Visual Arts IB

Art involves the making of objects that, through representing and expressing your ideas, helps you to make sense of your experience.

The language of art complements the literary, mathematical, scientific and factually based subjects as it is especially concerned with the complex mental processes involved in visual perception and aesthetic awareness.

For some experiences there are literally no words. When you use visual imagery you are not creating pictures of ideas which could be better expressed in words. You are formulating ideas using an essentially visual language. In the words of the artist Paul Klee, 'Having learned the language, the student should then use it to communicate his/her own vision.'

You will be expected to research your visual ideas independently and this will reveal your strengths in investigation, persistence, imagination, creative thinking and expression. This research will complement your studio work where you will acquire skills to enable you to produce work of quality. Students have experimented with a variety of media including screen printing, block relief printing, photography, painting with acrylics and oils and exploring 3D using clay, plaster and mixed media, metal and card. You will be encouraged to talk about your work at every stage of the course.

The course will be structured to include a variety of experiences which will involve visits to local artists, art galleries and museums, studying art from different cultures to your own as well as visiting major art exhibitions.

Students are encouraged to meet and study the work of local artists and recent experiences have included a discussion with conceptual textile artist Deanna Tyson and visiting Cambridge Open Studios. A regular feature of the sixth form course involves a printmaking workshop at the Curwen Print Studio in Linton. Students also made the most of having excellent museums locally and they have visited The Fitzwilliam Museum and Kettles Yard Gallery to support their course. In addition they were encouraged to keep up to date with the latest London exhibitions and visits were made to both The Tate Modern and Tate Britain. At higher land standard level the programme consists of two parts, both of which are compulsory:

A Studio (practical) work

This will include opportunities for the structured learning of the basic elements of art and design and for wide-ranging personal research of a more experimental nature.

B Research work

This will encourage adventurous and critical research. At each level students will have studio work and research workbooks in their course, although the emphasis on each will be different.

IB

Aims and assessmentobjectives are the same at both HL and SL.

The course content for HL and SL may be the same but due to different amounts of time available for each student at HL, they have a greater opportunity to develop skills and ideas to produce a greater body of work and work of greater depth. Assessment criteria are differentiated according to option and level.

International Baccalaureate subject grades range from 7 (best) to 1 (lowest).

IB Diploma pass ranges from total 45 points (maximum achievable ) to 24 points (minimum pass with 12 points across higher subjects)

It is not necessary to have taken GCSE Art or equivalent but it is advantageous to have done so.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme We require at least seven GCSEs with an average of Grade 6, including English Language and Maths. For subjects you wish to take at higher level you will need at least a grade 6. International Baccalaureate Career Programme We require at least five subjects at GCSE grade 5 or higher, ideally including Mathematics and English and preferably with a grade 5 in your area of specialism. Strong interest in the vocational BTEC subject will need to be in evidence at the guidance meeting.

Art as further degree orlink with architecture, graphic design, fashion marketing, photography