1.1 Inquiry-Based Practice

Art as inquiry

AP 3-D Art & Design centers on inquiry — you develop a guiding question or idea and investigate it across a body of related work using three-dimensional form and space.

Sustained Investigation

The portfolio's Sustained Investigation (15 works) shows this inquiry through practice, experimentation, and revision guided by your question over time.

Personal direction

Your inquiry should be genuinely yours — driven by your interests. A strong question is open enough to explore across many three-dimensional works.

Key terms

Inquiry-based practice

develop and investigate a guiding question in 3-D

Guiding question

an open idea explored across many works

Sustained Investigation

15 works showing practice, experiment, revision

Personal direction

the inquiry is genuinely your own

3-D media

sculpture, ceramics, metal, fiber, installation, models

Try an AP-style question

In AP Art & Design, an inquiry is…

1. a finished artwork for the portfolio
2. a famous style that you copy
3. an assignment given by your teacher
4. a question that guides your artmaking