Review of HSC Questions and strategy for Friday.

Friday….Trial Exam. Gulp. Despite what everyone may be saying about the Trials (and yes, you do need to study) they are worth 20% of your total internal assessment mark. They are simply another assessment task. Nothing more than that. They are not the be-all and end-all. The challenge is the wide range of things you have to review. Please don’t get paralysed with terror about this event. Rather, make a serious effort to review what you can; and take time to carefully read the questions you’re presented with. You’re being asked to apply your knowledge to a certain question. You need to be clear on what is being asked and try to address that.

Short clip on Jeff Koons (brought in by Graham.) The.Colbert.Report Jeff Koons.mp4 Jeff Koons, (US, b.1955) Puppy, being installed outside the Museum of Contemporary Art Sydney, the installation stayed there for some months, slowly growing flowers. The Koons installation was brought out to Australia by John Kaldor Projects (responsible for the Christo & Jeanne-Claude event 30 years earlier.)

Section I There are 3 short answer questions in Section I. You must answer all of them. Each question will cover one of the 3 aspects of the course, i.e. Practice; Conceptual Framework; or Frames. Ideally you can tell which aspect is being emphasised in the question, but don’t worry about it too much– the main thing is to understand and then address the question. The HSC Markers say: Many students lose marks by simply describing the images in the source material. They need to address the question. Try to remember to focus on the question being asked. What is the key word? You must comment on, and describe the images, yes – but not ONLY that. Keep looking at that question, and phrase your answer accordingly. Those who have attended class regularly know you do NOT have to be familiar with the art presented in the Section I questions. If you are, then that is a happy bonus, but don’t expect it. You may be presented with things that look totally random and like nothing you’ve ever seen. Look carefully at the source material. What IS expected is that you bring your knowledge about other artists, movements, practices, etc. to the questions.

This is Question 1(a) – allow 10 minutes; worth 5 marks out of 25. Q: Observe Plates 1 and 2. Explain THREE aspects of Reg Mombassa’s artmaking practice by referring briefly to his ideas and actions. Plate 2: Chris O’Doherty aka Reg Mombassa, (New Zealand b. 1951) Artwork for the back of a Mambo shirt, 2000, acrylic paint and gouache on paper, 30 x 25cm Plate 1: Chris O’Doherty aka Reg Mombassa, (New Zealand, b. 1951) Sunshower, 2003, charcoal and coloured pencil on paper, 23 x 25cm

Plate 3: Frank Gehry, (b. 1929, Canadian) Guggenheim Art Museum, on the banks of the Nervion River, Bilbao Spain, 1997,. Steel frame, titanium sheathing, 50 m height. Plate 4: Stelarc (b. 1946, Australian) Involuntary body, third hand and Scanning Robot, 1998, performance, Museumsquartier, Vienna Austria. Q: With reference to Plates 3, 4 & 5 explain the different ways that these contemporary artists reflect the contemporary world in their artworks. (8 marks, 15 mins.)

Plate 5: Masami Teraoka, (b. 1936, Japanese) McDonald’s Hamburgers Invading Japan, 1982, colour screenprint On Arches 88 paper, edition number 41/91, 54.3 x 36.5cm

Section II You know there are 6 essay questions presented to you in Section II of the exam. They are under three listed headings: Practice; Conceptual Framework; Frames. This year, we have concentrated most on Conceptual Framework; then Frames. We have done the least work on Practice. Therefore the best question for you will most likely be under the heading of Conceptual Framework or Frames. (This is not definite…it’s just likely.) It’s important that you remain calm while you’re carefully reading the six questions, in order to find the best one for you. In fact, the Exam questions tend to have a pattern that can be seen over the years. They are designed not to make you sick with fear, but to give you the opportunity to write about what you have learnt. Many of them are asking essentially the same things, just worded differently in different years. This means you can work on a generic response that is pretty likely to cover the bases you will need. (The BoS hates this idea and tells teachers not to encourage this approach. So I won’t encourage you. I’m just saying, is all.)

PRACTICE Q1: “Art critics challenge and effect the way artists and audiences create, interpret and assess artworks.” Discuss this statement. OR Q2: “Discuss how artists have differed in their practice over time. Use examples.” CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK Q3: “Without an audience there could be no art.” Discuss this statement in terms of the relationship of the audiences to the artwork and artist. OR Q4: “Artists interact with the events and issues of their time and place.” Discuss this statement, and examine how the world is represented by artists in their artwork. FRAMES Q5: “Meaning in artworks and understanding artists’ intentions will always be dependent upon the cultures the artists come from.” Discuss, using examples of artists and artworks you have studied. OR Q6: “Postmodern art challenges all conventions within art – even the legitimacy of art itself.” Do you agree with this statement? Give reasons and specific examples in your response.

PRACTICE Q 1: “As an artist, you’re not a machine in a studio. You are not working alone, you’re in a community, working with other people.” – Alex Kershaw, artist. With reference to this view, explain the significance of collaboration in artistic practice.” OR Q 2: “A successful artist meets the expectations of an audience.” Evaluate this statement with reference to the practice of artists, architects or designers you have studied. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK Q 3:Explore the way that contemporary artworks reflect ideas about the world of popular culture. In your response refer to artists, architects or designers you have studied. OR Q 4:“The role of the artist is determined by cultural circumstances or events.” Discuss this statement, with reference to specific artists or groups of artists. OR FRAMES Q5: Investigate the ways cultural identity is explored in the work of artists, designers or filmmakers. OR Q6: Examine how systems of symbols or visual codes are used by artists to communicate ideas and meaning in their artworks.

PRACTICE Q 1: Examine the ways artists suggest meaning in their artmaking practice through their choice and manipulation of materials. OR Q 2:“As part of their practice, artists navigate emotional states and rational choices.” Discuss this statement with reference to a range of examples. OR CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK Q 3: Explain what paintings are about other than their subject matter. OR Q 4: Discuss how digital media challenges the ways in which audiences experience artworks. OR FRAMES Q5: “Meaning is rarely obvious. Meaning has to be made.” Discuss this statement with reference to different interpretations of art and a range of artworks. OR Q6: Examine how systems of symbols or visual codes are used by artists to communicate ideas and meaning in their artworks.

Your task, between now and Friday, is to work on one of the questions you liked. Chances are you will have chosen a question that is fairly broad and gives you maximum of opportunity to fit your knowledge into it. Please give yourself the time between now and Friday to have a go at this. You will love yourself if you do.

RESOURCES Jeff Koons: