This module is designed to promote effective use of the studio to stimulate the establishment of a fine art practice and to introduce a broad subject context alongside that delivered through critical historical studies.
Through independent, peer and group learning, you are encouraged to identify and develop new practical / thinking skills and interests and to nurture existing ones.
With consideration to their established methods, you will be asked to consider new and alternative modes of practice in and beyond the studio and to begin to invest in collaborative approaches to making and reviewing your work. You will be invited to be curious and reflective in your approach to materials, processes and ideas as well as to establish strategies for self-management and enrichment.
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
Teaching on this module supports academic progress throughout the first year towards the establishment of an individual Fine Art practice. The module will make use of the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) Canvas for communication and dissemination of information between students and staff as well as making online learning materials available to all.
At the beginning of the module tutor-led, individual and group sessions support students to acquire independent learning strategies and basic skills in combining and documenting practical and theoretical research and analysis. Inductions in the Technical, Digital Workshops and Learning Resource Centre are carried out to establish safe practice and competency in practical and academic research. Mandatory subject-workshops are offered at early and mid-points during this module, promoting a range of media, themes and transferable skills, including digitally enhanced learning.
Core tutorials with personal tutors and optional elective tutorials with other staff members occur throughout this module, which is further populated by artist/professional talks, practice seminars, critiques and gallery visits, all of which support students to make, present and talk about their own work and that of others.
Additionally, students are expected to invest in peer learning by engaging fully in independent studio practice alongside one another and to keep a Research Log to track their practical and theoretical enquiry and the relationships between them, the guidelines for which can be found on the VLE. It is expected that students keep abreast of contemporary Fine Art practice by undertaking frequent, independent gallery visits / events, on and off site.
All courses based in the Kingston School of Art offer students free access to the online video tutorial platform Lynda.com. This provides a wide range of subjects to choose from, many with downloadable exercise files, including software tutorials covering photography, graphics, web design, audio and music, CAD and Microsoft Office software, as well as courses on business and management skills. Some of these are embedded in the curriculum and offer additional self-paced learning, others may be taken at will by students wishing to broaden their employability skills in other areas.
Learning activities include:
| Definitive UNISTATS Category | Indicative Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | Artist/professional talks, seminars, critiques, tutorials, subject workshops, technical workshop inductions, visits | 150 |
| Guided independent study | Independent studio practice, research, exhibition visits. | 450 |
| Total (number of credits x 10) | 300 | |
Formative Assessment: A mid-module review towards the end of the first teaching block constitutes an organized body of work, accompanied by a brief verbal presentation and documentation of practical and contextual research in the form of a Research Log. Notes will be recorded by staff and students and consolidated on a feedback form, to be filled in by students during feedback tutorial. Formative assessment is further augmented by regular Feed forward tutorials.
Summative Assessment: A selected body of work is augmented by a Research Log.
Group work will not be assessed. It is a method through which students learn, the results of which are integrated back in to individual practice. However, the student's reflection on this process may well be included in the work which is submitted for assessment.
Achievement of Module Learning Outcomes are assessed using the following Assessment Criteria:
Experimentation: Testing of thinking through making, risk-taking and problem-solving.
Analysis: Critical examination of context and interpretation of individual and related work.
Communication: Realisation of intentions and skill in appropriate media
Personal & Professional Development: Planning, time-management, commitment and subject engagement.
| Learning Outcome | Assessment Strategy |
|---|---|
| 1. Demonstrate that they have established a studio practice, with an ability to test their thinking through making, risk-taking and problem-solving (Experimentation) | Formative assessment: Mid-module review, followed by feedback tutorial where student takes notes. Summative assessment: Selected body of work, Research Log. |
| 2. Show that they have begun to be able to locate their practice in relation to contemporary art practice and theory (Analysis) | Formative assessment: Mid-module review, followed by feedback tutorial where student takes notes. Summative assessment: Selected body of work, Research Log. |
| 3. Begin to realise their ideas and develop on their intentions by identifying skills in appropriate media. (Communication) | Formative assessment: Mid-module review, followed by feedback tutorial where student takes notes. Summative assessment: Selected body of work, Research Log. |
| 4. Make use of teaching and learning resources to establish a fine art practice, working individually and / or as part of a group. (Personal & Professional Development) | Formative assessment: Mid-module review, followed by feedback tutorial where student takes notes. Summative assessment: Selected body of work, Research Log. |
| Description of Assessment | Definitive UNISTATS Categories | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Selected body of work, Research Log | Coursework | 100% |
| Total (to equal 100%) | 100% | |
It IS a requirement that the element of assessment is passed in order to achieve an overall pass for the module.
Adams, L. and Adam, L.S. (2009) The methodologies of art: An introduction. 2nd edn. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, a member of the Perseus Books Group.
Elkins, J. (2001) Why art cannot be taught: A handbook for art students. United States: University of Illinois Press.
Pallasmaa, J. (2009) The thinking hand: Existential and embodied wisdom in architecture. United Kingdom: Wiley, John & Sons.
Gelshorn, J. and Marks, M. (2009) The fall of the studio: Artists at work. Edited by Wouter Davidts and Kim Paice. New York, NY: Distribution, D.A.P.
Gallery, W.A. (2010) Failure. Edited by Lisa Le Feuvre. London: Whitechapel Art Gallery.
P.M. (ed.) (2009) I like your work. Paper Monument.
Downs, S. and Staff, T. (2008) Drawing now: Between the lines of contemporary art. Edited by Downs. London: I. B. Tauris.
Edited, T.M.R. (2011) Painting. Edited by Terry R. Myers. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Hudek, A. (ed.) (2014) The object. United States: MIT Press (MA).
978-0854882380
Cotton, C. (2009) The photograph as contemporary art. 2nd edn. New York, NY: Thames & Hudson.
Goldberg, R. (2011) Performance art: From Futurism to the present. London: Thames & Hudson.
Caleb (2010) Sound. Edited by Caleb Kelly. Cambridge, MA: Whitechapel Art Gallery.
Bishop, C. (2011) Artificial hells: Participatory art and the politics of spectatorship. London: Verso Books.
Recommended magazines and journals:
AN magazine, Artforum, Art Monthly, Flash Art, Frieze, Mousse, Parkett, Third Text, Afterall, Paper Monument
Additional material may be recommended during taught sessions.