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Your critical work at advanced higher should follow your own interests and be a truly personal study of an area of art + design that you can go into in great depth. In conjunction with your teachers, find a subject or area to research that you will enjoy. Tie it into your practical work if possible in order to use your research to help improve your art + design work.
Ask your teachers about signing up for the Research and Appreciation units . This is an exciting course new to Grantown Grammar. During the course of the year you will study in depth an area of art + design of your choice, starting off with a broad investigation of the many areas of the subject that might interest you, then honing in on a specific area.
You might decide to look at aspects of a movement such as Cubism, Expressionism or Land Art. You could investigate in depth an artist or designer that you find fascinating. You could complement your studies in other subjects by looking at the links between art and design and history, English, modern languages, religion, psychology, science and so on. If there is any aspect of art + design that you want to research into in more depth, then you should be able to pursue it for this course.
At the end of the year you will be assessed on a dissertation (a long essay) of between 4,000 and 6,000 words, a visual presentation (display boards, Powerpoint, web pages/blog/podcast, audio or video) showing what your dissertation is about in an interesting way, and a statement of intent.
These units would be great for those who have enjoyed critical activity work in art + design at Higher level or who have an interest in art + design and have good research and writing skills.
The skills and experience you will gain from this course will stand you in good stead for studying after school or working in a job that requires good research skills. It will also help you with any practical art + design work you do in school or at home.
Unfortunately this Advanced Higher has been withdrawn by the SQA, however the units are still available and you would get credit on your certificate for passing them. These units would be ideal preparation for interviews for History of Art courses at university.
Important information on deadlines, homework and proposed course options here...
Introduction to art historical methodology
3/4 weeks in June plus summer
Introduction to the analysis of artworks.
Timeline of art history – Renaissance to the present day
Introduction to art historical genres.
Topics
Autumn term
Art and War – an analysis of the reactions to war by artists such as Moore, Picasso, Grosz, Heartfield and Dix
Women in Art – looking at the depiction of women in art from the Renaissance to the present day and examining the re-emergence of female artists in the 20th century
Shock Horror - artists have often provoked scandals (deliberately or not) or attempted shock the prevailing norms of society – in this unit you will look at how 19th and 20th century artists shocked the public and decide if they are still shocking now
Week by week – Classwork, independent study and homework 2007
Week Classwork Homework/Research/Independent Study (IS)
37 Figure drawing (1 period taught)
Intro - issue course outline & initial set text (1 period taught)
read & make notes on all chapters on identification
38 Methodology study – composition & the visual elements (5 periods IS, 1 period taught)
read & make notes on all chapters on composition
39 Methodology study – genre (5 periods IS, 1 period taught)
read & make notes on all chapters on line & colour
40 Methodology examples – DVD Private Life of a Masterpiece - Manet (1 period IS)
DVD Power of Art – Goya (1 period IS)
read & make notes on all chapters on subject
Summer Holidays
Reading/research read & make notes on all chapters on the human figure and styles
Writing: prepare 1 page of notes detailing aspects of art history which have interested you so far that you might be considering writing your dissertation on
1 Hand in summer homework Monday
Methodology study – movements (4 periods IS) group study – preparation for seminars
Thursday Seminar – each student delivers 5-10 minute individual seminar on movement from set text which has interested them
Methodology example – DVD: Private Life of a Masterpiece - Delacroix
2 Art and War – 20th century
Methodology example – DVD: Power of Art - Picasso
3 Art and War -
Methodology example – DVD: Private Life of a Masterpiece - Uccello
4 Art and War
Methodology example – DVD: Tate Modern
5 Art and War
6 Art and War: Essay/Seminar week 1
7 Art and War: Essay/Seminar week 2
8 Women in Art
Methodology example – DVD: Private Life of a Masterpiece – Rodin
October Holidays – self portrait (drawn/painted plus written notes)
9 Women in Art
Methodology example – DVD: Private Life of a Masterpiece - Degas
10 Women in Art
Methodology example – DVD: Private Life of a Masterpiece - Frida
11 Women in Art
12 Women in Art: Essay/Seminar week
13 Shock horror – scandals in art
14 Shock horror – scandals in art
15 Shock horror – scandals in art
16 Shock horror – scandals in art: Essay/Seminar week
17 Dissertation topic choice/preparation week
Review and authorisation of topic choices during Thursday seminar
Christmas holidays
bibliography search/collection of resources for beginning dissertation writing in January
