§-Visual Arts syllabus
WA · SCSA← Visual Arts
Visual Arts syllabus, dot point by dot point
Every dot point in the WA Visual Arts syllabus, with a focused answer for each. Click any dot point for a worked explainer, past exam questions and links to related points.
Unit 3: Commentaries
Module overview →How does knowing the art movement or style behind a work help a viewer interpret its meaning and purpose?
Use of knowledge of art movements, styles and contemporary practice as context for interpreting the meaning and purpose of artworks
How do students compare artworks from different times and places to make informed judgements about meaning and purpose?
Comparison of artworks representative of a range of art forms from various times and places, taking account of formal concerns and contextual factors
How do artists transform initial inquiry into a unique and cohesive body of work that comments on contemporary society?
Conceptualisation and documentation of experiences within contemporary society to develop a unique and cohesive body of work through inquiry
How do students document their thinking and working practices so that markers can see the development behind a body of work?
Documentation of thinking and working practices, recording the progressive resolution of ideas in a visual diary or design folio
How do students generate, test and refine an inquiry question that can carry a whole body of social commentary?
Generation and refinement of a focused inquiry question or concept about contemporary society that can sustain a unique and cohesive body of work
How do deliberate choices of media, technique and process strengthen the social commentary in a resolved body of work?
Manipulation and refinement of media, materials, techniques, technologies and processes to communicate intended meaning in a resolved body of work
How do artists use research into other practitioners to inform and deepen their own commentary on contemporary society?
Research, analysis and interpretation of artists, artworks and art forms that comment on social and cultural concerns, using analytical frameworks to inform personal art making
How do exploration, experimentation and risk-taking move an inquiry from first ideas toward innovative resolved artwork?
Use of the creative process through exploration, experimentation and risk-taking to develop innovative approaches to art making
How do the different roles artists play in society shape the commentary their artwork makes?
Consideration of the roles of artists in different societies, such as hero, outsider, commentator and social critic, and how these shape meaning
How do analytical frameworks let students interpret the social and cultural meaning of artworks in the written examination?
Application of art language and analytical frameworks to analyse and interpret meaning, context and audience response in artworks for the written examination
How do the elements and principles of art, symbols and conventions work as a visual language to carry social commentary?
Use of visual language, including the elements and principles of art, symbols and conventions, to communicate ideas in a body of work
Unit 4: Points of View
Module overview →How do step-based frameworks such as STICI and Feldman scaffold a reliable analysis of an unseen artwork under exam conditions?
Application of step-based critical analysis frameworks, such as STICI and Feldman, to analyse and interpret unseen artworks systematically
How do different audiences construct different readings of the same artwork, and why?
Analysis of the relationship between artwork, audience and contextual factors, and how these contribute to different audience readings and perspectives
How do the commentaries of critics, historians and theorists open up further meanings in artworks?
Use of critical perspectives from critics, historians and theorists to extend understanding of the meaning and purpose of artworks
How do curatorial and display decisions shape the way an audience reads a presented body of work?
Curatorial and presentation decisions, including sequencing, spacing and display, that shape audience reading of a body of work
How do artists identify a personal concern and sustain inquiry into it to communicate an authentic point of view?
Identification of concepts or issues of personal significance and sustained inquiry to communicate an authentic and articulate personal point of view
How do drawing and recording skills underpin the development of ideas in a sustained body of work?
Use of drawing and recording skills to observe, generate and develop ideas as the foundation of a sustained body of work
How do context and the cultural and postmodern frames change the meaning a viewer takes from an artwork?
Interpretation of artworks through context and the cultural and postmodern frames to account for differing audience readings and points of view
How do reflection, self-evaluation and a clear artist statement communicate the intentions behind a body of work?
Reflection on and critical evaluation of one's own art making, and communication of intentions through an artist statement
How do time, place, culture, religion and politics shape the points of view expressed in and read from artworks?
Research and analysis of contextual factors such as time, place, culture, religion and politics that shape points of view in artworks
How do resolution and considered presentation turn a sustained inquiry into a complete and convincing body of work?
Resolution, refinement and considered presentation of a sustained body of work so that the personal point of view is communicated effectively to an audience
How do students synthesise research and influences into a personal position that is genuinely their own?
Synthesis of research, influences and contextual knowledge to express an authentic and articulate personal viewpoint or position
How do the subjective and structural frames produce different but complementary interpretations of an artwork?
Application of the subjective and structural frames to interpret personal response and the way an artwork is constructed and signifies
How do students plan and write extended analytical responses that argue a clear position about artworks under examination conditions?
Construction of structured, evidence-based extended responses that analyse and interpret artworks and sustain an argued position in the written examination