Leaving Certificate Art review by Yeats Art teacher Orla Forde
The New Leaving cert Art “Visual studies” 2023 was examined for the very first time in a paper which mixed contemporary with the well-known classics like the Romanesque and Pre-Christian periods.
The Visual Studies paper was straightforward in its approach and gave our students the best possible chance to showcase their abilities.
Section A
Today’s world was a very fair section; It contained some very straightforward questions. It was very accessible and would have calmed any nervous student. This year students were asked to answer five out of seven questions. This section focused on discussing unseen paintings, films, sculptures, and architecture, considering elements such as imagery, mood, colour, composition, media, materials, and processes. These five questions would have allowed students to showcase their understanding and analysis skills.
Section B
The widely anticipated Romanesque question was certainly student-friendly; They would have been pleased to see how straightforward it was. Students were asked to pick their own Romanesque church and discuss context, layout, construction techniques, subject matter, art elements and the design principles.
They also had the opportunity to discuss the influence of pilgrimages on the Art and Architecture during that period.
Section C
Some students might have found question 1 challenging, particularly the layout of the question on Pre-Christian Ireland.
Students were asked how the spiritual beliefs of the stone age influenced the form and decoration of their built structures.
This discussion would have allowed for an in-depth account of The Portal Dolmen, Knowth and Newgrange. In this question, they could have further explored the motifs and stone-working techniques used to decorate stone-age monuments.
Overall, students were very happy with the paper. They had no problem completing it in the given time.
