Starting Sentences to help manage time in examinations

Responses to artworks should be conveyed with conviction in your tone, direct responses to the intentions of the question and direct relationships made with the specific artwork, artist or studio practice.  

Stronger starts…Examples from the magazines, ‘Art Monthly’,  

GENERAL 

  • Many of (artist’s name)’s artworks explore… 
  • Comparisons can be drawn between… 
  • (The artist’s name) paid close attention to… 
  • This artwork is derived from… 

STRUCTRAL 

  • In the foreground/middleground/background/distance… 
  • The monumental/petite scale/size of the/my artwork…
  • The viewer’s eyes linger on the focal point of………..…because…………. 
  • Compositionally, there is… 
  • The mood/atmosphere of these works suggest/imply… 
  • The repulsion/joy/curiosity one feels when looking at……(describe where in composition using E & P’s) 
  • There are similarities in the visual attributes (or) applications of materials and techniques….although their stories (the artists’ message) are vastly different. 
  • The subject matter is ( might tell the story/message of something more complex than what it first seems through observation) 
  • At first glance your attention is drawn to… 

When explaining or analysing artworks or the artist’s artistic practice you should reference the elements and principles of art, always including relevant adjectives in front of them.

  • Sharp, geometric shapes have been used to symbolise/define…
  • The strong contrast of the vivid warm colours in the sky against the soft neutral tones of the figures conveys…

PERSONAL 

  • What this artwork (use the appropriate name of the artform; painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.) reveals/portrays/conveys/illustrates… 
  • (artist name) draws on imagery from their respective backgrounds relating to… (biography/childhood/life experiences) 
  • (The artist’s name) recurrent motifs include………..symbolising the personal belief of………… 
  • The voice of this artwork….calls to us about/screams/decrees/demands…attention to (artist belief) 
  • On deeper contemplation, you realise the message being conveyed… 
  • Importantly, the artist recognises that… 

CULTURAL – may be discussed but won’t be an emphasis in Year 10 Art

  • This (name a feature in the artwork) conveys/reveals/highlights the impact of (add societal influence)… 
  •  (The artist’s name) recurrent motifs (symbols or images) include………..,symbolising the social/cultural influence of………… 
  • A certain parallel exists between……..(message/symbolism in work) and ………(time and place) 
  • The grouping of figures convey……..( social/cultural influence) 
  • While the subject of (his/her/their) painting is… the message communicated is…(explain the bigger idea, story, symbolism, etc. 
  • The artist’s response to/interpretation of…(social/historical influence) 
  • The scope, context and tone of these artworks show… social/historical influence) 
  • Drawing inspiration from… (social/cultural influence) 

When talking about your own work and studio practice, these can be adjusted to 

  • My artwork (artform) conveys… 
  • Through the development and production of my artworks I have explored… 
  • The experiences of my creative process have lead me to… 
  • Comparisons can be drawn between… 
  • The (name a feature in the artwork) shows the impact of… 
  • I’ve paid particular attention to… 
  • My artworks are derived from… 
  • My inclusion of recurrent motifs/symbols/images… 
  • I have drawn on imagery from my ethnicity/personal experiences relating to… 
  • There are similarities in my approach to (artist’s name)….although their story/intentions are vastly different. This can be seen in my artwork… as opposed to (artist’s name) manipulation of materials/aesthetics.
  • I have established/built/refined my subject matter/technical approaches to selected materials by… 
  • I have created a certain parallel between… 
  • My folio of works explore… 
  • Compositionally, I have created impact/movement/emphasis/etc. through… 
  • I have created a repertoire (body or collection of artworks) that collectively convey/portray/embrace… 
  • My groupings of figures/objects/shapes/colours convey… 
  • The scope, context and tone of my works reveal… 
  • Importantly, my artwork recognises that… 
  • The artists approaches to…influenced my….. 
  • Drawing inspiration from… 
  • The decade/series that inspired me was preoccupied with… 
  • My artwork’s main component is… 
  • In the foreground/middleground/background/distance of my composition is… 
  • At first glance your attention is drawn to… 
  • On deeper contemplation, you realise the message being conveyed… 
  • The repulsion/joy/curiosity I want the audience to feel when looking at… 
  • The mood/atmosphere of these works eludes/contributes to… 
  • The voice of my artwork is intended to … hint/scream/decree/ portray/convey to…