|
Art & Design A/AS Level/Sixth Form |
A level Art is wider and deeper than GCSE and students research ideas just as much as they develop skills. Art is a way of investigating the culture that surrounds us so at A Level, as contemporary art becomes increasingly important, students' own work gets bigger, more personal and more ambitious.
There is now a clearer division between Year 12 (AS) and Year 13 (A2), marked by an external exam at the end of the first year of Sixth Form as well as the usual exam at the end of Year 13. At Cranbrook we still run a full A Level art course that shows students' growing development as artists and designers.
The Work Journal
Students now have to keep a work journal, a combination of sketchbook and record of knowledge and ideas, i.e. coursework. Like GCSE, A Level Coursework combines Visual Research (first drawings), Contextual Studies (Critical/ Historical or artist studies), Development (what you do with the first two) and Final Pieces.
Visual Research
The major difference from GCSE is the range of materials and techniques students use for drawing (at A Level grandly called visual research), and the use of life drawings. We introduce students to sitting in front of a naked person with a pencil through life drawing weekends. These are intensive periods of work always taught by someone else. Students have someone new to learn from, new techniques and ideas to feed into coursework and the material that many will need for art school applications.
Critical/ Historical Study
Studying other artists, what they were doing and how they solved the same problems as us, underpins all art at Cranbrook. Unit 4 demands some 'sustained writing' but students make an 'art study' with visual research and analysis for each unit. They must also have first hand knowledge, i.e. actually see the work they are studying. Critical/Historical studies mean that students spend a lot of time visiting galleries and exhibitions.
Development and Final Pieces
Students are expected to think widely when they develop their ideas. At GCSE they could be content with, for instance just drawing a flower to cover the basic elements of line, tone etc. At A Level they can ask more questions as they develop their flower piece. About organic growth perhaps or how can lilies be symbols of death and rebirth? Or why are carnations used for Valentine's Day? Consequently the final pieces will be more personal, taking them into unexpected ways of making and having a greater relevance to the world outside the art room.
Course Outline
Year 12
Autumn term:
Unit 1: (Thematic Study) introduction to A Level 'foundation course': divided into two parts based around mask making, different types of drawing and what they mean, usually leading to printing. First Life Drawing weekend, accompanied trips to London Galleries.
Unit 2: (Expressive Study) work involving 3D that starts to develop students' own preferences; self-directed trips to research Contextual Studies.
Spring term:
Revisit and polish both Units 1 + 2. Life Drawing weekend, Receive paper for Unit 3: (Externally Set Title) working up to the exam.
Summer term:
Take External Exam (Unit 3), put up work for AS examination. Start A2: self-directed trips to research Contextual Studies; preliminary choice for Contextual Study title (for Unit 4); work on the set for school play
Spend Summer Holidays researching Unit 4.
Year 13
Autumn term:
Unit 4: (Contextual Study) Finalise title, work on 'sustained writing' for unit combined with relevant personal creative work; self-directed trips to research Contextual Studies; Life Drawing weekend. Some will prepare portfolios for Art School interviews
Spring term:
Unit 5: (Problem Solving Study) own choice of subject for study; Life Drawing weekend; self-directed trips to research Contextual Studies; Art School interviews for some; finish all Coursework; public Coursework exhibition; receive Exam Paper.
Summer term:
Unit 6: (Externally Set Exam) take A2 exam just before half term. After half term exhibit all 6 Units for external examination.
|
