1st Year Mock Exam Theme and Guidance

Timepiece Mechanism

As with any set of visual work the quality of the source imagery you gather for the Mock Exam Unit is vital. If you have ambitious plans for photography these might be easiest to carry out over half term, but you will need some imagery in the interim. Just about everyone carries a cameraphone on a daily basis, so use your imagination regarding the theme and get some photos over the next couple of days. Use the bullet points in the theme introduction below and search sites like Pinterest for inspiration.

Link to A Level Art area of Moodle and Mock Exam Paper

Introduction to the theme from the Exam Paper:

The theme is: STRUCTURE 

Many organic, and some inorganic structures, rely on complex skeletons to support and give shape to their unique forms. Usually the aesthetic qualities of organic skeletons can only be appreciated after the organism’s death, unless the creature has an exoskeleton, such as lobsters, crabs and spiders. Conversely man-made structures, such as buildings, display their supporting structures as they are built. The skeletonised leaves often found underneath holly bushes display the intricacy and delicacy of natural structures. The composition of any artwork is fundamental to the strength and impact of the finished piece. It has been known for many centuries that the application of certain mathematical rules can assist and enhance the aesthetic qualities of the work. The Golden Ratio or Golden Section has been used since the age of the Pharaohs to establish order in art and architecture. More recently, the architecture of the Eden Project was designed to embrace these rules, which were formulated by the 13th century mathematician Fibonacci. The concept driving this design was to link the actual fabric of the buildings to the natural order of the plant collections they house. Product designers frequently encounter the dilemma of form versus function. If the aesthetic qualities of a design render the item unsuitable for purpose, a compromise has to be established. Many designers have discovered that a natural visual beauty manifests itself when form is purely driven by function, as in the shape of the classic Chinese export teapots of the 18th century. It is interesting to compare these with the whimsical semifunctional novelty teapots of James Sadler. Latest technology is allowing artists and architects to create objects that seem to defy gravity and achieve enormous scale and impact. Buildings such as The Shard in London and Burj Khalifa in Dubai soar to incredible heights and embrace the latest in safety features to withstand weather and earth tremors. Similarly, sculptors such as Damien Hirst, Ron Mueck and Antony Gormley can create gigantic pieces using resins and the latest technology in casting. Here are some other suggestions that may stimulate your imagination: 

• Pine cones, pineapples, grapevines, hops, ivy, bindweed 

• Scrapyards, building sites, cranes, restoration yards, derelict ruins 

• Crystals, molecules, geology, fossils, footprints, tracks 

• Stadiums, orchestras, rock concerts, floodlights, staircases 

• Motorways, railways, runways, dockyards 

• Flowers, plants, trees, fungi, algae, feathers, scales, shells 

• Nests of weaver birds, wasps and bees, termite mounds, baskets 

• Circuit boards, pipework, telephone poles, towers, pylons, skyscrapers 

• Shop displays, escalators, bars, libraries, theatres and cinemas 

• Gardens, parks, playgrounds, swimming pools, beaches 

• Dolls, mannequins, puppets, cuddly toys, Lego