Module overview
Through a series of lectures delivered by staff from across the department, and invited guests, this module introduces students to some of the key areas of contemporary theoretical discourse that influence cultural and creative practice. This module aims to broaden the students’ theoretical horizons and inform their artistic practices. The module is intentionally designed to bridge the historical art theory emphasis of much undergraduate education and the higher theoretical demands now placed on artists pursuing doctoral research.
For assessment, students are required to propose, research and write a short essay on a theoretical area of their choice, that relates to their studio practice. The module thereby provides an opportunity to locate themselves within this theoretical discourse, and to begin to articulate their own critical voice in relation to major contemporary arguments in critical theory. This academic writing task is important in preparing students both for further study at doctoral level and for the proposal writing aspects of professional practice beyond the institution.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Disciplinary Specific Learning Outcomes
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- articulate their own position with respect to their chosen subject and the theoretical references used
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- critically analyse examples and case studies relevant to Fine Art
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- demonstrate accurate and effective academic research and communication skills
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- how to critically examine academic ideas and debates related to Fine Art
Subject Specific Practical Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- make connections between the theoretical area of their interest and examples drawn from contemporary art practice
Syllabus
The syllabus of the module is largely defined by the resources list below, and has been divided into four sections, which are not mutually exclusive and between which there are some deliberate overlaps. These sections comprise: Feminism, Decolonialism, Ecology, and Technology & Society. These have been selected as the most relevant areas of critical theory to contemporary art practice. As such, these will require monitoring and updating to ensure that the syllabus remains relevant.
The aspiration is that between these four centres, the majority of students will find an area of theoretical enquiry relevant to their own practice, but in selecting the subjects for their essays, students are of course encouraged to refer to references beyond these areas, or to combine them in a manner appropriate to the concerns of their practice. In developing the reading list, writings by artists have occasionally been privileged to provide students with models for future writing tasks either during or beyond the course.
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
The primary forum of teaching and learning used throughout the module is a series of lectures and subsequent seminars delivered by a range of staff across and beyond the art and media technology department. Staff are invited to deliver a one hour lecture on a part of the syllabus relevant to their own expertise, after which either/both the lecturer and/or module leader will lead a discussion about the issues raised and their relevance to student practices.
Importantly, lectures throughout the module include examples drawn from contemporary art to enable students to make connections between their work in studio practice modules and the areas of theory under discussion. Students own research and essay writing is supported through a series of 1:1 tutorials offering feedback on the plans for, and then one draft of, their essay. These tutorials are also designed to ensure that students devote time throughout the module to writing their essay.
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Independent Study | 126 |
| Teaching | 24 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
Internet Resources
Journal Articles
Eve Tuck & K. Wayne Yang (2012). Decolonization is not a metaphor. Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society, 1, pp. 1-40.
Textbooks
Jonathan Crary (2014). 24/7: Late Capitalism and the Ends of Sleep. Verso.
Franz Fanon (1961). The Wretched of the Earth. Penguin.
Gaye Theresa Johnson & Alex Lubin (eds.) (2017). Futures of Black Radicalism. Verso.
Eyal Weizman (2017). Forensic Architecture – Violence at the Threshold of Detectability. Zone Books.
Bell Hooks (1984). Feminist Theory: From the Margin to the Center . London: Pluto Press.
Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing (2015). The Mushroom at The End of the World. Princeton University Press.
Vilem Flusser (1985). Into the Universe of Technical Images. University of Minnesota Press.
Agnes Denes (2008). The Human Argument: The Writings of Agnes Denes. Spring Publications.
Donna Haraway (1991). Simians, Cyborgs and Women. Routledge.
Rosi Braidotti (2013). The Posthuman. Polity Press.
Hito Steyerl (2012). The Wretched of the Screen. Berlin: Sternberg Press.
Judith Butler (1990). Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. London: Routledge.
Gregory Bateson (1972). Steps to an Ecology of Mind. University of Chicago Press.
TJ Demos (2016). Decolonizing Nature: Contemporary Art and the Politics of Ecology. Berlin: Sternberg Press.
Robin Wall Kimmerer (2013). Braiding Sweetgrass. Milkweed Editions.
Peggy Phelan, Helena Reckitt (2006). Art & Feminism. Phaidon.
Angela Davis (2016). Freedom is a Constant Struggle . Haymarket Books.
Pia Arke (1995). Ethnoaesthetics. ARK.
Angela Davis (1981). Women, Race and Class. Penguin.
Audre Lorde (2019). Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches . Penguin.
Edward Said (1978). Orientalism. Penguin.
Assessment
Formative
This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.
Draft essay
- Assessment Type: Formative
- Feedback: Verbal feedback and comments in the margin.
- Final Assessment: No
- Group Work: No
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Essay | 100% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Essay | 100% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Essay | 100% |