Fine Art

In Fine Art you are given the freedom to develop your own ideas and interests based on your personal experiences rather than from narrowly prescribed briefs. At the same time you will gain a thorough understanding of the theory and practice of art using a range of different media, techniques and processes. The course also introduces you to the historical and cultural context in which art is produced.

The AS-level

Unit 1: Coursework Project (30%)

This unit enables you to research and develop a single idea selected from one of the big themes in Fine Art – still life, landscape, portrait, abstraction – as the starting point for the project. Subjects are chosen according to relevant exhibitions that we will visit in Cambridge and London.

Unit 2: Externally Set Assignment (20%)

During the spring term the examination board sets a themed assignment – recent examples include ‘Habitation’, ‘Icons’ and ‘Cities’, which provides the focus for the second part of the AS course. Sketchbook research produced during the field trip leads to the eight-hour controlled test in May. Work from both units will form your final submission for the AS course, presented as an exhibition in the Art Block in June. The AS course can be taken on its own without going on to A2, in which case Unit 1 counts for 60% and Unit 2 for 40%.

The A2-level

Unit 3: Coursework Project (30%)

For our Unit 3 project we take an in-depth look at the human body – its depiction, anatomy and meaning – in relation to the history of art and science and its pivotal importance to contemporary culture. This unit incorporates two linked elements of equal weighting:

• Practical work – looking at the human body in art culminating in life drawing and painting.
• Personal study – on any relevant aspect of the human body in its fine art context.

Unit 4: Externally set assignment (20%)

Similar procedure to Unit 2, though in greater depth. Recent themes have included ‘Objects and Objectivity’, ‘Ritual’, and ‘Illusion and Reality’, which are developed during the field trip, leading to the 12-hour controlled test in May. Work from both units will form your final submission for the A2 course, presented as an exhibition in the Art Block in June.

Gallery visits and field trips

Throughout the AS and A2 course we expose you to as much original art as possible. We make regular use of the excellent local museums in Cambridge, and each term visit the major galleries and museums in London, including the National Gallery, Tate Britain and Tate Modern, the British Museum and Royal Academy. The highlight of the academic year is the Art and Language field trip to a major cultural centre in Europe. In recent years we have visited Moorish Spain, Madrid, Rome, Venice and Florence. Fully integrated to the syllabus requirements and meticulously planned, these study visits produce a wealth of sketchbook work that feeds directly into the final exams in May.

One-year course

It is possible, with dedication and hard work, to take AS and A2 in one year. Transfers from different schools and exam boards after AS are also possible. Do contact us for advice.

Background needed

Interest in art, plus some ability in drawing and painting.

Suitable combinations

Fine Art complements any combination of subjects.

After A-level

A-level Fine Art can lead on to a one-year Foundation Studies course at Art College, which provides an intensive introduction to a wide range of disciplines. During that time you decide what to specialise in at degree level. This might be in Fine Art, Graphic Design, Three Dimensional Design, Fashion, or Film and Television. Many of our students secure places at prestigious art schools – a number have gone on to Central Saint Martins over the past few years.