This unit of study introduces you to the studio environments and the practice of making art at Sydney College of the Arts. You engage in a variety of creative learning experiences, with an emphasis on project-based content designed to develop conceptual understanding and problem solving skills within a creative arts studio framework. On a weekly basis you have 4 hours of academic tuition supported by a 2-hour technical workshop. You undertake two 6-week long projects that encourage you to: work with a wide range of media and processes; develop a participatory, collaborative and cooperative outlook; and expand your understanding of the creative scope of contemporary art. You are encouraged to experiment, experience a range of facilities and equipment, and develop generic technical skills necessary to achieve your projects. You will also become familiar with Workplace Health & Safety essential to SCA and all current art practices.

This unit of study introduces you to ways of engaging with contemporary art. You encounter and discuss the exciting work that artists and theorists produce, and the breadth and scope of contemporary art on an international scale. While the term 'contemporary' can be interpreted in a variety of ways, this unit encompasses art and ideas most pertinent to the last thirty years. This unit addresses ideas and practices that we consider fundamental knowledge for visual arts practitioners: the concept of the 'everyday', the relevance of disciplines such as philosophy to art criticism, the importance of identity in the practices of artists, the central place of the body and theories of perception to the work that artists produce, and the many theoretical ideas that emanate from a close study of art objects.

Contemporary Drawing 1 introduces you to the concept that drawing functions as a universal process relevant to all art practices and applications of creative thinking. You are challenged to extend and expand your understanding of drawing as: an art practice in its own right; a form of notation, documentation and archive; a problem solving tool; a place to speculate and synthesise; a means to scrutinize and investigate; a method to express aspects of the imagined; and a way to evolve ideas and develop thoughts.
Contemporary Drawing 1 focuses on two approaches of drawing, namely life drawing and experimental drawing, to encourage you to develop your own visual language as a catalyst for creative thought and a means to develop greater visual literacy. In this unit you engage with life models to develop observational and expressive skills, encounter a wide range of experimental practices, and explore the connections between the techniques of observational representation and an expanded understanding of manual mark making. You will develop a portfolio that you can draw on for future creative endeavours.

This unit of study introduces you to contemporary studio practice, focusing on two studio disciplines in two six-week blocks. It builds on the skills and thinking developed in Studio Foundation, while allowing you to deepen your understanding of your chosen disciplines. You will be introduced to core discipline principles and relevant theories. You will become familiar with a broad range of concepts and work methods within your chosen disciplines so as to develop your own visual language, ideas and methods of expression.

In this unit of study, you are introduced to the important role of modernism as an antecedent of contemporary practice. You analyse the social, political and economic underpinnings of modernity that gave rise to modern art. Freed from the controls of patronage, modern art grew more autonomous, to the point of providing a point of social critique through what became known as the avant-garde. The modern period is characterized by contradictory forces, from utopianism and technophilia on one hand, to a new interest in unreason, disorder and destabilization on the other. These forces found expression in the wide variety of artistic approaches that you will study in this unit, including: realism, abstraction, utopian visions, expressionism, surrealism, and art and the everyday. You are encouraged to make links between historical developments within their specific contexts, and their contemporary legacies.

Contemporary Drawing 2 introduces you to the concept that drawing functions as a universal process relevant to all art practices and applications of creative thinking. You are challenged to extend and expand their understanding of drawing: an art practice in its own right; a form of notation, documentation and archive; a problem solving tool; a place to speculate and synthesise; a means to scrutinize and investigate; a method to express aspects of the imagined; and a way to evolve ideas and develop thoughts.
Contemporary Drawing 2 focuses on two approaches of drawing, namely digital drawing and animation/time-based drawing, to encourage you to develop your own visual language as a catalyst for creative thought and as a means to develop greater visual literacy. In this unit, you apply Photoshop and other digital effects to your artistic projects, encounter drawing as a kinetic medium that is adaptable to many creative applications, and explore the connections between the conventions of digital image creation and strategies to bring this to life. You will develop a portfolio that you can draw on for future creative endeavours.

In this unit of study you deepen your understanding of contemporary jewellery while expanding your own visual language and competency in a studio environment. Through studio projects and theoretical research you explore the different contexts of contemporary jewellery, with the aim of testing possible locations for your own ideas. The unit considers concepts such as portability, scale, intimacy, the public and the private, and the performing body. It integrates practice with social, philosophical and cultural understandings of the body and associated ideas within the field of contemporary art. The unit fosters the development of your own context and language for producing work that brings together your ideas through your ability to make.

In this unit of study you continue to develop your critical abilities and extend your technical and theoretical competencies. Research led enquiry foregrounds the role of contemporary jewellery within the broader culture as well as on a more personal level. You consider notions of aesthetics and anti-aesthetics, the symbolic, the utilitarian and the functional.?You have opportunities to explore the autonomous object as a means of expression and develop a wide range of technical language. Ongoing discussion with academics and peers further develops your abilities to demonstrate your understanding of the evolution of your ideas as embodied in your work. Feedback forms a critical role in evaluating process and outcomes.

With the conceptual and technical knowledge acquired over the previous semesters, in this unit of study you gain greater independence in determining the focus of your projects. Under the theoretical focus of hybridity, through self-reflection and critical research you investigate intersections of genre, style and influence as a methodology for refining and critiquing your own interests. Within this expanded dialogue you are expected to be more active within the broader discipline and community as a means of developing a dynamic and professional dialogue. Greater emphasis is placed on professional presentation. You continue to engage with peers and academic staff to refine your position through discussion and critique.

This unit of study builds on Jewellery and Object 4, consolidating individual interests through identifying and establishing personal dialogues. You are expected to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the current discourses and theoretical underpinnings of contemporary jewellery and objects. This forms a framework for locating your own work. Through close interaction with academic staff, you are assisted in refining a body of work to be presented in exhibition. With appropriate consultation you are expected to determine your own technical direction. You further develop and refine strategies inherent in the practice of an artist, including the acquisition of exhibition skills, documentation and articulate presentation.

This studio-based unit of study provides a creative environment in which you explore and deepen your own emerging ideas and personal artistic voice in painting. The unit integrates theory and practice in a flexible structure that fosters experimentation. It covers a range of issues relevant to contemporary painting including installation, new media, painting in the expanded field, abstraction and representation. You may experiment with various other media, as well as create greater dexterity with several styles of painting. You are encouraged to gain an understanding of different social and cultural contexts, and establish critical abilities with which to confidently engage with the contemporary art world. Working on individual projects, you benefit from a range of workshops that cover traditional and emerging technologies. Learning takes place through individual and group tuition led by research-active lecturers and highly qualified technicians, as well as through the sharing of knowledge in peer group seminars and field trips to galleries and museums. You develop an artist's statement that you will build on throughout your major in painting. Student evaluation and feedback are ongoing with assessments half way and at the end of semester.

In this practical unit of study you build on the experience gained in Painting 2. The unit integrates theory and practice in a flexible structure as you expand your knowledge of a broad range of approaches, mediums and cross-disciplinary methodologies as they relate to painting. You further develop your critical and intellectual abilities as you increase your confidence to engage with different social and cultural contexts in the contemporary art world. You undertake individual projects and work more independently, while also further developing your skills through seminars and workshops. In addition to peer group seminars, learning continues through individual and group tuition, and field trips. You continue your development of an artist's statement. Student evaluation and feedback are ongoing with assessments half way and at the end of semester.

The primary focus of the final year program is the consolidation of your own creative practice. Within this unit of study, integrating theory and practice, you are expected to work on independent and self-directed projects that continue to develop and extend ideas you initiated in second year. These projects allow you to develop your creative practice through emerging research interests, and produce work that shows a greater understanding of your particular artistic concerns. You are actively involved in a learning process that foregrounds creative problem solving and conceptual and critical skill development. Learning in this unit combines critical reflection and sustained interaction with lecturers and fellow students. A program of studio seminars, individual tutorials, studio critiques and gallery visits provides the framework for learning. You continue work on your artist's statement and begin work for the graduate exhibition. Student evaluation and feedback are ongoing with assessments half way and at the end of semester.

This unit of study continues the focus on self-directed studio practice established in Painting 4. You are expected to have reached a stage in your education as an artist that enables you to confidently pursue your own self initiated practice to a standard worthy of public exhibition. The production in the studio will consider all aspects of presentation and display of the work within the gallery format. You are encouraged to edit your work for the graduate exhibition, and manifest an original and independent approach to contemporary art. Within this unit there is an increased focus on the development of research led enquiry in relation to the critical, ethical and social dimensions of creative practice. It is expected that you exhibit an in-depth understanding of the historical and theoretical concerns of painting. Learning in this unit combines critical reflection and sustained interaction with lecturers and fellow students. A program of studio seminars, individual tutorials, studio critiques and gallery/museum visits provides the framework for learning. You will finalise your artist's statement. Student evaluation and feedback are ongoing with assessments half way and at the end of semester.

Through one core and one thematic strand, you develop a rigorous studio practice that embraces digital and analogue forms of still photography along with moving image, photo-installation and mixed media. In the core strand, you develop conceptual strategies for creating artworks in response to the rich historical and theoretical frameworks that underpin the photographic studio as a site. You develop skills in lighting, scene composition, studio portraiture and object photography. In the thematic strand, you may select a key idea central to contemporary photomedia practice - ranging from documentary practice to performative photography - to explore in your independent practice. You develop a self-directed project that involves critical research, planning and implementing ideas via diverse methods of photographic production. You work closely with your peers and academic staff to develop good communication skills for expressing ideas and discussing work in progress. You acquire skills to assess, refine and produce quality print outputs, projections, presentations and installations.

In this unit of study, you choose two strands of studio enquiry in which to develop significant major projects, so as to gain deeper insight into your own art practices. These strands encourage intellectual engagement with key ideas in contemporary art such as marking time, cultural research, staging, the archive, environmental intervention, the everyday, photographic artifice, systems and serial practice. Critical understanding of the relationship between form and concept is developed throughout the semester by encouraging experimentation and refining the specific technical skills needed to develop the concept into a final artwork. You work closely with academic staff to identify relevant theoretical and historical contexts for your research interests. Your work is central to class discussions that provide in-depth feedback for further developing work in progress.

In this unit of study, you pursue an individually conceived, self-directed studio project. The focus of this project and its methods of investigation may be drawn from any area of photography or any related practice. You identify a personal direction, decide on the best methods of investigations, and become familiar with the contemporary art contexts relevant to your project. As well developing your individual studio practice, you participate in class discussions, present your work for critical review, meet individually and in small groups with lecturers for feedback and guidance, attend artist talks, gallery and studio visits and participate in workshops.

This unit of study focuses on producing a body of studio work that is conceptually, technically and aesthetically of exhibition standard. You are expected to refine your skills to the highest standard appropriate to the concerns of your work and produce final work that evidences a process of research, analysis and critical awareness. Studio work produced in Photomedia 4 may suggest a starting point for this unit's individual project; alternatively you may take a new direction. This unit includes experiences specifically designed to facilitate your transition to professional life, independent art practice and/or to further postgraduate study. These include learning to write and speak effectively about your work. Class discussions, reviews, student presentations, individual and group consultations with academic staff, artist talks, gallery and studio visits and workshops continue to be part of the unit, in addition to the core activity of producing studio work.

In this unit of study, you deepen your understanding of contemporary print media while expanding your own visual language and competency in a studio environment. You undertake advanced technical workshops and are encouraged to develop self-directed studio projects. Through these self-directed projects, and supported by a program of group and individual tutorials, you begin to define your own art practice and locate your creative ideas within a contemporary art context.

In this unit of study, you work independently and further develop your personal projects through a process of experimentation, research and creative intuition. You acquire new digital and artisanal skills through an artist's publication project and digital workshop. You acquire installation and presentation skills through an exhibition project that will also provide a focus for the ongoing process of defining your own art practice. You explore ideas arising out of the work produced for this exhibition, and the work of related artists, through a program of group and individual tutorials.

In this unit of study you work independently in the studio rather than being assigned to a technical workshop program. Although you continue to explore new ideas in the studio, you focus on planning and commencing work for the graduating exhibition. This unit emphasises consolidation of existing ideas to date and their translation into fully resolved, exhibition quality works. You acquire new photographic, digital and presentation skills through a project based around the production of an electronic portfolio.

This unit of study focuses on the production of work for the graduate exhibition, and on developing a professional understanding of the exhibition process. The plans and ideas formulated in Printmedia 4 provide the platform for a sustained period of studio production. A series of workshops and lectures (Exhibition Project 2) takes you through the key issues associated with the process of presenting work in the public sphere.

In this unit of study you engage in practical and critical enquiry that provides you with the technical skills and conceptual frameworks associated with screen based art in the contemporary context. This unit considers the twin concepts of time and place in relation to the moving image and broader contemporary practice. It explores notions of spectatorship, subjectivity and transmission in relation to both contemporary and historical critical discourse. You gain a deeper insight into your own emerging practices through a program that provides a framework for critical investigation while remaining flexible enough to allow you to pursue your own lines of enquiry. You work closely with your peers and academic staff to develop good communication skills for expressing ideas and discussing work in progress. Through a program of screenings, lectures, one to one tutorials and studio critiques you acquire the skills and confidence necessary to assess, refine and produce a range of artistic outcomes based on a rigorous engagement with ideas and techniques associated with screen arts.

In this unit of study, you build on the experience you gained in Screen Arts 2 to expand and develop your emerging art practices. A program of critical led enquiry provides a framework for you to further refine and develop your screen arts led work. The unit considers the twin concepts of materiality and immateriality, and examines notions such as embodiment and presence and their relationship to time- based visual and aural practice. You engage with a range of artworks and forms, from analogue material-based film practices, to the multiplicity of possibilities engendered by the network. The unit provides an environment in which you are encouraged to explore your own emerging ideas and discover a personal artistic voice. You work closely with peers and academic staff to develop good communication skills for expressing ideas and discussing work in progress. Through a program of screenings, lectures, one to one tutorials and studio critiques you acquire the skills and confidence necessary to assess, refine and produce a range of artistic outcomes based on a rigorous engagement with ideas and techniques associated with screen arts.

In this unit of study, you work on independent and self-directed projects that continue to develop and extend ideas and approaches that you began in Screen Arts 2 and 3. These projects provide you with the opportunity to develop your creative practice through following your emerging research interests. You are actively involved in a learning process that foregrounds creative problem solving and conceptual and critical skill development. In this unit, projection is a key theoretical concern, providing both a fluid theoretical framework for engaging the expanded field of screen arts dissemination and installation, as well as foregrounding an engagement with the public sphere. You work closely with peers and academic staff to develop good communication skills for expressing ideas and discussing work in progress. Through a program of screenings, lectures, one to one tutorials and studio critiques, you acquire the skills and confidence necessary to assess, refine and produce a range of artistic outcomes based on a rigorous engagement with ideas surrounding the screen arts.

This unit of study continues the program of engaged self-directed studio practice established in Screen Arts 4. It focuses on consolidating your own creative practice within the expanded field of moving image and screen based production. You are expected to be able to confidently pursue your own self initiated practice to a standard worthy of public exhibition. This unit focuses on the development of research led enquiry in relation to the critical, ethical and social dimensions of moving image and screen based creative practice. You are expected to display an in-depth understanding of the theoretical concerns and technical underpinnings of screen and sound practices in the context of contemporary art. You work closely with peers and academic staff to develop good communication skills for expressing ideas and discussing work in progress. Through a program of screenings, lectures, one to one tutorials and studio critiques you acquire the skills and confidence necessary to assess, refine and produce a range of artistic outcomes based on a rigorous engagement with ideas surrounding screen arts.

In this practical unit of study you build on the experience you gained in first year. You are encouraged to choose materials and processes that best suit the ideas you are exploring. You will gain conceptual direction through a number of thematic projects, or you may choose to work on self-initiated projects. Kinetics, site-specific art, process art, installation, activism and materiality are just some of the ideas explored. Individual tuition, group seminars and technical workshops will give you confidence to explore your own emerging ideas and to discover a personal artistic voice. Your learning is supported by practical workshops, which may include timber and metal fabrication, mould-making and casting, glass blowing and fusing, ceramic wheel working and glazing.

In this unit of study, you build on conceptual and material skills gained in Sculpture 2. You are encouraged to develop more in depth knowledge of your preferred mediums. You are encouraged to present finished works and to actively participate in weekly group critiques. A number of thematic projects provide you with conceptual direction, or you may choose to work on self-initiated projects. Reproductions, haptics, refuse/renewal, internal/external spaces, synaesthesia, sound and performance are just some of the ideas explored. Individual tuition, group seminars and technical workshops assist you to further develop your own emerging ideas and to discover a personal artistic voice.

In this practical unit of study you begin to refine the ideas that will lead to your graduating exhibition. By this stage you are expected have become self-directed in your studio work and to be able to demonstrate how you are applying skills at an advanced level. With guidance from lecturers you develop a study plan and produce resolved work worthy of progression to the final semester. Individual tuition, group seminars and technical workshops further develop your ability to explore your ideas and develop a personal artistic voice.

In this practical unit of study you are expected to produce resolved work to exhibit in the graduate exhibition that marks your entry into contemporary visual art practice. You are expected to be fully self-directed in your studio work. You develop a study plan and finished works that demonstrate your application of conceptual and technical skills at an advanced level particular to your chosen medium. Individual tuition, group seminars and technical workshops further develop your ability to resolve your ideas and establish a personal artistic voice.