Frank Curkovic & James McCrory

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Frank Curkovic & James McCrory

Why Study Art and Design?We are shaped by the Arts and through them, societies reflect and create culture, present issues, teach, persuade, entertain and decorate. Unfortunately, most people think they are not creative or cannot draw. Art & Design involves much more than this and has several benefits to consider in a curriculum.

The arts can communicate our ideas, feelings and concepts to an audience. They allow us to convey a message that can be practical, educational, cultural or personal. The arts are a creative, emotional and thoughtful interpretation of the world that are influenced by cultural and personal experiences. Methods and means change and evolve with the participant or the audience. It is a universal language that allows us to communicate within and across cultures and time periods. It allows creative choice, which can convey powerful messages that can be personal, useful, educational or cultural. The arts allow self-reflection, synthesis and evaluation. The arts are also simply rewarding on a personal and emotional level.

The visual arts challenge and empower. It is a means to foster knowledge, thinking and connections. With personal perceptions, it allows students to make choices, decisions and comments at whatever level, in a visual way. It does not simply mean to be creative, but is a formative educational process that encourages self-discovery and self-reflection that will contribute to the person, the community and to the culture of the environment. Art education teaches, fosters and contributes to students’ lives. The arts utilise both hemispheres of the brain and are a common experience. Creativity is an essential part of intelligence and problem solving.

However, creating is not simply making things. To create is to be in thought and is developed through intellectual engagement. Creative attributes are required to resolve disputes, to understand others and to be equipped. We need creative thinking to generate the new, but critical thinking to judge it. The arts involve both critical and creative thinking.

Art and Design is becoming increasingly prominent in the twenty-first century. Art and Design can lend themselves to an integrated curriculum and help improve test scores and problem solving skills. Arts learning can also improve motivation, concentration, confidence, self-esteem and teamwork. .

“We all know that art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realise the truth.”

(Pablo Picasso)

Frank Curkovic & James McCrory

Aims of the Foundation

Art ProgramThe aim of the Grade 9 Art Foundation course is to not just improve practical

drawing skills, knowledge of art history, theories and concepts, but to involve the student in their learning from conceptual development to being a creative

and critical thinking art student.

Artists and designers are not only creative thinkers. Critical thinking skills are used to develop, evolve and evaluate their own work and the work of their

peers. Using both thinking skills allows them to continually improve. By looking at the work of others as well as their own work, they are able to find

inspiration, areas of improvement, investigations and interpretations of new themes, techniques and set personal goals.

As a student, you too need to learn how to reflect on what you do and how you do it. Setting goals for yourself leads to motivation, discipline and helps you

improve both conceptually and technically. Art and Design involves process, commitment and motivation. If done effectively, you are guaranteed to become

a better Art & Design student

Students should address issues, solve problems and fashion products that will raise new questions within themselves.

Frank Curkovic & James McCrory

AssessmentAssessing the visual arts is one of the most difficult and challenging aspects as an educator. How do you evaluate a person’s creativity? How do you evaluate their interpretation?

There is no one right answer in the arts. However, as in other disciplines, process and techniques do play an important role. To grow as an artist, new techniques and challenges need to be attempted. Students are evaluated on their process, their end product and their reasoning for their artistic choices. Failures are guaranteed to happen. At times, it is these failures and attempts that lead to greater work. The visual arts is a continuing and ongoing process of challenges, goals and outcomes.

In class, students are expected to take part in discussions during the process, creation and reflections of their learning. This encourages collaboration and involves students in their work and that of their peers. Brainstorming, idea exchanges and reviews are used to enhance and contribute to artistic awareness, planning and creation phases. Creative and critical thinking skills are used to gain insights into the creative process and the choices made by artists.

A rubric as well as an artist statement or self-reflection are used in every project.

Frank Curkovic & James McCrory

Analysing Art Work

1. DESCRIBE (What do you see?)

2. ANALYSE (How is the work organised?)

•Landscape, portrait, people, still life, animals, religious, historic, etc.•Foreground / background / middle ground•Time of day, season•Place or setting / inside or outside•Abstract / realistic•Horizontal / vertical•Old vs. modern / historic vs. contemporary•Action - what is going on?•Story?

•Line: strong, dominant, thin, directional, broken, outline, structural, curved•Colour and value: warm, cool, light, dark, solid, transparent, bright, dull, monochromatic, realistic or abstract•Texture: smooth, rough, coarse, soft•Space: perspective, foreground, middle-ground, background, point of view•Form: 2D vs 3D form on flat surface, sculptural form•Contrast, emphasis, rhythm, pattern, movement, balance, unity, repetition•How do the elements and principles of design work together?•How does the artist use the elements / principles to get your attention?•Composition

3. INTERPRET (What is happening?)

4. JUDGE (What do you think about the artwork?)

•The artwork is about...•It makes me think about...•The artist is saying...•Mood and feeling: calm, violent, sad, joyful, angry, hopeful, scared, etc.•The artists wants you to see...•The artist wants you to think about...•The artwork reminds me of...•I want to know...•If I could ask the artist a question, I would ask...•Symbols, metaphors•Meaning, context•What is the relationships between all the individual parts of the work?

•The best part of the work is...•The strengths of the work are...•The weaknesses of the work are...•The artist communicates ideas by...•I learned...•I like___because...•I dislike ___because...•I would(n’t) choose to hang this work in my room because...•Other people should study this work because...•This work has survived the test of time because...•Why do different people see and understand artwork differently?