- Develop ways to approach search through indirect and practice-based activities.

- Use artwork to develop research ideas incorporating formal relationships and use of subject matter to develop practice based research 

Objectives

- value individual experience, knowledge and desires (tastes)

- recognising individual ways of looking and seeing the world and valuing difference 

- Thinking about context: culture and surroundings, artists motivations 

 - How to embed contextual studies into practice back at school 

-  how to manage progression between levels moving towards increasing independence in our students 

-  consideration of cultural differences and what students bring in to the study of art and design 

-  can we do this if we bring our students to Tate Britain? And Tate modern? 

"We struggled with this, idea came right at the end!"

• How to interact with the work in the gallery - assume the posture of one of the Moore sculptures, recorded by use of tape drawing around this figure. 
• This unexpectedly became a performance piece
• Interacting physically in the gallery as a way into the the work, more relatable, playful
• Colour of tape reflected group’s impression of the model as a calm person I.e. green and blue
• How do you draw the sculpture, drawing around the pose breaks the ice for this, posing makes the abstracted figure more relatable

Comments:

• What does the flattening of the form mean? 
• Proposal is a starting point, not an outcome, 
• could relate to e.g. Matisse cutouts?
• Would work with any sculpture, classical and abstract
• Silhouette and outline, abstraction
• Analysing the experience of enacting the sculpture and any changes is relationship with it from that experience
• Could be done from a description rather than the sculpture

"I Enjoyed the sense of naughtiness doing this in the gallery"

Collected packaging as a starting point ie materials as starting point:

• Finding relationships to the object within the work, responding to a work by cutting or drawing etc with found materials 
• Few prompts (year 12) - foster independence, generate discussion with each other - shared, personal language and not textbook.
• Vehicle for noticing things in artworks as task encourages extended looking, but differently to drawing
• No right or wrong answer, but needs justifying
• Taking a photograph of object ok to support further analysis in the classroom
• Having to work quite hard at looking and finding connections
• Pre-gallery visit, learning how to analyse objects prior to a visit

 Comments: 

• Would a student struggle to see the value in this? I.e. Perceived lack of structure, relies on a willingness to dig deep enough? 
• Visit planning and matching materials to collections chosen would help anticipate this
• Connection to the object might become the more important driving thought? 
• And perhaps the perception of it changes through the process?

Idea of subject specific vocabulary and creative player:

• Students given verb or descriptor to work with e.g. grid
• Visual treasure hunt collecting inspiration from different works of art in the gallery to reflect this word
• Use this to create their own piece of work, probably as a sculpture or installation piece
• Ongoing dialogue with partners throughout the task
• Change of context working in the gallery and seeing our work there changes feelings in view of it 
• And becomes perceived as being part of the display invalid et cetera
• Bouncing ideas off each other leads to unexpected routes 
• Forces looking with intent or copying a whole art work
• Suggests Synthesis and analysis of own work, critiques in relation to the task etc. 
• How do you stop students from getting “grid-locked”?
• look outside modernism e.g find grids in Renaissance painting
• Should students generate their own words?
• Pitfalls of words like “unique”

Group focus: more about writing and thinking from direct experience.

First looking around a gallery , come back to piece of art that has something of emotional connection - this is not necessarily liking the piece, it could be strong dislike etc.

 The Lowry was chosen - interviews conducted with members of the public from a pre-organised list of questions prepared by the teacher

 Students take their responses and connect them to another artwork in the same gallery - e.g. connecting the muted pallet  / black-and-white stylisation industrialisation people etc. leading to: Edward Middleditch The Crowd , Anthony Whishaw Corrida 

repeat exercise

 Aims to exemplify different people have different opinions about the art, making it easier for the student to accept their own opinion as an expert point of view

 Comments/feedback: 

• In the painting by Anthony Whishaw, the faces like masks, dark colours and composition remind me of the Last Supper 
• Responses in drawing and in words, can also open up a pair assessment activities? Would work also with designed objects in the classroom to
• One outcome suggested - response to the Boxes of ingredients for each painting, creating a toolkit to make something new
• Kate: activity begins to reflect the curators’ intentions 
• linking to the captions on each painting at the end of the task effectively and usefully, this validates the students’ own activities and thoughts
• Could extend the task to design a tool for the public
• Also builds confidence script useful in breaking the ice