1 NCEA Level 3 - Visual Arts 2011 Examples of Candidate Work – Printmaking

2 Excellence

3 This candidate shows evidence that: The drawing on panel 1 clearly defines the proposition undertaken and establishes the concept of mortality investigating the duality of life and death. Threads and genes weave their way through each work from organic plant forms to interior/exterior investigations of the body which set a very intelligent proposition. Many prints explore the ideas of aging, where the candidate has created relationships between baby/seedling, teen/tree and old age/age dying tree. There is a comprehensive engagement of study and ownership in the selection of ideas with drawing being playful, dramatic, purposeful and in-depth. The integrated use of subject matter of skeletons, the human body and nature analyses and clarifies ideas through juxtaposition of figure/s, trees and plant matter in space through pictorial devices of line, positive/negative space and colour to express death. There is a clear fluency in printmaking methods of mono printing, intaglio and relief that have been used with purpose and thorough understanding, including colour selection, use of light and dark/black and white and the expressive mark making interwoven with the grid as a compositional device. The use of colour has been deliberately selected to symbolise blood, human life links. This candidate demonstrates an advanced mature understanding of traditional printmaking processes used and ideas have been successfully evaluated throughout this submission. The work results from a thorough study and careful selection of ideas from a variety of artistic and stylistic references such as German Expressionism woodcuts and Kath Kollwitz. Through the appropriate selection of artistic references, the candidate has been able to demonstrate a depth and range of picture making ideas complimented by a meaningful use of established practice. Many works extend beyond establish practice, selecting and using appropriate elements into a synthesis that is the candidate’s own.

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8 Excellence This candidate shows evidence that: Panel 1 clearly defines the proposition and generates ideas derived from life cycles and immortality – illness. The proposition is clearly set up with the idea of the fragility of life through the use of tissue material – soft and transparent. Images of the brain and iris flower are morphed together and become one entity suggesting broken beginnings and growth from the brain (tumour?). There is clear technical fluency of printmaking methods that combine techniques with purpose and in-depth understanding, including use of materials and printing. The candidate tests many options such as printing with band aids, using light boxes, photograms, actual photographs, x-rays and printed pill packets. Colour comes from x-rays at the top of panel two with the cyanotype blue along with the velvet black that is represented throughout the submission. Exploration of microscopic entities on cellular levels makes you question what is going on inside our own body. Panel 3 continues to analyse and critically re-evaluate demonstrating an advance, mature understanding of the depth and breadth that the proposition offers through large scale works that are in band aid format. The clarification in pictorial direction continues to provide further options for the production of new work. The work results from a thorough study and careful selection of ideas from a variety of artistic references that lay within printmaking and antiquarian photographic artist models. There is an intelligent engagement of study as ideas are contained within technical and expressive drawing styles, demonstrating sophisticated understanding of picture making, collaged surface, photographic processes and composition.

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13 Merit

14 Merit This candidate shows evidence that: Drawing has been used to purposefully generate ideas about the relationship between the physical and the mental energy in competitive sport. Compositions show a depth of ideas about the physical presence, energy and heroic winning associated with sporting. Some of the more developed works on panels 2 and 3 show analysis and clarification of picture making as the candidate has been able to build a narrative in response to previous works. Reference to medical motifs and variation in colouration develop the concept of strength and vulnerability. Many printmaking techniques have been used with understanding of their processes. There are formal devices that drive the proposition through the use of silhouettes, repetition and line of various sporting profiles, action shots and human anatomy. Colour is well considered with a range of subdued tones used in contrast with black graphic portraits. The integration of line and graphic stencil enable the intersection of similar motifs to provide the heroic winning sensation. This submission develops systematically and ideas have been analysed to enable the movement into new compositions which explore a juxtaposition of flat planes of colour, contrasting shapes and silhouettes of sporting heroes. The generosity of options has been taken through the pictorial conventions used such as integrated gestural mark making and surface combined with graphic found images. A range of established practice has been researched in-depth to inform decision making about techniques, methods, pictorial direction and colour, of which demonstrate an understanding of artistic references.

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19 Merit This candidate shows evidence that: The drawing in this submission has been purposefully generated and appropriate imagery has been selected to create a submission that offers complex picture making with well-considered formats appropriate to a children’s story book. These drawings have developed a range of pictorial ideas which analyse expressive mark making through relief and dry point printing, collage and overlay all of which have been used appropriately to the narrative. A systematic and critical approach has focused on the development of pictorial ideas and relationships shared between repeated patterns and surfaces, doll figures and a dolls house interior. These relationships lift and enhance the work from the device of repetition, into works of narrative fantasy and surrealism on panels 2 and 3. The re-introduction of illusionistic space on panel 3 which has been informed by more abstracted works has created a hybridisation from panels 1 and 2. Purposeful editing of specific elements allows for space and light to be used sensitively to both enhance the surreal interior and the child-like world. Understanding of various expressionist artists have provided the candidate with technical knowledge such as the interplay between delicate feathery line and broad expressive relief. The synthesis of colour; luminosity, glowing light, highly considered under printing develops the proposition to create another ‘world’ in the eyes of a child. With the pictorial ideas evident, more could have been regenerated from a broader in-depth drawing base to gain Excellence.

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24 Achieved

25 Achieved This submission shows evidence that: The drawing skills used to record information on panel 1 shows a variety of compositional arrangements investigating representations of femininity from popular culture while the generative prints that follow show sufficient evidence of clarifying and regenerating ideas. The ideas explored on panels 2 and 3 analyse the concept of beauty through the use of repetition and patterning devices with imagery from popular culture, fashion magazines, photography and pattern design. Selected drawing and printmaking methods are appropriate to purpose and demonstrate knowledge of the characteristics and constraints of the chosen print processes of screen printing and photo transfer. The print works clarify and regenerate ideas where there is a limited range of pictorial devices being investigated, from repetition of portraits and pattern designs through to the experimentation of colour tones and placement of elements. All works are related and systematic despite the small movements of progression. There is evidence that ideas have been evaluated with decisions made to explore selected pictorial devices to express a particular fashion photographic aesthetic in printmaking. Ideas have been developed through selected forms of established practice, with reference to artists such as Audrey Kawasaki and Andy Warhol that has informed the development of ideas and appropriate selection of printmaking methods. A greater range of drawing of subject matter rather than repetition reliance on photographic sources along with reworking compositions more would be required for achievement with Merit.

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30 Achieved Drawing studies have generated and developed a range of information and ideas about organics and genetics. These are represented through juxtapositions of foetus forms, nature and organic shapes on panel 1, using various techniques such as dry point and monoprinting where imagery and surface are investigated by way of repetition and overlapping. There is a consistent approach to print techniques employed including colour palette and composition which have been explored through arrangement and re-arrangement of motifs and patterns. Pictorial devices such as repetition, pattern, positive/negative have been used to clarify ideas at an appropriate level and regenerate using abstraction through collage and layering techniques. The investigation of ideas centred on the repeated forms of nature has been thought through and understood and has resulted in a logical and linear development of ideas. The pictorial ideas generated analyse the relationship between the nature of flowers, their connection with particular forms and repeated patterns that are clarified into simple and effective prints. There is knowledge and understanding of specific conventions, which have been developed appropriately to the proposition. This folio may have benefited from more in depth drawing on a broader range of subject matter and research to provide new ideas and options within compositions for later panels and therefore would not have had to been so heavily reliant on using the same pictorial devices over and over again.

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