Visual Arts
Visual Arts at Port Hacking High School aims to develop the visual perception of its students and nurture a love of the creative process using a broad range of media and technique.
The art room provides an environment in which the creative process is introduced as students engage in both making art experiences and the study of art history and art criticism. The artist's studio practice is reflected in the experiences and art making practice of our students.
In developing conceptual strength in their own art making, our students are encouraged to reflect and respond to their world, their immediate environment, issues which concern them and relationships with others.
The Visual Arts faculty believe the key to our students' successes at both junior and senior levels is the direct contact with the professional art world which we encourage and emphasize in all our programming.
Students at all levels are provided with opportunities to engage directly with art works in a variety of studio and gallery situations. Interviews with professional artists, curators, critics and tertiary students are organised as part of the learning experiences. This results in encouraging a much deeper level of commitment from the students towards developing their own art work. It puts the study of visual arts into the context of the world outside the school situation and gives students direction and goals.
Individual differences are extended and originality is rewarded in visual arts. Opportunities for students to attend intensive workshops are provided to extend students' interests in specific media areas. For example airbrush courses, life drawing, digital photography.
The course aims to extend all students in their ability to express themselves using the media of visual arts. Techniques in drawing, painting sculpture, ceramics, digital art, wet and digital photography are taught and developed in the junior school in both compulsory and elective courses. The study and appreciation of other artist's works is integrated into the thematic nature of the programs.
