Generating written evidence in Art & Design

Generating written evidence in Art & Design Why, What and How ?

Benefits of writing activitiesThey can help candidates : • document the depth & breadth of their learning activities; • maintain a record of progression in their learning; • communicate what they have discovered more fully and clearly to others; • organise their research so that they can direct and re-direct their enquiries; • raise issues & questions to identify promising or unusual lines of enquiry;

Benefits of writing activitiesThey can help candidates : • work out or speculate upon particular aspects of their work in order to consolidate and deepen knowledge & understanding; • refer back to what they have learned so that this can be built upon and, where appropriate, transferred to a new context; • draw together findings from different sources to summarise progress and look for possible connections to new learning;

Benefits of writing activitiesThey can help candidates : • generate innovative thoughts and ideas; • refine skills of creative and critical thinking, analysis and synthesis; • reflect upon, review and evaluate the processes and outcomes of their learning.

Purposes & Formats FOR PLANNING Purpose to initiate and generate ideas to gather, sort, classify, organise, select, propose Formats Notes/jottings Bullet points Spider graphs Mind maps Writing frames

Purposes & Formats FOR NARRATING Purpose To recount a sequence of real or imagined events e.g. visit to an exhibition or gallery, meeting (real or imagined) with an artist, craftworker or designer, trip to fashion show. Formats Recounts, letters, diaries, transcripts, playscripts, newspaper/magazine articles, poems, autobiography, biography

Purposes & Formats FOR DESCRIBING Purpose to give an account of, or comparing & contrasting the main features of something, such as the painting techniques used by an artist Formats Reports, brochures, posters, catalogues, pamphlets, newsletters, leaflets.

Purposes & Formats FOR EXPLAINING Purpose To indicate why or how something is successful or unsuccessful e.g artefact, building or design Formats Annotated investigations, essays, scripts for oral presentations or interviews, talks to peers or younger audience

Purposes & Formats FOR INSTRUCTING Purpose to set out a series of actions to be followed e.g. to produce a print, in working in a particular technique. Formats List of procedures, manuals, instructional booklets

Purposes & Formats FOR EVALUATING Purpose to present an overview of the qualities of/critical response to, something such as an exhibition Formats reviews, logs, journals, reports, essays, newspaper/magazine articles, presentation to peer group

Purposes & Formats FOR PERSUADING Purpose to present a particular point of view or argument in support of something e.g. the purchase of a public work of art. Formats letters to newspapers, editorials, email to local radio station, presentations to a committee, speech scripts, adverts, pamphlets.

Purposes & Formats FOR DISCUSSING Purpose to present differing points of view and both sides of an argument and come to a conclusion on a topic or issue, such as the funding of an arts project. Formats reviews, evaluation reports, presentation notes for discussion group, powerpoint.

Subject specific language is KEY • Candidates need to get lots of practise • They need help to understand the specialist vocabulary. • They need to hear it, see and use it. Find ways to connect the words to the work. Motivation • Establish non-threatening ways to encourage verbal and written responses. • Avoid ditching the practical work – integrate – not replace. • Embed good creative practise into a practical subject • Share the big picture so candidates understand the GCSE process and the purpose of written responses in relation to assessment objectives ( help them to gain ownership of their work). • Use marked GCSE units helps to model standards, processes and ideas. • Integrate critical writing/review into learning via starters and plenaries - plan them and build up a resource bank

Possible model for appraising a work of art based on Rod Taylor‘s CSAE project A work of art may be considered from 4 standpoints CONTENT, FORM, PROCESS, MOOD This has the potential to develop a wide range of personal responses through questioning and discussion. The model could be extended and adapted to cover examples of craft, design, architecture and sustained investigation of several different examples and across a group of artists.

CONTENT • What is the subject matter of the work? • Has the subject matter been selected as a matter of interest in itself or for the purpose of expressing social, moral, religious or political concerns of the artist or patron? • Was the subject observed at first hand or from memory or imagination? • How has the artist interpreted the subject matter - representationally or with exaggeration, distortion or abstraction?

CONTENT • What do you think the artist’s reasons might be for treating it like this ? • Is the subject matter meant to be taken at face value or are there hidden meanings such as symbols, double meanings, metaphors in the work which are not immediately evident? • Has the artist used similar subject matter in other paintings and, if so, how do they compare? • Have other artists used similar subject matter and, if so, what comparisons & contrasts can be made?

FORM • How have things in the painting been arranged - are they orderly, busy, chaotic? • Is the arrangement in keeping with the images portrayed or is at odds with them in some way? • What kind of colour scheme has the artist chosen? • Is it harmonious or discordant? • Does one colour dominate are there several of fairly equal significance?

FORM • Is there a shape which predominates or is the composition made up of combinations of inter-related shapes? • Are there recurring shapes, lines, rhythms, forms which determine the design of the work? • Does the work have a unified texture or is there a variety of different textures ? • Does the painting hold together as a unified whole or are there parts which you think are better than others?

PROCESS • What materials, processes, tools and techniques were used to produce the work? • Have you used similar materials and techniques and, if so, how does your handling of these compare with that which you see in the painting? • In what setting do you think the work was painted and what effect might this have had on the outcome? • How did the artist start out on this work?

PROCESS • Try to describe, from start to finish, the different stages which the artist went through in order to produce this work. • What research might the artist have undertaken in preparing to produce it? • Did the artist work slowly or quickly and how long did it take to produce the final painting? • What particular skills can you identify in the work?

MOOD • As you take time to look at the work, what impression does it have on you? • Does it capture a mood, feeling or emotion that you have experienced before? • What sort of feelings does it convey to you personally about life? • What might the artist have felt when producing this work? • Is the painting quiet, contemplative, soothing to the senses or does it have the opposite effect?

MOOD • For what kind of setting or what kind of person would the painting be most suited? • Are your feelings about the painting likely to pass quickly or is it something that will have a lasting impression on you? • What qualities does the painting have which may affect the mood of someone? • If you were trying to create this mood what sort of painting might you produce?

Engaging with a work of art/craft/design • Candidates need to develop the ability to ‘engage’ with works of art/craft/design by being prepared to devote thought, time and energy to study them through ‘sustained and focused investigations’ so that they can respond and relate to them personally. • To successfully communicate their ideas, they should understand the meanings of the visual methods and approaches they themselves use, as well as be able to analyse those used by others.

Engaging with a work of art/craft/design • They also need to demonstrate understanding of the different contexts in which particular artefacts were originally made and are currently being considered. • Candidates must show that they are able to compare and contrast works of art/craft/design produced in different cultures and contexts and evaluate the way in which these influence meaning and interpretation.

Generating written evidence in Art & Design