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Author Topic: The Art of Bullshitting: Section 2  (Read 5330 times)  Share 

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beatroot

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The Art of Bullshitting: Section 2
« on: July 25, 2019, 01:10:27 pm »
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Hello and welcome back to a new installment of ‘The Art of Bullshitting’ series. Today we will be discussing ‘Section 2’. This is the huge essay in the second half of your exam. How does one structure their essay? Which question do you pick? How do you maximise your marks? How does one balance their time? Read on to find more!

PREPARATION:

The fact that you can pick one out of six questions to answer makes Visual Arts one of the most flexible subjects in the HSC. Out of the six questions, there should be at least one or two that fits your essay best. It’s ideal to stick with the same essay from Term 1 and keep on improving it until your actual HSC exam. I wrote about the same artists and artworks for my half yearlies, trials and HSC exam, but kept adding more stuff and deeper explanations the more exams I did. This also helps with memorising your essay throughout your HSC journey. Also try and do practice essays under timed conditions before heading into the exam room.

TIME FOR ESSAY:

You’re given 45 minutes for Section 2. Nothing more, nothing less. And within those 45 minutes, you must allocate these (strict) timings per paragraph.

3 body paragraphs
Introduction: 5 minutes
Body paragraph 1: 12 minutes
Body paragraph 2: 12 minutes
Body paragraph 3: 12 minutes
Conclusion: 4 minutes

4 body paragraphs
Introduction: 2.5 minutes
Body paragraph 1: 10 minutes
Body paragraph 2: 10 minutes
Body paragraph 3: 10 minutes
Body paragraph 4: 10 minutes
Conclusion: 2.5 minutes

The more you practice in timed conditions, the more you are able to write quick and stick to these strict time limits.

Protip: Do Section 2 first before Section 1. This will help you ease yourself into the exam since you already know what to write for Section 2. It will help you warm yourself up for Section 1 later on.

WHICH ESSAY QUESTION TO PICK?

The answer to that? Pick whatever question you’re comfortable with. Whether that’d be a frames, artist’s practice or a conceptual framework question, just do whatever agency you’re comfortable with. But most of all, pick the question that suits your artists and artworks best. Some questions are straightforward while others include a quote you must integrate and refer back to.

Protip: None of the questions will guarantee extra/less marks. Just because you pick a frames question doesn’t necessarily mean it will give you less marks. I used to have this mindset throughout my studies and avoided frames questions. It wasn’t until my HSC exam where I was actually forced to do a frames question because it suited my artists and artworks best.

WHICH ARTISTS/ARTWORKS TO PICK?

During your theory lessons, your teacher would've taught you many case studies, artists and artworks. Pick whatever case study resonates with you the most and the artists and artworks that you are comfortable with analysing.

STRUCTURE:

You know how it goes- introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion. Within those body paragraphs- introductory sentence, context of work, explanation of work (using evidence from work itself), a quote from an art critic. To introduce the context of the work,  it’s best to used this formula:

“In this (medium of work) called (name of work) (year of work) by the (nationality of artist) (artist’s name), it appears to be a (small summary of what the work looks like).

For example:
“In this found object artwork called ‘Fountain’ (1917) by the French artist Marcel Duchamp, it appears to be an upside down urinal, signed under the alias ‘R. Mutt’”

And this is how an actual body paragraph would look like ideally-

Quote
The found object however developed into the readymade, as evident by Duchamp’s groundbreaking practice. In this found object artwork called ‘Fountain’ (1917) by the French artist Marcel Duchamp, it appears to be an upside down urinal, signed under the alias ‘R. Mutt’ Marcel Duchamp, a French and DADA artist introduces the readymade by submitting a signed urinal, under the alias R. Mutt, to the Society of Independence Exhibition, wanting to comment on the Salon’s traditional selection process of artworks. The artist also wanted to introduce the practice of using ready made objects that was deemed controversial to the Salon whom only perceived works made in the traditional sense can be considered as art. Duchamp wanted to encourage the idea that industrial products such as this untouched and somewhat pathetic urinal can be deemed as art too. Why should artists limit themselves in creating art within the traditional, conventional borders? Furthermore, Duchamp also introduced the idea that the conceptual ideas of an artists and intentioned were more important than the outcome and effort put into their artwork. The banal object of this urinal was definitely a symbol of artistic revolution during Duchamp’s time and certainly inspired later artists. Critic Wood comments ‘He chose it. He created a meaning for the object’, perfectly capturing the essence of Duchamp’s readymade movement and the uprising of the DADA artists during their time. It can be seen through ‘Fountain’ that Marcel Duchamp breaks the boundaries of conventional art practice and displays his capacity to push the limits of their thought and practice.

ART CRITICS

No art is perfect. Art will and always be criticised. Do some readings online or from textbooks to see how art critic/s perceive the artwork that you are analysing. This will help beef up your essay and add some depth to your analysis. Art critics are respected people in the art community as they provide wonderful insight into the work beyond the artist and the audience. You would want to add a quote or a paraphrased version of their quote towards the end of your essay before your concluding sentence. Some art critics quotes + analysis can include;

Pablo Picasso ‘Still Life with Chair Caning’
Quote
Art critic Robert Hughes comments ‘The classical still life was dead’, illustrating the impact of Picasso’s work on the art world and demonstrates Picasso pushing his limits of thought and ideas

Marcel Duchamp ‘Fountain’
Quote
Critic Wood comments ‘He chose it. He created a meaning for the object’, perfectly capturing the essence of Duchamp’s readymade movement and the uprising of the DADA artists during their time.

ORLAN ‘The Reincarnation of Saint ORLAN’
Quote
Art critic Viola exclaims ‘Real body, imaginary body. Mystical body, social body’, encapsulates the permanent manipulation and possible health risks, displaying ORLAN’s extreme approach to breaking the boundaries of art and her seemingly provocative practice.

Damien Hirst ‘The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living’
Quote
Art critic Hughes expresses that Hirst’s work is certainly a reflection of the cultural obscurity of the contemporary art world.

You can find my essay right here that I got 24/25 for my trial exam.

The Art of Bullshitting: Section 1
« Last Edit: July 25, 2019, 01:14:07 pm by beatroot »
Which will hold greater rule over you? Your fear or your curiosity?

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