DA VINCI COMES TOP OF THE CLASS FOR PLYMOUTH STUDENTS
25.11.2008 00:23:00
Nov 24 2008
A survey of GCSE students across Plymouth and the rest of the UK has shown that the old art masters remain the most popular despite tough competition from the more modern stars.
The study of over 1,300 GCSE students by OCR, a leading UK awarding body, found that even though it is nearly 500 years since he last wielded a brush, Plymouth students’ most admired artist remains Leonardo da Vinci with almost half of all students (45%) putting him at the top of the class. His priceless painting, the Mona Lisa, remains the most iconic piece of art of all time.
Widely considered to be one of the greatest painters of all time, the Italian-born artist tops the most admired list in Plymouth, against stiff competition from modern artists Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso with 20% and 15% respectively.
While Damien Hirst’s Golden Calf made headlines when it sold for £9.6m, investors seeking art as an alternative to stocks and shares may want to note that the findings also suggest that Hirst’s popularity in Plymouth falls far short of the classic greats.
Mona Lisa smiles for Plymouth’s GCSE students
•50% of Plymouth’s students believe that the Mona Lisa is the most iconic image, while almost one in three (30%) feel Van Gogh’s Sunflowers is the most memorable.
•One in ten students in Plymouth believe Damien Hirst’s Golden Calf should take pride of place at the top of the iconic list, while just one in 20 feel Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe and H.R. Giger’s Alien deserve this accolade.
•While Vivienne Westwood’s punk and new wave fashion footsteps put her firmly in the Art & Design hall of fame in other parts of the UK, those in Plymouth fail to admire her designs.
•Old outweighs new when it comes to Plymouth’s artistic preferences, with modern artists such as Damien Hirst, Clarice Cliff, Vivienne Westwood and Bill Brandt, amongst others, falling short of locals’ iconic expectations.
•Artists of the future are likely to come from Northern Ireland and the North West with eight out of ten students in those regions enjoying art the most.
•London, Scotland and the North East are home to the most cultural students with one in five (20%, 18% and 17% respectively) visiting a museum or gallery in the past month.
An artistic career?
Almost two-thirds (65%) of pupils in Plymouth feel that art as a qualification is undervalued by employers in terms of the skills it can bring, and over half (55%)of the area’s students believe that the skills developed in art help develop a more creative approach to other subject areas and ultimately their future careers.
Stuart Lunn, from OCR, said: “The diversity shown by Plymouth’s students in choosing the artist they most admire shows how personal art & design is, and we’ve factored this into OCR’s GCSE Art & Design specification, to allow for such differences in students interests. Starting points for controlled assessments are often at the teacher’s or candidate’s preference, allowing students to study artists of their choice to meet project briefs across a range of styles, which helps develop their cultural knowledge, understanding and application of art, craft, design, media and technologies in a range of both historical and contemporary contexts.
”As the course challenges Plymouth’s students to deliver thoughtful and imaginative responses to various project briefs, not only does the student develop a wider knowledge of art and design encouraging budding artists and designers, they also develop confidence, independence and a creative approach to problem-solving, all of which are valuable transferable skills.
“OCR’s new GCSE Art and Design specification also encourages learners in Plymouth to develop a personal interest in why art and design matters. We have introduced a new unit: Critical and Contextual Studies, which has been designed to encourage a heightened awareness and appreciation of visiting art galleries and museums. This unit will also help develop the necessary skills to work closely with resident artists and develop personal learning and thinking skills.”
The Art and Design specification and a poster, to provoke debate in the classroom, can be downloaded from www.GCSEchanges.com
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Notes to Editors
www.GCSEchanges.com launched in April 2008 and is an online resource, providing guidance, advice and downloadable materials to teaching professionals. The purpose of the website is to minimise disruption surrounding the change, whilst delivering accurate information and support networks for the benefit of those in the classroom. OCR is committed to making life easier for teaching professionals, optimising real-life applications, flexible learning and assessment methods which work in union with regulatory criteria.
The majority of all QCA accredited course subjects shall be implemented into the 2009 academic teaching year, with English, ICT and Maths being revised for first teaching to begin in September 2010. The GCSE sciences have already been redeveloped and started teaching in 2006. A specification is the technical document which is used and referred to by teachers when teaching a GCSE qualification.
OCR also offers a range of training including GCSE support networks; further information can be found at www.ocr.org.uk
OCR (Oxford Cambridge and RSA) is a leading UK awarding body, providing a wide range of qualifications to meet the needs of pupils of all ages and abilities. OCR qualifications include AS/A Levels, GCSEs, OCR Nationals, Key Skills, Entry Level qualifications, NVQs and vocational qualifications in areas such as IT, business, languages, teaching/training, administration and secretarial skills.
Each year more than three million pupils gain OCR qualifications, which are offered by 13,000 centres including schools, sixth form colleges, FE colleges, training providers, voluntary organisations, local authorities, and businesses ranging from SMEs to multi-national organisations.
OCR is a not-for-profit organisation; any surplus we make is invested back into the organisation, helping us develop qualifications and support which keep pace with the changing needs of today’s society.
OCR is part of the Cambridge Assessment Group, Europe's largest assessment agency, which celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2008. Cambridge Assessment plays a leading role in researching, developing and delivering assessment across the globe.
Client name: OCR
Business type: Education
Author: Matt Anderson
Contact author: matt@montagecomms.com
