Visual Arts

OVERVIEW

The art department aims to produce well-rounded, confident and actively-involved students who enjoy becoming life-long learners. We maintain high expectations and encourage excellence, innovation and integrity. Curiosity and exploration of a range of media helps to develop visual literacy and aesthetic awareness as students manipulate and transform visual, tactile and spatial ideas to solve problems.

Visual art is a powerful form of expression that recognises, values and contributes to the unique bi-cultural and multi-cultural character of New Zealand. Students bring their own experiences, share their responses and generate multiple interpretations of the visual world around them. This is all done in a vibrant, stimulating, educational and fun environment.

COURSES

Year 9 Art – this one-term course builds practical skills and knowledge through drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture and design. Students are introduced to visual literacy and a range of artist models to help build an understanding of art.

Year 10 Art – this two-term course extends upon the practical skills learnt in year 9 and prepares students for NCEA level 1. The students generate and develop ideas through drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture and design. They are introduced to a range of national and international artist models. They learn how to unpick and interpret artworks and use this knowledge to create their own unique style.

NCEA Level 1 Art – this is a full-year NCEA Level 1, 24 credit course. The achievement standards include both internal and external components:

• AS90018 Research art and artworks from Māori and European traditions and their context(s).
• AS90019 Use drawing processes and procedures.
• AS90020 Generate and develop ideas in making artworks.
• AS90021 Extend ideas in media and techniques to produce new work.

The students study their local environment and undertake several field trips. Visual literacy and analysis are explored in depth and students are encouraged to develop their own unique style for the two panel folio boards. This course prepares students for NCEA Level 2.

NCEA Level 2 Art – at this level the students begin to specialise in certain fields. We offer 24 credits at level 2 photography, design and painting.

Painting

• 90233 Research information, methods and ideas in the context of a drawing study in painting
• 90476 Generate and develop ideas using drawing processes and procedures in a selected form of painting.
• 90479 Produce a body of work within painting to show an understanding of art-making methods and ideas.

Photography

• 90471 Research information, methods and ideas in the context of a drawing study in Photography.
• 90477 Generate and develop ideas using drawing processes and procedures in a selected form of photography.
• 90480 Produce a body of work within photography to show understanding of art-making methods and ideas.

Design

• 90474 Research information, methods and ideas in the context of a drawing study in design.
• 90475 Generate and develop ideas using drawing processes and procedures in a selected form of design.
• 90235 Produce a body of work within design to show understanding of art-making methods and ideas.

This course requires high level of creative thinking, critical analysis and purposeful decision making. This course leads on to NCEA Level 3 respectively.

NCEA Level 3 Art – students continue to specialise in a certain field. A high level of independence is required at this level as the students design their own pathways. This course prepares students for tertiary education and employment in the creative industry.

• Research and analyse approaches within established design, painting and photography practice
• Investigate and use ideas and methods in the context of a drawing study in design, painting and photography.
• Produce original work within design, painting and photography to show extensive knowledge of art-making methods and ideas 14

Yr 13 Art history – this course involves the study of the past through the examination of the visual arts, including architecture, sculpture, fibre arts, painting, photography and printmaking, the decorative arts and design. These are placed within their social and artistic contexts and situated within a wider cultural and historical framework.

• 90492 Examine media and processes
• 90493 Examine a theory and its role in art
• 90494 Investigate an art issue
• 90490 Analyse style in art
• 90491 Describe the meaning of iconographic motif
• 90495 Examine the context of an art movement

A work of art is above all an adventure of the mind. - Eugene Ionesco

Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it, we go nowhere. - Carl Sagan

Art is the signature of civilizations. - Beverly Sills