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This course provides an introduction to international contemporary art, focusing on developments in Europe, the USA and Aotearoa New Zealand between 1945-2000. After looking at mid-twentieth-century tendencies such as Minimalism, Conceptual Art and Land Art, the course turns to consider some of the broader trajectories of contemporary art practice and criticism in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.
The course explores issues and ideas that have been critical to shifts taking place in art and visual culture since 1945, including:• debates regarding modernism/postmodernism;• the breakdown of traditional categories and the emergence of new modes of engagement, and new media in the visual arts;• the political and ethical concerns of contemporary art;• and interactions between art, popular culture and everyday life.(Image: Ash Keating, "Concrete Propositions", 2012. Presented by Gap Filler and Christchurch Art Gallery.)
By the end of this course, students will have developed:1. Knowledge of key critical debates that have shaped the study of contemporary art history.2. Ability to locate contemporary art practices within their social, historical and theoretical contexts.3. An awareness of the development of contemporary art in Aotearoa New Zealand and how this relates to international trends.4. Gain an understanding of the local contemporary art environment.5. The ability to critically evaluate evidence and present well-reasoned arguments.6. Strong communication, research and visual/object analysis skills.
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:
Critically competent in a core academic discipline of their award
Students know and can critically evaluate and, where applicable, apply this knowledge to topics/issues within their majoring subject.
Biculturally competent and confident
Students will be aware of and understand the nature of biculturalism in Aotearoa New Zealand, and its relevance to their area of study and/or their degree.
Globally aware
Students will comprehend the influence of global conditions on their discipline and will be competent in engaging with global and multi-cultural contexts.
Any 15 points at 100 level from ARTH, or60 points at 100 level from the Schedule V of the BA.
ARTT102, ARTH109
Students must attend one activity from each section.
Barbara Garrie
Please check the course LEARN page for further details and updates.
There is no set text for this course; however, Brandon Taylor’s 'Art Today', London, Laurence King Publishing, 2005, is recommended and provides an overview of some of the key ideas addressed in the course.This book is on 3-hour loan in the Central Library.
Library portal
Domestic fee $844.00
International fee $3,950.00
* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.
For further information see Humanities .