Sixth Form Options Booklet

7

J R Gosden Head of Art & Design jgosden@mtsn.org.uk

Introduction

A Level Art & Design offers a wonderful opportunity for those fascinated by the visual world to expand and develop their own work. There is ample opportunity for highly personal production, with an emphasis on self-motivation. The course is far more time-generous than GCSE, and as such affords much greater opportunity to experiment with new ways of working. It is an essential choice for those intending to produce a portfolio ready for a post A Level ‘Art’ or art related application, Architecture for example. We also have boys who do not want to continue at university level, but want to show their creativity to prospective employers by taking A Level Art. Rationale The fundamental concern for the A Level programme is to instil a base of transferable skills appropriate to our Fine Art leaning, but which are also valuable within any artistic discipline, from fashion and textiles to Architecture, transport/graphic/product/gaming design (and indeed pupils have gone on to study all of these subject areas in recent years). Many students simply take the course to provide a complementing contrast to the typical approach of their other subject areas. Imagination, creativity, lateral thinking and invention are all prized assets of the artist – these skills are developed and encouraged through a demanding programme. Art History is threaded through the course to provide a rich source of reference - this is complemented by a range of study tours. Contents A Level Art is delivered as a two-year course, with the exams at the end of the second year. The first year adopts a Foundation Course approach, a series of taught ‘workshops’ to build your confidence and proficiency that will cover all the main aspects of technique and theory. This is then followed by an independent project in the second year. In all cases, students are required to direct their work in accordance with their personal motivations and enthusiasms - the learning will not be dictated. A range of techniques and processes are available, and it is possible to offer a bespoke scheme for each student. The culminating Summer Show is a chance to exhibit the best of your work to an audience. Degree Courses Beyond the Sixth Form, artists have a vast number of options. All of the boys wanting to apply directly to university have been offered places based on their portfolios without having to attend a Foundation Course. Some boys do follow the Foundation path to help choose their specialty. The number of courses on offer is phenomenal and reflects the growth of an image-conscious world - it is imperative that we have intelligent and talented people leading the way. Architecture provides a genuinely rich blend of the creative, visual, psychological and the mathematical; Walter Gropius, the founder of the influential art school the Bauhaus, described it as the most important discipline of all. Many leading architects consider Art to be the primary subject for potential architects – indeed studying Art and providing a portfolio is universally required for interview.