107-469 Art and Film Criticism

Formerly available as 107-068. Students who have completed 107-068 are not eligible to enrol in this subject.

Admission to the postgraduate diploma or fourth-year honours in art history.

This subject will examine the history, theory and practice of art and film criticism. The role of the critic in mediating art and film will be explored in an examination of historical practices (art criticism of the 19th century, film criticism of the early 20th century) and theoretical models (hermeneutics, psychoanalysis, intentionality, social history, deconstruction). A variety of reading positions will be considered: genre theory, psychoanalysis, the fan, feminism, queer theory, auteurism, humanism, neo-conservatism, and newspaper reviews. Critics and editors will discuss the theory and practice of professional writing and some seminars may take the form of writing workshops. Students will be encouraged to produce film and art reviews and/or criticism as part of their assessment.