ARTS340 - Visual Arts and Design Major Project

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

40 cp from 200 or 300-level units in Visual Arts and Design

Incompatible

ARTS333 Self-Directed Studio B

Teaching organisation

Unit rationale, description and aim

Contemporary practitioners in Visual Arts industries need to be able to apply intellectual, ethical and practical skills in selected specialisations. Visual Arts and Design Major Project continues the program of monitored studio or theoretical work in the student's specialisation, commenced in ARTS332 Self-Directed Studio. The aim of the unit is to provide students with opportunities at the end of their Visual Arts sequence to produce a substantial body of creative work. For the specialisations in design or visual arts the body of work will be presented for possible inclusion in the Graduating Exhibition. For the specialisation in art history and theory, students will complete an extensively researched written study.

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

LO1 - plan the nature of the intended work and identify effective personal working methods and research strategies necessary for the visual arts and design major project (GA2, GA3,GA4,GA7,GA8,GA9,GA10)

LO2 - apply the intellectual, ethical and practical skills required of a contemporary practitioner in the selected specialisation (GA2, GA3,GA4,GA5)

LO3 - produce a substantial body of work that is exploratory, speculative and personal to be considered for inclusion in the undergraduate exhibition held at the conclusion of the course, or, in the case of art history and theory students, present an extensively researched written study for assessment (GA4,GA5)

Graduate attributes

GA2 - recognise their responsibility to the common good, the environment and society 

GA3 - apply ethical perspectives in informed decision making

GA4 - think critically and reflectively 

GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession 

GA7 - work both autonomously and collaboratively 

GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information 

GA9 - demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language and visual media 

GA10 - utilise information and communication and other relevant technologies effectively.

Content

Students will produce a substantial body of work which demonstrates an understanding of the concepts and contexts central to their visual arts or design practice or art history and theory research interests. Students will work independently in their own studio space in preparation for their graduating exhibition, or, in the case of art history and theory specialists, onan extensively researched written study.

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

Classes will be constructed to both assist students in designing and developing their projects as well as to give students substantial time to produce creative/analytical work. Students are assigned lecturers or mentors to monitor and guide students throughout the semester. 

Assessment strategy and rationale

A range of assessment procedures will be used in ARTS340 to meet the unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes consistent with University assessment requirements. 

The research presentation tests students’ ability to talk about the intention of their research as well as their methods for carrying it out. This meets LO1. 

The Studio Research Documentation task ties together skills developed throughout students Visual Arts sequence and tests skills in the documentation of Visual Arts research processes. This meets LO2 and 3.

One of the highlights of the assessment for students undertaking practical projects in Visual Arts is preparing a body of work for consideration for inclusion in the Graduating Exhibition, or for students undertaking an Art History project to undertake an extensively researched written project in the area. This final assessment task meets LOs1-3.

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

As this is a visual practice studio-based unit, there are no prescribed text books.  However recommended reading and other references are available upon consultation with the lecturer.