Module Information
Module Identifier
AHM0820
Module Title
Artworld: Contemporary Practice in Context (for Students of Fine Art)
Academic Year
2019/2020
Co-ordinator
Semester
Semester 1
Mutually Exclusive
Other Staff
Course Delivery
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Literature review with bibliography (15 sources) 2000 word review of recent literature, to be shared with class and used as foundation for research essay. | 40% |
| Semester Assessment | Research Essay Essay, 2500 words, plus Works Cited and appendix with captioned figures (illustrations), formatted in accordance with MLA style | 60% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Resit literature review 2000 word review of recent literature, to be shared with class and used as foundation for research essay. | 40% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Resit research essay Essay, 2500 words, plus Works Cited and appendix with captioned figures (illustrations), formatted in accordance with MLA style | 60% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
1. situate the production, curation, distribution and reception of contemporary art in a cultural, political, and socio-economic context.
2. identify, define and debate key concepts of contemporary art discourse.
3. access, review and document a broad range of subject-specific literature in print and on line.
4. establish, sustain, test and support a position on contemporary art practices in a critical essay informed by research and rooted in theory.
Brief description
Delivered as a series of weekly seminars and workshops, this module offers a discussion and study forum for MA Fine Art students during their first semester at the School of Art. Themed seminar sessions situate the production, curation and distribution of contemporary art in a cultural, political, and socio-economic context.
MA Fine Art students are taught alongside MA Art History students, which provides an opportunity to contrast the intentions and concerns of practitioners with the critical reception of their work.
Using a variety of assigned readings (e.g. artist statements, exhibition catalogues, reviews, theoretical/philosophical journal articles and art history essays) as a starting point, seminar members gather primary and secondary sources to explore whether/how a given theme or topic manifests in the practice of contemporary artists. The selection of sample artists and sources is negotiated in individual tutorials.
The research is shared with fellow students during the seminar and subsequently via Blackboard, providing all seminar members with an overview and review of specific aspects of contemporary art, as well as with a foundation for debates on current developments in the artworld. The research also serves as a basis for the final essay.
Key terminology to be defined, tested and contested in the seminars include ‘visual culture,’ ‘material culture,’ ‘new media,’ ‘postmodern,’ ‘altermodern,’ ‘identity politics,’ ‘globalisation,’ ‘trauma discourse,’ ‘institutional critique,’ ‘artivism’ and ‘relational aesthetics.’
The weekly seminar discussions prepare MA Fine Art students to re-examine their own art practice to arrive at artist statements that are informed by theory and demonstrate the relevance of their work in contemporary contexts.
MA Fine Art students are taught alongside MA Art History students, which provides an opportunity to contrast the intentions and concerns of practitioners with the critical reception of their work.
Using a variety of assigned readings (e.g. artist statements, exhibition catalogues, reviews, theoretical/philosophical journal articles and art history essays) as a starting point, seminar members gather primary and secondary sources to explore whether/how a given theme or topic manifests in the practice of contemporary artists. The selection of sample artists and sources is negotiated in individual tutorials.
The research is shared with fellow students during the seminar and subsequently via Blackboard, providing all seminar members with an overview and review of specific aspects of contemporary art, as well as with a foundation for debates on current developments in the artworld. The research also serves as a basis for the final essay.
Key terminology to be defined, tested and contested in the seminars include ‘visual culture,’ ‘material culture,’ ‘new media,’ ‘postmodern,’ ‘altermodern,’ ‘identity politics,’ ‘globalisation,’ ‘trauma discourse,’ ‘institutional critique,’ ‘artivism’ and ‘relational aesthetics.’
The weekly seminar discussions prepare MA Fine Art students to re-examine their own art practice to arrive at artist statements that are informed by theory and demonstrate the relevance of their work in contemporary contexts.
Content
1) Art/Visual Culture
2) History/Theory
3) Tradition/Revision
4) Self/Representation
5) Creativity/Technology
6) Production/Consumption
7) Identity/Otherness
8) Markets/Institutions
9) Activism/Relational Aesthetics
10) Practical Theories/Theorised Praxis
2) History/Theory
3) Tradition/Revision
4) Self/Representation
5) Creativity/Technology
6) Production/Consumption
7) Identity/Otherness
8) Markets/Institutions
9) Activism/Relational Aesthetics
10) Practical Theories/Theorised Praxis
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | |
| Communication | Articulating ideas through seminar discussions, literature review and research essay |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | Independent study through seminar assignments and workshop research and preparation |
| Information Technology | Information retrieval from various academic research portals and online museum collection databases |
| Personal Development and Career planning | Demonstration of professionalism in research and MLA style documentation. Reassessment of artist statements in light of seminar discussions |
| Problem solving | In seminar preparation and discussions, essay research and writing |
| Research skills | In seminar preparation, bibliography and essay research and writing |
| Subject Specific Skills | Interpretation of contemporary visual culture and theory in art historical contexts |
| Team work | Collaborating on gathering of sources, sharing of literature reviews in seminar discussions |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 7