NATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS CURRICULUM SUPPORT

Art and Design

Expressive with Critical

A Guide for Practitioners

[NATIONAL 4;

NATIONAL 5;

HIGHER]

The Scottish Qualifications Authority regularly reviews the arrangements for National Qualifications. Users of all NQ support materials, whether published by Education Scotland or others, are reminded that it is their responsibility to check that the support materials correspond to the requirements of the current arrangements.

Acknowledgement

The publisher gratefully acknowledges permission to use the following sources: Matta images: ‘The Earth is a Man’, 1942 and ‘A Grave Situation’, 1946 both © ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2012; Shawn Barber images: ‘Android’, ‘At Work’ and ‘Isea’ all © Shawn Barber 2011; Rene Gagnon images © Rene Gagnon image of Wells House (2010) and image of Blackstock Estate (2005 both by Matt Small © Claudio Ethos images © Claudio Ethos; image ‘Covered Cairn’ by Chris Drury © Photograph Alfio Bonanno; image ‘Cloud Pool Chamber’ by Chris Drury, Cloud Pool Chamber, 2008; logs from Donner Memorial State Park, Truckee, CA, installed at the Nevada Museum of Art; (No longer extant.) © Chris Drury, photography by Dean Burton; image of Calva, Iona by FCB Cadell and image of The Shore at Calva, Iona both courtesy of Portland Gallery, London; image ‘Red Chair’ by Rosemary Beaton © Rosemary Beaton; Greg Gossel images Jimi2 and Obsession 1 both © Greg Gossel; De Kooning images ‘The Attic’ and ‘Two Figures in a Landscape’ both © The Willem de Kooning Foundation, New York/ARS, NY and DACS, London 2012.

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Contents

Introduction4

Course overview5

Stage information7

Examples of artist (investigation)13

Examples of artists (development)14

Classroom activity17

Collaborative work19

Curriculum for Excellence21

Possible home learning tasks23

Possible class task26

Andy Goldsworthy27

Chris Drury28

EXPRESSIVE WITH CRITICAL (NAT 4/5/H, ART AND DESIGN)1

© Crown copyright 2012

INTEGRATION OF CRITICAL AND PRACTICAL ACTIVITY

Introduction

This advice and guidance provides suggestions for approachesto learning and teaching for thenew National 4 and National 5 Art and Design course. It provides a suggested way of teaching the course and includes slightly different approaches to the traditional way of composing and presenting folios. These materialscould be interpreted and adapted to fit any practitioner’spreferred specialisms or interests.

The guidance covers a full range of contemporary artists and should help as a catalyst for practitionersto develop new approaches. This will enable your learners to become confident individuals, successful learners, effective contributors and responsible citizens.

The document containslinks to interesting and useful websites that will hopefully excite learners and spark a keen interest and discussion in the course. We hope you will find these materials a useful support in developing your classroom practice.

Course overview

Resource 1: National 4/5

Nature trail/Urban exploration

Stage 1

Skills: Gather/resource/record/investigate

Learners should gather a variety of materials. Suggestions are: stone, wood, plants, shells, weeds, grass, leaves, beach, flotsam and jetsam.

Stage 2

Learners could commence sketching, noting and drawing, as well as taking rubbings and photos, and making collages of individual gathered items. This will give scope for developing a range of learning and teaching strategies, and integration of critical activities to the course, examples of which are on the following pages.

Stage 3

Skills: bind/connect/join/construct/create/build/develop

Within a defined space, learners could make a sculpture or three-dimensional relief/arrangement.

Stage4

Skills: Represent/capture/depict

Learners could create drawings of various sizes from A5 to A3 using a variety of materials emphasising texture/surface quality. There could be an option here to work in black &white or in colour.

Consider different materials and prepared surfaces for individual items within the overall composition.

Stage5

Skill: Present

Learners may complete afinal piece supported by sketches anda visual diary (sketchbook or boards).

Stage information

Stage 1

Investigation

In the beginning learners gather items from around the house, back garden, surrounding parks or during possible day trips with the art department (if this is feasible).

Practitioners can begin to demonstrate the process and relevance of this stage by looking at contemporary environmental artists such as:

  • Andy Goldsworthy
  • Chris Drury
  • the Boyle family
  • Chris Booth.

On the Education Scotland website Charles Jencks’work is extremely useful, with many extra resources, and could be a usefulstarting point for learner discussions.

Learners may workindividually, in pairs, groups or as a class at this point to discuss the working methods, approach, techniques and meaning of theirchosen artist’s work. Perhaps learners will identify with a specific artist’s use of materials, which will in turn influence their folio/sketchbook of work.

The whole course can be interpreted in each establishmentaccording to staffexpertise and enthusiasms.

Stage 2

Investigation

This is where the investigation stage will begin to take shape and practitionerswill have the chance to show a variety of specialisms,for example illustration, painting etc.

Learners should have the opportunity to look at a range of current artists.

In the investigation stage learners have the chance to use the primary materials pencil, pen, pen and wash, charcoal etc. Obviously many practitionershave preferred techniques and can provide other alternatives learners can try.

As learners progress through this assortment of techniques,practitionerscould reinforce the learning by discussing the work of artists appropriate to the skill being used, for example:

M.C.Escher,

Escher had a unique style. He incorporated the fantasy of Monet, the logic and precision of Michelangelo, the perspective and three-dimensional vision of Wright and the patterns of the Moors into his own woodcuts, lithographs and drawings. He created impossible worlds and outlandish creatures. His inspiration, the Moors of Alhambra, Spain, lead him to create wonderful tessellations of people, animals and geometric shapes. The approach to his work could easily be translated into the investigation/development stage of this unit. An instance of this wouldbe his surface drawings, in particular looking at his own reflections.

Kit French,

Born in Cork,Ireland, in 1986, Kit French started painting at a young age. He always had a passionate interest in art. Mainly fascinated by portraiture, this led him to join the Charles H Cecil Studios in Florence, Italy, where he studied Portraiture from 2005 to 2008. This studio offers a very intensive approach to figurative and portrait painting. Since leaving Italy he has been working at his studio doing commissioned portraits, based in Cork, building up a large body of work.His subject is mainly portraiture-based but his approach and soft pastel work could be looked at and be introduced into an S4/5/6 folio of work.
Demonstration of a new artistic technique merging the best qualities of two artistic mediums: oil painting and colour pencil.This could be an excellent technique to use if practitioners wish learners to try marrying different materials, allowing development of work.
A demonstration of layering colour with illustration markers (prismacolor) and colour pencils.Again, useful in the development of learners’work.
This artist’s website hostsnumerous international ballpoint pen works in various styles and techniques.Pen is a material many younger learners enjoy using and is a natural technique that could be used in the investigation phase of folio or sketchbook work.

Practitioners should also take the opportunity to take classes outside and draw from life. Learners could make individual studies of objects associated with themes. A range of different investigative techniques can be gathered as well as homework and class work, for example:

  • sketches
  • longer, more detailed studies
  • photographs (which can later be manipulated using Photoshop to use for further drawing and painting studies)
  • rubbings
  • audio recordings
  • videos.

Further on in this document there will be critical resources that will break down the work of these artists to help enhance/buildlearner knowledge and understanding.

The initial work will be supported by regular homework tasks, critical and practical, that should involve the use of technology,for example websites, PowerPoint, Photoshop, Image Ready. All of which should promote active learning.

Scottish artists we could use:

Francis Campbell Cadell

Cadell’s work could have a positive effect on any candidate.

These examples are relevant to the Expressive – development stage.

Practitioners could use this work as reference, pointing out the brightness and pure colours used. The two main factors to draw attention too, are the fact that regardless of when Cadell painted there is real elegance and optimism in his painting. This is extremely relevant to how learners approach their own work, how the colours and style they use reflect their mood and outlook at the time it was created. Hormones obviously have a major influence on teenagers decisions everyday and this can be linked to Cadell’s personal style.

Rosemary Beaton

Beaton combines both amazing drawing skills with a fun individual colour style. Inspirational for young people, her recent work includes studies of Andy Murray which would appeal to a younger audience due to his celebrity status.

Elizabeth Blackadder

Again, relevant to both the Expressive Investigation & Development stage.

Elizabeth is probably best known for her still life compositions using many oriental objects and her cats. She used a variety of mediums such as watercolour and printmaking and has won countless awards. This could inspire children to concentrate on quality and attention to detail. Elizabeth Blackadder uses flat backgrounds which enables the viewers eye to look much more closely at the particulars.

Alison Watt

Relevant to any stage in S3-6, Standard Grade/ Intermediate/Higher/Advanced Higher course

Alison Watt is a world renowned Scottish artist. Teachers could specifically use her work produced in the exhibition ‘Shift’ in 2000. These huge works are almost abstract but look in depth at bends and folds in quilts or fabric. This could easily be interpreted into a lesson in still life or Portraiture.

Stage 3

Development

Learners have a chance here to use a much more hands-on approach testing their problem-solving skills, and expression of ideas. This will push learners to be more creative and provide an alternative to the traditional ‘sit and draw’ approach. Practitionerscould alsoconsider a range of techniques in response to looking at the work of different sculptors and three-dimensional artists.

Learners can construct these reliefs/arrangements using a range of art materials such string, rope and wire as well as found objects like weeds, twigs,grass etc.

Again this will be supported with relevant homework tasks appropriate to the stage of the project.

Stage 4

Development/final phase

Learners will produce a variety of work that links to the environmental or urban theme for display on boards or sketchbooks that can be easily sent to SQA.

This work will focus more on tone and colour development supported by an in-depth look at the work of relevant, contemporary artists. Again, the work will take in a range of different materials and compositions, as well as consideration of prepared surfaces.

The development has to be the most important area of this course;learners have an opportunity to demonstrate their process using notes, video, sound recordings and/or PowerPoint. The use of technology could be a key element of the learner’s experience in this subject.

Examples of artist (investigation)

The following are examples learners can use to investigate techniques used by Contemporary Artists:

  • Willem De Kooning

De Kooning’s work is a fine example of experimental art which could be used in the process of this course’s practical work. Learners could try using mixed media and work more loosely and freely. De Kooning is an excellent starting point to introduce learners to new ways of approaching course work. This will hopefully illustrate to learners that the process is just as important as the final result.

Examples of artists (development)

  • Roberto Matta –

Roberto Matta is another exciting artist who would help demonstrate alternative development work for S4/5/6 course work. Matta’s pieces could be good examples to use for development work highlighting his use of bright luminous coloursand his exciting, almost dreamlike, compositions.

  • Shawn Barber –

Shawn Barber is a Contemporarytattoo artist working in Los Angeleswhois mostly known for his portrait work. His explosive colours and dripping paintworkare attimes almost abstract. This is bound to get many learnersexcited and motivated as his work features many famous television personalities, such as tattoo artists Cat Von D and Kim Saigh.

  • Jonathan Darby –

Johnathan Darby’s art links to Simon Birch, with his prepared surfaces. Darby takes his work to another level using much harder surfaces, such as wood and metal, burning it, scraping it, gluing and printing it onto a surface before painting on top. Again, this could be very useful technique to introduce learners to during the investigation or development stagesor for a larger final piece.

  • Rene Cagnon –

Rene Cagnon is an urban graffiti artist who is influenced by abstract and expressionist art. This could be an option for learners to use in the development of their work. Spray paint may be difficult to obtain but the use of dripping and bright colours could give class work a different look from the traditional work we see in folios. Learnerscould use stencils or water down paint to give a different effect.

  • Matt Small –

Matt Small is another artist who uses paint and works messily. There is a great emphasis on texture and the application of mediain his pieces. Small uses both brushes and palette knives to great effect, which could have a wonderful influence on learners’ work.

Greg Gossel –

Greg Gossel is an American graphic artist who uses prepared surfaces as well as silk screen printingand lettering. He delves deep into words as descriptions of people and places, as shown in the examples of his work above. The potential is there for learners to look at this and understand the importance of putting their own stamp/style into their work.

  • Claudio Ethos –

Claudio Ethos’s work is interesting in that it is always presented in various and unusual places. This could be a possible option for a final piece or development work, which would also bring the option of photographing work.

Critical evaluation of these works will be used to ensureknowledge and understanding.

Classroom activity

Caroline Burraway (both charcoal and chalk)

Caroline Burraway is a London-based artist who creates large-scale charcoal work. She confronts the grim reality of death and the fact that society wants to ignore people who are unwell in the population. These images are created from videos she took of terminally-ill patients.

Study the work of Caroline Burraway. In your group consider the following:

Line, tone, mood, texture and form

What do you notice about thesevisual elements?

What is the purpose of this artist’s work?

How does the artist convey this purpose?

What is your opinion of the work?

Does the artist’s work prompt anemotional response in you, ie how does it make you feel?

Stage 5

Solution/final

Depending on how work should be displayed forSQA assessment purposes, learners will finalise their work, mount it and present it.

Learners will also be asked to select and discuss an artist who relates to and has influenced the process of their work.

Collaborative work

Learners could use the examples below to interpret an understanding of an artist’s working methods, varying techniques and the meaning of their work.

Example 1

  • List the materials the artist has used.
  • Is the material light or heavy? Give reasons why you think the artist has used this material.
  • Describe the surface and texture of the piece.
  • Is the piece outside or inside?Why do you think the artist has placed it here?
  • Do weather conditions play any part in how it looks visually?
  • What do you admire about the artist’s work and why?

Learners could possibly work in groups discussing these key points along with images of the chosen piece at home or in class.

OR

The practitionermay wish to present this as a PowerPoint discussion using the white board and involving the whole class.

Example 2

If your establishmenthas the facilities,for example Glow, a blog could be createdthat allows learners to discuss work online in class and at home. Practitionersand learners can present different topics in which they can discusshomework/challenges/discoveries.The blog can have manydifferent attributes, including audio and/or videoimages.Using a blog might enableparents to becomeinvolved in the learning process. Current working artists could be invited by the school to give their views and talk about their practices.

Recommended websites for practitionersand learners:


Example3 – Interdisciplinary learning

There is an opportunity for interdisciplinary learning between this course and work in English and computing studies.

English

Links could be set up with the English department to focus on presentation.For example, in groups or individually, learners couldpresent findings they have gatheredin their group tasks or homework. The English courses develop the skills of talking and listening and could incorporate environmental art or urban exploration as a project. By revisiting learners’ work from an English perspective practitioners can enrich the learning and promote: