AP 3-D ART AND DESIGN
Sophie Moreland
Future Vision
DuPont Manual High School, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Alfred University, Alfred, New York, USA
Height: 18", Width: 12" | Idea(s): In the infinite water I'm truly alone, my time as a swimmer was invisibility, hiding in plain sight | Material(s): Monoprint and watercolor | Process(es): Used repetitive patterns on the surface of the water to create a sense of remote loneliness. | Curatorial Note: This monoprint uses elegant repetition and movement to create visual rhythm across the composition. The swimmer, isolated in the lower corner with a distant expression, conveys a sense of loss or emotional exhaustion.
STUDENT STATEMENT
What inspired you to choose the inquiry (big idea or question) for your Sustained Investigation?
I was interested in exploring my perception of events and the ways in which my mind skews moments in time. The images I painted were tinged by my own insecurity; I could not escape this emotional reaction to photos and memories. I wanted to harness this visceral disgust toward myself—why did I feel this way? Do I still feel this way now? It was in these smaller questions that I found my main inquiry. There is a sort of tension in all of my pieces, this inescapable presence that oppresses the subject. This tension is still unresolved, but as I worked, it began to make more sense, and it informs me to this day.
How did your inquiry change, grow, or shift as you created more artwork?
When I began the investigation, I was fixated on using print to convey a fogginess of memory; the medium seemed to be intertwined with my concept. But as I worked, I craved a sort of fluidity that I could not achieve with monotype, so I worked in paint. And as I worked more quickly, I felt that I was working through my thoughts as I experienced them. My inquiry expanded from past memories to current experiences, and though I have grown physically, I still feel mentally grounded in my insecurity. My artwork became a dialogue between my past and present self; as I worked, the conversation gained nuance and we understood each other more clearly.
How does this artwork connect to the inquiry you explored in your Sustained Investigation?
My artwork, Treading Water, is a self-portrait of a younger me, and she is alone in the endless lanes of a swimming pool. I wanted to convey the loneliness I felt at this time in my life. It centers around my own insecurity as I was growing into myself: In my memory, only I exist; there are no swimmers around me. This isolation is mental as well as physical, and the painfulness of the memory is of my own design. When critically considering my time spent swimming, I realize that I was not actually alone, but my severe introspection made me feel so. I apply this logic throughout my inquiry—how my intense and constant perception of how others see me limits my own personal advancements.
My memories of being on a swim team manifest a vague uneasiness, being out of place. I emulate this feeling in my paintings, with looming swimmers that stare at the viewer.
How did you make your short, written statements about each artwork (ideas, materials, process, citations) clearer so others could understand your intentions?
I had to really streamline my thought processes for the sake of clarity and cohesion. I usually had multiple drafts, starting out with a complete mind dump, then editing heavily. After my first few rounds of editing, I would let my peers read the writing and see if they could distinguish which piece I was addressing. If I was not specific enough, I would need to elaborate in my next draft. My main priority was for the written statements to provide context for the viewer regarding the creation of my piece.
What advice would you share with future AP Art and Design students about developing an inquiry?
There is a large online presence regarding AP Art and Design portfolios; there’s a lot of really talented people sharing their works online. I think it’s important to not get caught up in their work or their concept because comparison can often deprive you of an organic thought process. Focus on what you want to create—it doesn’t need to be an entirely fleshed out series of works, but it should be something you have creative stamina with. As you explore your own concept, you should experiment and ignore any notions of perfectionism. This exploration should deliver you your inquiry; it is the conversation between you and your art.
TEACHER STATEMENT
Douglas DeWeese
Visual Art Faculty
DuPont Manual High School
How often did your class meet?
duPont Manual High School is on a 90-minute block schedule, with four classes per day that meet every other day. This allows students to have a yearlong schedule that consists of eight classes. This enables our students to have more freedom to take elective classes from a variety of subjects.
Please describe the structure of your AP Art and Design course.
We have AP Art and Design here at duPont Manual High School. It is a mixed class of junior and senior students. Typically, junior students take AP Drawing and senior students take AP 2-D Art and Design.
How did you guide students in developing and refining their inquiry statements and
portfolio direction during their Sustained Investigations?
I assign several detailed handouts and worksheets that encourage the students to investigate ideas of personal interest and importance when the class begins, helping them think about what they want their Sustained Investigation to explore. My students usually sketch and plan several Sustained Investigation artworks at the same time, designing a series of two or three works together. Each idea and artwork is critiqued several times. I feel it helps them to further develop the concept of each work and how each work relates to the whole of the Sustained Investigation idea. I strongly encourage revision from the initial idea or sketch as each artwork develops and as the overall Sustained Investigation develops as a body of work. Designing several artworks at once encourages a more cohesive connection between works and the overall inquiry. As the initial Sustained Investigation evolves, the initial inquiry statement and other written evidence change as well.
In what ways did you structure opportunities for practice, experimentation, and revision
into your curriculum?
Each Sustained Investigation artwork plan requires a full-color “mockup” design in the student’s sketchbook. Each design is discussed with me and often with student peers. I encourage experimentation with media and revision as the artwork is being made. Many times, the student’s final artwork will be altered considerably as it develops, and this will be visually evident through documented progression images of each Sustained Investigation artwork. This practice allows the students to be free of the initial “mockup” idea and opens opportunities for editing and refining the artwork and the Sustained Investigation as a whole. This approach can often result in a more mature AP portfolio by allowing students freedom to change any artwork into a more sophisticated concept of the initial Sustained Investigation.
How did you scaffold writing into students’ art making and thinking processes?
Each assigned Sustained Investigation has a writing requirement as the artwork is designed and when the artwork is completed. I feel this brings clarity to the intent of the artwork and to the overall Sustained Investigation. It is vital to write about the artwork from conception to completion. The class will have several Sustained Investigation critiques where several artworks are included and many students comment on the development of the idea and the visual evidence in the artwork. Seeing and critiquing several works at once encourage the students to build continuity to the Sustained Investigation idea, and student peer comments only further encourage thought and development.
How did you use critiques and peer interaction to support growth in both Sustained Investigations and preparation for Selected Works?
We continuously critique as a class, and I talk to each student individually each class period. These critiques take many forms: traditional whole-class critiques, sticky note critiques that are anonymous, and individual or student peer critiques. We often hang up several works by each student and discuss what the subject of the Sustained Investigation is and how it is or is not visually evident. I encourage the students to carefully think about their Selected Works in reference to showcasing their skill and talents. I highly suggest that the Selected Works clearly display the elements and principles of art and design as well as other suggested art elements. The works need to be well made and have rich surface areas with the chosen media and photographs as well.
What advice would you offer to other AP Art and Design teachers?
The best advice I can give students is freedom of choice and encouragement to thoroughly develop ideas that are important to them. I also highly recommend development of trust and total honesty when discussing and critiquing ideas and artwork. It is vital to build trust with your students in order to encourage them to keep going on this long journey of art making. Developing and creating a Sustained Investigation may elicit doubt within your students; I have found that honest feedback is usually, if not always, respected and appreciated. I thoroughly explain the requirements of the portfolio and discuss the portfolio’s scoring. I encourage them to choose an idea that is meaningful and important to them.
Sophie Moreland
