Credit Points: 30
Study Time: 300 Hours

This unit addresses contemporary fine art practices and their relationship to your own studio practice. The role of critical theory in informing and describing practice will be at the core of the unit. An independent investigative involvement will be expected from you. You are introduced to commentaries and debates through a series of elective seminars in which you are expected to contribute. In this unit you will address a wide range of issues surrounding current fine art practice from key conceptual concerns and critical debate, to practical methodologies, research processes and operating successfully in the professional arena.

Outline Syllabus

• An extended survey of current fine art practices. 
• The identification of personally significant concerns for investigation and development. 
• The compilation of a research file of appropriate material. 
• An examination of professional practice within the field of contemporary fine art.

Method of Delivery
Lectures, seminars, tutorials, presentations, exhibition visits, studio visits, independent study and research.

Aims

A1 To support you in defining personal creative ambitions by giving you the essential ability to position and define your activity in relation to broader concerns.
A2 To perceive and understand the relationship between theory and practice.
A3 To initiate research and learning in the field of the contemporary fine art professional environment.

Learning Outcomes
On completion of this unit you will be able to:

LO1 Demonstrate an understanding of contemporary fine art practices and their location within a theoretical context.
LO2 Relate to and apply critical theory in the development of your own practice.
LO3 Locate and access evidence, records and sources of current activity within your chosen field.
LO4 Record and present evidence of your research and practice in appropriate formats, demonstrating confident use of academic protocols.
LO5 Demonstrate an understanding of, and engagement with, the professional environment within the field of contemporary fine art.

Reference Material

Key
Bann, S., William, S. (eds) (1991) Interpreting Contemporary Art. London: Reaktion
Conner, Steven. (1997). Postmodernist Culture: An Introduction to Theories of the Contemporary. Oxford: Blackwell
Jones, A. (ed) (2006) A Companion to Contemporary Art Since 1945. Oxford: Blackwell

Recommended
Foster, H. (ed). (1998). Postmodern Culture. London: Pluto Press
Harrison, C. & Wood, P. (eds) (2002). Art in Theory 1900-2000: An Anthology of Changing Ideas. Oxford: Blackwell
Neill, A., Ridley, A. (eds) (2002) Arguing About Art. London: Routledge
Wallis, B. (ed) (1984). Art after Modernism: Rethinking Representation. New York: New Museum of Contemporary Art
Wollheim, R. (1992) Art and Its Objects. London: Cambridge University Press