Visual Studies

The study of the visual expressions of all aspects of culture, created by past, recent modern and contemporary societies, is called Visual Studies. By researching, creating and responding to work, students will learn to know and understand the work they make as well as works by other artists. The term art used throughout these guidelines is taken to include the areas of fine art, design and craft in a range of traditional, contemporary, new and/or digital media. Using appropriate critical and visual language, learners will be enabled to consider the area/s of practice and use of media these works have been expressed in and through, including understanding the ideas and contexts that underpin their creation. It is also important that students understand their own role as an artist. As students learn more about Visual Studies, it should influence their own thinking and making. To help achieve this, the Visual Studies Framework has been developed. It sets out to answer three main questions that are important to Visual Studies: What was created? How was it created? Why was it created?