The library has many, many different books about Art in all its forms - from Architecture to Bead making. Please log in to the library catalogue to browse the full range of what is available to you as a student.
Here is a link to the IB Visual Arts LibGuide.
The ‘knowledge framework’ is designed to help students explore, discuss, and form an understanding of each of the eight areas of knowledge. The knowledge framework isn’t a formal element of the TOK essay or presentation (ie, it isn’t directly assessed); instead, it is designed to present various consideration points that that can then be used to compare and contrast the different areas of knowledge, as well as tying them to the ways of knowing.
What is the social function of the arts? How many different forms does it encompass (eg literature, visual arts, music, dance, etc.)? What are their separate aims? To what extent are the arts influenced by the society and culture in which it is pursued? How important are the arts?
How do we use language to express the knowledge found within the arts? To what extent does this differ according to different forms of the arts? Are there any central concepts for which we need specific language before approaching the arts?
Which ways of knowing do we use in order to connect with, and understand, the arts? Which ways of knowing do artists themselves use in order to create their works?
How has our understanding and perception of the arts changed over time? How has the role of the arts within society developed? To what extent has the nature of the arts (for example, the different forms of the arts) changed? What relationship does today’s artistic world have with that of the past? (to paraphrase Newton, does it ‘stand on the shoulders of giants’?)
To what extent are you involved with the arts? How is your perception of the world, and your position it in, affected by the arts?
Reference:
Dunn, Michael. Knowledge framework for the arts (12th September 2013). theoryofknowledge.net. http://www.theoryofknowledge.net/areas-of-knowledge/the-arts/knowledge-framework-for-the-arts/ Last accessed: 4th December 2017
How can the subjective viewpoint of an individual contribute to knowledge in the arts? On what basis can the merit of a work of art be judged? Is there any point in discussing the arts—should we not simply experience them?
“The arts” is a collective term that encompasses the creative productions of humans and encompasses the visual arts, the performing arts and the literary arts. The arts explore the experience and reality of being human and are an essential element of culture.
The arts could be thought of as creating a bridge between personal knowledge and shared knowledge. Many of them are collaborative. They use emotion as a currency to generate significance at a personal level but reason provides a restrictive framework necessary for the creation of meaning: artworks have their own inner logic. Some regard the arts as having an extra-artistic cognitive function, that they have a message about man’s place in the world which might have social or political implications. For example, there might be a case for supposing that the arts have an important function as a medium for social criticism and transformation. In any case, there is a widespread belief that the arts have a higher purpose to educate by encouraging introspection and sometimes making us think about how we should live our lives.
