HOWs and WHYs of crafting good SOVA questions

HOWs and WHYs of Crafting SOVA questions Creation is the ultimate way to learn best! In this holiday assignment, you are to select one artwork and artist and craft a Section A Structured Question with a set of suggested answer scheme. Cognitive State Level Activity Unconscious Level -1 zZZZ Introduction Level 0 Read the notes given by the teachers Understand Level 0.5 Highlight keywords of the notes given by teachers Remember Level 1 Write down notes from lecture or rewrite notes given by teacher Extend Level 1.5 Do your own research and read up/watch videos outside of notes given Connect Level 2 Summarise, rephrase and make your own set of notes Apply Level 3 Planning key points and practicing essay writing Reflect Level 4 Consult and improve on area of weaknesses Create Level 9999 Craft your own guided questions and create suggested answer scheme!

1. Selection of Artwork when setting paper: Applicable only for A levels. Level of Difficulty to set/attempt the question Type of Work Pros & Cons of such Selection 1 Iconic & Famous Works that is representative of the artists’ style & intent Pros: Key artworks like these helps students understand the general art style intent behind the artist. It is the gateway artwork to explore the artists’ body of work more deeply. Cons: May be outdated, less relevant or does not challenge the students in terms of analysis as the works have already been over analysed by critiques over the years. 2 Recently Created Works (within 5 to 10 years from now) Pros: Relevant to current society/culture. Helps students gain understanding of art that is made with reference and influence to the modern society they live in. Challenges students to draw link on how the artist’s style has evolved over years. (Such references are often useful for H3 paper as well.) Cons: Artworks may be harder to research on with lesser information and existing analysis available. Setters and students have to use their existing knowledge of artist’s older works as reference to analyse the new recent works. 3 Obscure or Early Works that were created before artists were famous. Pros: Challenges students to draw link on how the artist’s style has evolved over years. Cons: Artworks may be harder to research on with lesser information and existing analysis available. Setters and students have to use their existing knowledge of artist’s famous works as reference to analyse the more obscure works. Other consideration when selecting an artwork work includes: • Availibility of High Resolution Image(s), with multiple angles/frames for 3D & timebased works. • Knoledge, research and analysis: If setter/student is able to write a substantial 30mark structured essay on this work.

2. How to craft Guided Questions for Writing Practices: • A good set of guided questions can help students plan their points through carefully crafted specific and relevant keywords. • Each question should have 2 to 3 key points you want students to cover. • The questions should not have overlaps as much as possible and should also cover all significant key points about the specfic artworks. • The questions can be tiered, from (a) focusing on surface level formal analysis & visual impact, to (b) discussing choice of materials and technical processes involved, i.e. the making and finally (c) artist’s intention, significance and impact on art world as well as social cultural impact. Example of a guided question: 1. My Dress Hangs There by Frida Kahlo 1933 [Fig. 2] Oil and collage on masonite 45 x 50 cm Hoover Gallery, California Generic Question Format: (a) Discuss the visual appearance of this work. [10] (b) Discuss the artist's choice of both materials and technique. [10] (c) In your opinion, is this work effective in conveying artist intention. [10] Original O Level Question: (a) Discuss the artist's use of contrasting imagery in this composition. [10] (b) How has the artist used materials and colour? [10] (c) In what ways could this work be considered autobiographical? [10] Modified Guided Questions: (a) Discuss the artist’s use of pictorial space and contrasting imagery in this composition. [10] (b) Discuss the brushwork, use of collage and colour in this work. [10] (c) Comment on the influences and references contained within this autobiographical narrative piece. [10]

3. How to craft Suggested Answer Scheme: • Each question should have minimum of 3 key points you want students to cover. • The keypoints should not overlap within the question and with other parts of the question. • Include a 2-3 sentences of elaboration/evidence for each keypoint to help students. • The 3 or more key points should be tiered and balanced from surface level analysis to more indepth intentions, levels of significance/impact or postive, negative, balanced. Example of a Suggested Answer Scheme: PROMOs Qn.1 Heaven and Earth by Bill Viola 1992 [Fig. 1] Two-channel video installation, edition 1 of 2 Lower column: 57 x 14 1/2 x 11 in.; upper column, width: 14 1/2 in., depth: 11 in., height varies with ceiling height; space between monitors fixed at 2 1/8 in. Private Collection

(a) Assess the subject matter and ideas in this work. [10] Key Point 1: Notion of Loss Subject matter (top screen) Death Top half monitor screen suspended from the ceiling displays a close- up image of an old woman, the artist's mother, who lies in a coma and in the last week of her life. Her face is blank and her half-closed eyes seem lifeless. Key Point 2: Idea of Newness Subject matter (bottom screen) Life / Birth Bottom half monitor screen, which is anchored to the floor features a video of newborn baby, Viola's son, looking around curiously, albeit with the limited vision of a newborn Key Point 3: Cyclical relationship and duality of life and death Work resembles a pillar, extends / connects floor to ceiling The close proximity of the screens with a fixed distance between them of 2 ⅛ in suggests that the birth of the infant and the death of the elderly woman are inextricably linked as the images of each figure are reflected on the opposing screen, merging in a sense. Alludes to Buddhist philosophy of relationship of life and death which sees birth and death as one continuity rather than as separate experiences and also as cyclical. However, Viola's consistent emphasis on duality emerges here in the slight gap between the two screens. (b) Analyse the materials and techniques used. [10] Physical presentation Installation Key Point 1: The top screen, which is suspended from the portion of the pillar connected with the ceiling - or "Heaven," as the title implies. The lower screen, which is anchored to the earth via the wooden column, constitutes the "Earth" component of the work, the counterpart or opposite of the other screen. Key Point 3: The structure comprises wood, the stripped-down tubes of a pair of black-and-white video monitors, and metal brackets that support the screens and connect them to the wood. While there is a fixed space between the two monitor screens, the pillar is visually perceived as a one continuous column / structural pillar. Key Point 2: The glass of the monitors creates the illusion that the images on the screens are conjoined, at least tenuously, a concept that relates to Buddhist philosophy Key Point 4: Interplay with continuity and duality

(c) Compare this work with another by the same artist. [10] Possible Artwork Options for Comparison Image Possible Points of Comparison Nantes Triptych, 1992 ● Format of Presentation: Triptych ● Juxtaposition of polarities in simultaneous progression, life and death of the side panels with a symbolic slow-motion sequence in the main centre panel ● Conceptu