • Structure as above: topic sentence, expansion, analysis, refer back to the question. • Analyse the artwork in relation to the varied practice of the artist. • Include a comparison between the artist where applicable, showing critical judgement; using phrases like: – 'Unlike Monet, Perry instead...' – 'Contrasting approaches to methods and practices can be seen in...' • Synthesise the artist's practice by discussing what it looks like as a whole, and why.

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2.2 Art Criticism and Art Theory

Conclusion Artistic practice is a deeply personal process, which varies distinctly from artist to artist, as a reflection of their individual worlds. As an impressionist painter, Claude Monet developed a distinct style of painting which defied tradition in pursuit of capturing the impression of a moment. By contrast, contemporary multi-media artist Grayson Perry juxtaposes traditional techniques in ceramics and weaving against shockingly satirical subject matter. Each display how artists may rebel against their histories, but in very different manners. This ultimately allows us to understand how our individual ideas manifest themselves in different procedures and techniques, which are as important to understanding artworks as the finalised products themselves.

2.2

– Summarise key points – Do NOT introduce any new ideas in your conclusion – Link back to your thesis – Link back to the question

Art Criticism and Art Theory

Art criticism is also an important area for us to study as artists, because it gives us a greater understanding of our own context. It can help us to understand fellow artists, and that can inform our own practice. It also has an influence on how we think about art's purpose and importance, which impacts the ways and reasons which artists create. Critics and historians utilise their judgement to create well-reasoned analyses and accounts. They choose a case and will argue it using evidence, and will link artworks and art history, relating their thoughts to an issue or event. Therefore, critics and historians play a central role in contributing to ideas in art history. In a way, you will act as a critic in your study and essay writing. That's why reading art theory is important, it helps you to develop your critical voice, and is also a source of ideas and quotes to back up your own arguments. Below are some mind maps summarising ideas about art criticism and art history.

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Section 2 – Practice

In approaching the theory element of the HSC Visual Arts course, an understanding of art criticism and art history is essential. The role of critics and historians in the artworld has become integral over time, as commentators, story-tellers, and at times, influencers. They complement and extend the wider understanding of art in their analysis. They can help to explain or evaluate the significance of artists or works, by linking individual practice to other artists, to history, politics, and social changes. In doing so, they can weave the story of art in our social consciences, locating artworks in critical narratives (e.g. feminist art) and significant histories (e.g. Renaissance art).

2.2 Art Criticism and Art Theory

Key questions to consider: • • • •

Why do we have art critics? What is their purpose? How do critics form their opinions? Who is the audience of art critics? Do you think critics play a useful or important role in the artworld?

Section 2 – Practice Key questions to consider: • • • •

Why do we have art historians? What is their purpose? What tools do art historians use to investigate artworks and artists? What information do art historians provide? Does understanding the history of an artwork change your interpretation of it? Is this a positive or negative? • Do you think that art historians are important to the artworld?

2.2.1

Sample Analysis of Criticism

'Why Have There Been No Great Woman Artists?' – Linda Nocklin Background 'Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?' is a critical essay written by American art historian Linda Nochlin in 1971. It was first published in Women in Sexist Society: Studies in Power and Powerlessness, and has been regularly reprinted since.

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2.2 Art Criticism and Art Theory

Synopsis This essay explores how various institutional obstacles (rather than personal or individual obstacles) have prohibited the success of women of the Western tradition of the arts. The work considers the history of women's art education, the nature of historical artistic practices, and notions of artistic genius, analysing each to observe the impact upon emergence of women artists in the Western canon. Nochlin re-evaluates ideological foundations of the artworld, emphasising the idea that society tends to accept what is as what is natural. She proposes that it is not in fact natural, or coincidental, that women do not feature more prominently in art history, but due to entrenched patriarchal ideals and institutions which have not been challenged to allow the emergence of women artists. Nochlin questions how the institution of art history is structured, as a school of thought classically conducted by males, so that titles of ‘genius' are attributed to Picasso, but not to Berthe Morisot. An example of how institutions have historically excluded female participation can be seen from the Renaissance through to the late 19th century, during which time drawing the nude was considered an essential skill, a prerequisite to creating great art. Development of this skill required attendance to life drawing classes, however it was considered improper for women to attend such classes until the late 19th century. The system of training forcibly deprived females from creating what at the time were deemed to be major works of art. Extract S AMPLE :

But in actuality, as we all know, things as they are and as they have been, in the arts as in a hundred other areas, are stultifying, oppressive, and discouraging to all those, women among them, who did not have the good fortune to be born white, preferably middle class and above all, male. The fault lies not in our stars, our hormones, our menstrual cycles, or our empty internal spaces, but in our institutions and our education.'' Analysis ‘Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?' is considered essential reading for the study of feminist art theory and history, and by some considered the genesis of such fields. As stated by curator Maura Reilly “this canonical essay precipitated a paradigm shift within the discipline of art history.” The work is championed for its methodical approach to analysing a major socio-political issue affecting the artworld. It has also been considered an impetus for the push to rediscover women artists, allowing for re-evaluation of the previously accepted canon of Western art history. We can see from the impact of this work that the role of critic and historian is not merely to recount events, but to challenge the artworld, deconstructing it to uncover practice and assumptions, reflective of wider society. We also see from the reception of this work that criticism can affect the course of art history, our historical narratives can be re-written or diverted. Critics are not mere bystanders, but influence and shape our constantly evolving connection to the artworld. If you are interested in reading more critical art theory, have a look at the following essays to get you started. I highly recommend reading as widely as you can as this will give you a better grasp of what the role of the critic actually is, and will also help you to develop your critical voice, ideal for your theory paper. • • • • • •

'The American Action Painters' – Harold Rosenberg 'American-Type Painting' – Clement Greenberg 'ABC Art' – Barbara Rose 'Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief' – Thomas McEvilley 'Please Wait By the Coatroom' – John Yau 'The End of Art' – Arthur Danto

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Section 2 – Practice

“If there actually were large numbers of “hidden” great women artists, or if there really should be different standards for women's art as opposed to men's – and one can't have it both ways – then what are feminists fighting for? If women have in fact achieved the same status as men in the arts, then the status quo is fine as it is.

The Conceptual Framework

Section 3

The Conceptual Framework The conceptual framework is a model we use to help us understand how agencies in the artworld work, both individually and collaboratively. Each agency has specific relationships with other agencies, and they each work to influence our understanding and reception of art. The relational networks that exist between agencies in the artworld can be critically and historically evaluated and explained. It's important that you become familiar with each agency, how they've been traditionally defined, and the breadth of their evolving participation in the artworld. When we come to look at the frames, you will see that depending on the frame you're looking through, the definition of agency can change. There are also many different ideas about how the artworld does and should function. It's important to have an awareness of this plurality when examining artworks in Section 1 of the exam.

3.1 3.1.1

Four Agencies in the Artworld Artist

Section 3 – The Conceptual Framework

The artist has a functional relationship as the maker of art, although the specifics of this role may be varied, and our understanding of what constitutes an artist has changed overtime. Functions of artists may be assumed (self-appointed) or assigned. This is dependent on the context (time or place), as well as the values used to interpret their role as artists. For example, many practices we once considered as ‘craft' during the pre-modern period are now viewed as normal artistic practice, due to the development of a postmodern sensibility in the artworld. We perceive that the role of the artist has changed, and we also differently perceive craftspeople or artists who worked in the past. The agency of the artist includes: • A person making art individually • People making art collaboratively as a group or school movement • People enlisting others to produce their work Practices may include: • • • • • • •

Artists Craftspeople Designers Architects Film-makers Performance artists Digital and multi-modal practitioners

Artists may have many different roles that impact their reasons for creating works. This may be selfassumed, or defined by external factors. Some reasons include: • Personal expression (e.g. the artist wishes to communicate something about themselves) • Social commentary (e.g. the artist wishes to communicate an opinion about society, or to discuss matters of cultural importance) • Record-keeping (e.g. the artist wishes to preserve historical events, people, places, memories, folklore, or ways of living) • Representations (e.g. the author wishes to imbue their work with religious, spiritual, or mystical significance) • Experimentation (e.g. the artist is trialling an unconventional form, material, or process)

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3.1 Four Agencies in the Artworld

3.1.2

Audience

There are many types of audiences, which each view art from a different perspective, for varied purposes. There is, of course, the public, as well as curators, critics, historians, art writers, and educators. To help us think about the role of the audience in art, there are a couple of key ideas to keep in mind. I treated these as a kind of checklist for any questions about audience, and when analysing an unseen work would think about each one when formulating my response.

Key Idea

Examples

– How does the audience participate with the artwork (moving through, touching, smelling, hearing, etc.)? – Do they become part of the artmaking process? – What role does interactivity play in communicating ideas?

Jeff Koons, Yoko Ono, Marina Abramovic

– How is the artwork intended to make the audience feel? Is an emotional response evoked? – Are these responses subjective? – Does the artwork stimulate discussion?

Julie Rrap, Damien Hirst, Marcel Duchamp, Edward Munch

– Which senses are evoked? Smell, touch, taste, hearing?

Olafur Eliasson

Location of artwork (public or private gallery, public spaces)

– Does the location of the artwork change how you experience or interact with it? – Is the artwork in a remote location, or can the audience easily access it?

Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Jeff Koons

Dynamism (is the work changing?)

– Does the image change, or is it static? And does this draw the audience in or hold their attention for longer?

Andy Goldsworthy

Size of artwork

– If the artwork is small, does it draw the audience closer? – If the artwork is large, does it make the audience feel included in the artwork? – Does the work engulf/envelop/change/enhance the landscape?

Anish Kapoor, Louise Bourgeois

Challenges to convention

– Are the materials, subject matter, or location different to what you normally expect in art? – How does this make you feel as an art goer? – Would this emotion change, depending on your previous experience in the artworld (if you are a critic or casual observer)?

Performance art, Kitsch

– Does the artwork have a large outreach or a small one? – Has this been influenced by media coverage? – Does this affect its impact on the artworld?

Anish Kapoor

Interactivity

Responses (e.g. shock, curiosity, confrontation, empathy, etc. Senses

Size of audience

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Section 3 – The Conceptual Framework

Discussion Questions

3.2 Drawing links between Agencies in the Artworld

3.1.3

Artwork

Artworks are made intentionally by artists, individually or collaboratively. They may exist in different forms, materially or virtually, and have differing properties, physically and symbolically. Artworks are a product of: • • • •

The materials used The technical skills of the artist(s) The concepts being conveyed The subject matter of the work

Artworks represent the ideas of the artist (personal, cultural, symbolic, and critical). However, these ideas can change when interpreted by an audience. Artworks may include: • Physical, material, virtual, and ephemeral forms • 2D, 3D, 4D, and time-based works • Variations of art, craft and design, as well as multi-modal and interactive media, temporal, ephemeral, and relational forms, synthetic realities, and other emergent technologies K EY P OINT :

Section 3 – The Conceptual Framework

We can analyse artworks with reference to the following features: • • • • •

3.1.4

Details of the work (e.g. artist, title, date, place, size, medium, etc.) Subject matter (e.g. the objects or components seen in the work) Formal elements (e.g. colour, line, form, texture, tone, etc.) Materials and techniques (e.g. how the work was created) Artist's style (e.g. Baroque, Surrealist, Expressionist, etc.)

World

The agency of the world is found primarily in its function as a source of inspiration; a source of ideas, conditions, and events that are explored and represented by artists in their artworks. It also designates the boundaries on the field of visual arts, dictating the plausibility of turning theoretical ideas into practical works. Conditions in the world will also influence how an audience receives or considers an artwork. In summary, agency in the artworld can be defined as: • • • •

3.2

A source of inspiration A practical boundary An influence of audience interaction Something explored by critics and historians

Drawing links between Agencies in the Artworld

In this section, we will explore some sample analyses of links between different agencies.

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3.2 Drawing links between Agencies in the Artworld

Anish Kapoor, b. 1954 India Cloud Gate, 2006 Stainless steel sculpture

• British sculptor known for geometric, minimalist, abstract sculptures • Combines his Eastern heritage with Western art education to create an international language of art • Works do not dictate meaning, but provide a space in which people can discover meaning for themselves Artwork • • • • •

Public sculpture 168 stainless steel plates polished to remove seams (so as to appear ‘ready-made') Designed by Kapoor, built collaboratively Dimensions: 10m by 20m by 13m, weighing 100 tonnes Juxtaposition of the distinctly non-threatening, lyrical form (reminiscent of a jelly bean) against its massively imposing scale, appearing almost to be floating • Plays with dualities: solidness/emptiness, reality/reflection, internal/external Connections between agencies in the artworld • Artwork and audience: – Use of reflective surfaces and negative space to invite audience participation – Audiences experience a paradox when interacting with Kapoor's work; at once acutely aware of their confines within their individual bodies, yet drawn to the expansive inclusiveness of an environment Kapoor has encapsulated – The mundane is elevated, celebrated in the beauty of abstraction – Evocation of spiritual experiences – Cloud Gate begs the questions: how do you exist? How do you move through space? – Facilitate a dialogue between the environment and humans – Creation of warped or new realities/dimensions • Artwork and artworld: – The environment is not only a source of inspiration for Kapoor. In the case of Cloud Gate, the environment is the very essence of artwork – acting as both canvas and paint

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Section 3 – The Conceptual Framework

Artist

3.2 Drawing links between Agencies in the Artworld

Xu Bing, b. 1955 China A Case Study of Transference, 1994 Performance installation: male and female pigs printed in English and Chinese scripts, straw, books Artist

Section 3 – The Conceptual Framework

• Chinese-born artist who grew up in Beijing • In 1975, Bing was relocated for 2 years to the countryside as part of Mao Zedong's 're-education' policy • Moved to the United States in 1990 due to political pressures and artistic restrictions during the post-Tiananmen period, and resided there for 18 years • Bing works across a range of mediums to create installation artworks • A central theme in his work is the question of communication through language, and how this can be manipulated to change meaning Artwork • Live installation art using animals, later documented in photographic and video mediums • Art gallery space set-up to appear as a pigsty, strewn with straw and torn pages of books in all different languages • Two pigs were chosen, one male and one female. The male was tattooed with passages from “book from the sky” in English, and the female was tattooed with passages from “book from the earth” in Chinese • Pigs were left to fornicate in the gallery while the audience observed • New way to understand dialogues between the East and the West, in terms of translation of language and culture Connections between agencies in the artworld • Artwork and audience – When first exhibited, the work was reported to elicit a sense of shock and embarrassment in the audience – Positive reception of the work has, however, developed a sense grotesque fascination within subsequent audiences – The work confronts the audience, forcing them to consider their assumptions and biases about the interactions between Eastern and Western cultures • Artist and artwork – The artist is seen as the conductor of an artistic experiment, rather than the ultimate creator – The work has a life of its own, independent of the artist • Artwork and artworld – Commentary on the nature of the artworld and the dominance of Western language and iconography within art history – the male pig is tattooed in English, in the dominant position over the female pig tattooed in Chinese – Exploration of the future of contemporary art as cultures continue to mix, and the role of language and translation in this process 22

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3.3 Sample Essay

3.3

Sample Essay

S AMPLE :

Question: “So many artists say they're not aware of the audience. For me it is unbelievable.'' – Marina Abramovic Assess this statement with reference to a number of examples. Unpacking the question With conceptual framework questions, the key is to identify the agencies that you need to discuss. This question is asking for a discussion on the role of the AUDIENCE, in relation to the ARTIST. You could approach this question in a number of ways: • • • •

Comparing artists who do involve the audience and artists who do not Assessing if artists consciously consider the audience, or whether this is coincidental Arguing whether artists should/shouldn't think about the audience during their practice Assessing the extent to and ways in which different artists consider their audiences

I've selected the last approach to draw out the nuances of how audiences are part of the artworld in the postmodern/contemporary context, but this is just one of many possible approaches to this question.

There is no one way to structure your essays, and you should prepare to be flexible so that your choices reflect the purpose of your argument. Consider whether you need more depth to demonstrate points (e.g. in a practice question), or whether including more artists with fewer artworks, to demonstrate general trends, would be more appropriate. Introduction The role of the audience in the artworld has changed dramatically throughout art history. Once an unacknowledged yet inevitable fact of artmaking, the importance of the audience has been continually re-evaluated, evolving in some cases to become central to artworks themselves. The centrality of audiences is particularly prevalent in postmodern and contemporary contexts, across mediums. Artists Xu Bing, Anish Kapoor, and Marina Abramovic each involve the audience to varied extents and to various ends. Bing, in his performance installation A Case Study of Transference, is acutely aware of his audience, aiming to illicit an emotional reaction from them, despite their not being directly involved in the piece. Kapoor's large-scale public installation Cloud Gate draws the audience in, as they become involved in changing and interpreting the artistic experience. In the starkest example of audience involvement of the three, Abramovic's Rhythm 0 relies inherently upon audience participation, with the artist acting as facilitator rather than creator. These varied practices demonstrate how postmodern and contemporary artists have developed an increased respect and regard for their audiences, allowing them to become a more essential component of the art-going experience.

– Rephrase the question – State your thesis – Introduce your artists and the artworks you will talk about – Briefly outline your main ideas – Link back to your thesis statement

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Section 3 – The Conceptual Framework

To best suit my thesis, I decided to analyse a suite of 3 artists (Bing, Kapoor, and Abramovic) to demonstrate the variation which exists. I've analysed one artwork for each below, but there would definitely be scope for including more artworks if you have time under exam conditions.

3.3 Sample Essay

Paragraph 1: artist #1

Section 3 – The Conceptual Framework

Contemporary Chinese artist Xu Bing, as a multi-media and installation artist, creates works which challenge audience assumptions and preconceptions.

Topic Sentence

His work A Case Study of Transference is an experiment in language, performed for the audience. The work's meaning is derived in part from audience interpretation. Bing's use of performance as a medium intrigues the audience, holding their attention until the spectacle unveils itself with shock.

Expansion on topic sentence

The work exhibits a live copulation of pigs, the male pig tattooed with English script and the female pig with Chinese script. The gallery space is transformed into a sty, strewn with newspaper and torn pages of books. Bing's use of performance allows him to begin a dialogue with the audience, in which they react authentically to the events. He uses shock tactics to engage the audience, this shock giving way to curiosity and intrigue at the deeper layers of meaning in the work. The artist questions distinctions between East and West, language and culture. He begins a dialogue about how communication is achieved, about the power dynamics between two world powers. He forces the audience to question the underlying traditions in the artworld, by creation of a work that permeates the conscious and unconscious reasoning of the viewers.

Analyse artwork #1 in terms of practice

Whilst not directly including the audience in his work, Bing explores how the audience is central to interpretation of ideas within the postmodern context. The audience informs the value of the work, with Bing playing facilitator rather than creator, prompting wider discussion of themes that intrigue him.

Refer back to the question

Paragraph 2: artist #2 Sculptor Anish Kapoor is renowned for his minimalist, abstract works, found in public spaces allowing widespread interaction with audiences around the world.

Topic Sentence

Kapoor's Cloud Gate is an immense, reflective, public sculpture located at the AT&T Plaza in Chicago. 10 metres in height, and weighing 100 tonnes, the bean's massive scale is juxtaposed against its lyrical, almost humorous shape. Due to its mirrored surface, the work is brought alive and influenced by its changing environment, including the movement of the audience through the space.

Expansion on topic sentence

The playfulness of the installation invites audience participation. They walk through negative spaces, around and under the bean-like shape, move through the mirrored versions of their surrounds, experiencing a warped version of their usual reality. The work invites the audience to speculate on their own place in the world, and examine how they move through space. The sculpture acts as an interface between the environment and the audience, aiming to facilitate a re-evaluation of their relationship. Additionally, the artwork creates a paradox for the audience, reminding them of the confines of their bodies, whilst allowing them to feel an almost spiritual expansiveness in their environment.

Analyse artwork in terms of audience involvement with agencies in the artworld

Unlike Bing's work, the audience is a central motif within Cloud Gate. It's reality as a public work means that it is constantly brought alive by the ebb and flow of human activity. Kapoor allows the audience to see themselves in the art, engaging the community in a dialogue between themselves and the artworld.

Comparison to artist #1

In selection of his materials and design practice, Kapoor displays a sensitivity for the audience, and a desire to bring art into the everyday, elevating the mundane through the beauty of abstraction.

Refer back to the question

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3.3 Sample Essay

Paragraph 3: artist #3

Topic Sentence

In her performance piece Rhythm 0, Abramovic is the canvas, upon which the audience experiments to create the overall artwork.

Expansion on topic sentence

The piece was originally performed in Naples in 1974. A table was set up in the gallery space, with 72 objects placed on it, including honey, a feather, a scalpel, and a gun loaded with a bullet. A set of instructions was left for the audience: “There are 72 objects on the table that one can use on me as desired. Performance. I am the object.” This set-up by the artist directly spoke to the audience, inviting them into the artwork to interact with the artist. Over the period of 6-hours, the audience performed all manner of acts on the artist, undressing her, feeding her, touching her, cutting her, sucking her blood, holding a loaded gun to her head. The result of the performative process was creation of a work in audience, artist, and artwork became synonymous. The piece was an experiment showing the extent of human desire, cruelty, and apathy. The audience was shown to be a cruel, lustful force, as Abramovic describes “What I learned was that. . . if you leave it up to the audience, they can kill you”.

Analyse artwork in terms of audience involvement with agencies in the artworld

In comparison to Bing and Kapoor's works, Rhythm 0 cannot exist without the audience. Abramovic is deeply interested in the audience, and their dual role as subjects and creators of meaning.

Comparison to artist #1 and artist #2

She challenges traditional notions of artistic practice, and states that value in the postmodern context is ultimately when the artist and audience connect – why not remove the canvas completely?

Refer back to the question

Conclusion

The role of the audience has evolved to become of paramount interest for artists within the postmodern and contemporary contexts. This sentiment has been explored in a number of ways to various degrees by different artists, each re-evaluating the importance of audience-artwork and audience-artist interactions. Artist Xu Bing, whilst not directly involving the artist in his work, begins a dialogue between his work and the audience, with use of live performance and shock tactics. Contrastingly, Anish Kapoor directly involves the audience in his work, as they move through the sculptural space. In the starkest example of audience awareness, Marina Abramovic invites the audience in to become the main focus of the work. Their actions and decisions are the art, with the artist as canvas upon which they experiment. These artists each display an acute awareness of the audience, and their necessary involvement in the current landscape of the artworld.

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– Summarise key points – Do NOT introduce any new ideas in your conclusion – Link back to your thesis – Link back to the question

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Section 3 – The Conceptual Framework

In exploring the logical maxim of the postmodern approach to audience interaction, Marina Abramovic creates works in which the artist and the audience connect directly, their interaction creating the artwork itself.

The Frames

Section 4

The Frames

Section 4 – The Frames

The Frames are tools which we can use to view, analyse, and better understand artworks, according to specific criteria. I always like to think of the frames as different coloured glasses. You put them on when you want to look at an artwork in a certain way, each frame will highlight a different aspect of the artist, artwork, and artmaking practice. The reason we separate the frames is to help us be more analytical, as they each allow us to investigate in detail the philosophical or theoretical underpinnings of an artwork. Each frame is going to be drawing out different links (intentional and functional) between the artist, the artwork, the world, and the audience. In essence, the meaning of an artwork will be slightly different depending on which frame you're looking at it through. This can be used to explain the contrasting views of artists, critics,and the audience when they view a work. What is valued in an artwork will depend on individual values and points of view. K EY P OINT :

There are a lot of different things you could analyse within the frames, and many possible questions that could be asked. In approaching your studies, remember to try and keep things clear. You need to have a good understanding of what the objective of each frame is, what key points you talk about for each. This doesn't need to be insanely detailed, but enough to be able to analyse new artworks you might get in Section 1. You get a choice of six essay questions for Section 2, so if you find one aspect of the frames more interesting than the others, focus on understanding that broadly in preparation for an exam. Formulate strong opinions about your artworks, back them up with evidence (techniques and criticisms), and link your artworks together using a clear and understandable thesis. Try applying your thesis to different past questions to practice adapting it. You can find more advice on how to approach Section 2 in the Exam Tips section at the back of this book! There are four frames studied in the HSC course: 1. 2. 3. 4.

The subjective frame The cultural frame The structural frame The postmodern frame

I'm going to explain the important elements of each one. However, there are always different ways of understanding art, so I would encourage you to form your own opinions when analysing your individual works. 26

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4.1 Subjective Frame

4.1

Subjective Frame

K EY P OINT :

The subjective frame is an investigation of personal aspects of artworks; both those of the artist, and the audience. The main concerns of the subjective frame are: • • • •

Individual sensations Emotions Imagination Personal experiences

The subjective frame rests firstly on the idea that artists create works based strongly in their own experiences. These experiences may be emotional (feelings), psychological, or imaginings. Often, the three are interlinked in artworks. Connections between the artist and the audience can be draw from shared psychological understanding. When we study the subjective frame, we think about our immediate responses to art:

We also need to remember in our study of art history and criticism that these agents, and their opinions on art, have been shaped by their own subjective viewpoints. Judgements, opinions, and explanations often carry emotional projections from the historians or critics themselves.

4.1.1

How to approach the subjective frame

If I'm analysing a work, I like to begin by asking questions of my experience with the art, such as: • What do I first feel when I look at the artwork? Do the structural components elicit any immediate response? • What may have driven the artist to create this work? Are there any personal clues or patterns in the work which indicate a purpose? • Do I feel a connection with the artists through the work? How so? From there, it's important to research: • What were the specific practices of the artist when creating that work? Are these practices based on their personal experiences? • How has the artwork been received by critics and historians? • What are other people's emotional recounts of the artwork? Are they similar to yours? By using the subjective frame we can better understand how all aspects of the artistic experience are influenced by personal and shared emotions. K EY P OINT :

When writing a response in this area, don't be afraid to have an opinion! If an artwork makes you feel something, explain it clearly, and provide reasons (such as techniques). If your opinion contradicts that of a critic, think about why. This could be an interesting way of enriching your understanding of the piece, and understanding how opinions about art can change depending on context. Don't be afraid to explore that! It's part of what makes art theory interesting. I've included some useful vocabulary for expressing yourself in the subjective frame in the Vocabulary section at the back!

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Section 4 – The Frames

• Senses: which ones are engaged and involved in the artistic process? • Emotions: what is being expressed, and what is being elicited personally? • Imagination: how was it used to create the work, how is it inspiring the audience, how does the work showcase intuitive or unconscious aspects of the psyche? • Shared human experiences: what is the artist trying to share with us, and is the artwork facilitating connection with other audience members?

4.1 Subjective Frame

4.1.2

Sample analysis using the subjective frame

Francis Bacon, b. 1909 Ireland Three Studies for a Self-Portrait, 1979 Oil on canvas – Irish figurative painter – Known for paintings involving deeply emotional imagery, portrayed in a bold, often grotesque fashion – Portraits of close friends, as well as popes, crucifixions, animal carcasses, and wrestlers, often in diptych or triptych format – Created iconic works exploring the wounded modern psyche in the post WWII landscape – Difficult family life – Bacon's authoritarian father threw him out of home in 1926 for wearing his mother's clothes, disapproving of Bacon's homosexuality – Struggled with gambling addictions throughout his adult life – A number of personal tragedies, including the suicide of his long-time lover George Dyer in 1971, shaped his later practice

Compositional elements of the artwork

– Each canvas is small, and restricted; from the suffocating blackness of the background emerges the face, as though emerging from deep psychological depths – The colours of the face are fleshy pink tones rust and red hues, features shaped by ashen grey shadowing – The face appears to bubble and bulge as you trace your eye from left to right, new features appearing and disappearing as you pan around the subject – The visage is blurred, at parts streaked with small repeated lines, creating a layer or film behind which detailed, evocative eyes are realised

Section 4 – The Frames

About the artist

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4.2 Cultural Frame

– The emotions experienced whilst viewing this portrait are varied, as the effect of three differing views conveys a range of different experiences as one pans across the work – The self appears fluid, uncertain, hidden in shadows and blurred in light – The effect of the constricting, suffocatingly black background is to immediately place the psyche in a state of despair. It is evident that the subject, the artist himself, is painting from a place of hopelessness – The left panel appears distant and detached, due to the smudging of the distended features. The effect of the morphed cheek, chin, and brow make the face appear angry or frustrated when viewed in isolation – The central panel draws the observer in, the eyes are unnervingly captivating in their despondency, yet they seem to emerge from the canvas to reach for connection, almost hopefully – The audience feels significant connection with this visage, with the hopeless man who parts his lips as if about to ask for help – The right panel appears more apathetic, the eyes do not look directly at the audience, but towards the ground, as though hope has been lost – once again, the face is removed, obscured by fine line work and smudging – The combined effect of the work is to exhibit the artist's inner psychological state, drifting in and out of focus, in and out of existence – We as an audience are deeply affected by the work, as there is a feeling of connection; the work is not cold, the warm flesh tones force a sense of common humanity – this is a fellow human in pain, pain we have all felt in our lives

Quotes

– “I loathe my own face. . . I've done a lot of self-portraits, really because people have been dying around me like flies and I've nobody else left to paint but myself” – “If you can talk about it, why paint it?” – “If you want to convey fact, this can only ever be done through a form of distortion. You must distort to transform what is called appearance into image”

Section 4 – The Frames

4.2

Subjective experience (senses, emotions, imagination, shared human experiences)

Cultural Frame

K EY P OINT :

The cultural frame is an investigation of art through its social and cultural components. Art is often used as communicative device which an artist will use to represent their community and society. Value in the cultural frame can be found by determining the social meanings in works as a reflection of a particular time and place. Aspects of cultural identity and ideologies include and are influenced by: • • • • • •

Race, class, gender Political and economic influences Scientific and technological influences Previous artistic movements and practices Spiritual and secular beliefs Significant events and objects

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4.2 Cultural Frame

Artworks are not only influenced by particular social ideologies, but they also contribute and participate in the establishment of social identity and cohesion. As such, audiences are also involved in the process of determining the cultural significance of an artwork. Meaning can therefore also be ascertained by the effect the artwork has on the community.

4.2.1

How to approach the cultural frame

In analysing an artwork using the cultural frame, it is important to open and respectful. As a society, we have been taught a very euro-centric, Western narrative of art history, which may not always translate correctly into understanding significant works from other cultures. K EY P OINT :

Unlike with the subjective frame, I would suggest researching widely about an artwork before forming a judgement on its cultural meaning. Try to challenge yourself to find and understand works outside the traditional, Western canon. It will help you in developing broader, more interesting ideas about art, and generally will help in approaching Section 1, as the writers of the exam have been increasingly focused on diversity of works over recent years. Some important areas of research will include: Section 4 – The Frames

• • • • • •

History of the artist and their specific culture Understanding of ideas, events or objects depicted in the artwork Political and economic influences on the artist Significant world events happening at the time of the work's creation The artist's individual practice Historical and critical accounts of the work

When considering art historians and critics opinions on the work, be analytical. Think about how their specific cultural background is colouring their opinions or ideas about the work. From analysing a number of different artworks across cultures and time, we can begin to understand how art is never separate from culture. The context of the artist is always present in their work, and thus can serve as an important recount of significant cultural events. Here are a couple of themes that might be included in questions on the cultural frame which you might like to think about: • How does one's cultural identity inform their practice? Does this vary from artist to artist, or culture to culture? • How have cultural attitudes towards visual arts changed? What social events have triggered this (e.g. scientific, technological, political, economical, etc.)? • How has the meaning of an artwork changed over time, as it has moved between cultures and societies? • How have art historians influenced our understanding of significant cultural works?

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4.2 Cultural Frame

4.2.2

Sample analysis using the cultural frame

About the artist

– Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri was a renowned Indigenous Australian painter of the Anmatyerr people – Born in Tjuirri, an area north-west of Alice Springs – Worked as a stockman on cattle stations before joining the Papunya Tula art movement in 1970s – Made Officer of the Order of Australia in 2002 for contributions to Australian arts and culture

Significant cultural events/ideas

– The Papunya art style was developed by the Papunya peoples, located around 240 km north-west of Alice Springs; the group began painting using traditionally Western materials (acrylic paints, canvas) during the 1970s when encouraged by Geoffrey Bardon to translate their stories onto canvas – The works depicted iconography of sacred stories, linked to the traditional lands. They were created by artists who belonged to the land with traditional knowledge of the associated Dreamings – The Dreaming a term used to explain the spiritual link which the Indigenous peoples of Australia have to their land and to their ancestors; there is no equivalent expression or concept in English. Dreaming stories encompass the entire Australian landscape, layering the topography of the continent with cultural meaning and wisdom. Indigenous spirituality is inextricably connected to the land – As the first nations peoples of Australia, the Indigenous have chronicled the history of our continent for thousands of years. Dreaming stories help us to understand significant events in Australia's topographical and spiritual history

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Section 4 – The Frames

Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri, b. 1932 Australia Warlugulong, 1977 Acrylic paint on canvas

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4.3 Structural Frame

– Warlugulong illustrates the Dreaming story of Lungkata the Bluetongue Lizard Man, an ancestral being, starting the first bushfire. This can be seen in the intricate starburst at the centre of the composition. The fire was started by Lungkata as a punishment for his sons for not sharing a kangaroo with him. Their bodies lie to the right of the composition. – The work also includes elements of eight other associated Dreamings. Overall structure is conferred by the wandering lines, representing the footsteps of Upambura the Possum Man – Layering of paint and textures created a striking visual effect, mimetic of the way in which the Dreaming weaves within the natural landscape – The detailed colours and styles emphasise the complexity of the stories and their importance to the Indigenous peoples – Warlugulong is one of many large-scale works Tjapaltjarri created in collaboration with others in the Papunya group. These works were a kind of ‘map' of the Tjukurrpa country, of which Tjapaltjarri had traditional knowledge. He integrated sacred diagrams, previously used in ceremonial ground paintings, into the format of European maps – The stories create the landscape, their values woven into the visual language created by Tjapaltjarri.

Quotes

– “That Dreaming been all the time. From our early days, before European people came up. That Dreaming carry on” – Tjapaltjarri “As can be seen, not only are natural features of the landscape explained, but the stories tell of natural phenomena such as storms and bushfires; may well have a moral base; and indicate social relationships, and so on. Furthermore, although derived from the men's secret-sacred religious world, the painting is an adaption from this realm, deliberately manipulated to allow for general viewing while also keeping faith with tribal law.” – ‘Papunya Tula: Genesis and Genius', exhibition catalogue, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 2000

Section 4 – The Frames

Visual expression of cultural experiences

4.3

Structural Frame

K EY P OINT :

The structural frame is an investigation of the aesthetic properties of an artwork. This frame is important, because it defines the essential parameters which separate visual art from other art forms, such as literature, due to unique the visual languages used by artists. It is important to emphasise that the aesthetic qualities of art are deliberately used to convey specific meanings. Artists use signs and symbols to convey ideas about the world. Signs and symbols are interpreted by audiences, so that we can understand them in the context of the world. Meaning in the structural frame is therefore determined by the relationship between symbols and their worldly equivalents. We can also investigate the structural frame by analysing the compositional elements of an artwork. This may include: • • • • • • 32

Colour, tone, texture Line, shape, form Scale, proportion, space Unity, balance, movement Emphasis, contrast, repetition Materials, tools, techniques Copyright © 2019 InStudent Publishing Pty. Ltd.

4.3 Structural Frame

4.3.1

How to approach the structural frame

Much like the subjective frame, meaning in terms of the structural frame can be ascertained from artwork using your personal interpretation first and foremost. Your individual context will mean you decode the visual language in certain ways to determine the ideas and values in a work. • • • • •

What are the materials and processes (practice) used by the artist? What compositional elements (formal conventions) are used? What effect does this have upon the meaning of the artwork to you? How has this impacted critical and historical interpretations? Can you see any symbols or signs? Do these contribute to your overall understanding of the work?

If you plan to analyse works using the structural frame, it is vital that you research its context and uncover any subtle signs or symbols in the work. Placing the work in a context, and understanding the structural features as a product and in conversation with its artworld is important for gaining full meaning. Think about all agencies when approaching this research.

4.3.2

Sample analysis using the structural frame

Louise Bourgeois, b. 1911 France Maman, 1999 Stainless steel, bronze, marble

About the artist

– French-American artist known for large-scale sculptural works, installations, paintings, and prints

Compositional elements of the artwork

– Motifs to represent the psyche, beauty, and pain (spiders, cages, spirals, arches, medical tools, etc.) – Juxtaposition of ‘masculine' materials with ‘feminine' forms

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Section 4 – The Frames

• Research the artist: what is their context and how may this have been reflected in the visual qualities of the artwork? • Does the artist's body of work build a continued visual language? • What symbols have been used? Why are they significant and what is their symbolic value to the artist? • What period does the artwork belong to? How does this period use visual techniques to reflect values of the time? • Have cultural conventions been followed or rebelled against in aesthetic qualities of the work? • What is the relationship between different symbols and signs used in the work? • What is the value of symbols used to previous art historians and critics? • How has the understanding of structural elements changed overtime?

4.3 Structural Frame

Compositional description

Decoding of signs and symbols

– The towering spider literally represents Bourgeois' mother (‘maman' is French for mother), from whom she drew inspiration – Bourgeois' mother passed away when she was only 21. This loss of her primary female role model when she was only just becoming a woman was deeply impactful – Highly personal expressions, drawing from her experiences of childhood, exploration of the unconscious, and sexual desire – Creation of a personal mythology, a uniquely attributable visual language flowing through her works – Imposing height of the statute conveys strength. This is contrasted against the fragility of the pointed feet, expressing the complexity of the mother metaphor – Standing under the canopy of the sculpture one may feel nurtured or protected – Allusions to metaphors of weaving and spinning. Bourgeois' mother and father owned a tapestry restoration business, and so her childhood associations are tightly bound to this metaphor – Subversion of typical associations of fear and disgust – Duality of being a daughter and a mother; anxiety of pleasing one's mother figure coupled with fear of loving and protecting one's own children – Looking up into the sculpture, one may feel equally protected and distant, due to the indifference of the shape – no eyes, no head, just a protective shape – The sculpture therefore represents not only Bourgeois' mother, but the artist as mother, and a universal embodiment of a mother – the cyclical motif inextricably linked to the shapes in the work; spirals and eggs – Bourgeois also explores the role of the artist as a mothering figure, someone to create worlds in which the audience can find sanctuary – This work is a complex amalgamation of psychological threads, drawn together in Bourgeois' exploration of the mother metaphor in her life

Quotes

– “Like a spider, my mother was a weaver. . . like spiders, my mother was very clever. Spiders are friendly presences that eat mosquitoes. . . so, spiders are helpful and protective, just like my mother” – “You need a mother. I understand but I refuse to be your mother because I need a mother myself.” – “What is a drawing? It is a secretion, like a thread in a spider's web. . . it is a knitting, a spiral, a spider web and other significant organisations of space” – Bourgeois

Section 4 – The Frames 34

– 9 metres tall – Steel and marble sculptural installation in public spaces around the world, including London and Doha – Eight long, thin, ribbed legs come delicately sharp points, creating a towering cage above the ground – The legs are connected to an irregular, bulbously spiralled body – Below the body hangs an egg sac, a steel mesh cavity containing 17 gleaming marble eggs – The audience is able to wander in and around the work

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4.4 Postmodern Frame

4.4

Postmodern Frame

K EY P OINT :

The postmodern frame investigates the qualities of postmodern art, according to postmodern schools of thought, and re-evaluates traditional art narratives.

The postmodern frame is an essential tool for understanding art practices, as it brings to light new ideas previously unexplored in the modern era of art criticism. This frame is an emergent social, cultural, and critical theory, which is most useful for understanding postmodern art, as it draws its analysis from the perspectives of the period. It can also be used as a revisionary tool, to re-imagine and understand artworks from before the contemporary period, brought into new contexts by reconsidering new ideas.

What is postmodern art? In order to use the postmodern frame, we first need to have an understanding of what postmodern art is. This has its origins in the period of postmodernity (i.e. 1960s onwards), during which time there was an increase in societal diversity, fragmentation, multiculturalism, globalisation, growth of multinational corporations, regionalism, and the Information Revolution. Postmodern art is a contradiction to previously accepted tropes and ideas which dominated the artworld during modernism. It is a rejection of previously accepted trends, such as: • • • • •

Adherence to classically accepted mediums (‘high art'), or aesthetic hierarchies Originality Authenticity Art for art's sake Grand narratives of artistic directions, or metanarrative

This reactionary purpose manifests itself in a number of ways, including: • Blurring of the distinction between high art and low art, such as: – Use of ‘craft' or industrial materials to reproduce classically high-brow works – Use of high quality materials to produce kitsch works • Inclusion of pop culture imagery • Disruption of genre conventions • Recycling of past artistic styles and themes in a new context • Creation of ‘little' narratives which contradict previously accepted grand narratives New artistic movements, such as installation art, conceptual art, multi-media and inter-media were developed during the postmodern period. Additionally, bricolage, strong use of text, collage, appropriation, and performance art became characteristic of the period. The roots of postmodern thought can be found in historical precursors, such as the Dadaism, Cubism, and Surrealism. Movements such as Pop Art and Abstract Expressionism, although considered to have begun during the modern period, were also important movements which began to break down formalism in practice. They may be treated as transitional movements towards postmodernism. Copyright © 2019 InStudent Publishing Pty. Ltd.

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Section 4 – The Frames

When we conduct analyses using the postmodern frame, we think about artworks as texts. This is important because texts tell narratives, question previous schools of thought, and explore current ideas. Therefore, when we think about art in the postmodern frame, they are not viewed as 'stand-alone' pieces. Rather, its purpose is found in its relation to art history, as a reaction or subversion to the commonly accepted narratives. In the postmodern frame, agency is found from intertextuality with the art history narrative, rather than from the context. Works are not representations of the world, but complex ways of re-imagining artistic texts. In essence, whenever you're using the postmodern frame to analyse an artwork, you have to be talking about other pieces of art it is influenced by or reacting to. The postmodern mentality is grounded in art history, so we need to analyse that just as much as the artists and artworks themselves.

4.4 Postmodern Frame

4.4.1

How to approach the postmodern frame

There are some key ideas used widely within postmodern art. Understanding these better helps us to uncover the often contradictory and fragmented meanings hidden in postmodern artworks. • Irony: expression of meaning by using language which signifies the opposite, which can be used as a form of mockery. • Paradox: an absurd or contradictory statement or proposition, which can be used as a form of critical commentary. • Parody: satirical or humorous imitation, which may be used to ridicule. • Appropriation: use of pre-existing images or objects from another's work, repeated for a related or new purpose. • Pastiche: composition which uses styles or techniques imitated from different artworks, artists, or periods. • Intertextuality: referencing, quoting, and modelling of other texts in style and content of a work. In the postmodern context, art criticism and history has been used to overturn previous ideas which have existed in the artworld for hundreds of years. In their revised role, art critics and historians (yourselves included): • • • • Section 4 – The Frames

Question ideas and assumptions about what defines artistic practice Investigate contemporary art criticisms and theorists Critique traditional explanations of art to uncover new meanings Re-evaluate traditional artistic notions, such as ‘artistic genius' and ‘the masterpiece' – Are there any power imbalances associated with traditional ideas? – Are there hidden assumptions behind our historical narratives? – Is there a disjunction between classical definitions and our current relationship with art? • Re-assess the value of artistic practices, such as craft, which have been previously marginalised in the artworld

4.4.2

Sample analysis using the postmodern frame

Marina Abramovic, b. 1946 Serbia Rhythm 0, 1974 Photographs of 6 hour interactive performance, completed in Studio Morra, Naples

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About the artist

– Marina Abramovic is a Serbian performance artist specialising in interactive performances and body art

Compositional elements of the artwork

– During the performance, 72 objects were placed on a table, including perfume, honey, grapes, wine, cake, a rose, a feather, wire, nails, a scalpel, a metal bar, and a gun (loaded with a single bullet) – The audience was invited to use available objects to interact with the artist whilst she stood still

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4.4 Postmodern Frame

– Subversion of traditional artistic forms – works do not need to be framed and hung in galleries to have lasting value. Sometimes a true experience of artistic value is found in the spontaneous or ephemeral nature of a work – A work's value is found in the interplay between audience and artist. An artwork cannot exist without an audience to see, or interact with, it – Challenges traditional understandings of practice (i.e. it is not limited to the artist) – Both audience and artist play in active role in creating the artwork; the artist is not a genius creating masterpieces, they are a facilitator who creates experiences for the audience – Artworks create a microcosm in which the most basic urges of humanity are revealed – An artist may play the dual role of both creator and canvas – The gallery may become an abstract space in which the audience is removed from reality – this may lead them to indulge in practices outside of social norms – Questioning the role that art should play in our contemporary society; art should be evocative and tell us something about ourselves, not be merely an aesthetic indulgence

Quotes

“It began tamely. Someone turned her around. Someone thrust her arms into the air. Someone touched her somewhat intimately. . . In the third hour all her clothes were cut from her with razor blades. . . Her throat was slashed so someone could suck her blood. . . When a loaded gun was thrust to Marina's head and her own finger was being worked around the trigger, a fight broke out between the audience factions.” – Art critic Thomas McEvilley, present at the performance “What I learned was that... if you leave it up to the audience, they can kill you” – Abramovic on Rhythm 0 “I am the object” – Gallery instructions for Rhythm 0 performance

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Section 4 – The Frames

Postmodern themes

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4.4 Postmodern Frame

Barbara Kruger, b. 1945 America Untitled (I shop therefore I am), 1987 Photographic silkscreen on vinyl – Worked as a graphic designer, developing a distinct style using photo-based images overlaid with blocks of text, in a distinct colour scheme (black, white, red) – Explored the way that ideological messages infiltrate our daily lives through the mass media, in a potentially detrimental fashion – Practice involved appropriation of mass culture symbols to critique society, economics, politics, culture, and ideas of gender in a succinct, digestible fashion – Known predominantly for her photographic silkscreen prints (above), Kruger's body of work also includes large-scale billboard works and ‘ephemeral' works composed of thousands of printed books, magazines, compact disc covers, shopping bags distributed to the public – In this way Kruger has paradoxically used the medium of the mass medium to ridicule itself – This exposes the cannibalistic nature of capitalist consumption – it will even ridicule itself for the sake of profit

Postmodern themes

– Untitled (I shop therefore I am) appropriates the famous words of Descartes, the father of modern Western philosophy, ‘I think therefore I am' – Kruger ironically subverts the meaning of the widely recognised text. Where the original text was a declaration of existence, proof of human consciousness and autonomy, Kruger's interpretation emphasises how this rational state of existence has completely changed in the postmodern setting. We are no longer able to think for ourselves, our being comes from what is dictated to us by the capitalist structures in which we live. Thoughts no longer define existence, shopping does! – Prompts the reader to re-evaluate their materialistic habits – Kruger defies traditional adherence to ‘high art' mediums (painting, sculpture, drawing. . . ) in favour of printmaking, layering pre-existing photographic works with computationally generated text to create works reminiscent of advertorials – Use of bold text, a clear colour scheme, and eye-catching imagery draws the audience's attention – The text is short and pithy in order to arrest and maintain attention

Section 4 – The Frames

About the artist

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4.5 Summary of Frames

4.5

Subjective frame: personal and psychological experience – The artwork is a portrayal of the artist's emotional state – Our immediate, intuitive reaction is important for interpreting the work – Think about conscious and unconscious decisions – Themes of dreams, imagination, the subconscious

Cultural frame: cultural and social meanings – The artwork is a product of specific social and political influences – What is the time period in which the work was produced, and what local/global events were happening? – What is the artist's individual experience, and how do they connect to their culture?

Structural frame: communication through systems of signs – The artwork is a system of signs and symbols to be decoded – A deliberate visual language has been used, including a choice of medium, materials, line, tone, colour, texture, and composition – Analyse individual elements as well as overall message constructed by the artist

Postmodern frame: ideas which challenge the mainstream – Artworks are texts with no fixed meaning – The artwork's value is found in its reference to or recontextualisation of ideas/themes in art history – We must challenge assumptions, both in practice and in criticism – Consider innovative mediums: conceptual, installation, performance, lowbrow art, multimedia – Key techniques: irony, paradox, parody, appropriation, pastiche, intertextuality

Sample Essay

S AMPLE :

Question: The role of the artist is reactionary. They interpret ideas, big ethical issues in their worlds, and explore them through their artistic practice. Explain how artists use works to respond to their cultural contexts, with reference to at least three specific artworks. Unpacking the question The first thing you need to do with any Frames question is to identify the frame that you need to use for your analysis. In this case, we need to be discussing in the cultural frame (as the question includes language like 'cultural contexts,' 'reactionary,' 'ethical issues,' etc.) Next, identify key ideas in the question: • Overarching idea: artists use artworks to respond to their cultural contexts • Sub-points: – Artists' practice is reactionary – Artists interpret ideas and ethical issues in their worlds From these key ideas, develop an opinion: how do artists respond to contexts (e.g. consciously/unconsciously? through differing mediums? are they aiming to prompt action, or just demonstrate situations?) A structure then needs to be developed to suit the question: • We need three specific artworks; I would choose these from three separate artists, so that an understanding of cultural diversity can be demonstrated. • This would mean 3 main body paragraphs (with a possibility for more, time permitting). Copyright © 2019 InStudent Publishing Pty. Ltd.

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Section 4 – The Frames

4.6

Summary of Frames

4.6 Sample Essay

Below I've outlined an essay where I chose three artists: Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri, Diego Rivera, and Marcel Duchamp. I focused my arguments on the fact that in responding to their cultural contexts, artists will use different approaches to practice in order to best represent their roles as social commentators. Introduction Artmaking has historically been conducted for many purposes, however, artists as products of their contexts can never truly escape the fact that their works will be influenced by, and therefore a reflection of, the societies in which they exist. This can be demonstrated by the variation which exists across the artworld, both in concepts explored and in practice. Artists Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri, Diego Rivera, and Marcel Duchamp each come from dramatically different cultural contexts. Tjapaltjarri, with his work Warlugulong, represents the important link between his Indigenous Australian heritage and the landscape through dot painting. Rivera uses the medium of a mural to celebrate important figures from his Mexican heritage, in Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Central Park. Lastly, Duchamp rebels against his post-war context and art history tradition in creation of Fountain, an absurd manifestation of the nihilistic ethos prevalent in 20th century Europe. By examining each artist, we can better understand the way in which cultural ideologies manifest themselves in artistic practice.

– Rephrase the question – State your thesis – Introduce your artists and the artworks you will talk about – Briefly outline your main ideas – Link back to your thesis statement

Section 4 – The Frames

Paragraph 1: artist #1 Indigenous Australian Artist Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri was a founding member of the Papunya Tula art movement, a style of painting developed during the 1970s in a region about 240 km north-west of Alice Springs.

Topic Sentence

His works uniquely represented his Indigenous history, as they translated previously ephemeral artistic narratives to lasting pieces of cultural significance through his use of Western materials, such as acrylic paints and canvas.

Expansion on topic sentence

Indigenous Australian culture is extremely rich, yet largely misunderstood, both in Australia and on the world stage. Part of this disconnect between the artworld and Indigenous art practices was due to the form of traditional works – created during ceremonies as ephemeral works, and carried largely in oral traditions. The Papunya art movement aided the accessibility of Indigenous culture for the wider art community. Tjapaltjarri's work Warlugulong, is a significant piece from the period, displaying the innovative practices of the artist in conveying his traditional Dreaming stories. Dreaming is a term used to explain the spiritual link of the Indigenous Peoples of Australia to their land and ancestors, manifested in stories, and often didactic in nature. Dreamings chronicle major events in Indigenous culture, explaining the existence of certain traditions as topologically linked phenomena. Indigenous culture is found in the land, stories past and present superimposed across the continent. Warlugulong exhibits this, as a depiction of nine Dreamings within Tjapaltjarri's native lands. The event of Lungkata, the Bluetongue Lizard Man, starting the first bushfire is represented by an intricate starburst in the centre of the work. The footsteps of Upambura, the Possum Man, are shown as wandering lines, conferring structure to the piece. The composition acts as a ‘map' showing where Dreamings happen, explaining Tjapaltjarri's spiritual links to his ancestral home.

Analyse artwork #1 in terms of how it explores and communicates cultural references

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4.6 Sample Essay

The work adapts religious and cultural stories for general viewing, in a manner which maintains emphasis on the complex and significant history of our First Nations Peoples. This was essential, as it provided a way for Tjapaltjarri to communicate through art the validity of Indigenous voices, in a community which has continued to demonstrate its disregard for traditional Indigenous Australian practices. In simple defiance of stereotype and creation of beauty, Tjapaltjarri stages a rebellion against discrimination, both in the artworld and wider society.

Refer back to the question

Paragraph 2: artist #2

In his expansive mural work, Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Central Park (1948), Diego Rivera represents a melange of his Mexican cultural history.

Topic Sentence

The scene transports the audience to a dream-like state, in which the past and present exist simultaneous to define the artists sense of cultural identity.

Expansion on topic sentence

Strong links to Rivera's culture are found firstly in the use of compositional elements such as colour, line, and imagery. Strong cultural symbols including a Mariachi band and dancers in traditional dress are combined with vibrant yellows, greens, blues and reds, creating a joyous, rambunctious atmosphere often associated with Mexican celebrations. This is undercut, however, by moments of tension in the piece; a confrontation between a police officer and an indigenous family, or a skirmish with a gun. These moments are enhanced in severity by contrast to the joyful elements of the work. This juxtaposition reflects Mexico's tumultuous history, and it's continuing political struggles. The work can be read like a chronology, from right to left there are scenes of colonisation by the Spanish, the fight for independence, the Mexican revolution (1910 – 1920). In the centre, we see a depiction of bourgeois life, which Rivera, a staunch communist, criticises through strong depiction of the inequality existing in the nation. The inclusion of characters from Mexican history, strolling together, creates an intensely emotional narrative, in which it cannot be distinguished whether the work truly is a dream, as its name suggests, or a nightmarish confluence of past and present tensions. Rivera is careful to place all histories, including those of the indigenous peoples, and of the lower-class masses, into the work, so that it accurately displays his culture as it truly existed, unedited.

Analyse artwork #1 in terms of how it explores and communicates cultural references

In this manner, Rivera is responding not only to his current cultural context, but it's complex past. He is presenting to society an accurate tapestry of Mexican history, complete with its tensions and losses, to honestly explore his cultural identity.

Refer back to the question

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Section 4 – The Frames

Diego Rivera, b. 1886 Mexico Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Central Park, 1948 Fresco

4.6 Sample Essay

Paragraph 3: artist #3

Marcel Duchamp, b. 1887 France Fountain, 1917 Porcelain urinal

Section 4 – The Frames

In contrast to Tjapaltjarri and Rivera, French modernist Marcel Duchamp did not actively aim to explore and represent this culture in his famous Fountain (1917).

Topic Sentence

However, in his informed rebellion against traditional artistic narratives, Duchamp could not help but embody the avant-garde denial of mainstream culture, and in this way, expose the central concerns he had with his world.

Expansion on topic sentence

Working in the post-WWI period, Duchamp's practice was influenced by a sense of despondency, stemming from society's mourning for lost innocence and reeling from the bloodshed which had revealed harsh truths about human nature. Trust in traditional social structures and confidence in governments was diminished. For Dada artists, this manifested itself as apathy towards any empirical structure. Society, art, even language had become meaningless in the bleak reverberations of a divided Europe. Fountain (1917) symbolically represents this idea. An upended urinal, placed in the gallery space, signed ‘R. Mutt 1917', the work is a quintessential example of a ‘readymade', an object which Duchamp invested little to no effort in creating. The piece was designed to shock audiences into re-evaluating their assumptions about fine art. If a urinal is placed in a gallery on a pedestal, does that make it art? This anarchistic approach to practice completely re-directed the Western art canon, forcing the artworld into disarray, mimetic of the social sentiments of the period. Themes of absurdity, listlessness, and a loss of faith in grand narratives reverberated not only in Duchamp's work, but also within Europe's post-war psyche.

Analyse artwork #3 in terms of how it explores and communicates cultural references

Ironically, in denial of mainstream culture and harsh rebellion against art history traditions, Duchamp encapsulated a nihilistic apathy which has come to characterise the modernist period. This displays how art narratives can be constructed to reveal cultural events by omission. The referential nature of artworks can indicate sentiments of a period, even if indirectly.

Refer back to the question

Conclusion Throughout art history, artists have responded in vastly different manners to their individual cultural contexts. This is due to the inherent link between artistic practice and concepts, where the choice of procedure and medium will reflect the artists ideas as much as the subject matter. Tjapaltjarri translates his complex spiritual history by creation of large-scale painting works, in which layers are effectively used to communicate the temporal links between Dreaming stories and the landscape. Rivera, in a revisionary dialogue with his Mexican history, uses the mural medium to create a dream-like scene, in which the past and present collide to colourfully encapsulate the artist's strong cultural identity. Lastly, Duchamp embodies the denial of his links to art history in his use of ‘ready-mades', ironically encapsulating the mood of 20th century despondency across Europe. We can see through analysis of these artists that cultural events and ideas are reflected in different ways, as the artist plays the role of commentator to their worlds.

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– Summarise key points – Do NOT introduce any new ideas in your conclusion – Link back to your thesis – Link back to the question

Case Studies

Section 5

Case Studies The HSC syllabus requires that schools teach at least five case studies in art criticism and history. Case studies are ways to examine areas of particular significance to the visual arts, with reference to art criticism and history. We can use case studies as a way to draw links between artworks, and form a deeper understanding of particular ideas in the artworld. A case study will allow us to apply knowledge of practice, the conceptual framework, and the frames in a cohesive way. Your school may select case studies that are broad or narrow, but what is important is that you gain an appreciation of common themes running through works, as this can be a useful tool for Section 2. Below I have outlined a particular case study I studied in Year 12, which I used as the basis for most of my critical essays. You may study something completely different, but it can serve as an outline about how to structure your analysis, and prepare for a number of different essay questions. Important things to gain from a case study include: • • • •

5.1 5.1.1

The Reclining Nude Exploring concepts

As a recurring theme throughout art history, the reclining nude has found many varied representations. Evolving from paintings of classical mythological goddesses resting in natural environments (exemplified in Giorgione's Sleeping Venus), to contemporary photographic forms challenging perceptions of femininity, the reclining nude has served as a staple motif within the Western art canon. Its shifting manifestations can be investigated to reveal the preoccupations of vastly differing periods. A retrospective analysis allows us to analyse how ideas regarding artistic practice, the female form, and femininity more generally, have changed. By viewing these works from a contemporary context, we are also able to draw new meaning from traditional works, revealing how audience context can shape interpretation and importance of major artworks. I studied three examples of the reclining nude in art, each from vastly different contexts. By analysing them concurrently I was able to compare and contrast various artists' practices, connections in the conceptual framework, and subjective, cultural, structural, and postmodern elements of the works. K EY P OINT :

I have set out this case study as an example of how you might approach organising notes for your artworks, and give ideas about structuring analysis. I recommend playing around to see what works. Ultimately you want to create notes that are very succinct and easy to memorise, and going through this process of analysis will help you identify what is important, and well and reinforce central ideas for your Section 2 essay.

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Section 5 – Case Studies

A general understanding of the topic, and its importance in art criticism and history A series of demonstrative artworks An understanding of the artists' context, and information about specific artistic practice An understanding of the relationship between artworks – do they draw inspiration from or comment on each other? How does studying them in relation to one another reveal new ideas, or change audience understanding? • A conclusive argument or thesis about the study – how has the study enhanced an understanding of art and art history?

5.1 The Reclining Nude

Tiziano Vecelli (Titian), b. 1488 Italy Venus of Urbino, 1534 Oil on canvas

Section 5 – Case Studies Edouard Manet, b. 1832 France Olympia, 1863 Oil on canvas

Yasumasa Morimura, b. 1951 Japan Portrait (Futago), 1988 Chromogenic print with acrylic paint and gel medium

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5.1 The Reclining Nude

5.1.2

Comparative analysis table Titan's Venus of Urbino

Manet's Olympia

Morimura's Portrait (Futago)

Cultural frame: cultural and social meaning (background of artist + role of women)

Artists: commissioned by aristocracy and expected to be dutiful Women: subjugated and controlled commodities owned by their fathers whose main role was to produce children in marriage

Artists: follow traditional painting styles to be successful Women: caretakers of the home, expected to be innocent, virtuous, pliable, weak, helpless commodities in society.

Artists: provide reactionary commentary on post-industrial culture. Women: emerging roles in all areas of society, challenging traditional archetypes of femininity

Artistic practice

– Renaissance – Oil on canvas – Layering of colours, richness of texture – Soft, blended brushstrokes – Studies of anatomy

– Realism – Oil on canvas – Radical methods (outline, rough brush strokes, flat pictorial space) – Based on model muse during sittings

– Postmodernism – Theatrical performance and photography – Experimental polaroids – Incorporates digital technology – Self as subject

Structural frame

– Lap dog represents loyalty and fidelity in marriage – Roses are a symbol of love – Peaceful pose suggests the woman is available for pleasure, yet retains her modesty

– Black cat symbolises sexuality and alertness – Direct demeanour suggests she is liberated and unrepentant – Bow around neck and offering of flowers are indicators of prostitution

– Waving cat and drapery are inclusions of Eastern iconography in Western art traditions – Masculine reclining form challenges traditional conceptions of femininity

Conceptual framework: artist, artwork, audience, artworld

– Individual artists create artworks – No audience involvement in works – Art for pleasure, to reflect the refined aspects of society

– Artistic practice for personal expression, this is shocking to audiences who visit galleries for pleasure – Artworld values ‘high-art', prompts artists to begin ‘Salon des refuses' in Paris

– Artwork exists in reference to wider artworld, attempting to challenge and revise it – Work created with specific regard for audience reaction

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Section 5 – Case Studies

Artist/artwork

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5.1 The Reclining Nude

Section 5 – Case Studies 46

Postmodern frame: ideas which challenge the mainstream

– Era of 'artistic geniuses' – Striving towards creation of masterpieces – Strong distinction between high and low art forms

– Although not in the postmodern period, Manet attempted to challenge traditional painting methods and subject matter – Revolutionary in context, and viewed differently in retrospect

– Intertextual references to Olympia – Appropriation of the reclining nude – Revision of themes throughout art history – Kitsch iconography – Challenge to hierarchy of art forms

Salient ideas: what does the work say about the female figure in art history?

– Object of desire and pleasure to be observed by male audience – The figure is composed to be inviting yet demure, and thus appealing to a male gaze

– Attempts to represent all females in society, and their fledgeling autonomy – Ironically, figure is still a medium through which men argue politics

– Subverting focus on Western ideals of beauty – Challenging gendered assumptions of beauty – Rewriting art history to be more inclusive

Quotes

“She symbolises female Renaissance beauty'' – Brenda Harness

“Manet was crossing the line of what was morally acceptable in art let alone in society” – Stacy Fox

“The placement of Morimura as a woman destabilises the notion of fixed, binary gender roles” – Raymond Roca

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Exam Techniques and Tips

Section 6

Exam Techniques and Tips The Visual Arts theory exam for the HSC is 1½ hours, plus 10 minutes of reading time. There are two sections in the examination, each worth 25 marks. • Section 1: combination of shorter and longer response questions relating to a series of unseen visual texts which you will be provided on the day. • Section 2: essay, which you need to compose in response to one of six unknown questions. There will be two unknown questions relating to each area of art criticism and history: Practice, the Conceptual Framework, and the Frames.

6.1

Advice for Section 1

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Section 6 – Exam Techniques and Tips

• Practice, practice, practice! As Section 1 contains only unseen questions, it can be difficult to prepare for, but the best advice is to look at past papers and see what kinds of questions exist. Try to answer questions under timed conditions, so that you get used to thinking on your feet, and have a look at the exemplar answers to help you understand what markers are looking for. • Prepare by having a general understanding of art history. I've included a historical timeline on pages 3 – 6 of these notes to give you a general overview of the Western art canon. I'd encourage you to have a cursory look at artworks from important periods to help develop an intuition for identifying important techniques and symbols. • Look at the mark allocation. This will give you a clue as to how long your response should be. Generally, 1 mark = 1 technique + explanation. • Try to answer in full sentences, especially for the larger 6-8 mark questions. These are meant to be ‘mini essays' so make sure your answer has a flow and is clearly argued. • Go back to basics. When you're looking at your works, think about the fundamental art principles – colour, line, tone, etc. – and use these as a starting point. You can gain easy marks for stating the obvious, as long as you are explaining it and linking it back to the question. • Use your instincts to guide you. If you have an immediate response to an artwork, if it elicits some sort of emotion, if it reminds you of another artwork, include this in your response. Chances are that the artist has specifically constructed the work so that you are having these reactions. • Use the artwork labels. These often have important clues, for example: – Dates can indicate a certain time period and art movement – Place of birth can give clues about the cultural references – Materials can tell you something about practice Don't neglect this information, because it is assumed that you will use it to inform your responses, especially where a short excerpt of criticism is included. • Use buzzwords you've learnt in class. If the artwork is clearly postmodern, use key words from your discussions on the postmodern frame (e.g. appropriation, intertextuality. . . ). I've included a vocabulary list in these notes to help you in developing a voice for each area of analysis. • Finish Section 1 as quickly as possible. Don't waste your time on small mark questions – write out your response, but don't over explain, you can't gain extra marks. Be smart and save your time for the longer response questions and your Section 2 essay.

6.2 Advice for Section 2

6.2 6.2.1

Advice for Section 2 Preparation: selecting artists and artworks

There is a lot of art in the world, and picking just a few works or artists to study can be hard. Don't worry, when it comes down to it, your artworks aren't actually that important. I know, it sounds shocking, but it's true. More important than the works is what you have to say! Think about Section 2 as a chance to tell the marker why you love art, and why you think it's relevant. Your selected artworks are a vessel through which you can argue your point of view, so choose your evidence wisely. 1: Go to art galleries Seeing art in its natural habit will help you to understand its themes and ideas on another level. Experiencing works for yourself helps solidify your knowledge, makes it easier to recall details, and most important will help you decide if you connect with a work. You will also gain a better understanding of how artworks exist in space, their scale, and impacts upon the audience. If you're lucky, you'll also get an exhibition pamphlet, which usually summarises the artist's background and significance nicely. 2: Listen to your teachers

Section 6 – Exam Techniques and Tips

You're required to cover at least 5 case studies during the HSC. These will be carefully selected by your teachers to explore certain concepts, and are the best backbone for your essays. Don't waste your time researching obscure artists, use the resources you've been given, and start trying to practice your Section 2 responses as early as you can in the year. 3: Shortlist your artworks Select works based upon their concepts, versatility, and your personal interest in them. Try to research some critical theory about each work to see what other people value about the works. Also think about how well your selections complement each other. Don't only select painters or artists from similar movements. Try to show your breadth of knowledge in your choices. 4: Create ‘groups' based on ideas Connect your selected artworks and artists based on their common themes. My shortlist included artists such as Titian, Manet, Monet, Duchamp, Morimura, Piccinini, and Hall. These could be sorted into categories (i.e. the reclining nude, modernism, and post-modernism) where some artists fitted in multiple categories. Here's a Venn diagram of my artists below.

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6.2 Advice for Section 2

In this way, I made sure to choose the most versatile artists, who could be used to argue a number of thesis. I personally was happy to research and analyse lots of artists, and only narrowed my selection down to four (3 to write about, 1 for back-up) just before the final HSC exam. 5. Test them out Look at past paper questions, and think about whether you could construct a reasonable thesis using the artworks you've selected. You don't need to respond to every past paper in history, but try dot-pointing responses to a wide range of questions. Don't focus on only practice or the conceptual framework; try to apply your knowledge across all of the frames and areas of investigation you've studied. This will also help you to narrow down your knowledge. If you find that certain quotes or ideas about artworks are being used over and over again for different questions, that will be the body of knowledge you need to memorise for the final exam.

6.2.2

Preparation: study notes for artists and artworks

There are a couple of really important things you need to remember in your notes to prepare for Section 2:

Once you have all your information gathered, try to write your notes in a way that will help you remember them. • Summarise your information as much as possible. Try to condense to dot points you can memorise. This process will help you to identify what is important and what is unnecessary. • Make your notes interesting! Draw them out, include pictures, colours, scribbles, etc. I always liked to attribute certain colours to certain artworks, as this would help me with the memorisation process. • Summary sheets are key. I made them all throughout the HSC, and by final exam my Art notes consisted of just 1 A4 sheet of paper with essential information and prompts.

6.2.3

Choosing and analysing a question

You get the choice of 6 unseen questions for Section 2, two for Practice, two for the Conceptual Framework, and two for the the Frames. Here are a few tips on how to tackle the essay questions: • Do as many practice essays as you can, even if you don't write them out fully, just going through past papers and thinking about how you might respond to past questions can be very helpful. • Play to your strengths. If you really enjoy talking about postmodernism, and you've learnt a lot about it in class, try to answer those questions. • Consider your artworks. If you've selected interactive works, they might be better suited to answering a conceptual framework question. If you've spent a lot of time memorising specifics about a certain artist's practice, maybe a practice question would be a strategic choice. Think about the question that best suits what you've spent time learning. • Choose questions you feel confident with, not ones that look difficult. You won't get higher marks for selecting a hard question – you get marks for clear, logical, evaluative arguments. You only have 45 minutes so spending 10 minutes thinking about how to approach a tricky idea is not an effective use of time. • Despite this, when practising, try to challenge yourself. I recommend experimenting and trying to come up with interesting points outside of exam conditions. This way, you can refine your responses and get feedback from your teachers so that you can perfect your approach in exam conditions.

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Section 6 – Exam Techniques and Tips

• Information about the artist: full name, background (childhood, training), movement, time period • Understanding of influences and inspirations • Information about artworks (at least 2 per artist): title, date, medium, materials, creative process, references • Quotes from the artist • Quotes from art critics • General summary of artist's practice (a few easy to remember sentences)

6.2 Advice for Section 2

• Try to create a unique argument. Don't just list and summarise your artworks – you need to relate them strongly to the question, and you can often do this in a creative way. Draw out comparisons and contrasts between artworks to answer questions with nuance. – For example, if the question asks about artistic practice, highlight the different types of practice that exist, contrast them, and try to account for the variation by reference to their contexts and histories. • Highlight key terms in your questions. This will remind you as you're writing what terminology is essential, and keep you on track. • Some questions will include quotations. Remember that the quotation is not the main point of the question, so although you need to reference it, answering the actual question is more important.

6.2.4

Structuring a response – how to write a Visual Arts essay

I've included three example essays within the ‘Art Criticism and Art History' section of these notes to demonstrate some variations on how you might choose to structure your essay. There are a number of important things you should always remember, no matter what question you're answering:

Section 6 – Exam Techniques and Tips

• Always have a punchy introduction and conclusion. These are the vital first and last impressions you leave on the marker, so try to use high modality and persuasive, sophisticated language to immediately capture your marker's attention. • Break your essay up into digestible paragraphs, usually one artwork per paragraph. Not only will this provide a clear structure for your marker to follow, but it will help keep you on track with timing and ensuring your discussions aren't too long-winded. • Have a clear thesis, which is repeated throughout your essay. I always liked to write my thesis down on a spare sheet, so that I could look at it as I was writing each paragraph. I would help keep me on track, and making sure I was framing my arguments to fit the overall essay. • Make sure you have a logical flow of concepts. Each paragraph should have a specific purpose, that you state at the beginning and end, which your marker can follow without trying too hard. • Explain your evidence properly. It can be tempting sometimes in art to state a technique (e.g. use of the colour red) and then immediately link it back to the question (e.g. this made the artist revolutionary for their time), without actually explaining why. Make sure that for every piece of evidence you are explaining why it is pertinent to understanding the artist (e.g. this was in strong contrast to the artistic traditions of the period, which favoured muted tones...). • Select works that are varied, and therefore able to be contrasted. This will help you create interesting arguments with nuance. • Select works that complement your arguments. If you want to talk about audience interaction, it's probably not best to select three paintings. Think about representing the scope of what exists in the artworld.

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Useful Vocabulary

Section 7

Useful Vocabulary 7.1 7.1.1

Art Elements Vocabulary Colour Things to look for

Descriptive vocabulary

7.1.2

• • • • • • • • • • •

Brilliant Deep Dull Muddy Pale Palette Pure Rich Subtle Vivid Watery

Section 7 – Useful Vocabulary

• Are there dominant colours in the artwork? • How intense are the colours? • What is the colour scheme (e.g. monochromatic, complementary)? • Is there an abundance or absence of colour? • Are the colours warm, cool, or neutral? • How is colour used to create: – Moods – Textures – Contrasts – Focal points

Line Things to look for • • • • •

Descriptive vocabulary

What kinds of line are used? Are there thick, thin, or broken lines? Is line a significant feature of this artwork? Does line lead the viewer to a focal point? Has the artist used cross-hatching or other line techniques? • How is line used to create: – Shape/form – Patterns – Texture (or the illusion of texture) – Space – Perspective – Direction/movement – Harmony/tranquillity – Balance/symmetry – Imbalance/asymmetry

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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Broad Continuous Contour Criss-crossed Cross-hatching Curved Diagonal Fine Horizontal Jagged Meandering Parallel Spiral Straight Vertical Wavy Zigzag

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7.1 Art Elements Vocabulary

7.1.3

Texture Things to look for

Descriptive vocabulary

• Is there real of implied texture in the art work? • How is the visual effect of texture created (e.g. colour, line, tone, etc.)? • Is there a dominant texture? • Are there many textures? Do they contrast, or complement one another? • How is texture used to create: – Shape/form – Tone – Contrast – Balance/unity

7.1.4

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Tone

Section 7 – Useful Vocabulary

Things to look for

Descriptive vocabulary • • • • • • • •

• What tonal ranges are being used? • Is the work dominated by tone, or lacking in tone? • Is tone used to create a certain mood or lighting effect? • How is tone used to create: – Shape/form – Focal points – Space/distance – Balance/unity – Scale/proportion

7.1.5

Blacks Chiaroscuro Darks Flat Gradation Greys High key Lights

• • • • • •

Pure Smooth Uniform Unvaried Varied Whites

Shape/form Things to look for

Descriptive vocabulary

• Are there dominant shapes in the work? • Are the shapes geometric and precise, or abstract and organic? • How is shape used to create: – Form – Focal points – Space/distance – Balance/unity – Scale/proportion

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Coarse Crinkly Embossed Fluted Feathery Furry Glossy Prickly Rough Silky Smooth Soft

• • • • • • •

Abstract Angular Circular Cubist Geometric Free-flowing Jagged

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• • • • • • •

Muscular Organic Primitive Round Square Spiky Triangular

7.1 Art Elements Vocabulary

7.1.6

Scale

Things to look for • • • • •

7.1.7

Descriptive vocabulary Expansive Grand Intimate Large Miniature Minuscule Monumental Tiny

Proportion

• • • • •

Descriptive vocabulary

Are objects in the work proportional, or disproportionate? Are the proportions exaggerated or distorted? How do the proportions in the work compare to one another? How do the proportions in the work affect the viewer? How is proportion used to create: – Focal points – Space/distance – Balance/unity

• • • • • • •

Section 7 – Useful Vocabulary

Things to look for

7.1.8

• • • • • • • •

What are the dimensions of the work? Are things much bigger or smaller than would be realistic? Does the scale of the work affect a viewer? Is there a contrast in the scale of different elements in the work? How is scale used to create: – Focal points – Space/distance – Balance/unity – Scale/proportion

Contrasting Disproportionate Enlarged Exaggerated Minimised Proportional Varied

Space

Things to look for • • • • • •

Descriptive vocabulary

Is the work two or three dimensional? Is there negative space in the work? Is there a contrast in the way space has been used? Is there a definitive foreground, mid-ground, and background? Where does the viewer fit in the space? How is space used to create: – Focal points – Scale/proportion – Balance/unity

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• • • • • • • • • • • •

Background Cavities Close Distant Foreground Mid-ground Natural Negative space Positive space Realistic Vacuums Warped

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7.1 Art Elements Vocabulary

7.1.9

Unity

Things to look for

Descriptive vocabulary • • • • • • •

• • • •

Does the work feel complete or incomplete? How do the other elements of the work combine? Is the piece harmonious? Does it feel as though something is missing from the artwork? • Is there an imbalance (too much or too little) of an element? • How is unity used to create: – Focal points – Scale/proportion – Balance

7.1.10

Balance

Section 7 – Useful Vocabulary

Things to look for • • • • •

7.1.11

Descriptive vocabulary • • • • • • • •

Are the elements in the piece evenly distributed? Does the piece feel weighted in a particular place/direction? Are things symmetrical or asymmetrical? What contributes to or challenges this sense of balance? How is balance used to create: – Focal points – Scale/proportion – Movement/direction

Asymmetrical Equilibrium Even Heavy Light Symmetrical Unbalanced Weight

Emphasis Things to look for

Descriptive vocabulary

• Is there a focal point in the work? • How is the focal point created? • What is immediately apparent to the viewer, and what is more subtle/hidden? • Are elements exaggerated or highlighted? • How is the viewer guided through the work? • How is emphasis used to create: – Focal points – Scale/proportion – Movement/direction – Balance/unity

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Balanced Connection Harmonious Imbalanced Isolation Pleasing Unharmonious

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• • • • •

Contrast Direction Prominent Subtle Surroundings

7.1 Art Elements Vocabulary

7.1.12

Contrast Things to look for

Descriptive vocabulary • • • • •

• Are there vastly different types of elements used? • Is there one element or object in the work that stands out from others? • What effect does this contrast have on the viewer? • How is contrast used to create: – Focal points – Scale/proportion – Movement/direction – Balance/unity

7.1.13

Repetition Things to look for

Descriptive vocabulary • • • • • •

Continuous Discontinuous Layers Ordered Patterns Repetitive

Section 7 – Useful Vocabulary

• Are any elements repeated in the work? • Are there any patterns evident? • If the artist breaks this repetition, what effect does this have? • How is repetition used to create: – Focal points – Scale/proportion – Movement/direction – Balance/unity

7.1.14

Dramatic Intense Obvious Sharp Subtle

Movement Things to look for

Descriptive vocabulary

• Does the piece establish a sense of movement or action? • In which direction are elements of the piece moving? • Is the viewer involved in the sense of movement? • How is the viewer guided through the artwork? • How is movement used to create: – Focal points – Scale/proportion – Balance/unity

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• • • • • •

Directional Flowing Optical illusion Rhythm Rippling Swirling

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7.2 Materials and Techniques Vocabulary

7.2

Materials and Techniques Vocabulary

Section 7 – Useful Vocabulary

Materials and techniques

Descriptive vocabulary

Painting – What kind of paint has been used? – What surface has been used? – What is the painting technique? – Is this a new or traditional application? – Does this technique relate to the subject matter or meaning of the work?

Paint materials: oil, acrylic, enamel, watercolour, gouache, gesso, glaze, varnish Painting techniques: airbrushing, alla prima, washes, blotto, chiaroscuro, colour field, crackling, scumbling, diptych, dot, encaustic, fresco, pointillism, grisaille, impasto, spray, stencil, stippling, sfumato, sgraffito, tempera

Drawing – What material has been used to draw? – What tools have been used to draw? – What surface has been used? – What is the drawing technique?

Drawing materials: pen, pencil graphite, ink, chalk, charcoal, gouache, pastel, watercolour Drawing techniques: brush, burnishing, chiaroscuro, contour, frottage, cross-hatching, highlights, squaring, stippling

Sculpture/installation – What materials have been used? – What sculpture techniques have been used?

Sculpture materials: clay, wood, steel, marble, recyclable materials, silicone, slip, glaze Sculpture techniques: assemblage, carving, modelling, moulding, casting

Print making – What printing materials have been used? – What surface has been used? – What type of process has been used?

Print making materials: paper, ink, silk, cardboard, aluminium, wood Print making techniques: relief, woodcut, screen, lino cut, intaglio, etching, engraving

Photography – What photographic techniques have been used? – What equipment has been used? – Is the photograph in black and white or colour? – Did the artist use a film or digital camera? – Has the artwork been digitally altered? – Is the photograph printed or projected on a surface?

Photography materials: film, polaroid, photo paper (glossy or matte), linen, perspex, glass Photography techniques: air brushing, back lighting, blocking, fogging, lens, exposure, Sabattier effect, focusing, soft focus, cropping, colour enhancement, overlay

Film – How has the film been shot? – What equipment has been used? – Where was the film shot (studio or on location)? – Have special effects been used? – Does the film belong to a particular style or genre?

Film materials: set, costuming, lighting Film techniques: aerial perspective, ambient light, animation, aspect ratio, backlighting, camera angles, cinematography, close-ups, depth of field, editing, establishing shots, exposure, focus, frame, key light, mise-en-scene, point of view, shot, direction, special effects, three-point lighting, wide-angle

7.3

Practice Vocabulary Words to describe practices

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Method

Skills

Philosophies

Technologies

Mediums

Techniques

Process

Rebellion

Products

Strategies

Style

Materials

Procedures

Influences

Treatment

Resolution

Artefacts

Attentions

Preoccupations

Inspirations

Innovations

Inquiry

Tools

Traditions

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7.4 Conceptual Framework Vocabulary

7.4

Conceptual Framework Vocabulary Artist

Audience

Communication

Beliefs

Experimental

Interactive

Interest

Intimacy

Values

Attitudes

Innovative

Curiosity

Arousal

Ephemeral

Experiences

Artisans

Imaginative

Ridicule

Shock

Engulf

Craftspeople

Architects

Authenticity

Confront

Empathy

Envelop

Designers

Community

Exhibition

Evocation

Repulsion

Challenge

Collaboration

Movement

Master

Stimulate

Horrify

Coverage

Discipline

Expertise

Pioneer

Perception

Fluidity

Subjectivity

Artwork

Artworld

Aesthetics

Intentional

Conception

Interpretation

Inspiration

Significance

Material

Virtual

Articulation

Conditions

Events

Ideologies

Physical

Symbolism

Investigation

Designation

Plausibility

Dynamism

Representations

Expressions

Composition

Credibility

Experiences

Interactions Section 7 – Useful Vocabulary

7.5

Frames Vocabulary Subjective Frame

Cultural Frame

Intuitive

Psychological

Universality

Origins

Traditions

Iconography

Subconscious

Visceral

Ubiquitous

Customs

Conventions

Canonical

Gutteral

Evocative

Tangible

Archival

Zeitgeist

Propaganda

Tender

Irrational

Palpable

Modes

Industrialisation

Patriotism

Tactile

Sensory

Perceptible

Ethnicity

Secular

Consumerism

Corporeal

Idiosyncratic

Demonstrative

Derivation

Diaspora

Controversy

Transient

Ephemeral

Hypersensitive

Symbolic

Contemporary

Protest

Evanescent

Poignant

Vulnerable

Provincial

Urban

Eurocentricity

Innate

Instinctive

Ancestral

Inherent

Appropriation

Structural Frame

Postmodern frame

Signs

Symbols

Tone

Appropriation

Humour

Reimagining

Language

Relationships

Line

Irony

Paradox

Revision

Codes

Circulation

Colour

Parody

Pastiche

Reconsideration

Exchange

Composition

Texture

Intertextuality

Allusions

Assumptions

Direction

Focus

Shape

Subversion

High/low brow

Conventions

Lighting

Perspective

Space

Kitsch

Disruption

Paradigms

Organisation

Tonal modelling

Gradation

Recycling

Narrative

Hierarchy of form

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Part II

Artmaking

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Exploring Artmaking

Section 1

Exploring Artmaking S YLLABUS :

Artmaking objective: students will develop knowledge, skills, and understanding of how they may represent their interpretations of the world in artmaking as an informed point of view. Half of the HSC Visual Arts syllabus requirement is creation of a body of work. The important thing to remember is that it is a body of work, not a single work, that you need to create. This doesn't mean you need to submit everything you create for marking at the end, but you will be required to exhibit some level of experimentation to your teachers and within your process diary. You also need to develop a work which showcases critical judgement. This means knowing when and how to use particular techniques and methods to create a work. You need to exhibit a strategy in selecting your mediums, materials, and processes for your concepts. Band 6 major works will use representations to translate ideas into artworks. You should also develop your own artistic voice, your particular language, to suit a strong conceptual underpinning.

1.1

Process Diary

• Treat your process diary as your go-to journal throughout the year. Any ideas you have, any experimentation you want to do, document it here. • I found my process diary particularly useful for the first stage of developing my body of work – deciding on a concept. I began by collecting images and quotes that I found interesting, and just pasting them into my book. Over time I began to realise that I was drawn to particular themes, motifs, and styles. This ultimately informed my choice of concept and decisions on my mediums. • Treat working on your process diary as catharsis – if you need a break from studying you can still be productive by using that time to draw out ideas and scribble down notes. • Show your progress! Outline how your ideas have changed overtime, and why. This will help you to narrow down on your concept, which will initially start broad, then become more specific as you spend time exploring it. • Document your experimentation and critique it. If you've tried out a new style of painting, used a new material, or experimented with an added medium, put it into your diary. Then take some time to look at it objectively, once the dust has settled. Think about whether it adds to your process, if it was successful in achieving your purpose, and whether it will ultimately add significance to your concept. Be critical in the early stages so that you have a solid plan later. • Keep everything! I had small pieces of experimentation in my diary that I ended up including in my final work. You never know what might be useful later on. • Express yourself. You can use your diary as a way to communicate with your teachers, and it will ultimately help your progress if you can draw something out and show it to them, rather than explaining it as an abstract concept. • Don't be fussy with your diary – it's meant to help you with developing your practice and documenting your process. It's also used as a way of authenticating your artwork, proving to the marker that you were the one who created the final artwork. If you don't document throughout your year, you won't have a thorough or useful chronology of process, which may be detrimental.

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Section 1 – Exploring Artmaking

My first piece of advice is to select a concept and direction for your body of work which you are interested in and enjoy exploring. Creating a body of work requires a lot of effort, and choosing something you are passionate about from the outset will make it a lot easier to be motivated and to persevere over the year.

1.2 Body of Work

1.2

Body of Work

S YLLABUS :

Body of work Band 6 (41-50/50 marks) Assessment Criteria • Demonstrates an articulation of ideas and concepts that are elaborated, reiterated, subtle, and sustained coherently in the form(s) of the work. Meanings make significant references and register on a number of levels. • Displays technical sensitivity, refinement, discrimination, moderation, and is respectful of the conditions set by the selection of materials and limitations including course prescriptions. Essentially, what you are assessed on is the conceptual strength and resolution of your body of work.

1.2.1

Expressive forms

Your body of work may be composed of one or more of the 12 expressive forms:

Section 1 – Exploring Artmaking 60

Expressive form

Suggested submission

Documented forms

An individual work or series of works documenting time-based events, happenings, performances and site-specific installations

Collection of works

A collection or series of works made using different expressive forms

Drawing

An individual work or series of works with a focus on drawing

Painting

An individual work or series of works with a focus on painting

Photomedia

An individual work or series of works in black and white and/or colour made using wet (darkroom) and/or digital practices

Printmaking

An individual work or series of works with a focus on printmaking

Textiles and fibre

An individual work or series of works with a focus on textiles and fibre

Graphic design

An individual work or series of works with a focus on graphic design

Designed objects

An individual work or series of works with a focus on 3D object design, including wearables, jewellery, architectural design, and product design

Sculpture

An individual work or series of works with a focus on sculpture

Ceramics

An individual work or series of works with a focus on ceramics

Time-based forms

An individual work or series of works with a focus on time-based forms. This expressive form includes film, video, digital animation and interactives

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1.2 Body of Work

Limitations on size, weight, and duration Your body of work must not exceed: • • • • • •

1.2.2

6 m2 for 2D works 1 m3 for 3D works (including works with both 2D and 3D components 2 m2 for each individual flat/rigid work (if your work is larger – up to 6 m2 – it must be rolled) 35 kg in weight 6 minutes (including credits) in duration for time-based forms where it is the entire submission 3 minutes (including credits) in duration for time-based forms where it included in the submission with other expressive forms

Formation of concepts

Your overall concept is very important to your body of work, as is evident in the marking guidelines. Your concept does not have to be overly complex, just something authentic that you can explore in a visual format. It could range from something as simple as experimenting with a certain type of line work, to a complex analysis of your cultural heritage. Here are a couple of tips to help you get started on your concept:

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Section 1 – Exploring Artmaking

• Start broad, then over the year narrow in on your ideas. Select some images and general ideas that you like, but don't be too particular at first. As you continue to experiment, you will realise what ideas come out better in your work, and what you're saying will change. • Don't be afraid of changing your ideas. Your concept will evolve over the year, and it's best to embrace advice and feedback to improve your practice. • Choose an idea that suits a visual form. Think about how your concept can be represented to an audience, and whether the visual format is an effective tool for communication. • Think about personal connections. This will improve the uniqueness and passion in your work. If you're creating a work about something you love or are deeply affected by, this will shine through in your final product, and also show the marker how you are interpreting your world to create effective art. • Draw inspiration from other artists. Don't be afraid to make references to other artists and artworks, as this will show a sophisticated knowledge about art history (but make sure you appropriate; don't plagiarise, and always cite your references). If you like a certain style or concept, experiment with it, and see how it suits you. • Visit art galleries (in particular visit Art Express) so you can get an idea of the myriad of ideas and forms that exist. Continue to visit galleries throughout the year so that you are constantly gaining inspiration. • Explore and experiment. How has this idea been represented by others? What will distinguish your work? • Choose an idea you can remain passionate about and invested in over the course of the year. This will help you continue in your work, even when it might be stressful. Pick something you can have some fun with. • Try to approach your work with nuance. Bring a unique perspective to the ideas by drawing on your own experiences, and adding your own voice to the historical narrative. • Play to your strengths. If you've had success with a certain medium in Year 11, try to incorporate that into your concept. You don't have to start completely from scratch learning new techniques.

1.2 Body of Work

1.2.3

Experimentation

To create your body of work you're going to need to do some degree of experimentation in order to produce a technically refined piece. I recommend starting to experiment as soon as Year 12 starts, just get all your crazy ideas out. I found when beginning my major work that I had just so many things I wanted to do, so testing them out first was a good way to clear my head and realise what actually worked and what didn't.

Section 1 – Exploring Artmaking

• Test out your concept using a variety of techniques, materials, and mediums: – Select techniques which enable you to create a fully resolved work – Select materials and mediums which best represent your ideas • Even if you don't think something will work, try it out. You might surprise yourself by finding a new way of expressing an idea, but even if it doesn't work, it's good to know not to try it again, and may reaffirm your existing practice • Use experimentation as an opportunity to explore and test your wildest ideas. Be crazy at the beginning of the year, but by the end of Term 1, you should have more of a solid idea of what you enjoy and want to explore further • Use the long holidays over summer to solidify your ideas, so you can begin any large-scale work in Term 1. I ended up experimenting too long because I was afraid to commit to an idea, but sometimes you just need to take the plunge. If you want to create a large-scale painting or sculpture, commit to it, and just start as soon as you can! • Ideally, you should continue to experiment throughout the year, but this experimentation should move from broad dabbles in different mediums, to refining techniques within specific mediums. • Document and keep all your experiments, as you never know if they might come in handy at the end. I made a last-minute decision to use some of my preliminary sketches in my final work, and it helped to tie it all together.

1.2.4

Finalising your Body of Work

Your final major work will probably be very different to how you initially planned it, and that's totally fine. It's good to be fluid with your concept, and realise that what you create may not always be what you intended. • Time management – be organised! – I was very rushed towards the end of my major work, as I had spent too much time experimenting initially. Personally, I think any major pieces, such as large paintings or ceramic creations, should be started in early Term 2 so that you have time to iron out kinks in your practice. – Think about the practical, time-limiting factors in your processes. For example, I had a ceramic element in my major work which needed drying out before kilning. During this time, a crack appeared, meaning I had to start my sculpture from scratch, with a slightly different design to fix to physical impracticalities of the shape. Plan for situations like this by building buffer time into your schedule (i.e. don't procrastinate and leave an important ceramic work until the end of Term 3 like me!) • At each important stage of your assessments, and at the end of each term, take a step back and critically examine where you are. Think about where you want to be, and judge whether you can feasibly get there with the time you have left. Be flexible, and ready to change your plans, because often unforeseen circumstances or challenges may arise. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's important that you are always thinking about the reality of it being a year-long project. You need to create a cohesive work in the end, strive towards this. • Curate your work. You may have done a lot of experimentation over the year, but not all of this should necessarily feature in your major work. Think about what best represents your concept. If you visit Art Express, you will see that some works appear quite simple, but clear and elegant. Chances are the artists had multiple different elements, but made a strategic choice only to have the best of it marked. Consider whether this is best for your concept. • Polish the final product. As early as you can, begin to tie up the loose ends. Make sure all the techniques you spent time experimenting with are well-executed, and the work looks refined and complete.

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1.2 Body of Work

1.2.5

Concept Statement

The last element of your major work which you need to submit is a concept statement. I recommend leaving this as the last thing you do, as your concept will be quite fluid until the end of your project. Once you've polished up your artwork, take step back and try to see your work with fresh eyes, the way your marker would see it. Consider what it is that you've actually portrayed, and how a written description may help the marker in understanding the significant aspects of your work. When writing your statement, don't forget to do the following: • Clearly outline the conceptual basis underpinning your work. This should ideally be reflected in the title, and should clearly explained in the first few sentences of the statement. • Explain some of your inspiration, and any necessary background information. Show the marker that you've used critical judgement in forming and researching an interesting and complex concept. • Highlight the important representations in your work. If there are particular symbols used in your artwork, point them out to the marker, so that they can better appreciate the artwork. • Use clear, formal language which also engages the marker. Have a look at previous HSC works concept statements in the Art Express exhibitions. Consider also how galleries label artworks, what elements they highlight, and how they draw you in and help inform your understanding of the artwork.

Good luck!

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Section 1 – Exploring Artmaking

Creating a body of work is a roller-coaster of emotions. The most important thing to remember is that art is an expression of yourself. Enjoy this opportunity you have to be self-directed, and to just explore whatever your heart desires. Use your teachers and peers for support, and trust in your abilities. If Duchamp can draw a moustache on the Mona Lisa and have it become one of the most famous works in art history, you definitely have the potential create great art.