AS 91454 Annotated exemplars

This annotated exemplar is intended for teacher use only. Annotated exemplars are extracts of student evidence, with commentary, that explain key parts of a standard. These help teachers make assessment judgements at the grade boundaries.

Download all exemplars and commentary [PDF, 3 MB]

TKI Visual Arts assessment resources (external link)

For Excellence, the student needs to systematically regenerate ideas using drawing informed by established sculpture practice.

This involves critically analysing, evaluating, and revisiting concepts, subject matter, problems or situations from the student’s previous artwork in order to re-form and extend ideas into new drawings informed by established practice.

This student has generated a series of well resolved outcomes that build upon each other to regenerate ideas relating to ‘Culture’s relationship with sea life’ (1). The proposition is specific enough to be manageable, yet sufficiently broad to facilitate extension and regeneration.

A series of appropriate artist models (2) are used to inform the student’s own ideas rather than being explicitly emulated. This allows the student to show authentically independent advancement of personal ideas.

The initial thematic and technical ideas are succinctly clarified in the eel trap works (3). The subsequent jar pieces (4) reform and extend ideas in terms of narrative and technical sophistication. The final sushi mat outcome (6) reintegrates the fish cut-outs from the eel traps while progressing the conceptual ideas in a new direction.

Each stage of the practical investigation is informed by planning notes (5) and critical evaluation (7).

For a more secure Excellence, the student could further advance the culinary, cultural and consumption ideas introduced in the final outcome (5). This may include a human interaction as a performative response to the thematic proposition.

The student has also identified areas for technical refinement in this outcome (7).

For Merit, the student needs to systematically extend ideas using drawing informed by established sculpture practice.

This involves critically analysing, evaluating, and further developing concepts, subject matter, problems or situations, in drawings informed by established practice.

This student has systematically explored issues of plane, mass and colour within the context of an exploding architectonic form. The artist models (2) are well chosen and highly appropriate to the particular methods and ideas being explored.

The student clarifies planar (3) and mass (4) responses to established sculptural deconstructivism practices. The student has completed a formal analysis and evaluation of each work (7) to support the extension of ideas. For example, polychromatic elements of the third maquette (5) are combined with the architectural forms of the preceding work (3) (4) to produce the final outcome (6).

To reach Excellence, the student could show regeneration by expanding either the depth or breadth of the proposition. In terms of depth the student could reconsider specific urban site proposition (1) by envisaging the outcomes (digitally) on a monumental scale. 

In terms of greater breadth the student could explore innovative or unexpected alternatives that build upon the outcomes presented in the final maquettes (6). The organic cybernetic aspect suggested in this work and the preceding outcome (5) could be reformed to be more pronounced and explicit.

The notion of integrating architectural forms with graffiti colours is also a particularly promising innovation which provides opportunity for regeneration.

For Merit, the student needs to systematically extend ideas using drawing informed by established sculpture practice.

This involves critically analysing, evaluating, and further developing concepts, subject matter, problems or situations, in drawings informed by established practice.

This student has investigated the theme of cosmetic surgery and the beauty myth (1). The choice of readymade strategies to investigate this proposition is well considered and sustained throughout the investigation.

Interventionist (2) (3) and assemblage (5) strategies are explored. Aspects of both these approaches are integrated in the final work (6) which presents sufficient extension of conceptual and technical ideas for Merit. The level of extension in the final work is partly achieving by introducing the conceptual ideas and technical strategies of a new artist model (4).

Critical analysis and evaluation is demonstrated in the advancement of pictorial ideas evident in the visual evidence as well as the written annotations that accompany each maquette.

For a more secure Merit, the student could further extend ideas in terms of complexity or sophistication. This may mean integrating features or ideas of preceding work in subsequent outcomes.

For example, the drawing elements (3) or caked makeup (6) could be applied to the Barbie ‘Trophy Wife’ ready-made (5). This would result in a more cohesive systematic investigation rather than a series of one-off outcomes connected by a common theme rather than building upon each other.

For Achieved, the student needs to systematically clarify ideas using drawing informed by established sculpture practice.

This involves analysing, reflecting on, and further developing concepts, subject matter, problems or situations in drawings informed by established practice.

This student has clarified ideas around the use of colour to represent how people are judged by their ethnicity. The student explores a range of different conceptual and technical approaches to the theme.

The hand series (3) could be read as a generic celebration of ethnic diversity, while the latex pealing skin (2) speaks more directly about the issue of alternating identity.  The egg concept (4) potentially implies a range of metaphorical associations (new life, peas in a pod, genetic engineering, supermarket standardisation) to communicate the idea of progressive racial homogenising.

This final outcome (4) succinctly clarifies the ideas of the progressive reduction of cultural diversity.

To reach Merit, the student could show extension by building upon a clarified outcome in a new direction. This could include exploring alternative responses to the underpinning ideas. For example, the student’s idea to illustrate the life of the victims of racism could be explored.

Alternatively, the pealing skin concept (2) may also provide new directions to extend ideas into time-based or performance practices.

For Achieved, the student needs to systematically clarify ideas using drawing informed by established sculpture practice.

This involves analysing, reflecting on, and further developing concepts, subject matter, problems or situations in drawings informed by established practice.

This student has begun with the proposition of ‘nature fighting back against the dominating world’ (1) which is sustained throughout the investigation. The final outcome (6) builds upon the two preceding works (4) (5) to enhance the effectiveness of the idea. This demonstrates that the conceptual and technical approaches have both been reflected upon and further developed.

The systematic nature of the investigation is clearly demonstrated in the artist model research (2) and concept drawing stages that precede the maquette making (4) (5) (6) and supporting annotations (7).

For a more secure Achieved, the student could further advance the ideas by reviewing the generated outcomes, or by introducing of alternative approaches to the proposition. The reliance on teacups and hot glue could be enhanced with inclusion of additional domestic or organic elements. A stronger clarified outcome would build upon the ‘nature fighting back’ narrative and the environmental installation potential of the approach.

The accompanying annotations (7), which tend to describe appearances or summarise the process, could provide more insightful comments that propose refinements or new directions. This would enhance the student’s opportunity to show that the student has clarified the initial proposition in a more significant and sustained way.

For Achieved, the student needs to systematically clarify ideas using drawing informed by established sculpture practice.

This involves analysing, reflecting on, and further developing concepts, subject matter, problems or situations in drawings informed by established practice.

This student has begun to develop work in response to the proposition of the connection between living things (1). This provides a set of conceptual parameters with sufficient room to explore a range of visual responses. The developmental approach is systematic in the use of concept drawing (3), maquette making (4) (5) (7) and reflective (6) stages.

Established sculptural practice in terms of the primary artist model Jackie Brookner (2) is clearly referenced in the sculptural outcomes. The annotations (6) begin to identify the positive and negative aspects of the sculptural outcomes

To reach Achieved, the student would need to fully clarify the conceptual and technical aspects of the sculptural outcomes. This may include using some of the reflective comments (6a) to inform a revised version of the sculptural outcomes.

The student could also identify other ideas in the conceptual drawings that offer potential for richer and more significant outcomes such as the hand emerging from the land (3a). This idea offers opportunity for multiple readings, and provides a fabrication challenge that aligns appropriately with the curriculum level expectations of the standard.