Diploma in Fine Art

Purpose

The purpose of this Diploma is to provide learners with a supportive and intellectually stimulating environment where they can develop the critical and practical skills relevant to contemporary art practices and produce challenging contemporary artworks that often emphasise audience and context, and investigate the role of the artist in the 21st century.

Through this qualification learner will gain a broad knowledge and understanding of all aspects of art making, with special emphasis on risk taking, curiosity, innovation and adventurousness. They will be able to contextualize their work with reference to theoretical, historical, cultural, political and ethical issues within a global arena. Learners will encounter diverse and interconnected activities such as curating, exhibiting and critical writing.

Learners will gain an understanding of diverse methodologies that enables a critical framework for specialist art production, study and research. These competencies will enable learners to graduate with a high quality qualification in Fine Art which enhances their employability.

Rationale

The rational of this qualification is for persons who wish to be competent in the self-motivated, creative production of artworks with a strong emphasis on conceptual content and technical skills as appropriate to a particular professional context.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

The qualification will be awarded to a learner who has provided evidence that the stated competence of the qualification has been achieved through experience that complies with the stated specified outcomes.

Entry Requirements

The minimum requirement is

• A National Senior Certificate.

This qualification comprises of compulsory and elective modules at Level 5, 6 and 7 totalling at 312 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 5, 124 Credits

• Professional Practice 1, 8 Credits.
• 2 Dimensional Studio Practices 1, 28 Credits.
• Cornerstone 101, 12 Credits.
• English in the Arts, 12 Credits.
• Art Theory 1, 16 Credits.
• 3 Dimensional Studio Practices 1, 28 Credits.
• Drawing Fine Art 1, 20 Credits.

Elective Modules

• Values in the Workplace, 8 Credits.
• Practical Parenting, 8 Credits.
• Quantitative Reflections, 8 Credits.
• Philosophies & History of Healing, 8 Credits.
• Alternate Healing Practices, 8 Credits.
• HIV and Communicable Diseases in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), 8 Credits.
• Me, My World, My Universe, 8 Credits.
• Introduction to Technopreneurship, 8 Credits.
• Interpersonal Communication and Self, 8 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 6, 96 Credits

• Professional Practice 2, 8 Credits.
• Art Theory 2, 16 Credits.
• 2 Dimensional Studio Practice 2, 28 Credits.
• Drawing Fine Art 2, 20 Credits.
• 3 Dimensional Studio Practice 2, 24 Credits.

Elective Modules

• Information Literacy, 12 Credits.
• Critical Thinking, 12 Credits.
• Information and Communication Technology Literacy and Skills, 8 Credits.
• IsiZulu as a Foreign Language, 12 Credits.
• Management of the Maritime Environment, 8 Credits.
• Sustainable Earth Studies, 8 Credits.
• Portuguese as a Foreign Language, 12 Credits.
• The Entrepreneurial Edge, 8 Credits.
• French as a Foreign Language, 12 Credits.
• The Global Environment, 8 Credits.
• World of Work, 8 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 7, 92 Credits

• Professional Practice 3, 8 Credits.
• 3 Dimensional Studio Practice 3, 24 Credits.
• Drawing Fine Art 3, 20 Credits.
• Art Theory 3, 16 Credits.
• 2 Dimensional Studio Practice 3, 24 Credits.

1. Demonstrate critical and independent thinking in the context of cultural discourse and art practice.

2: Produce and present creative art effects which demonstrate an integration of theory and practice of an appropriate professional and technical standard.

3: Practice within a professional environment.

4: Understanding of the diverse role and function of the contemporary fine artist in a range of professional artist/client contexts.

5: Produce and exhibit art works of a high conceptual content to an appropriate professional and technical standard.

The following Associated Assessment Criteria are assessed in an integrated manner across all the Exit Level Outcomes

• Demonstrate of interactive skills which involve effective communication, listening and sharing.
• Demonstration of appropriate communication skills both in the process as well as the development of a product.
• A basic proficiency to communicate both verbally and textually within a range of artist/client contexts.
• Display self-motivated, creative problem solving skills within the formal and informal sectors.
• Display basic creative problem solving skills within a wide range of market related and community based contexts.
• Display basic entrepreneurial skills within a creative context.
• Shows a basic understanding of local and global political/cultural forces on the professional production of a work of art.
• Adheres to the institution's technical requirements for the studio work research output.
• Solutions/conclusions relate to the questions posed in the proposal and are founded on the evidence resulting from the studio work research.
• Display a professional approach to the production and presentation of a body of art works.
• Awareness of the functions and origins of cultures.
• Understanding of individual, group and cultural identities.
• Display critical and independent thinking.
• Use of investigatory techniques to generate personal ideas in the production of a body of art works.
• Evidence of a relevant methodology.
• Application of technical skills.

Integrated Assessment

The assessment strategy of the qualification complies with the university assessment strategy which is the structured process for gathering evidence and making judgments, either formative or summative, about a student's performance. Formative judgments provide the student with guidance on how to improve on their performance prior to final assessment, at which point a summative judgment of pass/fail is made (Durban University of Technology General Handbook for Students 2013).

The following assessment procedures are aligned with the learning outcomes

Formative and Summative Assessment

All modules are assessed by Formative and Summative Assessment methods as stated in the University Assessment Policy (2008).

Formative Assessment is used to support the student developmentally and to feed back into the teaching and learning process.

Formative Assessment

• Internal panel evaluation of exhibition of studio work.
• External evaluation of exhibition of studio work.
• Internal evaluation of written theoretical examinations.
• External evaluation.

Summative Assessment is used to make a judgment about achievement and to provide a snapshot information about a student's level of competence at a given time. This includes all assessment marks that contribute to the final mark.