Handbook

This course introduces you to the histories and contexts that inform the major themes of contemporary art. Marx and Engles famous phrase 'all that is solid melts into air' reflects the disruption in culture, society and politics over the last 150 years. This course will help you understand the unique role of art in creating, analysing and experimenting in a context of permanent change. It takes a thematic approach to art history, examining a variety of responses and strategies artists use across different cultures, disciplines and times so that you can locate the intersecting histories that inform contemporary art and visual culture. You will focus on the late 19th century to the 1960s to develop a foundational context for your future study. You will be introduced to formal and critical visual analysis, art theory and philosophy as tools for a deeper and more nuanced understanding of art. You will gain knowledge of the histories of contemporary art through activities that will develop academic research, reading and writing skills, critical discussion and reflection skills.