IWB Task Cultures Converge Introduction

Contemporary economic and political forces combined with advances in transportation and communication technology encourage and enable a global interchange of ideas However such influential contact between diverse cultural groups is not a new phenomenon Throughout human history trade wars exploration colonialism migration and the growth of empires have led to social and cultural clashes interaction and synthesis This process has impacted significantly upon the production of artworks and artefacts It is possible to define two broad categories of artworks that reflect the constant convergence and shifting of cultures

Art that may be perceived as a product of cultural interchange and convergence

Art created specifically to comment upon cultural interchange and convergence In this unit you will investigate examples of artworks that reflect cultural convergence in a range of contexts You will go on to develop studio work of your own which explores the concept further

Part One Investigation Artistic and cultural convergence in context

The following pages offer outlines of three historical examples of how trade exploration colonialism wars and the growth of empires have impacted upon the creation of artworks

The influence of war and conquest upon the art amp architecture of Seville

150 years of trade war and communication reflected in 19th Century Japonisme and 21st

Century Japanese Pop Art

Jake amp Dinos Chapmanrsquos artwork lsquoThe Chapman Family Collectionrsquo (2002)

Investigation Tasks 6HL and 4 SL A3 IWB pages

1 Select one of the three above examples as the starting point for a piece of written and illustrated

research into cultural convergence Use 3 (2) A3 IWB pages The provided links videos and

references offer resources for your own further investigation

2 Produce 3 (2) A3 pages of written and visual research into another example of cultural

convergence that is particularly relevant or interesting to yourself Some suggestions are

provided below but you are free to substitute your own

Trade and communication along the silk road

The artistic impact of Renaissance Venicersquos role as a centre for trade and exploration

The introduction of Christianity in Ethiopia

Interaction between Portuguese and West African cultures in the 15th amp 16th Century

British colonisation of India

Spanish colonisation of the Americas

The impact of Western arts amp crafts in Japan during the late 19th Century

North African influences within the work of Henri Matisse

Net Art convergence amp collaboration in internet based artworks

International Biennales and their role within the globalization of art

The influences of war and conquest upon the art amp architecture of Seville

Iberian peninsula timeline 1000-1400 AD

Seville timeline (12th

Century) (13th

Century) (14th

Century)

The Spanish City of Seville has a long and complex history which is reflected in its architecture For example fragments of aqueducts reflect early colonisation by the Romans Like much of the Iberian peninsula the city was subject to waves of Visigothic and Byzantine conquest It was subsequently conquered by the Moorish peoples of North Africa In 712 AD the city fell under Muslim rule and was named Išbīliya from where the modern Spanish name Sevilla is derived From the 8

th ndash 13

th Centuries it was the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate the Almoravid

dynasty and the Almohad dynasty

Almohad architecture used brick and stone to combine austere forms with elaborate ornamental surface detail Further information HERE Construction of the Great Mosque of Seville was begun in 1172 under the Almohad caliph Abu Yaqub Yusuf ibn Abd al-Mumin (1163-1184) Following the Christian conquest of 1248 by forces of King Fernando III of Castile the Mosque was consecrated as a Cathedral Most of the mosque was destroyed during the construction of the new gothic cathedral in the 15

th Century However as you can see below some

elements of the Muslim architecture remain integrated into the current structure Further information HERE

The Alcaacutezar Palace also exemplifies cultural convergence in the art amp architecture of Seville The original structure was constructed during the 12th century Almohad reign However whilst the current palacersquos plan gardens and decoration frequently follows the style of traditional Islamic palaces it was almost entirely rebuilt in 1364 for the Christian ruler Pedro I This synthesis of Islamic forms and decorative elements into non-Islamic buildings that emerged in the Iberian peninsula after the Christian lsquore-conquestrsquo is known as Mudejar style This idiom remained influential in Spain until the 17

th Century and was revived in the 20

th Century Neo-Mudejar style

Other links UNESCO site on Seville UNESCO documentation UNESCO Video

Aerial view of Cathedral amp Alcazar 360 degree Panorama of Cathedral amp Alcazar

The Art of the Almoravid and Almohad Periods The Nature of Islamic Art The Adriatic Building

The minaret of the original mosque was incorporated into the bell tower of the new cathedral It is known as La Giralda (click for larger image)

lsquoThe Gate of Pardonrsquo is another fragment of the original mosque that remains as an element in the cathedral (click for larger image)

The overall footprint of the Gothic cathedral is close to that of the mosque that preceded it on the site (click for larger image)

Alcaacutezar external view note combination of Islamic and classical arch forms (click for larger image)

Alcaacutezar View of an internal courtyard with carved decoration (click for larger image)

Alcaacutezar interior Displaying Mudejar style of Islamic inspired decoration (click for larger image)

The Adriatic Building (1914-1922) built in what is known as the Neo-Mudejar style

(click for larger image)

The influences of war and conquest upon the art amp architecture of Seville

Iberian peninsula timeline 1000-1400 AD

Seville timeline (12th

Century) (13th

Century) (14th

Century)

The Spanish City of Seville has a long and complex history which is reflected in its architecture For example fragments of aqueducts reflect early colonisation by the Romans Like much of the Iberian peninsula the city was subject to waves of Visigothic and Byzantine conquest It was subsequently conquered by the Moorish peoples of North Africa In 712 AD the city fell under Muslim rule and was named Išbīliya from where the modern Spanish name Sevilla is derived From the 8

th ndash 13

th Centuries it was the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate the Almoravid

dynasty and the Almohad dynasty

Almohad architecture used brick and stone to combine austere forms with elaborate ornamental surface detail Further information HERE Construction of the Great Mosque of Seville was begun in 1172 under the Almohad caliph Abu Yaqub Yusuf ibn Abd al-Mumin (1163-1184) Following the Christian conquest of 1248 by forces of King Fernando III of Castile the Mosque was consecrated as a Cathedral Most of the mosque was destroyed during the construction of the new gothic cathedral in the 15

th Century However as you can see below some

elements of the Muslim architecture remain integrated into the current structure Further information HERE

The Alcaacutezar Palace also exemplifies cultural convergence in the art amp architecture of Seville The original structure was constructed during the 12th century Almohad reign However whilst the current palacersquos plan gardens and decoration frequently follows the style of traditional Islamic palaces it was almost entirely rebuilt in 1364 for the Christian ruler Pedro I This synthesis of Islamic forms and decorative elements into non-Islamic buildings that emerged in the Iberian peninsula after the Christian lsquore-conquestrsquo is known as Mudejar style This idiom remained influential in Spain until the 17

th Century and was revived in the 20

th Century Neo-Mudejar style

Other links UNESCO site on Seville UNESCO documentation UNESCO Video

Aerial view of Cathedral amp Alcazar 360 degree Panorama of Cathedral amp Alcazar

The Art of the Almoravid and Almohad Periods The Nature of Islamic Art The Adriatic Building

The minaret of the original mosque was incorporated into the bell tower of the new cathedral It is known as La Giralda (click for larger image)

lsquoThe Gate of Pardonrsquo is another fragment of the original mosque that remains as an element in the cathedral (click for larger image)

The overall footprint of the Gothic cathedral is close to that of the mosque that preceded it on the site (click for larger image)

Alcaacutezar external view note combination of Islamic and classical arch forms (click for larger image)

Alcaacutezar View of an internal courtyard with carved decoration (click for larger image)

Alcaacutezar interior Displaying Mudejar style of Islamic inspired decoration (click for larger image)

The Adriatic Building (1914-1922) built in what is known as the Neo-Mudejar style

(click for larger image)

150 years of trade war and communication reflected in 19th Century Japonisme and

21st Century Japanese Pop Art

Historical Context Political amp economic stability meant that the Edo period (1615-1868) was an active and innovative period for the arts in Japan However the countryrsquos isolated conservative stance meant that trade communication and cultural exchange with other nations particularly in the West was very limited In the 19

th century a growing desire to

modernize and engage with the outside world eventually led to the lsquorestorationrsquo of Emperor Mutsuhito (1852-1912) and the beginning of the Meiji period This was a time of dramatic social cultural and economic interchange and development Contemporary Art in both Japan and those nations in the West with which it had cultural and economic exchanges soon began to reflect this convergence of ideas Western interest in Japanese art and culture was labelled Japonisme The influence of relatively low cost and readily transportable Japanese Art in the form of woodcut prints was particularly evident amongst Western Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists of the late 19

th Century Their

depiction of scenes from everyday life inspired artists including Mary Cassatt Others such as James Tissot sought to recreate Japanese scenes in their own studios Edgar Degas on the other hand was more interested in the aesthetic qualities of the works including the use of perspective elongated pictorial formats and fields of flat colour Similarly Toulouse-Lautrec absorbed the exaggerated colours and forms of Kabuki theatre prints

Japan timeline (1800-1900) (1900-2000)

Further information on Japonisme (Global influence of Japanese art during the late 19th Century)

Further Information on Kitagawa Utamaro [Japanese Painter amp Printmaker 1754-1806]

The 20th Century Japan continued to expand as a global economic and military power during the 20

th Century However it was

defeated by allied forces during WW2 This defeat was ensured in part by the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki During the subsequent allied occupation a great number of social and economic changes were enforced Japan lost a great deal of territory and was forbidden from maintaining an army From the late 1950s onwards Japan became a major producer and exporter of consumer goods American popular culture especially cartoons was embraced by a generation of Japanese people eager to forget the horrors of their recent past Further information

Takashi Murakami and Japanese Pop Art The work of Japanese artist Takashi Murakami (b1963) reflects Japanrsquos position within an ever-changing global cultural and economic community Murakamirsquos work has gained international fame through galleries but also through his association with brands including Luis Vuiton

Kitagawa Utamaro Japanese (1754-1806) Seiobo Takigawa from Ogiya c1794

woodblock print (click for larger image)

Mary Cassatt American (1844ndash1926) Woman Bathing 1891 drypoint and aquatint (click for larger image)

Utamaro was a printmaker amp painter He is widely considered to be one of Japanrsquos greatest ukiyo-e or woodcut printers This image is a typical of Utamarorsquos rendering of intimate and domestic scenes In this case a courtesan and her attendant His use of line colour perspective and composition was highly influential on Western artists at the end of the 19

th Century

Woman Bathing is part of the 1891 series of ten prints that explores the private activities of women Woman Bathing displays the same flat planes and liquid color that Cassatt had particularly admired in the exhibition of Japanese prints she had seen at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts (taken from httpwwwngagovcollectiongallerycassattcassatt-46728html )

in Tokyo an art museum was displaying luggage a luggage shop was exhibiting art an artist had developed a branding campaign -- and nobody thought anything out of the ordinary

(Arthur Lubow ldquoThe Murakami Methodrdquo New York Times Magazine April 3 2005) This lack of distinction between lsquohighrsquo and lsquolowrsquo or lsquofinersquo and lsquocommercialrsquo art is a historical characteristic of Japanese culture Prior to 1868 when Japan embraced Western culture through the Meiji Restoration there was no word for lsquofine artrsquo The concept and vocabulary are both imported Murakami operates studios in Japan and America in which teams of assistants print and paint huge canvases based on his original digital designs His company website Kaikai Kiki is here This system was also used by Andy Warhol one of the original generation of Pop Artists in what was known as his lsquofactoryrsquo However this workshop approach of master and studentsassistants was also used by many significant artists of previous generations ranging from Rubens to Rembrandt Murakami is very open in his admiration for the commercial approach of American artists such as Jeff Koons saying that he produces work to fill a market demand Influences and ideas Murakami combines many influences including work by Japanese artists of the Edo period with elements of contemporary animated films and pop culture to form a style which he calls lsquoSuperflatrsquo Much of his work is concerned with what he sees as Japanrsquos difficult post second world war history and subsequent relationship with the USA as an occupying power He suggests that the horrors of the war including atomic bombing and the guilt of defeat are concealed under a veneer of cartoon cuteness provided by characters such as lsquoHello Kittyrsquo VIDEO

Murakami Kiki (2000) Time Bokan (2001) Cultural convergence may be reflected in an integration of apparently contrasting cultural philosophies Murakami combines a Western perspective on creativity as a search for something new surprising and original

One of the visual qualities we look for in the work of the artists we employ at Kaikai Kiki [Murakamis art production company] is madness

with an Eastern model in which creativity is centred around the learning and refinement of existing traditions

In Japan we use the expression God-like or superhuman to describe someone whose craftsmanship after long years of training has entered a realm that seems beyond human capability

(httpwwwguardiancoukartanddesign2009sep20guide-to-painting-takashi-murakami)

Further Information Yoshitomo Nara Biography The art of selling out Interviews with 5 artists (including Murakami) 8 part Video tour of the exhibition copyMURAKAMI at MOCA NYT Article Murakami on how he paints Video Clip from BBC TV programme lsquoJapanoramarsquo on Japanese Pop Art

Like his contemporary

Yoshimoto Nara Murakami

often subtly distorts or

modifies what at first glance

appear to be harmless cute

cartoon animals and child

figures Nararsquos work features

a cast of characters that can

be ldquoboth sweet and sour

happy and sad generous

and mean all at the same

timerdquo (Frick 2006) (VIDEO)

In this VIDEO Murakami explains the significance of the image of a nuclear mushroom cloud and the flatness of the painting technique in works such as lsquoTime Bokanrsquo (2001) The Japanese people are unique in that they have experienced attack from atomic weapons (twice) The painting surfaces is flat like the landscape after the devastation of a nuclear explosion

Jake amp Dinos Chapmanrsquos artwork lsquoThe Chapman Family Collectionrsquo (2002) Background The Chapman brothers are British artists who have collaborated on artworks since the 1990s They have often tended towards shocking or difficult subject matter including Nazism and the holocaust Some of their most notorious pieces appear to have emerged straight out of a horror film However their work tends to resist straightforward interpretation In this VIDEO the artists discuss some of their most well known and controversial work The Chapman Family Collection (2002) One of their largest pieces is entitled lsquoThe Chapman Family Collectionrsquo It was first shown at White Cube gallery in London in 2002 The formal press release (HERE) described how the 34 large wooden carvings included

virtually unknown primitive trophies and initiation masks from the former colonial regions of Camgib Seirf and Ekoc and as such are recognised by accredited experts as being the most noteworthy in the whole wide world

Watch this VIDEO of the artworks in the exhibition

The artist amp critic Matthew Collings (2009) describes ldquoThe Chapman Family Collection as thunderously amusing The exhibition seems like a worthy and serious display of African sculpture ndash until you start to notice the repeated visual references to MacDonaldrsquos

The installation is obviously comic but also immediately charismatic The objects are enjoyable but not amazing in themselves theyre funny in themselves There are subtle jokes on the ethno-gallery experience

Entire article HERE

Critic Jonathan Jones (2002) describes his encounter with the exhibition

In a darkened hushed hall pools of light illuminate painted wooden masks stuck through with fetish nails decorated with shells and goats heads They appear authentic until you notice the McDonalds logo everywhere A burger as a primeval deity a cult statue with the evil clown face of Ronald McDonald

Entire article HERE

He goes on to discuss the workrsquos ability to provoke debate and discussion on issues of colonialism capitalism racism and the responsibilities of art

The works are carefully illuminated on plinths in a darkened space The atmosphere is typical of that of a Western ethnographic museum Archer describes the effect as lsquosepulchral reverential almost holy in a self-consciously contrived and artificial wayrsquo (Archer p182) However as you walk amongst the sculptures you become aware of details that seem out of place

the unmistakable face of Ronald McDonald leers out from one of the works Flame-haired and grinningCloser inspection reveals countless references to McDonaldrsquos ndash various squat fetishes can be re-read as cheeseburgers while the spiky protruberances on many objects are clearly french fries

(httpwwwtateorgukservletViewWorkworkid=89202amptabview=text) Suddenly you realise that the names of the lsquoformer colonial regionsrsquo Camgib Seirf and Ekoc can also be read backwards

A comment upon unequal interrelationships between cultures

Further information on Picassorsquos collection of around 100 pieces of Art from various African cultures httpwwwguardiancoukartanddesign2006mar15art Information on the influence of these artworks on the development of Picassorsquos own work httppablo-picassopaintingsnameblack-period

A comment on globalisation Arifa Akbar (2008) explains how many reviewers saw the work as a description of MacDonaldrsquos expansion into the furthest corners of the globe The Chapmanrsquos themselves tend to avoid giving direct or predictable explanations of their work Jake Chapman is reported as saying We want to make McDonalds into a religion Full article HERE

As we saw in the case of Japonisme Western artists of the late 19

th and early 20

th centuries often looked abroad for

inspiration The exhibition guide for the Tate galleryrsquos Chapman Brothersrsquo exhibition (2006) describes how modern Western Art frequently consumed the work of foreign cultures taking them out of their original context and designating them primitive It cites the example of Picassorsquos (1881-1973) collection of African masks which had a significant influence on his early cubist works including lsquoLes Demoiselles drsquoAvignonrsquo (1907)

Tate gallery exhibition guide

httpwwwtateorgukliverpoolexhibitionsjakeanddinoscha

pmanguideroom7shtm

Considering an alternative viewpoint on cultural convergence Some observers perceive a difference between cultural and economic convergence suggesting that the two processes do not necessarily support each other David Brooks writing in the New York Times in 2005 suggests

while global economies are converging cultures are diverging and the widening cultural differences are leading us into a period of conflict inequality and segmentation

(httpwwwnytimescom20050810opinion11brooksdonehtml)

Whilst some nations or socio-economic groups welcome or at least adapt to cultural convergence others can be seen to react strongly against it This manifests itself through nationalism conservatism or other attempts to assert and preserve what is perceived to be an original culture or grouping For example Reisenfeld (1997) explains how Ernst Ludwig Kirchnerrsquos 1913 chronicle of the German Expressionist group Die Bruumlcke Chronik der Bruumlcke describes their use of traditional woodcut printing techniques as an assertion of their lsquoGermannessrsquo This was in response to what they felt was the pervasive influence of other foreign artistic influences

Workbook images

Having investigated two or more instances of the impact of cultural convergence upon the production of artworks you will now go on to plan develop and produce a studio piece of your own which displays further consideration of this theme Where possible try to draw upon your own personal background interests or life experiences They could mean relating your project to cultural convergence within your own family or community However you may also choose to expand upon instances of convergence that you may have encountered elsewhere in your studio or investigation work Examples of how some other students have used their IWBs to investigate cultural convergence and begin to develop ideas for studio work of their own are provided below (click for larger versions online) As always begin by considering a number of potential ideas and approaches before gradually converging on possible studio outcomes

This student has been inspired by artworks seen in museums during a trip to Barcelona Here she has begun to investigate combinations of Spanish and South American artworks and imagery She goes on to consider ideas relating to colonisation conquest and the subsequent interchange of ideas and imagery

This student is investigating the work of the artist Yinka Shonibare Shonibare was born in London and moved to Lagos Nigeria at the age of 3 He subsequently returned to the UK and studied fine art in London His work is largely concerned with issues of colonial and post colonial history He often combines elements of African textiles with scenes and imagery representing European literature and art history One of the studentrsquos subsequent studio outcomes is HERE Over this double page the student is considering a range of possible directions for her investigation and studio work to follow On the left she looks at the influence of prehistoric cave painting upon the work of Picasso On the right she begins to consider how images of women are portrayed in a range of cultures and time periods She subsequently looks at how these images converge and overlap

This student investigated conservative nationalistic Soviet socialist realist artworks On the facing page she describes how by contrast her younger brother produced a head based sculpture inspired by research into headwear from a variety of African cultures She describes her appreciation of his ability to absorb and playfully combine a range of cultural influences In some of her subsequent artworks she adopts a similar approach to the layering of ideas and imagery that she has assimilated through living in a number of different countries Example HERE

images https557photobucketcomalbumsss19native716action=viewampcurrent=P3jpgampsort=ascending Links and texts

References links amp further information

The influence of war and conquest upon the art amp architecture of Seville

Iberian Peninsula timeline 1000-1400 AD httpwwwmetmuseumorgtoahhtperiod=07ampregion=eusiKey-Events Seville Timeline (1000 AD ndash 2010 AD) httpwwwgooglecomsearchq=seville+timelineamphl=enampsa=Gamptbs=tl1tl_

num100ampei=XAJbTKfYL8664Aa7oeGGAgampved=0CJcCEMsBKAQ Almohad architecture httparchnetorglibraryimagessitesjspselect=styleampkey=Almohadamporder_by=site_

nameampcollection_id=-1ampshowdescription=1 The Great Mosque and its incorporation into the cathedral httparchnetorglibrarysitesone-sitejspsite_id=3998 Casselman Archive of Islamic and Mudejar Architecture in Spain httpdigicolllibrarywisceduArtssubcollections

CasselmanImageAbouthtml The Alcazar Palace httparchnetorglibrarysitesone-sitejspsite_id=4644 UNESCO site on Seville httpwhcunescoorgenlist383 UNESCO documentation httpwhcunescoorgarchiveadvisory_body_evaluation383pdf Aerial view of Cathedral amp Alcazar httpwwwgeopanoramacomdesevillasevillaMaphtm Panorama of Cathedral amp Alcazar httpwwwgeopanoramacomdesevillasevilla1htm UNESCO Seville video httpwhcunescoorgenlist383video The Art of the Almoravid and Almohad Periods httpwwwmetmuseumorgtoahhdalmohd_almohtm Islamic Art httpwwwmetmuseumorgtoahhdornahd_ornahtm

19th Century Japonisme and 21st Century Japanese Pop Art Japan timeline 1800 ndash 1900 httpwwwmetmuseumorgtoahhtperiod=10ampregion=eajKey-Events Japan timeline 1900 - 2000 httpwwwmetmuseumorgtoahhtperiod=11ampregion=eajKey-Events Edo Period httpwwwmetmuseumorgtoahhdedophd_edophtm Japonisme httpwwwmetmuseumorgtoahhdjponhd_jponhtm Kitagawa Utamaro httpwwwartcyclopediacomartistsutamaro_kitagawahtml Japanese Post-war economic recovery httpwwwculturalprofilesnetjapanDirectoriesJapan_Cultural_Profile- 13226html Arthur Lubow ldquoThe Murakami Methodrdquo NYT httpwwwnytimescom20050403magazine03MURAKAMIhtml kaikaikiki httpenglishkaikaikikicojp

Warholrsquos Factory httpwwwnyc-architecturecomMIDMID025htm Lisa Frick (2006) Biography of Yashimoto Nara httpwwwnotablebiographiescomnewsmakers22006-Le-RaNara- Yoshitomohtml

Meiji Restoration httpwwwsjsuedufacultywatkinsmeijihtm NYT Article Takashi Murakami on how he paints httpwwwnytimescom20050403magazine03MURAKAMIhtml

BBC Japanorama Video httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=FYkrQXvCTP4

8 part Video tour of the exhibition copyMURAKAMI at MOCA httpwwwmocaorgmurakami

References links amp further information

Jake amp Dinos Chapmanrsquos artwork lsquoThe Chapman Family Collectionrsquo (2002) Archer M (2003) lsquoJake and Dinos Chapmanrsquo In ArtForum May 2003 vol XLI no9 p182

Interview with Jake amp Dinos Chapman httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=9QeNatsDV4I white cube press release httpwwwwhitecubecomexhibitionschapmanfamilycollection1 Chapman Family Collection Video httpwwwyoutubecomwatchv=DpWZCBbW6VA Jonathan Jones httpwwwguardiancoukculture2002nov06artsfeaturesturnerprize2003 Tate guide httpwwwtateorgukliverpoolexhibitionsjakeanddinoschapmanguideroom7shtm Akbar httpwwwindependentcoukarts-entertainmentartnewstate-snaps-up-chapmans-family-collection-787277html Matthew Collings httpwwwsaatchi-gallerycoukblogonart_newsput_downs_and_suck_ups_matthew_collings

_weekly_ventings_about_the_art_world_no_31_tate_or_the_tate5785

Jonathan Jones httpwwwguardiancoukculture2002nov06artsfeaturesturnerprize2003

Other links amp references Yinka Shonibare httpwwwyinkashonibarembecom Reisenfeld (1997) Cultural Nationalism Bruumlcke and the German Woodcut The Formation of a Collective Identity in Art History Volume 20 Issue 2 pages 289ndash312 June 1997

Image sources

Seville images (authorrsquos own) httpwwwflickrcomphotos51716331N07sets72157624548064887with4868923950 Cassatt lsquoWoman Bathingrsquo httpmediaphotobucketcomimagecassattorange_peelerArtMary20Cassatt113jpgo=23

Utamaro lsquoSeioborsquo httpmediaphotobucketcomimageutamaromexgeisha9000-utamaro-seiobo-takigawa-from-

ojpgo=40 Murakami lsquoKikirsquo (2000) httpwwwflickrcomphotoswallyg2411440955 Murakami lsquoTime Bokanrsquo (2001) httpmediaphotobucketcomimagemurakami20time20bokanKenblu77 MurakamiTimeBokanjpgo=1

Picasso https557photobucketcomalbumsss19native716action=viewampcurrent=P3jpg

Aims The aims of the visual arts course at HL and SL are to enable students to

investigate past present and emerging forms of visual arts and engage in producing appreciating and evaluating these

develop an understanding of visual arts from a local national and international perspective

build confidence in responding visually and creatively to personal and cultural experiences

develop skills in and sensitivity to the creation of works that reflect active and individual involvement

take responsibility for the direction of their learning through the acquisition of effective working practices

Assessment objectives students will be expected to

respond to and analyse critically and contextually the function meaning and artistic qualities of past present and emerging art using the specialist vocabulary of visual arts

develop and present independent ideas and practice and explain the connections between these and the work of others

explore and develop ideas and techniques for studio work through integrated contextual study and first-hand observations

develop and maintain a close relationship between investigation and a purposeful creative process in studio work

produce personally relevant works of art that reveal evidence of exploration of ideas that reflect cultural and historical awareness

develop and demonstrate technical competence and artistic qualities that challenge and extend personal boundaries (option A) and technical competence and self-direction (option B)

TOP MARKBAND OPTION B DESCRIPTORS

(INVESTIGATION)

Analyses and compares perceptively art from different cultures and times and considers it thoughtfully for its function and significance

Demonstrates the development of an appropriate range of effective skills techniques and processes when making and analysing images and artifacts

Demonstrates coherent focused and individual investigative strategies into visual qualities ideas and their contexts an appropriate range of different approaches towards their study and some fresh connections between them

Demonstrates considerable depth and breadth through the successful development and synthesis of ideas and thoroughly explained connections between the work and that of others

Demonstrates effective and accurate use of the specialist vocabulary of visual arts

Uses an appropriate range of sources and acknowledges them properly

Presents the work effectively and creatively and demonstrates effective critical observation reflection and discrimination

Presents a close relationship between investigation and studio

TOP MARKBAND OPTION A DESCRIPTORS

(STUDIO)

Exhibits excellent understanding of the ideas and techniques that underpin artistic expression

Consistently demonstrates the production of personally relevant artworks that show excellent exploration of ideas reflecting cultural and historical awareness and artistic qualities

Shows thoughtful development of ideas and strategies for expression

Displays sensitivity to materials and their use The coherent body of work has been reviewed modified and refined as it has progressed resulting in an accomplished resolution of ideas and medium

Displays excellent technical competence

Demonstrates confidence and inventiveness Shows an informed reflective judgment that

challenges and extends personal boundaries