Vientiane International School

Course Description

From earliest times, human beings have displayed a fundamental need to create personal, social, cultural and aesthetic meaning through art.
Expression in the visual arts is characterized by forms of visual representation, which reflect the cultures of different societies. 

Art includes artistic theories and practices. Learning and practice in visual arts today invariably extends beyond traditional boundaries to connect many areas of study and human experience through collaborative, as well as individual, production and interpretation.

 Through the visual arts people acquire the ability to interpret and comment critically on the human condition. The inspiration engendered by artistic activity can become a driving force in other studies and throughout life.
 Engagement in the arts promotes a sense of identity and makes a unique contribution to the development of each student. Study of the visual arts provides students with the opportunity to develop a critical and intensely personal view of themselves in relation to the world.

Studio Work

Students of both courses will be expected to:

• demonstrate through purposeful exploration an enquiring and integrative approach to a variety of visual phenomena
• synthesize art concepts and skills in works that are personally, socio-culturally and aesthetically meaningful
• solve formal and technical problems encountered in studio practice
• exhibit technical skills and appropriate use of media
• produce works of art with imagination and creativity through individual and, where appropriate, collaborative work

Content

Outline: Each Visual Arts course consists of two linked compulsory parts, with many activities integrating work in the studio with workbook research.

Higher Level:
    1.  Studio work (sketching, rendering pieces of art) - 168 hours
    2.  Research Workbook (written art criticism, research work, analysis) - 72 hours
Standard Level
    1.  Studio work -105 hours
    2.  Research workbook - 45 hours

There are core elements, which are common to each course and include:
1. Introduction to art concepts, criticism, analysis:

• students  visit exhibitions, discuss them, express the influence of the exhibition on their work, their personal opinion about art
• criticize other artists’ work, make comparisons between different artists or their art works
• interview artists and come to their own conclusions

2. Acquisition of studio technical and media skills:

• painting, drawing, rendering quick sketches and long term pieces
• exploring new materials available in school (sculpting, weaving, making collages etc.)
• using models for drawing or painting

3. Relation of art to socio-cultural and historical contexts:

• the areas of research depend on the idea or the theme of the art work which students choose and individually develop
• more than one culture is explored and represented in students’ work

 
The difference in the expectations at Higher Level and Standard Level is indicated by the difference in recommended total teaching times (HL 240 hours, SL 150 hours).

The course is developed individually and this is based on:

• the cultural background and personal needs and interests of the student
• the supplies provided by the school
• Lao culture (museums, galleries, artists, libraries)
• the teacher’s own experience, training and special skills (painting, graphic arts, computer design )

IB Assessment

The assessment in Visual Arts consists of an evaluation of both the finished products and the process of artistic research and development.

Ongoing assessment:
Throughout the two year course, students are assessed on the quality of their research workbooks, art criticism and the quality and quantity of their pieces of art

Internal assessment: 30%

• Research Workbooks
• Art criticism (can be represented as short essays)
• Reasonable amount of work

External Assessment:  70%
1. The exhibition, which includes:

• final art works, the quantity of which depends on the complexity of the pieces, the scale of the pieces, media chosen, time constraints of the level, the technical characteristics of the media and the production process required
• research work such as: sketches, notes, practices, photos taken by student, etc.
• selection and presentation of art works which reflect the student’s art concept
• exhibition space, which helps the student to represent the works in a well arranged show, equipped with special devices in case the product needs it (video recorder for ex.)

2. Discussion of Studio Work with the examiner

VIS Assessment

The VIS grade will be based on the differentiation of tasks and assignments from the above list.  These differentiated tasks and assignments will be handed out with the course outlines at the beginning of the school year.