Visual Arts: Contemporary Issues and the Visual Arts

It is expected that students will:

Elements and Principles
Creating/Performing/Communicating

create/perform a work of art demonstrating an awareness and experience of several of the basic elements and principles of the discipline used
create/perform a work of art demonstrating the use of the basic elements and principles of the discipline to communicate specific ideas, moods, or feelings
create/perform a work of art demonstrating the use of strategies for developing an artistic image or idea

Perceiving/Responding/Reflecting

develop the vocabulary for the discipline studied
identify, describe, analyse, interpret, and make judgements about the basic elements and principles as used in a variety of art works

Personal, Social, Cultural, Historical Contexts
Creating/Performing/Communicating

create/perform a work of art that reflects an understanding of the impact of social/cultural/historical contexts
create/perform a work of art that communicates specific beliefs/traditions in response to historical/contemporary issues

Perceiving/Responding/Reflecting

identify, describe, and analyse cultural or historical styles as represented in a variety of art works
critique a work of art relating its content to the context in which it was created
describe or demonstrate how a specific work of art supports/challenges specific beliefs/traditions, or responds to historical/contemporary issues

Expressing our Humanity
Creating/Performing/Communicating

create/perform a work of art expressing the students' own ideas, thoughts, or feelings
create or perform a work of art for a specific public need (e.g., advertising, public ceremony, or social cause)

Perceiving/Responding/Reflecting

identify, describe, analyse, interpret, and make judgements about how ideas, thoughts, feelings, or messages are communicated in a variety of others' art works
examine the tensions between public acceptance and personal expression in the art discipline being studied

Have students:

use a variety of strategies, such as fragmenting, distorting, combining, or simplifying
examine everyday objects in order to identify or describe:
- the relationship between form and function
- the structure of the object
- perspective
- expressive qualities
- real and invented context
use themes from current events to create artwork that expresses their personal beliefs
use memory and imagination to create artwork that evokes an emotional response
research their own family or cultural history, and create an artwork that tells a story
use an example from art history to create an artwork that interprets history in an original way
study a theme from art history to understand the influence of the elements and principles of design on an image
research artworks on themes similar to their own
use poetry, lyrics, or descriptions as a theme for developing and creating personal imagery that unites word and image
discuss the work of others, to develop fluency in the use of vocabulary of the elements and principles of design
study propaganda or the influence of the media, and then create a group piece that demonstrates their collective opinion on a social issue
combine found images, demonstrating the effective use of the elements and principles of design
research the historical development of an art material
role-play the job of a curator selecting works for exhibition

Use students' journals or sketchbooks as a record of their progress.
Interview students to discover their understanding of their own creative process.
Through reference to anecdotal records, assess students' contribution and commitment to a group experience.
Conduct critiques so that students can reach conclusions about the effectiveness of the thematic works viewed. The critiques could consider:
- the artist's intent
- the social or cultural milieu in which the artwork was created
- the effective use of compositional devices
- the creative response to a theme
Have students use prose or poetry to summarize their artistic intentions in an artist's statement to accompany their work.
Have students revisit earlier efforts in order to compare and contrast changes in:
- fluency in image development
- technical skill and confidence
- their articulation of ideas
- their understanding of theme
Have students evaluate their completed projects with reference to their success in making an original and effective visual comment on a theme.
Assess students' defence of the choices they made for work to be included in an exhibition.

Province of British Columbia
Ministry of Education
Curriculum Branch

Revised: April 1995