art essay a level

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Cambridge international as & a level art & design (9479).

• Syllabus overview

Not available to private candidates.

The Cambridge International A Level Art and Design syllabus considers expression and communication. Learners gain an understanding of visual perception and aesthetic experience, and the ways in which art and design creates a language of its own. 

Most of the work for this syllabus is practical or studio based, so that learners can develop their abilities of observation and analysis of the visual world, sensitivity, skill, personal expression and imagination. They also learn how to relate their skills to an enhanced knowledge of their own cultures, past and present, as well as an appreciation of practical design problems.

This syllabus replaces from 2019 onwards. The last series for Cambridge AS & A Level Art & Design (9704) will be November 2019.

The syllabus year refers to the year in which the examination will be taken.

• -->2022-2024 Syllabus update (PDF, 171KB)
• -->2022 - 2024 Guide to Administering Art & Design (PDF, 172KB)
• -->2025 Syllabus update (PDF, 143KB)
• -->2025 Guide to Administering (PDF, 524KB)
• -->2026 Guide to Administering (PDF, 478KB)

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Personal study for art

My chosen artist and why

The artist that I have chosen to look at is Barbara Kruger. I have chose to look at her work because I found her work very appealing and it inspired me more then any other artist that I have researched. The reason I think her work inspired is because most of her work consists of violence against women and I am very against this matter. Kruger expresses her views on this matter through text and photography in her art work. It’s like her aim is to show people how women are treated in this world. As I am a female myself I was attracted by her work and it made me want to research more in depth and create work in her style. She layers found photographs from existing sources with pithy and aggressive text that involves the viewer in the struggle for power and control that her captions speak to.

Most of her work includes text in black or white letters against a slash of red background, some of her instantly recognizable slogans read “I shop therefore I am,” and “Your body is a battleground." I think much of her text questions the viewer about feminism, classicism, consumerism, and individual autonomy and desire, although her black-and-white images are culled from the mainstream magazines that sell the very ideas she is disputing.

Here is a few of Kruger’s works attached together. It shows a view of what her work is about. She uses words such as “hate”, “body” “battleground”, and “world”. These are big words, and have strong meanings. This shows that the message she is trying to get out to people is also big, strong and has a lot of meaning.

Her works are direct and evoke an immediate response. Usually her style involves the cropping of a magazine or newspaper image enlarged in black and white. The enlargement of the image is done as crudely as possible to monumental proportions. A message is stenciled on the image, usually in white letters against a background of red. The text and image are unrelated in an effort to create anxiety by the audience that plays on the fears of society.

Barbara Kruger’s works has appeared in museums and galleries worldwide, her work has appeared on billboards, buscards, posters, a public park, a train station platform in Strasbourg, France, and in other public commissions.

About the Artist  

Born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1945, Barbara Kruger grew up in a working-class family. After graduating from high school, she spent a year at Syracuse University. The death of her father brought her to New York City, where she studied photography and graphic design at the Parsons School of Design. Kruger accepted a position at Condé Nast Publications designing ads for Mademoiselle magazine, where she was eventually promoted to chief designer. In the 1970s, Kruger decided to resume making art. Drawn to the work of Magdalena Abakanowicz, she produced fabric wall hangings. After experimenting with painting for a time, she began juxtaposing photographs with text, a method that allowed her to apply her knowledge of graphic design. Kruger’s text-and-image works have appeared in various forms, such as billboards, posters, and even matchbooks and tote bags.

Kruger makes her works from images she finds in the popular media, not unlike how other artists use found objects, notably Tony Cragg, and Jeff Koons. She notes that her work as a graphic designer for a magazine influenced her choice of images: “If you didn’t make people look at that page you were fired.” Once she selects the pictures she attempts to match them with phrases, drawing inspiration from lists of phrases she compiles, favorite books, and the thesaurus.

After choosing a phrase to use with the image, Kruger makes Photostats of the pictures, manipulating the size, framing, and contrast so that the images can be re photographed. During the layout process, she arranges the type faced words with the images. Next she sends them to a photographic studio, which enlarges the designs to the size she specifies and prints the photographs in either black and white or color. Finally, the works are fitted into red enamel frames.

Kruger adopted a format that is deceptively simple (photograph, text, and frame) to convey a powerful message about relationships in society. The artist has said about her work: “Basically I want to be effective in making changes in power relations, in social relations. . . The spectators who view my work don’t have to understand [art history]. They just have to consider the pictures that bombard their lives and tell them who they are to some extent. That’s all they have to understand.”

Append ix    

This is a preview of the whole essay

Barbara kruger’s work sends out the message on violence against women. Although her work sends out the message on violence against women,as a female looking at her work I still feel strong. I think this is because I feel like I have come this far in life without experiencing any of these problems such as violence against women, looking at her work makes me feel confident that I can manage ahead in life without experincing these problems. It makes me feel confident and to me confindence is the key to prevent violence against women because looking at krugers work, I found out that most of her images on women show that they are under the contol of men and they look as though they are being under pressured. For example looking at the image below shows a women looking downwards and the text in the middle of the picture reads, “we have recieved orders not to move”.This shows that the women is being treated as a slave. She does not have the free will to do what she wants, she is under someone else’s control. This image shows that there are women out there who may be in the same situation, who may not be allowed to do as they want, and are under someone else’s control. The colour Kruger has used for the bottom text, where it reads “not to move”  is in bigger and bolder writing than the text above. She has also changed the colour of the background for the bottom text whereas the top one is white. With the writing bigger, bolder and the background red shows threats and danger. The image tries and sends out the message that if she does not follow the rules as she is supposed to her life maybe at risk. The way she is sat down with her head facing downwards shows that she is afraid and fragile. The position she is sat in makes the viewer think she is scared and weak and if she moves she will be punished.

Looking at this image you can see a mother pointing at her daughters muscle and saying to her, “we don’t need another hero”. This shows that Barbara Kruger is also trying to send out the messages to women and girls that they don’t need anyone else to protect them. They can be strong too although they are females. They don’t have to have men as their heroes, females can be heroes too. She is trying to show that you don’t just need a man in your life to feel safe and secure. You alone have the power to keep yourself safe and secure. Looking at girls face you can see the power and strength in her. Barbara Kruger may also be sending out the message to females to keep a strong face and don’t let anyone see your weakness show no fear in order for you to live a stronger life.

Comparing Artists  

When doing my artist research, I also came across Jenny Holzer her work is similar to Barber Kruger’s work because she also uses texts and photography in her work. Some of jenny Holzer’s work is also based on violence against women. But as Kruger uses small text and words in most of her work, Holzer uses long sentences and paragraphs in most of her images. Barber Kruger’s use of text seems to match the image she had linked it to whereas most of Holzer’s work is on images on big buildings with long texts.  

                        Jenny Holzer                                                  Barbara Kruger

Above you can see the difference between Holzer’s ( left ) and Kruger’s ( right ) work. Jenny Holzer’s work looks as though she has used an over head projector to get the text on the building whereas Kruger’s work looks as though she has edited the picture in order to place the text on the image.

This image on the left is also some work created by Jenny Holzer again you can see the difference between her and Kruger’s work when expressing their views on violence against women through art. In this image Jenny Holzer has an image of a women running with a t- shirt on that reads “Abuse of power comes as no surprise” the text makes abuse against women sound normal like it’s not a shock and that it’s a normal everyday thing. Also when looking at her work it doesn’t seem as powerful as Kruger’s work, I think this maybe because Kruger’s work doesn’t show much expression or live as Kruger’s work like when looking at Holzer’s work everything looks still everything looks at rest. For example looking at this image all you see is a women who seems to be running with a straight face on, it doesn’t look real she look as if she’s a zombie who doesn’t seem to care about what is happening around her. You then notice the text on her t- shirt which says “Abuse as power comes as no surprise!” and it sort of confuses you a little because when you look at them women’s face she doesn’t even seem to be bothered whatsoever. But maybe that is perhaps the message that Holzer is trying to get through to other people that abuse comes as no surprise that’s why the women probably has a straight face on because she may find abuse regular. That’s why she’s not surprised because she thinks of abuse as a normal everyday thing.

Most of Holzer’s work appears to be still, for example looking at the images above created by Holzer you can see that they are just photographs taken with the text already on. By this I mean she hasn’t edited the pictures or done anything with them, all she has done is set everything up and take a picture and that’s it her work is done. Whereas Kruger edits her picture, she uses different affects on the images so they look more attractive and adds short words or short sentences on the image so it’s easier to read and so the public finds it interesting to read whereas if it was too long the public won’t be bothered reading in other words may be bored doesn’t get bored by reading it.

By saying most of Holzer’s work appears still, by this I also mean that most of her work is on real pictures such as pictures on buildings, places, people and so on, she doesn’t edit them or change them in anyway whereas barber Kruger, changes the colour, the effect and makes the image look more attractive and different than normal everyday images, so they look as though she has created them herself.  Although they may have some differences they also have one or two things in common. This is that they both use text in their work. Albeit not all of Holzer’s work appears to be about violence against women, however some of her work does consist on this issue.

I think both Kruger’s and Holzer’s work try and to make us think about social and political questions, about the stereotypes and clichés created by our society. Consumerism ( I shop therefore I am ), conformity ( Think like us , Look like us ), politics ( Hate like us ), love ( Thinking of you ), and again Your body is a battleground , Love for sale , etc.: these are just a few of the slogans and themes on which the American artist has focused.

As barber Kruger’s work sticks with one issue violence against women, Holzer’s work is on a number of different issues. This is a quote from jenny Holzer stating what different issues her work is on.

“At the beginning of my work I wanted to figure out how to put war, peace, sex, death and various other subjects in front of as many people as possible. So I first worked with street posters and then moved on to plaques that went on the sides of the buildings, then to electronic signs and on to a number of other media. I put things where there is a fighting chance that people will take notice of them.”

Quotes from Barbara Kruger and analysis  

“I work with pictures and words because they have the ability to determine who we are and who we aren’t"

This quote from Barbara Kruger suggests that the reason she works with words and pictures is to decide who women are and who they are not. This shows that she expresses the way she feels through text and pictures. There must be a reason why she picked the issue on violence against women to work on.  Perhaps she may have experienced this issue in life or she may have been a victim of this issue in the past so as a result she maybe expressing her views on how she thinks some women maybe living their lives in today’s society.

“The brevity of the text is about cutting through the grease. I just want to address people in a very forthright manner. It is why I always use pronouns, because they cut through in the same way. Direct address has been a consistent tactic in my work, regardless of the medium that I'm working in. I try to deal with the complexities of power and social life, but as far as the visual presentation goes I purposely avoid a high degree of difficulty. I want people to be drawn into the space of the work. And a lot of people are like me in that they have relatively short attention spans. So I shoot for the window of opportunity.”

Another quote from Barbara Kruger suggests that her language emphasizes communication and contact, for example, she’s not just saying, "Look here, I'm going to give you an idea." As she has said direct address has always been an important feature of her work. She wants people to get the message straight forward rather than using big words and explaining.

Look, we're all saddled with things that make us better or worse. This world is a crazy place, and I've chosen to make my work about that insanity.

This quote from Barbara Kruger suggests that looking at the world all people seem to care and think about is them selves. So after looking at the world she describes it as crazy and decided to base her work on this madness.

Our culture is saturated with irony whether we know it or not.

This quote from Barbara suggests that she thinks that the culture we live in is selfish and sarcastic. She also then says although we may not think this or know this, however this statement is still true. This shows that this statement may be one of the reasons why her work is based on violence against women. This may be one of the reasons why she creates images of women being disrespected by men. It shows that people don’t care about anything nowadays, their religion, their belief or other all they seem to care about is themselves.

More quotes from Kruger

All the gossip and craziness becomes a kind of sustained narrative which, in turn, can become history.

Although my art work was heavily informed by my design work on a formal and visual level, as regards meaning and content the two practices parted ways.     Direct address has been a consistent tactic in my work, regardless of the medium that I'm working in.     Do you know why language manifests itself the way it does in my work? It's because I understand short attention spans.   I mean, making art is about objectifying your experience of the world, transforming the flow of moments into something visual, or textual, or musical. Art creates a kind of commentary.  

I think what I'm trying to do is create moments of recognition. To try to detonate some kind of feeling or understanding of lived experience.   I try to deal with the complexities of power and social life, but as far as the visual presentation goes I purposely avoid a high degree of difficulty.  

I'd always been a news junkie, always read lots of newspapers and watched the Sunday morning news shows on TV and felt strongly about issues of power, control, sexuality and race.   I'm an artist who works with pictures and words. Sometimes that stuff ends up in different kinds of sites and contexts which determine what it means and looks like.   I've always thought that it's good to watch the news to find out what everybody else is looking at and believing, if only because that's how consensus is constructed.   If most American cities are about the consumption of culture, Los Angeles and New York are about the production of culture - not only national culture but global culture.   It's good to keep in mind that prominence is always a mix of hard work, eloquence in your practice, good timing and fortuitous social relations. Everything can't be personalized.  

How Barbara Kruger’s work influences my work  

As Barbara Kruger’s work is based on violence against women and the use of text and images in her work, has influenced my work by giving me an idea on what to base my theme and work on.

I want to base my work on the same issue as Kruger violence against women. I will also use the idea of using words and images in my work but not in the exact style of Kruger so it doesn’t seem as though I have copied her work exactly.

The reason I want to base my work on Kruger’s is because looking at her work makes me think about the world about what is going on around me. One of the reasons why I like Kruger’s work is because it brings up a number of questions in my mind such as, how our culture has changed from the past years. How people treat one another? How men take advantage women, and how the world has become so selfish.

I think by basing my work in the style of Kruger’s work will give me a deeper understanding of her work. It will help me to understand her work intensely and will give me more knowledge on the artist than I already have.

The use of text in her work gives me an idea on how to use words in my work, on how to make my work look more attractive just like hers by using short direct phrases and words. I want my work to send out strong messages just like hers to make the viewer believe in me.

In my work I will try and change the effects and the colour of the images the way she changes hers, and the way she makes the image look as though she made it rather than an existing picture.

Also the expressions of the people in her image make the image look more real and attractive, it makes you feel like its true whatever she is trying to tell viewer. She makes the viewer believe in her work, that what she saying is true. This also influences my work to take more effective pictures with the correct expressions and text that go together and make the image look real and attractive that would make the viewer believe in you and your work.

Document Details

• Word Count 3401
• Page Count 9
• Level AS and A Level
• Subject Art & Design

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Art Essay Examples to Get You Inspired - Top 10 Samples

Published on: May 4, 2023

Last updated on: Jan 30, 2024

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Are you struggling to come up with ideas for your art essay? Or are you looking for examples to help guide you in the right direction? 

Look no further, as we have got you covered!

In this blog, we provide a range of art writing examples that cover different art forms, time periods, and themes. Whether you're interested in the classics or contemporary art, we have something for everyone. These examples offer insight into how to structure your essay, analyze art pieces, and write compelling arguments.

So, let's explore our collection of art essay examples and take the first step toward becoming a better art writer!

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Good Art Essay Examples

In the following section, we will examine a selection of art essay examples that are inspiring for various academic levels.

College Art Essay Examples

Let’s take a look at college art essay examples below:  

The Intersection of Art and Politics: An Analysis of Picasso's Guernica

The Role of Nature in American Art: A Comparative Study

University Art Essay Examples

University-level art essay assignments often differ in length and complexity. Here are two examples:

Gender and Identity in Contemporary Art: A Comparative Study

Art and Activism: The Role of Street Art in Political Movements

A Level Art Essay Examples

Below are some art paper examples A level. Check out: 

The Use Of Color In Wassily Kandinsky's Composition Viii

The Influence of African Art on Pablo Picasso's Les Demoiselles D'avignon

A Level Fine Art Essay Examples

If you're a student of fine arts, these A-level fine arts examples can serve as inspiration for your own work.

The Use Of Texture In Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night

Exploring Identity Through Portraiture: A Comparative Study

Art Essay Examples IELTS 

The Impact of Art on Mental Health

The Effects of Technology on Art And Creativity

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That's our Job!

AP Art Essay Examples

A Comparison of Neoclassical and Romantic Art

An Examination Of The Effects Of Globalization On Contemporary Art

Types of Art Essay with Examples

Art essays can be categorized into different types. Let's take a brief look at these types with examples:

Art Criticism Essay : A critical essay analyzing and evaluating an artwork, its elements, and its meaning.

The Persistence of Memory" by Salvador Dali: A Critical Analysis

Art History Essay: A comprehensive essay that examines the historical context, development, and significance of an artwork or art movement.

The Renaissance: A Rebirth of Artistic Expression

Exhibition Review: A review of an art exhibition that evaluates the quality and significance of the artwork on display.

A Review of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Exhibition

Contemporary Art Essay: An essay that explores and analyzes contemporary art and its cultural and social context.

The Intersection of Technology and Art in Contemporary Society

Modern Art Essay: An essay that examines modern art and its significance in the development of modernism.

Cubism and its Influence on Modern Art [insert pdf]

Art Theory Essay: An essay that analyzes and critiques various theories and approaches to art.

Feminist Art Theory: A Critical Analysis of its Impact on Contemporary Art [insert pdf]

Additional Art Essay Example

Let’s take a brief look at some added art essay samples:

Artwork Essay Example

Artist Essay Example

Advanced Higher Art Essay Example

Common Art Essay Prompts

Here are some common art essay topics that you may encounter during your coursework:

• Describe a piece of artwork that has inspired you.
• A comparative analysis of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa and Michelangelo's David.
• Analyze the cultural significance of a particular art movement.
• Discuss the relationship between art and politics.
• Compare and contrast two works of art from different time periods or cultures.
• The representation of identity in art
• The Evolution of Artists' Paintings:
• From Traditional to Contemporary Art
• The representation of identity in Frida Kahlo's self-portraits.
• The significance of oil on canvas in the history of art.
• The significance of the Mona Lisa in the Italian Renaissance

Art Essay Topics IELTS

Here are some art essay topics for IELTS students. Take a look: 

• The value of art education.
• The role of museums in preserving art and culture.
• The impact of globalization on contemporary art.
• The influence of technology on art and artists.
• The significance of public art in urban environments.

Tips For Writing a Successful Art Essay

Here are some tips for writing a stand-out art essay:

• Develop a clear thesis statement that guides your essay: Your thesis statement should clearly and concisely state the main argument of your essay.
• Conduct thorough research and analysis of the artwork you are writing about : This includes examining the visual elements of the artwork, researching the artist, and considering the historical significance.
• Use formal and precise language to discuss the artwork: Avoid using colloquial language and instead focus on using formal language to describe the artwork.
• Include specific examples from the artwork to support your arguments: Use specific details from the artwork to back up your analysis.
• Avoid personal bias and subjective language: Your essay should be objective and avoid using personal opinions or subjective language.
• Consider the historical and cultural context of the artwork: Analyze the artwork in the context of the time period and cultural context in which they were created.
• Edit and proofread your essay carefully before submitting it: Ensure your essay is well-organized, coherent, and free of grammatical errors and typos.
• Use proper citation format when referencing sources: Follow the appropriate citation style guidelines and give credit to all sources used in your essay.
• Be concise and focused in your writing: Stick to your main thesis statement and avoid going off-topic or including irrelevant information.
• Read your essay aloud to ensure clarity and coherence: Reading your essay out loud can help you identify inconsistencies or any other mistakes.

The Bottom Line!

We hope that the art essay examples we've explored have provided you with inspiration for your own essay. Art offers endless possibilities for analysis, and your essay is a chance to showcase your unique opinions.

Use these examples as a guide to craft an essay that reflects your personality while demonstrating your knowledge of the subject.

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Distortion of Form: A Level Art Sketchbook, Preparation and Final Piece

Last Updated on April 2, 2023

These last few weeks I have been fortunate enough to write about three amazing A Level Art portfolios. This is the second of the three: a comprehensive and well-executed A2 Painting project (AQA A Level Fine Art) awarded 100%. It was completed by Claire Lynn, while she was a student at Carmel Sixth Form Catholic College , Merseyside, England.

READ NEXT: How to make an artist website (and why you need one)

Claire’s initial ideas are explored through photography, with a time lapse/open shutter and a 50mm lens. A Level Art teachers (and examiners) often worry about the use of photographs within Painting folios, particularly when it involves drawing from second-hand imagery. Claire’s portfolio, however, demonstrates how photographic works can be integrated with outstanding success. Not only are the photographs her original works (rather than sourced of the internet or cut from magazines, for example, which would be frowned upon in almost all circumstances), but the camera has been used as a tool to manipulate composition, exploring transparency and overlays through double exposures – effects which are critical in her subsequent drawings and paintings. Even better, Claire’s photographs are not merely snapshots to draw from; they are beautiful, well-composed images in their own right.

Showing an exceptional level of skill, Claire continues to investigate her topic (distortion of form) through a large number of smaller drawings. She conducts extensive experimentation with media, producing charcoal, graphite, and biro pen drawings.  These monochromatic drawings are rich and full of tone: black, whites and a multitude of greys (or colour) in between.

With backgrounds frequently omitted (allowing the focus to be upon the intertwined figures that slip and merge into one other) Claire paints and draws on range of surfaces, including newspaper and mixed media collages. She produces gauche and acrylic paintings and paints and draws on acetate (clear plastic) overlays to further explore transparency.

As Claire develops and refines her ideas, she learns from digital photographer Idris Khan ; line drawings by Dryden Goodwin ; blurred paintings by Gerhard Richter ; portraits by Shawn Barber ; and, for painterly treatment of human skin, Jenny Saville .

While Claire’s technical skill is excellent, it is her intriguing and original take on portraiture and innovative compositions that really sets this portfolio apart.

The multi-layered artworks suggest a relationship between the subject and the way they view themselves; the alter ego and the burden of the other self. Serene and somehow hopeful, the multiple expressions capture a moment in time that writhes and wriggles a little; as if a collection of frozen stills in a video frame. The works tell you much more about a person than you would ever know from a conventional single-image portrait. They give us a story.

This is one of those rare portfolios where the development journey is so beautiful and thorough: exactly as you wish it would be. So many students produce scattered, incoherent portfolios: here you have an A Level Art submission that is substantial and carefully sequenced: it can only be the result of a fantastic student meeting a great teacher. In depth and speaking volumes, this A Level project will be a valuable learning tool for many students and teachers to come.

A Level Art sketchbook

Claire’s project is accompanied by an outstanding A Level Art journal. There is no tacky decoration on the pages: effort has been placed into the work alone: a sincere and aesthetically joyful investigation.

I first discovered Claire’s work while perusing the Asia Region Art Educators website, where I stumbled across the beautiful images that her teacher Martin Cockram (an A Level Art moderator and examiner)  had uploaded. Martin was kind enough to share these with me, along with several other stunning images of her work.

More of Claire’s A Level Art journal pages are available for viewing here in this article about A Level Art sketchbooks .

Amiria has been an Art & Design teacher and a Curriculum Co-ordinator for seven years, responsible for the course design and assessment of student work in two high-achieving Auckland schools. She has a Bachelor of Architectural Studies, Bachelor of Architecture (First Class Honours) and a Graduate Diploma of Teaching. Amiria is a CIE Accredited Art & Design Coursework Assessor.

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A-level Art and Design

7201, 7202, 7203, 7204, 7205, 7206

• Specification
• Planning resources
• Teaching resources
• Assessment resources
• Introduction

Specification at a glance

• 3.1 Summary of subject content
• 3.2 Overarching knowledge, understanding and skills
• 3.3 Art, craft and design
• 3.4 Fine art
• 3.5 Graphic communication
• 3.6 Textile design
• 3.7 Three-dimensional design
• 3.8 Photography
• Scheme of assessment
• Non-exam assessment administration
• General administration

Subject content

Students choose one of the titles below for study.

• 1 Art, craft and design
• 3 Graphic communication
• 4 Textile design
• 5 Three-dimensional design
• 6 Photography

Assessments

Component details

Component 1: personal investigation.

This is a practical investigation supported by written material.

Students are required to conduct a practical investigation, into an idea, issue, concept or theme, supported by written material. The focus of the investigation must be identified independently by the student and must lead to a finished outcome or a series of related finished outcomes.

The investigation should be a coherent, in-depth study that demonstrates the student’s ability to construct and develop a sustained line of reasoning from an initial starting point to a final realisation.

The investigation must show clear development from initial intentions to the final outcome or outcomes. It must include evidence of the student’s ability to research and develop ideas and relate their work in meaningful ways to relevant critical/contextual materials.

The investigation must be informed by an aspect of contemporary or past practice of artists, photographers, designers or craftspeople.

The written material must confirm understanding of creative decisions, providing evidence of all four assessment objectives by:

• clarifying the focus of the investigation
• demonstrating critical understanding of contextual and other sources
• substantiating decisions leading to the development and refinement of ideas
• recording ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions by reflecting critically on practical work
• making meaningful connections between, visual, written and other elements.
• be a coherent and logically structured extended response of between 1000 and 3000 words of continuous prose.
• include specialist vocabulary appropriate to the subject matter
• include a bibliography that, identifies contextual references from sources such as: books, journals, websites, through studies of others’ work made during a residency, or on a site, museum or gallery visit
• be legible with accurate use of spelling, punctuation and grammar so that meaning is clear.

Students can present the written material as a single passage of continuous prose or as a series of shorter discrete, but linked, passages of continuous prose incorporated within the practical work.

There is no restriction on the scale of practical work produced. Students should carefully select, organise and present their work for their Personal investigation to ensure it is well structured and provides evidence that meets the requirements of all four assessment objectives.

The personal investigation will be assessed as a whole. Evidence of meeting the requirements of all four assessment objectives must be provided in both the practical and written material. Please refer to Assessing the Personal investigation of the specification for more information on how to assess the Personal investigation.

Students must identify and acknowledge sources which are not their own.

Component 2: Externally set assignment

Separate question papers will be provided for each title. Each question paper will consist of a choice of eight questions to be used as starting points. Students are required to select one . Students will be provided with exam papers on 1 February, or as soon as possible after that date.

Preparatory period – from 1 February

Following receipt of the paper students should consider the starting points and select one. Preparatory work should be presented in any suitable format, such as mounted sheets, design sheets, sketchbooks, workbooks, journals, models and maquettes.

Supervised time – 15 hours

Following the preparatory period, students must complete 15 hours of unaided, supervised time.

The first three hours of the supervised time must be consecutive.

In the 15 hours students must produce a finished outcome or a series of related finished outcomes, informed by their preparatory work.

Students must stop work on their preparatory work as soon as the first period of supervised time starts. Students may refer to their preparatory work in the supervised time, but it must not be added to or amended.

Preparatory work and the work produced during the supervised time must be kept secure in between sessions of supervised time.

The work produced during the supervised time must be clearly identified as such. Students must identify and acknowledge sources which are not their own. Annotation and/or notes should use appropriate specialist vocabulary and be legible with accurate use of language so that meaning is clear.

At the end of the 15 hours of supervised time all the work submitted for this component must be kept secure.

Preparatory work and the work produced during the 15 hours of supervised time will be assessed together, as a whole, against all four assessment objectives. Students will be assessed on their ability to work independently, working within the specified time constraints, and developing a personal and meaningful response.

There is no restriction on the scale of work produced. Students should carefully select, organise and present work to ensure that they provide evidence which meets the requirements of all four assessment objectives.

Students must not have access to the internet during the 15 hours of supervised time. Students are allowed access to web-based applications, eg Adobe Creative Cloud, but all other internet access must be disabled.

The guidelines set out in the JCQ document ‘Instructions for the conduct of examinations’ must be followed.

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A Level Art Essay Template

Subject: Art and design

Age range: 16+

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

14 December 2023

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A structured writing template (5 pages) to support A Level Art students with writing their Art essay, based on their personal project.

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