Singapore JC Subject - Art (H2)

This course provides an in-depth study of visual arts, catering to a wide range of interests and abilities. It emphasizes developing visual literacy, critical thinking, and creative skills through art making and appreciation.

Aims

• Cultivate a deeper understanding and appreciation of visual arts within social and cultural contexts.
• Encourage experimentation and innovation through the exploration and creative use of materials and processes.
• Increase proficiency in using art and design principles to communicate ideas and concepts.
• Develop critical and analytical skills through research, exploration, and creation of artworks.
• Foster self-confidence and a sense of achievement through the practice of visual arts.
• Lay the foundation for lifelong interest in the visual arts.

Framework

The syllabus is structured under three interconnected behavioral domains:

• Perceiving: Students respond to and interpret visual images and objects, developing visual awareness and sensitivities.
• Communicating: Students express their thoughts and experiences in visual, tactile, oral, or literary forms, developing practical and process skills.
• Appreciating: Students value visual arts as a means of expression, developing aesthetic and cultural awareness.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

Perceiving:

• Record investigations comprehensively, showing inquiry through critical thinking and reflection.
• Research, analyze, and define issues/problems in light of social and cultural contexts.
• Make inferences and draw relationships between issues/problems encountered by artists and their own culture and experiences.

Communicating:

• Conceptualize and translate ideas in a distinctly personal and interpretative manner.
• Explore the expressive/representational potential of art and design principles and apply them effectively in creating artworks.
• Explore the creative use of materials and technical processes to generate innovative ideas and solutions to problems.
• Acquire an advanced level of technical competency in manipulating art media towards expressing an idea.
• Communicate the processes of art-making and responses to artworks with precise working vocabulary.

Appreciating:

• Enjoy experiences of art-making and value the unique opportunities for imaginative and innovative ideas in visual arts.
• Achieve a sense of confidence through the practice of visual arts.
• Critically appraise artists/artworks and ideas/concepts.
• Value local artworks as part of a country's history and cultural heritage.
• Develop an inquiring attitude and lifelong interest in visual arts.

Syllabus Content

The syllabus comprises two core components:

1. Studio Practice: Students create artworks, honing observation skills, learning to discriminate visual qualities, and giving form to their ideas and experiences. They explore a wide range of media and experiment with different techniques, including painting, sculpture, photography, stained glass, ceramics, installation, multimedia, and animation. Preparatory studies are an integral part of this component.

2. Study of Visual Arts: Students develop critical thinking skills through description, analysis, interpretation, and evaluation of artists and artworks. The content is organized under two broad themes:

Visual Arts and Representations:

• Realistic Representations: Focuses on the naturalistic treatment of space and forms in artworks, including super/photographic realism and surrealism. Artists include Rene Magritte, Ron Mueck, and Andreas Gursky.
• Abstract Representations: Explores geometric and expressionistic abstraction as expressive devices. Artists include Wassily Kandinsky, Jackson Pollock, and Constantin Brancusi.
• New Media Representations: Examines the use of ready-mades and other media, including time-based media like film and live performance. Artists include Marcel Duchamp, Damien Hirst, Joseph Beuys, and Nam June Paik.

Visual Arts and Society:

• About People: Explores themes of identity and relationships, ranging from literal portraits to representations of character and emotional nuances. Artists include Lucian Freud, Ng Eng Teng, and Amanda Heng.
• About Society: Focuses on social commentary, depicting socio-political, socio-economic, and socio-ecological conditions. Artists include Dede Eri Supria, Tang Da Wu, and Yue Minjun.
• About Culture: Examines cultural commentary, exploring how artists express their thoughts and concerns about culture, either as a celebration or critique. Artists include Andy Warhol, Liu Kang, Chen Wen Hsi, Georgette Chen, Tang Da Wu, Anthony Poon, Han Sai Por, and Chua Ek Kay.

Assessment

The H2 Art examination consists of two papers:

• Paper 1: Study of Visual Arts (40%): A 3-hour written paper assessing artistic perception and interpretation, cultural and aesthetic appreciation, and personal response.
• Paper 2: Coursework (60%): One coursework unit comprising a finished artwork and preparatory studies, internally assessed and externally moderated.