2014 STUDIO ARTSkinnersleystudioarts.weebly.com/.../3/0/...2014_solns_final_22may20… · lines to create the movement of waves crashing on a shore somewhere beyond the composition

This trial examination produced by Insight Publications is NOT an official VCAA paper for the 2014 Year 12 Studio Arts written examination. The Publishers assume no legal liability for the opinions, ideas or statements contained in this Trial Exam. This examination paper is licensed to be printed, photocopied or placed on the school intranet and used only within the confines of the purchasing school for examining their students. No trial examination or part thereof may be issued or passed on to any other party including other schools, practising or non-practising teachers, tutors, parents, websites or publishing agencies without the written consent of Insight Publications.

Copyright © Insight Publications 2014

YEAR 12 Trial Exam Paper

2014

STUDIO ARTS

Written examination

Sample responses

This book presents:

high-level sample responses mark allocations tips on how to approach the questions

SECTION A Copyright © Insight Publications 2014

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SECTION A Question 1 Sample response Artwork number: 6 Amor has divided the artwork into three distinct areas: the foreground, the middle ground and the background. In the foreground he has made strong use of repeated lines to create the movement of waves crashing on a shore somewhere beyond the composition. In the middle ground, the horizontal line of the landmass partially cuts through the scene to be unified by the largely monochromatic colour scheme of the whole work. The vertical shapes of the branches of the bending tree reach up into a stormy sky filled with the looming shapes of storm clouds that move from right to left across the background of the sky. The only light in this scene comes from the headlights of a car; they shine across the middle ground and provide a focal point for the painting. Amor’s textural layering of paint and tone builds the forms within the work and heightens its sense of drama.

Mark allocation: 6 marks

• This high-level response shows the student’s ability to analyse the chosen artwork through the discussion of its aesthetic qualities and how they are used to create the mood of the work. This student shows a good knowledge of art terminology.

Tips

• You should be able to discuss how the aesthetic qualities enhance the mood of the artwork.

• Always relate your points directly back to the artwork you are discussing.

• Make sure your choice of artwork relates to a medium that reflects your knowledge and experience. For example, if you are a painting student don’t choose to analyse a photograph.


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Question 2 Sample response Artwork number: 7 Kollwitz uses the technique of woodcut to convey an image of poverty and despair. The large masses of black that convey the figures of Death and the woman are juxtaposed with a large area of negative space cut away to form a white background that creates a dramatic effect. This large cut-away area is in stark contrast to the delicately cut and cross-hatched lines used by the artist to portray the anguished faces of the two figures and the haggard, large hand of Death. She has used only a few lines to gently suggest the forms of the figures without detracting from the focal point of the faces. The two figures seem to merge into one due to the closed composition and dramatic use of black ink, which is devoid of any tone. Mark allocation: 6 marks

• This high-level response shows a clear understanding of how an artist uses materials and processes to communicate meaning and messages within an artwork.

Tips

• Try to be as specific as you can be in determining what processes and materials have been used by the artist to create the artwork.

• Reveal your knowledge by responding confidently, using terms that are specific to the techniques and processes of the medium you are discussing.

• Ask yourself why the artist would have selected this process and how the artwork has been improved by using it. What specific qualities relate to the process/practice and working methods that enhance the meaning of the work and allows artists to express their thoughts/intentions and aims effectively and sensitively?


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Question 3 Sample response Artwork number: 2 In order to transport this photograph safely, it would need to be handled carefully because it is a work on paper and made from organic material. A conservator would wear cotton gloves to handle it, to prevent oils from their hands coming into contact with the work. The work would be laid flat between sheets of acid-free paper in a Solander box to prevent it from deteriorating due to exposure to light or any possible contact with dust and pests while it is being transported. This work will travel with a condition report stating its condition upon leaving the gallery of origin. This report will then be checked by the conservator when it arrives at its destination. When the photograph is exhibited at each gallery as part of a travelling exhibition, it will be displayed in an acid-free mount behind glass, to protect it from any potential damage from members of the public, and it will be viewed at a light level of 50 lux.


• This high-level response shows an extensive knowledge of the conservation considerations used in transportation and exhibition of the chosen artwork. The student displays a good knowledge of art terminology relating to conservation.

Tips

• Carefully consider all the components of the question. It is not just asking you about methods of conservation of your chosen artwork, it is asking you to consider the transport of an artwork.

• Don’t make generalised statements about conservation – state conservation methods and equipment that relate to your chosen artwork.

• Show the examiner that you have detailed knowledge of conservation methods, for example, by stating the correct lux level for your chosen medium.


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Question 4 Sample response When Anne Zahalka produced the photograph The Bathers in 1989 she had to consider the moral rights of Charles Meere’s 1940 painting, Australian Beach Pattern, as Zahalka’s work was an appropriation of Meere’s painting. Under moral rights law, Zahalka would have had to rightfully attribute Meere’s work when she produced her version, and be careful not to denigrate the reputation or the honour of Meere as an artist in her appropriated image of his work. Under copyright law, Zahalka would have had to seek permission from Meere’s family or estate to appropriate his painting in her photograph, because it was produced in 1989 and Charles Meere died in 1961. Copyright law states that an artist can only use the work of another artist in the production of a new work if it is produced 70 years after the death of the original artist.


• In this high-level response the student has shown an excellent understanding of copyright law and moral rights law through the use of an example of appropriation that clearly illustrates the issue. The student shows an excellent knowledge of appropriate terminology.

Tips

• Make sure you are very clear about what the question is asking. It is not asking for an explanation of appropriation, it is asking for you to show your ability to apply your knowledge of appropriation to copyright law and moral rights law.

• Avoid giving a rote response to copyright law and moral rights law. Weave your knowledge of these laws into your discussion.

• Make sure you know the correct dates when the works were produced, as well as the date when the original artist died. The latter is essential to your discussion of copyright law. It is easy to slip up and confuse it with the date the work was produced.

SECTION B Copyright © Insight Publications 2014

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SECTION B Question 5 Sample response RH levels – This stands for relative humidity levels. These need to be constant in a gallery because if it is too humid sensitive works, such as those made from wood, could grow mould, or if the air is too dry, sensitive works could dry out and crack. Lux levels – Lux levels means the levels of light measurement. These levels need to be appropriate for the type of work on exhibition. For example, for works on paper the lux level must not be above 50. Solander box – A solander box is designed to safely store unframed works on paper, such as drawings and photographs. These boxes provide protection from bugs, pests, dust and light. Inorganic materials – Inorganic materials are manufactured and are generally not as sensitive to deterioration as organic materials. An example of an inorganic material is plastic.

Mark allocation: 8 marks (2 per definition)

• This high-level response clearly defines the conservation terms and provides specific examples that reflect the student’s knowledge.

Tips

• Be specific! Don’t make generalised statements. • Make sure you give an example that shows your understanding of

the terminology. • These are only 2 mark questions, so don’t overwrite your answers

and spend more time on your response than is needed.


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Question 6 Sample response A public gallery’s prime aims are to educate the public about art and to present and care for works in its permanent collection and for travelling exhibitions, where works are on loan from other galleries. Public galleries, such as the National Gallery of Victoria, are government funded. In return for this funding their education officers run various programs for schools and the general public throughout the year to inform them about current and permanent exhibitions. As caretakers for the permanent collection and works on loan from other galleries, the gallery’s conservation team ensures that all works in the gallery are protected from any sort of damage or deterioration.

Commercial galleries, such as Metro 5, are businesses, so their prime aim is to make money by selling and promoting the works of the artists they represent. Commercial galleries only represent artists who they believe are profitable. Commercial galleries actively promote the artists they represent through exhibitions and by marketing the artists’ work to potential buyers. As there is regular turnover of work in a commercial gallery, conservation is not as great an issue as it is in a public gallery. However, a commercial gallery will make every effort to protect an artist’s works while they are on display and in their care.


• This high-level response reflects the student’s knowledge of the prime aims in the presentation of artworks in different types of galleries. They are able to make comparisons in the aims of the two galleries in their discussion.

Tips

• The word ‘compare’ is asking you to find connections and differences in the aims of presentation of artworks between different types of galleries or art spaces.

• Be sure to clearly state the roles of both types of galleries or art spaces and find connections between them.

• Discuss each gallery or art space equally in terms of time and content.


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Question 7 Sample response Exhibition name: Melbourne Now Role 1: Curator The curator for Melbourne Now was responsible for planning, coordinating and researching this exhibition. As this was an exhibition of current Melbourne artists the curator would have spent many months before the show researching current art being produced in Melbourne and visiting the studios of working artists and craftspeople to plan what was to be included in the exhibition. The curator would then have had to decide how to group the works in the various spaces between the NGV Federation Square and St Kilda Road galleries. Some spaces and themes were clearly considered, such as the room with Julia Deville’s installation, which was part of a darkened space. The curator also would have been responsible for writing the catalogue, which was sold in the gift shop as an adjunct to the exhibition. Role 2: Publicity/Marketing Officer The role of the publicity/marketing officer for Melbourne Now is to promote the exhibition to the general public. This role would have included working with the education officer to promote the exhibition to schools. As part of this promotion, schools were sent large yellow posters advertising events and school programs relating to the exhibition. The publicity/marketing officer would have been responsible for advertising the exhibition in public places, which included banners along St Kilda Road, a large billboard across the airport freeway heading into Melbourne (for tourists), and posters on bus stops and the backs of trams around the city. The publicity/marketing officer would also have been responsible for advertising the exhibition in the print media, including gallery brochures and the Weekend Age, and on radio and television.

Mark allocation: 10 marks (5 per role)

• This high-level response shows a thorough understanding of the specific roles of gallery professionals in relation to exhibitions viewed throughout the year. Both components of the question are discussed equally, demonstrating an ability to apply terminology that is relevant in an art industry context.

Tips

• Be sure to relate your responses directly to exhibitions you have viewed this year.

• Avoid rote responses that purely reel off a description of a gallery professional’s role.

• Enhance your response by using specific examples – this shows the examiner that you really understand the role of the gallery professional you are discussing in relation to the exhibition you visited.

SECTION C Copyright © Insight Publications 2014

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SECTION C Question 8 Sample response The work of Howard Arkley was heavily influenced by other artists and his surrounding environment. Howard Arkley was a contemporary artist who grew up and lived in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. This was the world he chose to celebrate and explore through his fluorescent, decorative paintings of suburban houses, as evident in House Morphics. Arkley was strongly influenced by the work of John Brack. His decision to explore suburbia stemmed from studying Brack’s 1950s portrayal of Melbourne in works such as Collins St. 5 pm. This was in stark contrast to the accepted portrayal of Australia at the time, which referred to the mythology of the Australian bush. Like Brack, Arkley portrayed a different image of Australia, the world that he and 80 per cent of Australians lived in – suburbia. His explorations caused him to portray the everyday and raise it into an art form, in a manner reminiscent of Pop artists such as Roy Lichtenstein. House Morphics accurately reflects how Arkley’s immediate environment influenced his choice of imagery, as it depicts a cropped section of a traditional triple-fronted brick house, similar to his family home. The walls of the exterior are covered in intricate patterns, evoking a sense of decoration and celebration of everyday life. Arkley’s fascination for pattern was inspired by his wife, Elizabeth Gower, who was involved in the feminist art movement of the late 1970s, particularly the domestic arts, such as patchwork and quilting. The intricate patterns of these art forms inspired Arkley to use similar patterns in large airbrushed works such as House Morphics. The Punk era of the 1980s was another stimulant for Arkley. Primitive, a frenetic doodle-like work, was named after a song by punk band The Cramps. The black-and-white airbrushed work is made up of intense patterned doodles that reflect everything that was happening within Arkley’s immediate environment when he painted the work. Furthermore, the sharp, hard edges and lyrical lines moving around the work reflect the music Arkley was listening to in his studio at the time. The imagery within these frenetic doodles mirror all the activity within his studio, in the manner of the Surrealist’s ‘automatic writing’.


• This high-level response demonstrates the student’s knowledge of the work of an artist studied throughout the year. The response clearly analyses the impact of artistic and environmental influences on the chosen artist’s works. The student makes direct references to artworks in the discussion.

Tips

• This response requires you to make accurate references to the world your chosen artist lived in and the influence of other artists on their work. These artists could be earlier ones or contemporaries of your chosen artist.

• Make direct reference to artworks to illustrate your knowledge in analysis of environmental and artistic influences.


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Question 9 Sample response Exhibition 1: Monet’s Garden, NGV Exhibition 2: Ben Quilty, Tolarno Gallery The exhibition design for Monet’s Garden was chronologically themed so that viewers walked through the exhibition, starting with Monet’s early years and influences in the first room. Before entering the exhibition space, viewers passed by outer walls covered with photographic images of a bluestone wall, suggestive of a garden entrance. The four spaces of the exhibition displayed Monet’s various depictions of his garden up to the time he went blind. The exhibition then led the viewer into an audio-visual space which depicted Monet’s life in the context of contemporary history. The final space was darkened, with seating provided for viewers as they watched audio-visual panoramic footage of the last day of the season in Monet’s Garden. The exhibition spaces were large, allowing the viewer to move through the exhibition easily and stand back from the large works for better viewing. The Ben Quilty exhibition, on the other hand, was far smaller and much simpler. Because Tolarno is a small commercial gallery, the exhibition design would probably have been carried out by the director of the gallery, Jan Minchim. The large works on display were placed around an L-shaped space which was uncluttered and big enough for the viewer to stand back and view the works properly. The outer wall of the space had large windows covered with blinds to let some light in, but not enough to cause any damage to the works. There was very little signage in the room; only a price list on the wall. With its bare white walls and highly polished floors, there was nothing about this exhibition design that would distract the viewer from the gallery’s prime focus, which was to sell Ben Quilty’s works.


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• In this high-level response, the student compares and contrasts the exhibition design of two different exhibition spaces. Through detailed discussion of both spaces, the student makes connections between the design of different spaces and shows how they differ. The student provides detailed information to enhance their response.

Tips

• Provide specific examples to support your points about exhibition design.

• The question asks you to ‘compare and contrast’, meaning you are required to make connections between the exhibition design of the two spaces and discuss how they differ. This doesn’t mean that you have to state how they are the same as they may be quite different, as in this response. The connection could be how both designs reflect the aims of the different spaces.

• Your response should demonstrate your thorough understanding and application of exhibition design in terms of relevance to the art industry.

END OF SAMPLE RESPONSES

Documents

2014 STUDIO ARTSkinnersleystudioarts.weebly.com/.../3/0/...2014_solns_final_22may20… · lines to create the movement of waves crashing on a shore somewhere beyond the composition