The Art Practice

VCE Art Creative Practice is founded on models of art practice and inquiry. Students undertake a series of iterative learning experiences to question, investigate, connect, create, discuss, analyse, and reflect on their art-making. Art practices involve students making, critically thinking, and responding as artists and viewers. Art practices may include but are not limited to the representation, interpretation and presentation of artworks to support a conceptual and practical application and understanding of materials, techniques and processes. Art practice uses visual conventions that are informed by a variety of contexts and are guided by viewpoints, encouraging deep learning and developing students’ skills in critical and creative thinking.

In this study the Creative Practice is an iterative process that is integral to the conceptualisation, development and making of artworks. The Creative Practice is comprised of four components that are based on art practice and Experiential, Inquiry and Project-based learning. These components are:

VCE Art Creative Practice incorporates three approaches to inquiry through art practice: Experiential learning, Inquiry learning and Project-based learning. These approaches echo the thinking and actions inherent in art making and mirror the practices of artists in different cultures and periods of time.

Experiential learning guides the students through a series of experiences in Making and Responding to art. Students reflect on their experiences and conceptualise the ideas evoked by their experiences. They experiment with and expand upon these ideas in their art practice.

Inquiry learning is an active process of exploration and experimentation where the end result is not fixed or known. Through Making and Responding, students acquire experimental and analytical skills to develop their art practice.

Project-based learning focuses on specific projects that often begin with a challenging question or problem that engages the students in problem-solving, decision-making and reflection using their art practice

Making and Responding

Making and Responding are intrinsically connected, and together they form the practice of an artist. Through Making and Responding students develop knowledge and understanding of the relationships between the artist, the world, the viewer or audience, and the artwork. Through art practice, students consider both the viewer or audience and their own personal responses. As students respond to artworks, they draw on the knowledge, understanding and skills acquired through their experiences in making artworks. Both Making and Responding involve students using creative and critical thinking to create their own artworks.

A visual diary is used to record and document making and responding in VCE Art Creative Practice. The diary can be created using different forms of presentation. Students should be encouraged to use formats that suit their working method and the Body of Work that they are producing. Any of the following – individually or in combination – could be used: document boxes, sketchbooks, bound or clipped together sheets, or portfolios. Students can also consider using digital formats for their visual diary by creating an online repository of their art practice.

In their visual diary, students should demonstrate their processes and how they have thoughtfully repeated and adapted earlier work using the components of their creative practice, leading to versions of works that they then evaluate and refine using the Interpretive Lenses. It is important that students record their thinking in real time.

The visual diary encompasses key components of exploration, experimentation, development, refinement and resolution of the ideas, concepts, directions, use of art elements and principles, application of skills, materials and techniques and the emergence of a personal style of working. Therefore, it is important that teachers create courses that provide opportunities for students to sequentially work through these aspects of the creative practice. It is important that students use the prompts of the components of the Creative Practice to structure the work in their visual diary.

Making:

Study Design introduction PPT

(VCAA, 2023)

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(VCAA, 2023)

Through ‘Making’ students develop their knowledge, understanding and skills in art practice, including the techniques, processes, materials and technologies used to make artworks. Making involves students communicating ideas and intended meanings in different art forms. Students explore personal ideas and experiences through making artworks in different art forms and styles. They build their knowledge and understanding of visual language, and develop skills in applying materials, techniques and processes in visual language to communicate ideas and meaning.

Some approaches to presenting information and evidence of students’ creative practice in the visual arts diary include:

• annotations

• visual material

• audio recordings

• documentation that is numbered and dated.

As students investigate the practices of artists, they should research how artists have documented their own artistic practice. Students can ask the following questions when planning and structuring their own visual diary:

• What format will best suit my artistic practice?

• In what ways do artists collect and organise their ideas?

• What strategies can effectively maintain the documentation of art practice?

• What strategies can be used to organise a visual arts diary? For example, using headings, image citation, legibility of handwriting, clarity of presentation while maintaining the characteristics of art practice.