107-038 Modernist Avant-Gardes

Usually 25 points of first-year art history, see Prerequisites.

This subject examines responses to modernity in avant-garde art, culture and theory during the high modernist period (1900-1950). A variety of stylistic categories (including Futurism, Expressionism, Cubism, Constructivism, Dada and Surrealism) and individual artists (including Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Piet Mondrian and Marcel Duchamp) will be considered. The social, historical and theoretical context in which diverse modernist aesthetics were formed will be studied using historical sources and contemporary theory. Students should become familiar with issues such as the rise of abstraction, the relationship of art and politics, the impact of urbanism on art, utopian models of art, nationalism and the arts, colonialism, gender and sexuality.

• be able to research through the competent use of the library and other information sources, and be able to define areas of inquiry and methods of research in the preparation of essays;

• be able to conceptualise theoretical problems, form judgements and arguments and communicate critically, creatively and theoretically through essay writing, tutorial discussion and presentations;

• be able to communicate knowledge intelligibly and economically through essay writing and tutorial discussion;

• be able to manage and organise workloads for recommended reading, the completion of essays and assignments and examination revision;

• be able to participate in team work through involvement in syndicate groups and group discussions.

A 1500 word assignment 30% (due during the semester) and a 2500 word essay 70% (due during the examination period).