Visual Arts 2021 HSC exam pack

Students should:

• read the question carefully to ensure that they do not miss important components of the question
• have a clear understanding of key words in the question and recognise the intent of the question and its requirements
• engage with any stimulus material provided and refer to it in the response
• develop a plan for an extended response to assist with the logical sequencing of information
• use relevant concepts and terms, where appropriate, to support their response
• develop a cohesive and sustained argument in response to the question, reflecting extensive knowledge of artists, artworks, critics and historians’ views and the syllabus
• present a logical and cohesive response that addresses the question
• integrate diverse examples across time and place to demonstrate depth and breadth of understanding
• review their response to ensure that it addresses the question requirements.

Question 1

In better responses, students were able to:

• address a range of ways the artist engaged in artmaking and conceptual practice, through interpretation of the artworks and their titles
• refer to ‘feminine’ crafts such as weaving, knitting, making lace and crocheting while addressing the fragility and delicate intricacy of the materials and the laborious process
• address visual elements such as colour, texture, volume and form, making connections with the beauty of nature and how it has been extended in the sculptural forms
• connect the material practice to cultural practices.

Areas for students to improve include:

• demonstrating an understanding of ‘artmaking practice’
• avoiding reiterating the citation/source material
• providing responses that move beyond description and storytelling.

Question 2

In better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate an understanding of how culture and history are represented, while offering more than one interpretation
• discuss opinions and observations based on evidence rather than emotion
• discuss the artists’ intentions, atmosphere, context, loss of culture, community, spirit, westernisation, colonisation and policies of assimilation.

Areas for students to improve include:

• demonstrating an understanding of the ‘Frames’
• avoiding speculation, over generalising and emotive language
• using the source material to identify how key points in Australia’s history and cultural development have been represented.

Question 3

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide insightful analysis of the inter-relationships of artist, artwork, world and audience through comprehensive application of all source material
• articulate the intentions of the artist’s selection of materials, site, location, subject matter and scale to communicate the concept and engage a range of audiences
• demonstrate the significance of the connections between each plate to create a layered and cohesive response.

Areas for students to improve include:

• presenting a comprehensive understanding of all the agencies of the artworld through in-depth analysis of the plates
• providing an even explanation of the source material to support the analysis
• demonstrate a thorough understanding of how contemporary artists communicate meaning to the audience about their world and cultural context.      

Question 4

In better responses, students were able to:

• analyse the significance of technology within the discussion of artists’ practice
• address how developments in technology have contributed to the evolution of artists’ practice and how art has changed due to technological developments
• analyse artworks where the use of technology is a significant element
• analyse how traditional and modern practices demonstrate technological evolution.

Areas for students to improve include:

• linking discussion of artworks to the question and supporting judgements about the influence of technology on artists’ practice
• examining artists’ conceptual and material practices to support analysis about the evolution of technologies beyond inference
• analysing specific artists and works in greater depth, using art vocabulary.

Question 5

In better responses, students were able to:

• discriminate between risk taking and experimentation, exploring each one using critical and analytical discussion
• demonstrate an understanding of artists’ practice through discussion of selected artists, supported by specific examples of their artworks
• evaluate the role of risk taking and experimental choices in conceptual and material practice, considering the implications and influences these have on audience’s responses, artistic traditions and society
• demonstrate knowledge of the changing nature of the artworld and how conventions can be challenged by artists who take risks and experiment in their practice.

Areas for students to improve include:

• developing an understanding of how the different parts of the question should be addressed, for example, differentiating between risk taking and experimentation
• developing an analysis of artists' material and conceptual practice using relevant examples
• addressing all aspects of the question, sustaining an argument by linking discussion back to the question and avoiding general or descriptive statements.

Question 6

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide a comprehensive investigation of the ways artists stay relevant, communicating urgent and influential messages to directly engage with social, political and cultural aspects of the world
• establish and develop an account, supported by knowledge of the world and artworld, drawing conclusions about the relevance of artworks in an ever-changing world
• develop arguments that feature audience engagement, including the audience being challenged, empowered or stimulated to think differently, as an indicator of the artists’ relevance in an ever-changing world
• investigate how and why artists maintain relevance, drawing conclusions about art’s impact on the world.

Areas for students to improve include:

• selecting examples with a focus on what makes artists relevant in different times, places and cultures
• creating links between case study artists and the question to provide an integrated investigation of the relevance of the artist in an ever-changing world
• developing complex and logical arguments that consider the ways in which artists play a proactive role in the relationships of the artworld.

Question 7

In better responses, students were able to:

• support an explanation of the exhibition of artworks to enhance meaning and context
• articulate how artworks are experienced when exhibited and how this adds context and meaning for audiences
• connect the discussion of examples through a common theme such as, shock value, site specificity or the significance of the identified exhibitions.

Areas for students to improve include:

• discussing the chosen examples, articulating how meaning and context are created through exhibitions
• using visual arts terms and drawing on the conceptual framework
• making explicit links between the exhibition of artists’ work and how this affects context and meaning in the artworks.

Question 8

In better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate an understanding of how artists process experiences within the act of making artworks through their material and conceptual considerations
• develop sophisticated inquiries that consider the impact of personal adversity, cultural dislocation, war, racism, sexism and other areas of social conscience
• make deliberate choices in selecting examples of artists and artworks that synthesise the relationships between personal experience and visual processing.

Areas for students to improve include:

• using appropriate art terms to ensure that all aspects of the question are addressed and key words from the question such as ‘visually process’ are defined and integrated
• explaining how artists have interpreted their experiences through visual language and artistic processes
• selecting artistic examples and integrate the analysis of artworks with investigation that communicates a clear point of view.

Question 9

In better responses, students were able to:

• present a well-constructed discussion that analyses and interprets the extent to which artworks reflect and document their cultural context
• demonstrate complex and logical points of view explored through the frames
• offer interpretive investigations of artists and their cultural contexts supported by analysis of artworks.

Areas for students to improve include:

• addressing key aspects of the question by establishing a direct relationship between artworks, artists and their cultural context
• selecting examples and integrating analysis of artists and artworks to support a discussion that addresses the extent to which artworks reflect their time and place
• presenting clear points of view that address the cultural context of artists and the impact of culture on the creation of artworks.