Gwybodaeth Modiwlau

Module Identifier
AH20620
Module Title
Postmodernism and Contemporary Art
Academic Year
2021/2022
Co-ordinator
Semester
Semester 2
Other Staff

Course Delivery

 

Assessment

Due to Covid-19 students should refer to the module Blackboard pages for assessment details

Assessment Type Assessment length / details Proportion
Semester Assessment 2,500 word research essay  Essay engaging critically with theories and practices encountered in one of the lectures, negotaited in tutorials. 2500 words plus Works Cited and appendix with captioned figures (illustrations), MLA.  60%
Semester Exam 1) Literature review with bibliography (15 sources)  2000 word review of critical literature, including a bibliography of secondary sources relevant to one of the lecture topics/themes, to be shared with fellow students (in class and via Blackboard)  40%
Supplementary Assessment 2,500 word essay  Essay engaging critically with theories and practices encountered in one of the lectures, negotaited in tutorials. 2500 words plus Works Cited and appendix with captioned figures (illustrations), MLA.  60%
Supplementary Exam 1) Literature review with bibliography (15 sources)  2000 word review of critical literature, including a bibliography of secondary sources relevant to one of the lecture topics/themes, to be used as a foundation for the research essay  40%

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

define and describe postmodern art practices and concerns using relevant examples;

distinguish between Modernism and Postmodernism;

debate the role and status of women and/or minority artists in Western art from the 1960s to the present day;

debate the impact of new media in Western art from the 1960s to the present day;

Access, assess, document and engage critically with a range of academically viable primary and secondary sources in print and on line.

Brief description

This series of lectures and seminars provides a survey of Western art practice and theory from 1960 to the present day. It explores
• the shift from Modernism to Post-Modernism
• the shift from Post-modernism to contemporary art
• the impact of new media on the production, distribution and reception of art
• counter-cultural influences on art/visual culture and its function in society
• the role of identity politics and activism in challenging the canon
• the formative and mediating roles of art criticism and cultural institutions (museum collections, galleries and exhibitions)
Each lecture is followed up by a seminar in which students examine examples of artist statements and manifestos, as well as contemporary art criticism and theory in their historical context.
Actively shaping the seminars, students introduce for discussion one primary source (work of art) that has not been shown in the lectures to debate how its inclusion might impact on our understanding of specific periods of art history.

Content

1) Lecture 1: The 1960s—Art and Consumer Culture
2) Seminar 1: The 1960s—Redefining Art
3) Lecture 2: The 1970s—Art and Activism
4) Seminar 2: The 1970s—Feminism and the Canon
5) Lecture 3: The 1980s—Art and New Technologies
6) Seminar 3: The 1980s—Postmodernism and Pastiche
7) Lecture 4: The 1990s—Art and Identity Politics
8) Seminar 4: The 1990s—Postcolonialism and Multiculturalism
9) Lecture 5: The Artworld since 2000—Globalism
10) Seminar 5: The Artworld since 2000—Influences and Directions

Module Skills

Skills Type Skills details
Application of Number N/A
Communication Articulating ideas through seminar discussions as well as academic writing; entering the discourse by reviewing the literature
Improving own Learning and Performance Independent study through research on a tutor-negotiated topic
Information Technology Information retrieval from academic research portals and online databases
Personal Development and Career planning Emphasis on professionalism in research, citation and documentation of sources
Problem solving Interpreting and negotiating writing assignments; retrieving and assessing primary and secondary sources
Research skills Bibliography and essay research; gathering and assessment of primary and secondary sources
Subject Specific Skills Critical engagement with artistic practices and theories on art in historical contexts.
Team work Seminar group discussion and feedback

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 5