Just do your work. And if the world needs your work it will come and get you. And if it doesn't, do your work anyway. You can have fantasies about having control over the world, but I know I can barely control my kitchen sink. That is the grace I'm given. Because when one can control things, one is limited to one's own vision.
-Kiki Smith, artist |
What is The Exhibition?
The exhibition is your chance to go public with your work. In a nutshell, this is the whole reason that artists make work!
How many finished artworks do I need to have by the end of G12?
Well, this depends a little but you should use the formal requirements to guide you. According to these requirements you must submit the following for assessment:
It makes sense to produce more that this so that you can: 1) grow as much as possible throughout the course and 2) select the best work to be assessed. In general you should produce 3-5 pieces in addition to the above requirements. Something like the following seems like a realistic and reasonable goal:
Also bear in mind that you may have some work that is incomplete or abandoned. For some kinds of work, such as computer graphics, you should produce way more (ie. 25-50+). But this quantity really depends on:
Nonetheless, you should never ever sacrifice quality for quantity. The moderator and I both know very well what constitutes a reasonable amount of work when we look at an individual portfolio.
- SL 4-7 artworks
- HL 8-11 artworks
It makes sense to produce more that this so that you can: 1) grow as much as possible throughout the course and 2) select the best work to be assessed. In general you should produce 3-5 pieces in addition to the above requirements. Something like the following seems like a realistic and reasonable goal:
- SL 7-12 artworks
- HL 11-16 artworks
Also bear in mind that you may have some work that is incomplete or abandoned. For some kinds of work, such as computer graphics, you should produce way more (ie. 25-50+). But this quantity really depends on:
- Technical characteristics
- Complexity and scale of pieces
- Nature of art pieces and the process of their development
- Various combinations of media, etc.
Nonetheless, you should never ever sacrifice quality for quantity. The moderator and I both know very well what constitutes a reasonable amount of work when we look at an individual portfolio.
How much time, outside of class, should I spend on my studio work?
This depends to a certain degree. However, expect to come into the studio for a few hours a week outside of class time. Some weeks you may be here much more than that. Some weeks less.
At the end of the day, your success in this course really depends on what you put into it. This is not the only course you are taking and as such, requires a high level of maturity and discipline in order to find a balance.
Finally, you need to take care of yourself physically and emotionally so that you have the energy and stamina to stick with everything to the end!!
At the end of the day, your success in this course really depends on what you put into it. This is not the only course you are taking and as such, requires a high level of maturity and discipline in order to find a balance.
Finally, you need to take care of yourself physically and emotionally so that you have the energy and stamina to stick with everything to the end!!
How do I create a coherent body of work?
The most obvious way that you might create meaningful connections from piece to piece is through your ongoing exploration of a concentration (more to come on this). Working in series offers a lot of potential to explore smaller concepts connected to your big idea and is a strategy that a lot of contemporary artists employ.
Your work can also be connected through the use of media, subject matter, the kinds of processes that you use, and so on…
For some of you, working towards a unified body of work will be relatively straightforward. However, most of you will struggle along the way and many connections will not be apparent until much later!! You must have FAITH in yourself and the process! This course is NOT about instant gratification.
Your work can also be connected through the use of media, subject matter, the kinds of processes that you use, and so on…
For some of you, working towards a unified body of work will be relatively straightforward. However, most of you will struggle along the way and many connections will not be apparent until much later!! You must have FAITH in yourself and the process! This course is NOT about instant gratification.
What media should I work in?
Painting to puppetry, calligraphy to computer graphics, and sculpture to conceptual art…
The studio work assessment criteria reward the pursuit of ideas in a variety of media, the development of original approaches, the discovery of creative solutions and the acquisition of technical skills.
However, quality work that shows a developing maturity of artistic understanding at the end of the course is preferable to work that shows a superficial acquaintance with a large number of different skills and techniques.
Also, you should bear in mind the following:
The studio work assessment criteria reward the pursuit of ideas in a variety of media, the development of original approaches, the discovery of creative solutions and the acquisition of technical skills.
However, quality work that shows a developing maturity of artistic understanding at the end of the course is preferable to work that shows a superficial acquaintance with a large number of different skills and techniques.
Also, you should bear in mind the following:
What is the role of my Visual Arts Journal with the Exhibition?
SL
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HL
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Great Advice from the IB about YOUR Curatorial Rationale
- If there is a particular work that was especially instrumental in the way you perceived your exhibition, it might be interesting to describe that work in more depth to draw the audience into your thought process.
- It is important to remember that you have an opportunity to write a short statement to accompany each artwork in the exhibition, so do not use up your word limit describing each work. Rather, identify thematic and/or stylistic connections between works.
- Consider the style of the statement. There are two audiences for your exhibition: your school community and the IB assessment system, which will include your teacher and IB moderators. You want to avoid using the kind of art-world jargon that might alienate a general audience but still be specific enough when articulating your vision to engage the teacher and moderator. If there is a specific art term that is central to the main idea of your exhibition, be sure to define it within your statement.
- Your statement should be written in an informative and persuasive tone, but because you are writing about your own work, personal pronouns (I, my and so on) are appropriate.
- Be realistic, frank and honest about your work. Statements that do not reflect the work that is presented cannot score highly against the marking criteria.
- Less is more. While the word limits for SL ad HL are 400 and 700 words respectively, most curatorial statements written for exhibitions in galleries are between 300 and 500 words.
Exemplars - 7 out of 7
HL Exemplar 1
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HL Exemplar 2
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Works Cited
International Baccalaureate Organization. DP Visual Arts Guide. Cardiff: Peterson House, 2014. PDF.
Teacher Support Material
Teacher Support Material
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