VISUAL ARTS PAPER 1
NATIONAL SENIOR CERTIFICATE
GRADE 12
SEPTEMBER 2018
INSTRUCTIONS AND INFORMATION
In this examination you must demonstrate the following:
Read the following instructions before deciding on which questions to answer.
ANSWER ANY FIVE QUESTIONS.
QUESTION 1: THE EMERGING VOICE OF BLACK ART IN THE 1950s AND 1960s
Over the years, many emerging South African artists’ work have focused on depicting the ‘plight of the poor’ in different social contexts and different South African environments.
1.1 With reference to the visual sources shown in FIGURES 1a and 1b, write an essay (of at least ¾ page) in which you compare the two artworks showing ways in which the plight of the poor is explored by the two artists.
Refer to the following:
1.2 Write an essay of at least 1½ pages in which you discuss and evaluate examples by any TWO artists whose works represent a documentation of lives of people in their surrounding environments.
Your discussion should include the following:
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QUESTION 2: SOUTH AFRICAN ARTISTS INFLUENCED BY AFRICAN AND/OR INDIGENOUS ART FORMS
The African spirit has a way of finding expression in the works of artists influenced by indigenous art forms.
2.1 In an essay of at least 1–1 ½ pages, debate the above statement with reference to FIGURE 2a and FIGURE 2b to prove its validity.
You may refer to the following aspects:
2.2 Discuss any TWO artworks by any other two different artist(s) you have studied, whose work has been influenced by African/indigenous art forms in that it expresses the spirit of Africa (1 page).
Refer to the following:
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QUESTION 3: SOCIOPOLITICAL ART, INCLUDING RESISTANCE ART OF THE 1970s AND 1980s
The following statement was made by the artist in reference to his work, part of which is represented in visual illustration FIGURE 3a: ‘My work is concerned with some of the tensions that arise out of that history and the memory of the violence imposed on black bodies in the span of Western rule on the continent. The effects of that history extend into the lived experiences of (South) Africans living in any city.’
[Interview by Houghton Kinsman published in Another Africa on Sep 15, 2014]
3.1 With the above statement in mind, study the visual source, FIGURE 3a, and in a paragraph analyse and interpret the work in terms of the following:
3.2 Banksy is the world’s most famous and celebrated graffiti artist. To some, his works of art are arousing, thought-provoking, ironic and humorous. To others, it is just plain vandalism.
Study the visual illustration in FIGURE 3b and in a paragraph of about
½–¾ page discuss the issue/s and intended meaning in the work:
You may refer to the following:
3.3 Choose TWO artworks from two different artists that deal with the socio-political issues of our time and in detail (1 page), discuss the following.
Glossary - Ditaola - I Find
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QUESTION 4: ART, CRAFT AND SPIRITUAL WORKS MAINLY FROM RURAL SOUTH AFRICA
Jackson Hlungwane’s sculptures were not just art made for art’s sake; he used them as part of his sermons in which he taught ideas related to spirituality and God.
4.1. With reference to the statement above, describe, analyse and interpret the given illustration, FIGURE 4a, by writing an essay of ½–¾ page.
Refer to the following in your essay:
4.2 Compare TWO artworks of any South African artists whose work you have studied which reveal spiritual content and carries a spiritual message.
Use the following as a guideline in your answer:
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QUESTION 5: MULTI-MEDIA AND NEW MEDIA – ALTERNATIVE CONTEMPORARY AND POPULAR ART FORMS IN SOUTH AFRICA
Maurice Mbikayi’s artworks investigate the positive and negative impact that contemporary technology has had on Africans.
5.1 With reference to the above statement and visual source, FIGURE 5a, write an essay of at least ¾ page in which you explain, analyse and discuss the artwork considering the following:
5.2 Use of multi-media, coupled with scale, choice of appropriate method and space for presentation not only adds to the aesthetic appeal of the work, but also allows the viewer to interact and construct a personalised meaning.
Refer to FIGURE 5b. In a paragraph of at least ¾ page, describe the work and discuss how the following aspects of the work impact on its aesthetic appeal and meaning:
5.3 In essay format of at least ¾ page, analyse and interpret at least ONE artwork you have studied in which the artist has used new /alternative media.
Include the following:
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QUESTION 6: POST-1994 DEMOCRATIC IDENTITY IN SOUTH AFRICA
Lionel Smit’s Morphous 1 (FIGURE 6a) is an exploration of hybrid identity and its ever-changing nature in South Africa’s social landscape.
6.1 With the above in mind, write a paragraph of about ½ a page in which you deal with the following:
Hasan and Hussain Essop use photography to create narratives and characters; telling a story in each image. They describe their work as exploring the stereotypes of East and West, two cultures that loom large in their daily lives.
6.2 Refer to visual illustration FIGURE 6b and in a paragraph of about ½ a page discuss the following:
6.3 Discuss any TWO artworks that you have studied which question and or reflect on issues of identity in South Africa.
Include the following in your answer:
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GLOSSARY
Morphous: Ability to change smoothly from one image to another
Stereotype: A fixed idea or image that persons may have of a particular person, group or thing but which is not true in reality
QUESTION 7: GENDER ISSUES
Gender roles, masculinity, femininity, patriarchal domination and sexuality are some of the recurring themes in artists dealing with gender issues in their work.
7.1 By referring to the visual content in FIGURE 7a, write an essay of about
¾ page in which you discuss and debate the possible gender issue/s being dealt with by the artist.
Refer to the following:
‘I will not adjust myself to the world. I am adjusted to myself’ - Anais Nïn
This quotation was used as a slogan for the exhibition: “My Sex, My Self – Women artists exploring sexuality and sensuality through self-portraits”, in which Wendy Nelson’s Bedroom Nude (FIGURE 7b) featured.
7.2 By describing and interpreting the forms and features of Wendy’s work, in a paragraph of about ½ a page, validate Anais Nïn’s quotation within the context of artwork and evaluate the extent to which the quotation is expressed in the work.
You may use the following as your guideline:
7.3 Write an essay of at least ½ a page discussing ONE work of any artist you have studied, which deals with issue/s pertaining to Masculinity or Femininity. Refer to a specific work of art in your answer, which does not appear in this question paper. (6)
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GLOSSARY
Masculinity: The properties characteristic of the male gender
Femininity: Womanliness; femininity
Patriarchal: Characteristic of a patriarchy. A form of social organisation in which a male is the family head and title is traced through the male line.
QUESTION 8: ARCHITECTURE IN SOUTH AFRICA
‘Architecture, accordingly, is not just a decorative skin to be draped over an armature devised by developers and space planners. It is a process of integrating aesthetic, structural, social and environmental factors into an organic whole.’ – Herbert Muschamp
8.1 Using the above quote as a guiding point, study FIGURE 8a and the illustrated section of its outer and interior view as seen in FIGURE 8b. Write an essay of at least ONE page in which you describe and discuss the following:
8.2 In an essay of approximately 1½ pages, discuss at least TWO other ground-breaking examples of contemporary architecture you have studied that embody the principles of sustainability and eco-friendliness.
In your essay you must include the following:
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TOTAL: 100