Course Objectives

Through the course students will:

• develop skills in idea-development, problem-solving and in visualising ideas through image and design processes.
• learn to use drawings as a tool in design/ form development.
• cultivate a comprehensive ability to make aesthetic evaluations through art-orientation and working with different impressions, experiences and reflections.
• acquire knowledge, skills and the ability to make decisions in the use and management of basic materials, tools and techniques.
• gain experience and skills in theme and project work and various methods of dissemination compatible with the field of visual arts.
• gain insight into the main movements in art history and have knowledge of art and design culture as a vehicle for the expression of ideas in culture and society.

Course Description

The content of the course is divided into three course units with subordinate areas. Each area is allotted an assigned value in terms of ECTS credits. The course units and areas are interwoven and mutually dependent in the creative process with respect to both visual expression and design. Practical creative work alternating with theoretical analysis and reflective activities form the nucleus of the course.

Course units:

Course unit 1: Creative Visual Art, Design, Visual Art Theory and Analysis. 4 areas. 35 ECTS

Course unit 2: Art and Design Culture, Aesthetic Theory and Dissemination. 15 ECTS

Course unit 3: Subject Specialisation 10 ECTS

Course unit 1: Creative Visual Art, Design, Visual Art Theory and Analysis (35 ECTS)

The most important aspect of the course will be the creative activity of the students themselves, their creative processes and thoughts on these. This activity will be associated with various forms of expression within the field of visual art and design. The student will acquire a theoretical foundation in which both creative activities and theory will provide a basis for understanding, evaluating and developing ideas in various disciplines.

Student will learn about:

Area 1 (8 ECTS)

Basic drawing/ pictorial art. Drawing as a tool in design-development. Lines, surfaces, space/ volume, form, perspective, composition.

Area 2 (7 ECTS)

Colour, colour theory. The use of various colour media and techniques in pictorial work.

Area 3 (6 ECTS)

IT/photography. Basic understanding of digital image medias and their uses.

Area 4 (6 ECTS) Graphics. Work with basic graphic techniques.

Area 5 (8 ECTS) Design. Introduction and exercises and solutions within basic design methods.

Course unit 1 will provide students with knowledge of:

• pictorial art work in a range extending from figurative to abstract art, from objective studies to free artistic expressions.
• the use of principal methods associated with two-dimensional forms of visual expression and their uses in the representation of three-dimensional forms associated with design.
• the use of digital visual art media.
• visual art work with idea-development and problem solving based on selected themes, work-methods and angles of approach.
• visual art assignments which place the student’s own work and cultural forms of expression in a traditional and renewal of tradition perspective.

Course unit 2: Art and Design Culture, Aesthetic Theory and Dissemination (15 ECTS)

The course unit encompasses two areas:

Area 1: Art and design culture – a historical overview (10 ECTS)

This course unit focuses on the main currents in European art – including architecture, handicrafts and design – from its earliest beginnings to the present. It focuses on different style periods, and the socio-historical context that provides the background for art’s various forms of expression. Special attention will be given to the emergence of technology and the influence of the visual mass media on art. Students are required to reflect over the interrelation between art and society and art and technology; in brief, they should reflect on the complex context in which art is produced and perceived. It is important that students develop skills in using the relevant technical terminology and analysis methods in their description, interpretation, and discussion of art and design culture during different style periods, as well as be able to relate this to their own experiences and reflections.

Students will develop the ability to:

• Explain the main features of art history from ancient times to the present day.
• Explain the main features of the principal movements in art and design culture in the 20th century.
• Explain the development and the main features of handicrafts traditions, folk art, art handicrafts, industrial design, modern design and industrial mass production.
• Gain insight into art forms in both majority and minority cultures including the main characteristics of the Sami culture, especially duodji.
• Reflect on architectural forms, building traditions and utility objects as an expression of the age and society in which they were produced.
• Reflect upon the relationship of art to the ideas of the historical period in which it was produced, to changes in culture and society, to technical innovations and changes regarding the position of art in society.
• Use relevant technical terminology and methods of analysis to describe, interpret and discuss art and design culture from various style periods and movements.

Area 2: Aesthetic theory and dissemination (5 ECTS)

The area will provide an introduction to aesthetic theory and relate art to contemporary ideas, to changes in culture and society, and changes in the institutional status of art. It is important that the student uses: the relevant terminology relating to the subject, analysis methods in the description, interpretation and discussion of art and design culture from different style periods and that he/she relates this to their own experiences and self-reflection. The area includes practical work concerning the dissemination of art and design culture aimed at the appropriate groups in local area. Cooperation with galleries, museums and other mediating institutions takes place during the period of practical experience; the period of practical experience is related to this area.

Course unit 3: Professional specialisation

Towards the end of the course, students will individually plan and carry out a project involving subject specialisation.

The project will be composed of a practical, creative part and a written report. Methodologically, it will be executed as an experimental and development project.

The course teaching team will provide the framework for the project through a portfolio assignment which will describe the concretisation, extent and work requirements of the project problem.

Learning Methods

Theory and reflection associated with one’s own creative work is essential. In the creation of visual art and the development and presentation of design concepts, it is important to find various types of approaches in the scope between intuitive and analytical working methods. Assessment and guidance from teachers and co-students will be an important aspect of the learning process.

The use of exhibitions, cultural initiatives, collections and presentations on campus and in the local area is an intrinsic component of the course. A subject-related study excursion lasting up to 8 days, in Norway or abroad, and shorter trips of 1-2 days may be included as obligatory elements of the course.

Large parts of the course require obligatory attendance; information is given in the year-plan/semester plan/period plans.

The instruction may take on a variety of forms, and during the course of their studies students will gain experience in and become better acquainted with methods of organisation such as:

• Lectures
• Demonstrations
• Visual presentations and dissemination
• Seminars and colloquiums
• Themes/project work
• Problem solving, individually and in groups
• Guidance and evaluation

Students will be responsible for their own learning. This means that each student must keep themselves updated with respect to the syllabus literature and seek professional guidance. The acquisition of knowledge will, to a large degree, depend upon supervision of the learning processes and learning through action. Attendance and participation in an active, creative workshop environment is a fundamental and vital condition for gaining maximum benefit from the course.

Portfolio assignments

The course is organised through portfolio assignments designed by the teaching team. Each assignment includes specific learning objectives which correspond with the content of a particular course unit and specific area. The portfolio assignments reflect the course’s expectations in terms of active and consistent student participation throughout the academic year. These assignments will also reveal the structure of the course and the students’ progress. The tasks, which will be specified early in the course, are intended to build basic skills that will provide the qualifications necessary for solving increasingly more complex problems.

Through working on the portfolio assignments, students will receive guidance and feedback on the work they produce, exhibitions and presentations, sketches, their studies and written commentaries. The portfolios will document the students’ progress, results and thoughts through written and practical work, thereby gradually building up awareness and understanding of their own developmental and learning processes in this field of study.

Student council

Students choose their own student council consisting of 2-3 students who function as intermediaries between the teaching team and the class. When appropriate, the student council may participate in team meetings in order to discuss matters related to the planning of class activities. Students will also choose the representatives for the course committee in art and design culture.

The Student Council and the Course Committee in art and design culture should hold at least one meeting per semester. The subject teacher and class leader are responsible for ensuring that representatives are appointed, and that the first meeting is held. Minutes from the meetings are recorded, which are then submitted to the Coordinator for Studies and the Head of the Department.

Assessment Methods

There should be consistency between the objectives, content, work-forms and assessment in the course. The assessment constitutes part of the actual learning process, and a medium which will allow the individual students to reach goals and gain insight into their own qualifications for further study and future employment.

The objectives of the ongoing assessment in the course include providing guidance to the students. This guidance involves work-processes, results and the ability to cooperate with others. Both students and teachers participate in the ongoing assessments with the objective of improving the course. The assessment must therefore also include the content and organisation of the course as well as the students’ own contributions and working methods during the year.

Examination:

In order to be finally assessed students need to have fulfilled the following requirements:

The assignment periods/ portfolio assignments must be completed according to given criteria and submitted for assessment.

The student must have shown and discussed problem solutions with the subject teacher during the work process. Answers which have not been submitted to the subject teacher for guidance underway may be rejected for final assessment.

Approved practical experience.

For the final assessment, the student will submit a presentation portfolio in which the content and structure is described by the instructor who was responsible for the specific study unit. The presentation portfolio will describe both practical creative work and written evaluations and responses. Parts of the content of the portfolio may be selected by the student.

On the diploma, a final grade will be assigned for the course. The grade-scale ranges from A to F, where A is the highest grade, and E the lowest passing grade. All elements of the assessment must receive passing grades in order to receive a final passing grade for the course.

For further information please refer to the examination regulations for the Telemark University.

Minor adjustments may occur during the academic year, subject to the decision of the Dean