FA1ART: Art Studio

Module code: FA1ART

Module provider: Art; School of Arts and Communication Design

Credits: 40

Level: Level 1 (Certificate)

When you'll be taught: Semester 1 / 2

Module convenor: Dr Karenjit Sandhu, email: karenjit.sandhu@reading.ac.uk

Module co-convenor: Ms Tina Jenkins, email: t.jenkins@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 20 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module introduces you to a range of art practices, methods and techniques allowing you to experiment and to develop your practical and intellectual skills. 

Art Studio 1 provides an introduction to contemporary art and its global histories, models of practices and a range of practical and professional skills. Your studies will induct you to codes of good practice, Health & Safety and sustainability in the studio environment. The module provides opportunities for you to produce and present artworks and develop your critically reflective and analytic skills. 

You will be introduced to subject matter and working methods appropriate to your individual interests and independent project, and begin to apply critical thinking in informed debate, shared experience and studio work. The module also supports your transition from your previous diverse art experiences to the academic learning environment of Art at University. 

You will have the opportunity to develop self-awareness in the context of career decision making, knowledge of the career opportunities that are available to you and the skills to make effective applications. 

By the end of the module you will have developed your understanding of research methods that will provide you with the skills to engage in independent enquiry into material processes in relation to ideas and to contextualise these in relation to the diverse field of contemporary art practice. 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

1. Evidence development of skilful and experimental use of materials, techniques and processes
2. Investigate and realise the relationship between studio work and ideas that inform art practices or result from them
3. Select, organise and present artworks produced over the course of the module
4. Reflect on progress over the course of the module through identifying and analysing the development of skills, experimentation and ideas informing studio work or resulting from them

Module content

At the start of the module students will produce work in relation to several themed projects. The themes encourage students to experiment with materials and processes and to develop these in relation to some key concerns in contemporary culture, sustainability, global issues such as self and other, heritage and relationship to place. Students receive the themes and related resource materials prior to the timetabled studio teaching, work on it during the teaching session and continue working independently on the theme.  

In the second semester students will be guided towards greater independence in terms of developing their own interests and specialism and in taking ownership of lines of enquiry into materials, ideas and contextual research.  

During the themed phase and the independent phase the studio teaching sessions will support students in the experimentation with a broad range of material processes including drawing, painting, printing and object construction. The module will also guide students in the acquisition of other material skills through workshop inductions, Health and Safety, as well as optional skills training.  

At weekly studio seminars teaching staff will introduce their own approach and art practice. The talks give insight into the varied ways art is produced today and into the different ways art can be situated in relation to the local and the global. Through planned study visits to museums, galleries and collections students gain further experience of the diversity and range of global of art practice. 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Students attend timetabled weekly studio teaching session and studio seminars. Resources on Blackboard provide written descriptions of the themes students will explore in the studio teaching session and provide instruction on what to prepare and research prior to a session. Analysis of selected text and artworks related to the themes encourage a deeper awareness of art practice and the varied ideas that inform it. At the teaching session students will be encouraged to build on their diverse previous experience and knowledge of art, and develop expanded competency of materials and processes. Demonstration of material processes by staff during teaching sessions, workshop inductions and optional skills training support students in skills acquisition and application.  

At weekly studio seminars art department staff introduce students to the research methods they use to develop work and encourage students to considered different ways art can be produced and the diverse context for practice. Over the module students receive feedback via 1-to-1 tutorials and through group tutorials. Both of these teaching methods encourage students to communicate and then reflect upon their intentions and to consider how intentions may develop and change through material exploration. These teaching methods also direct students to relevant research materials including artists, artworks, exhibitions and text.  

At the studio seminars students are provided with guidance both on preparing and editing documentation of their work, and on writing reflective statements. At the seminars students are also introduced to different ways of presenting artwork.  

Planned study visits to exhibitions further enhance student knowledge of different methods artist use to present work.  

Feedback delivered both by staff and fellow students during peer-review support students in the development of material processes and in considering their relationship to ideas. During the module students will be supported in developing appropriate methods of documenting work, writing reflectively on works made and in selecting and presenting work for exhibition.  

Collaborative working is encouraged through the shared use of studio space, group feedback sessions and the staging of group exhibitions. Alongside collaborative working individual students can with support from staff opt out of group working sessions and instead follow a path tailored to their particular learning needs. 

Assessment points, briefs and deadlines are introduced at the start of the module. 

Mid-module formative assessment provides verbal and written feedback to direct students to reflect upon the strengths and weaknesses in the materials they present. Student are also required to self-assess their work in order to gain a more reflective understanding of assessment processes and how it support development of work to create assessment literacy and awareness of marking rubric and process. There is ongoing verbal feedback and peer-review. 

Summative Assessment at the end of the module is authentic, allowing professional experience through presentation of: (1) exhibition, (2) portfolio documenting artwork produced over semester 1 and 2, and (3) critical self-reflection.  

Study hours

At least 132 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Portfolios of practice, reflective report, series of formative exhibitions with peer-review and continuous feedback. 

Reassessment

Additional costs