1. A2 Art & Design Exam
2014

2. About Your Exam- Prep Work
Your preparatory studies may include sketchbooks, notebooks, worksheets, design sheets, large-scale rough studies, samples, swatches, test pieces, maquettes, digital material… everything that fully shows your progress towards your outcomes. Preparatory studies should show: • your development of a personal focus based on the theme • a synthesis of ideas • evidence of your development and control of visual language skills • critical review and reflection, recording your thoughts, decisions and development of ideas • the breadth and depth of your research from appropriate primary and contextual sources • relevant selection with visual and/or written analyses rather than descriptive copying or listing processes.

3. About Your Timed Examination
Your actual exam will last 12 hours and take place under controlled exam conditions.
For your exam you will work in an appropriate studio setting, producing your final outcome(s) in response to the theme.
Important- teachers will not be able to give you feedback about your work in progress or suggest how you might improve or develop your outcome(s).

4. This year’s exam theme is...
‘Growth and Evolution’

5. Growth and Evolution
What are some synonyms for the words “growth” and “evolution”? Try to think of as many as you can and make a list.

6. How Will I be Assessed?
In your exam you will be marked against the four assessment objectives. Each assessment objective is worth equal marks (25% each) so it is important that you address all four equally. This means your final piece is only worth 25% of your overall exam grade- Don’t let a lack of prep work let you down!!!

7. The Four Assessment Objectives
AO1- Develop your ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding.
AO2- Experiment with and select appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes, reviewing and refining your ideas as your work develops.
AO3-Record in visual and/or other forms ideas, observations and insights relevant to your intentions, demonstrating your ability to reflect on your work and progress.
AO4- Present a personal, informed and meaningful response demonstrating critical understanding, realising intentions and, where appropriate, making connections between visual, oral or other elements.

8. AO1- Develop Ideas For top marks in AO1 you will need to demonstrate:
A fluent ability to develop your ideas through sustained and focused investigations.
Your ideas and developments should be informed by contextual and other sources showing you have analytical and critical understanding.
You should apply the work of other artists to develop your work further and to experiment with media

9. AO2- Experiment with Sources
For top marks in AO2 you will need to
demonstrate:
A fluent ability to experiment with and select appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes.
You should review and refined your ideas as your work develops.

10. AO3- Record Ideas For top marks in AO3 you will need to demonstrate:
A fluent ability to record ideas in visual and
other forms.
The ideas, observations and insights you record should be
relevant to your intentions
You should show that you are reflecting on your work as it
progresses.
Recording ideas includes:
Using your initial ideas and refinements carried out for AO1 and AO2 you should now be recording observations and insights that are relevant to your planned final piece intentions in visual and/or other forms

11. AO4- Present a Response AO4 refers to your final exam piece.
For top marks in AO4 you will need to
demonstrate:
A fluent ability to present a personal, informed and meaningful responses
You need to show you have critical understanding
You need to show that you have realised your intentions

12. Possible Starting Points 
Growth & Evolution
Technological evolution
Mechanical evolution
Fossils
DNA, Bacteria
Life cycles
Birth and death

13. The theme ‘Growth and Evolution’
Here are just a few thoughts and ideas to help inspire you:
Bacteria, algae, roots, shoots, branches, cells, viruses
History, politics, war, religion
Volcanoes, coral reefs, wrecks, erosion, rivers
Circuit boards, wiring, electrical components, the internet
Media, communications, transport, networks, cities
Urban development, factories, nuclear power stations, wind generators, turbines, motorways, industry
Tessellation, fractals, diversity, chaos, galaxies
Eco-friendly vehicles, recycling, rebuilding
Wisdom, maturity, old age, relationships, birth, spring

14. Ron Mueck’s life like sculptures Pregnant Woman, Big Baby and Dead Dad look at life cycles

15. Artists such as Gwen John, Rembrandt, Stanley Spencer, Avigdor Arikha, Frida Kahlo and Jenny Saville have used portraiture to document the growth and evolution of their own families.
Avigdor Arikha self portraits showing the artist aging

16. Damian Hurst, The Virgin Mother, 2005, painted bronze sculpture

17. Olivia Parker often produces intricate still life photographs of natural objects. The apparent simplicity of her technique acts to emphasise the complexity of these natural forms – the hard shell which had at one time contained the soft living creature, the feather which once adorned the a bird’s exterior.
Olivia Parker, Whelks (from "Lost Objects portfolio), 1980

18. Moriko Mori’s Tom Na H-lu
Mechanical Evolution is depicted in art works such as this

19. Donna Cox’s Venus in Time- is a perfect example of how our views, perceptions and depictions have grow and evolved over time as she compares a paleolithic view of femininity with a post modern view:

20. David Hockney did an exhibition in 2012 including 51 iPad Drawings
In this way we see the evolution of Art itself and how the materials used to create art evolve over time.
Contrasted with ancient art using dyes from the natural environment and the limited use of colour that would have at one time being available