Visual Arts as a subject provides for various interpretations of the visual arts that are both contemporary and relevant.
Visual Arts has a significant role within the curriculum through providing learning opportunities designed to encourage students to understand the visual arts, including the different kinds of creative works they, and others, make.
Visual Arts fosters interest and enjoyment in the making and studying of art. Visual Arts builds understanding of the role of art, in all forms of media, in contemporary and historical cultures and visual worlds. In contemporary societies many kinds of knowledge are increasingly managed through imagery and visual codes and much of students’ knowledge is acquired in this way. Visual Arts empowers students to engage in visual forms of communication. The subject of Visual Arts serves to facilitate an interpretation and organisation of such information.
Faculty aim/objectives
Through effective teaching and learning, students’ knowledge of the visual arts can become increasingly complex, more reflective and authoritative over time. This syllabus encourages students to become informed, interested and active citizens as participants in, and consumers of, the visual arts and contemporary culture. It encourages the creative and confident use of technologies including traditional and contemporary art forms and emerging applications in Information and Communication Technologies and digital media.
The content of Visual Arts provides opportunities for students to investigate the field of visual arts in complex and rich ways. Opportunities to investigate practice in the visual arts contribute to students’ creative and interpretive achievements and the works they produce. These opportunities lead to greater understanding of the field of art through critical and historical studies. Such a focus also offers practical and theoretical insights into some of the post-schooling opportunities available to students, in tertiary, vocational and world of work settings.
The aim of the visual arts syllabus is to enable students to:
- develop and enjoy practical and conceptual autonomy in their abilities to represent ideas in the visual arts
- understand and value the different beliefs that affect meaning and significance
Faculty structure
After successful completion of the Stage 4 and 5 course, students are encouraged to elect to study Visual Arts in Years 11 and 12 (Stage 6).
Other opportunities for students include:
Visual design
Visual Design provides opportunities for students to enjoy making and studying Visual Design artworks and to become informed about and understand the contemporary art world. Students learn to make visual design artworks using a range of materials and techniques in print, object and space forms, ICT, building a folio of work over time.
Photography and Digital Media
Student requirements
- All students require a Visual Arts Diary.
- BYOD (Bring your own device) is strongly encouraged
- A USB drive to store images and artworks.
Extracurricular activities
Student artwork is regularly exhibited within the school. Competitions and exhibitions are sought throughout the year based on accessibility.