The Department of Visual Arts teaches two different disciplines of study: art history and theory, and film and television studies. Minor sequences, major sequences and honours studies can be taken in either discipline or in a combination of both, giving the student a sequence in visual arts.
Art history and theory
The course of studies is designed to involve students in the development of visual literacy and the capacity to shape critical responses towards various manifestations of visual culture, including the pictorial and graphic arts, sculpture, the built environment, the decorative arts, photography, advertising and fashion. Courses involve historical and critical interpretation of a range of major phases and issues of Australian, European and American art and architecture, with some reference to other relevant traditions. Students are also encouraged to engage in a variety of theoretical approaches applicable to the visual field. Aspects of cultural, political, social and psychoanalytic modes of interpretation and analysis will be raised in order to examine critically the ideology of taste, and the representation of issues of gender, race and class. Emerging questions concerning the relations between art and technology will also be considered as appropriate.
The first-year courses introduce a number of issues and approaches. The first-semester subject focuses on recent and relatively familiar elements of Australian culture in various forms of visual art, architecture, design, photography and related media. In the second semester, the scope alters to encompass international and historical material, considered in relation to the changing character of visual language, and issues such as gender, sexuality, ideology and nationalism. Second and third-year level subjects build on this foundation, enabling students to develop a broadly based study, or to specialise in one or more of the following areas - Australian studies, nineteenth and twentieth-century art, photography, architectural studies, and medieval, renaissance and baroque art.
Qualified students may enter a fourth honours year and undertake postgraduate studies at diploma, MA and PhD level. There is also an MA by coursework in Australian art. For details of postgraduate courses, please refer to the Arts graduate handbook for 1995.
It is possible to combine studies in art history and theory with film and television subjects, also taught in the Department of Visual Arts. Students wishing to pursue art history and theory as a minor or major sequence, or film and television studies as a minor or major sequence, should complete the two appropriate subjects at first-year level.
Subjects offered in art history and theory
Courses marked with an asterisk are offered in 1995; others are offered in 1996 or beyond.
* VSA1010 Contemporary visual culture*
* VSA1020 Transformations of the visual*
* VSA2110/3110 European art, 1900-1940
* VSA2130/3130 American and European postwar art
* VSA2150/3150 The other side of the avant-garde: twentieth century women's art history*
* VSA2230/3230 Australian art*
* VSA2250/3250 Current architecture*
* VSA2270/3270 Australian architecture
* VSA2310/3310 Modern architecture and urbanism, 1907-1968
* VSA2410/3410 History and theory of photography, part 1*
* VSA2430/3420 History and theory of photography, part 2
* VSA2510/3510 Sixteenth century studies
* VSA2530/3530 Baroque art
* VSA2550/3550 Italian medieval art
* VSA2610/3610 French medieval art
* VSA2790/3790 The idea of Venice*
* VSA3570 Into the nineties
* VSA4019 Reading the art museum*
* VSA4021 Beyond the museum*
* VSA4030 Theory of art history and criticism*
* VSA4034 Nineteenth century Australian art
* VSA4054 Twentieth century Australian modernism*
* VSA4060 Readings in Australian art*
* VSA4074 Australian postmodernism
* VSA4080 Readings in Italian renaissance art
* VSA4084 The culture and imagery of cities*
Art history and theory studies in combination with other subject areas
Students are encouraged to consider combining their art history and theory studies with other relevant and compatible disciplines and subject areas taught in the Faculty of Arts. Examples are film and television studies (also taught in the Department of Visual Arts), comparative literature and cultural studies, Greek, Roman and Egyptian studies, history, performing arts, women's studies, and a range of relevant European and Asian languages.
Particular attention is drawn to the following subjects:
* ANY3390 The anthropology of art
* CLS1010/1020 Text and context I and II
* CLS2130 Culture and society
* CLS3110 Cultural studies: the consumer society
* WMN2240/3240 Introduction to contemporary feminist theory
Students interested in construction of interdisciplinary courses should consult the relevant entries for American studies, Asian studies, Australian studies, European studies, women's studies and comparative literature and cultural studies. Art history and theory subjects are also relevant to the degrees constructed around European and Australian studies, and the major stream in American studies.
Possibilities also exist for combining art history and theory studies with studio practice, as taught in the Subfaculty of Art and Design. Interested students should consult this handbook under the entry for painting and drawing or the handbook for the Subfaculty of Art and Design for 1995.
Pass courses
A minor sequence in visual arts consists of twelve points (two subjects) at first-year level followed by sixteen points (two subjects) at second-year level.
The major sequence consists of twelve points (two subjects) at first-year level followed by second-year subjects to the value of at least sixteen points, and third-year subjects to the value of at least sixteen points, plus an additional eight points of work at either the second or third-year level.
Honours courses (fourth year)
The minimum requirement for admission of a candidate to fourth year will be, normally, completion of a major sequence in visual arts, with credit grades or higher in subjects to the value of twenty-four points at second and third-year levels combined, of which sixteen must be at third-year level.
Mid-year entry is offered by this department.
Honours students should be aware of the relevance of language study to their courses: the Faculty of Arts offers introductory courses in some languages.
Combined honours may be taken in visual arts and another discipline provided that all honours requirements have been met in both disciplines and subject to the approval of both departments/centres.
Graduate work
Graduate supervision in the MA and PhD is available in most fields of Western art history and criticism. The examination is by dissertation.
An MA by coursework in Australian art is available to qualified entrants, as is a postgraduate diploma in art history and/or film and television studies.
For full details of postgraduate courses offered by the Department of Visual Arts, please refer to the Arts graduate handbook for 1995.
Subjects offered in 1995
First-year level
* VSA1010 Contemporary visual culture
* VSA1020 Transformations of the visual
Second-year level
* VSA2150 The other side of the avant-garde: twentieth century women's art history
* VSA2230 Australian art: 1880s to the present
* VSA2250 Current architecture
* VSA2410 History and theory of photography, part 1, 1839-1940
* VSA2790 The idea of Venice
Students may also take CLS2130 (Culture and society) or WMN2170 (Introduction to contemporary feminist theory) as part of a minor or major sequence in visual arts. Where one of these subjects is included as part of a sequence in visual arts, it cannot also comprise part of a sequence in comparative literature and cultural studies or women's studies.
Third-year level
* VSA3150 The other side of the avant-garde: twentieth century women's art history
* VSA3230 Australian art: 1880s to the present
* VSA3410 History and theory of photography, part 1, 1839-1940
* VSA3790 The idea of Venice
Fourth-year level: Art history and theory
Fourth-year honours students will be required to write a minor thesis (VSA4000) worth eighteen points, and to take three seminar subjects.
Full-time honours students are advised to undertake two of these subjects in the first semester and one in the second semester. Part-time honours students normally take two subjects in the first year, and the third subject plus the thesis in the second year. Fourth-year subjects available in 1994 are as follows:
* VSA4000 Minor thesis
* VSA4019 Reading the art museum
* VSA4021 Beyond the museum
* VSA4030 Theory of art history and criticism
* VSA4054 Twentieth century Australian modernism
* VSA4060 Readings in Australian art
* VSA4084 The culture and imagery of cities
Film and television studies
A full major is offered in film and television studies, and it is possible to go on to do a fourth honours year and to take postgraduate work at diploma, MA and PhD level. Courses are predominantly critical, historical and theoretical. The full range of courses is designed to introduce students to methods of analysis and a range of issues regarding Australian film and television, contemporary popular film from the USA, film history, European and Asian cinema, and film from the third world. Topics studied include the changing structure of the film and television industries in Australia; independent and alternative film movements both here and overseas; the evolution and development of film form; semiotic and psychoanalytic approaches to the study of film and television; film and ideology; national cinemas; alternative frameworks for the funding of television production; and issues in Australian film culture.
Subjects offered in film and television studies
* VSA1040 Australian film and television
* VSA1050 Contemporary popular film
* VSA2190/3190 Forms of narrative cinema
* VSA2220/3200 Alternative film and video
* VSA2670/3670 Asian cinema (proposed to be offered next in 1996)
* VSA2710/3710 Alternatives in documentary film - an Australian focus (proposed to be offered next in 1996)
* VSA2770/3770 Television studies
* VSA3007/4007 Gender and genre: masculinity in film
* VSA3630/4630 German cinema (proposed to be offered next in 1996)
* VSA3750/4750 Indonesian and Southeast Asian film and television
* VSA4040 Film theory and film criticism: part 1
* VSA4050 Film theory and film criticism: part 2
* VSA4600 Film, culture, class
Film and television studies subjects in combination with other subject areas
Students in the Department of Visual Arts may combine art history and theory subjects with film and television subjects (or vice versa), as part of their major or minor; however if no film and television subjects are studied at first-year level, then normally the prerequisite for later-year entry into film and television studies is VSA2190/3190 (Forms of narrative cinema).
Comparative literature and cultural studies students may take some courses in film and television studies as part of their major or minor in comparative literature (see Comparative literature and cultural studies entry). Film and television students may also take CLS2130 (Culture and society) as part of a major or minor sequence in visual arts. Where this subject is included as part of a visual arts sequence, it cannot also comprise part of a sequence in comparative literature and cultural studies.
Students taking cinema studies at first-year level in the Department of English at the Caulfield campus may transfer to film and television studies courses in visual arts on the Clayton campus at second-year level, if they wish to pursue studies in film and television. The requirement here is to commence second year by taking VSA2190.
Pass courses
Minor sequence
A minor sequence in film and television studies consists of either (i) twelve points (two subjects) at first-year level followed by sixteen points (two subjects) at second-year level or (ii) for students entering at second-year level, VSA2190 (Forms of narrative cinema) and a second film subject at second-year level, followed by sixteen points (two subjects) at third-year level.
Major sequence
A major sequence in film and television studies consists of twelve points at first-year level (VSA1040 and VSA1050) followed by second-year film and television subjects to the value of at least sixteen points (two subjects) and third-year subjects to the value of at least sixteen points, plus an additional eight points of work at either the second or third-year level.
Access to film and television studies at second-year level
Students entering at second-year level and hence taking only a minor in film and television studies, are normally required to begin by taking VSA2190 (Forms of narrative cinema).
Honours courses
Students enrol for honours at the end of their third year and must have obtained credit grades or higher in film and television studies subjects to the value of twenty-four points at second or third-year level of which at least sixteen points are at third-year level. Mid-year entry is offered by this department.
Relevance to new degree offerings in the Faculty of Arts
Students should note that a number of film and television subjects are of relevance to the new degree offerings in the faculty, ie VSA1040 and VSA2710/3710 are of relevance to a degree in Australian studies, VSA3007 is of relevance to a degree in women's studies, VSA2670/3670 is of relevance to a degree in Asian studies, VSA3630 is of relevance to a degree in European studies, and VSA1050, VSA2190 and VSA3007 are of relevance to a degree in American studies.
Graduate work
Graduate supervision is available for students proceeding to MA and PhD in most fields of film and television studies. The examination is by dissertation. A postgraduate diploma in film and television studies and/or art history is also available. For full details of postgraduate courses offered by the Department of Visual Arts, please refer to the Arts graduate handbook for 1995.
Subjects offered in 1995
First-year level
* VSA1040 Australian film and television
* VSA1050 Contemporary popular film
Please note that VSA1050 (Contemporary popular film) was taught in 1991 under the title VA103.06 (Introduction to the visual arts 3: Introduction to film and television studies), and if you have completed this subject you should not enrol in VSA1050. VSA1040 (Australian film and television) is an entirely new course, and may be taken by those who have completed VA103.06.
Second-year level
* VSA2190 Forms of narrative cinema
* VSA2220 Alternative film and video
* VSA2770 Television studies
Students may take CLS2130 (Culture and society) as part of a minor or major sequence in visual arts. However where this subject is included as part of a visual arts major or minor sequence, it cannot also be counted as part of a sequence in comparative literature and cultural studies.
Third-year level
* VSA3007 Gender and genre: masculinity in film
* VSA3190 Forms of narrative cinema
* VSA3220 Alternative film and video
* VSA3750 Indonesian and Southeast Asian film and television
* VSA3770 Television studies
To complete a major sequence students are required to take three subjects at third year level or two subjects at third year level and one additional subject at second year level.
Fourth-year level
Fourth-year honours students will be required to write a minor thesis, take a full-year program in film theory and criticism, and a special study in the first semester. The course of studies comprises:
1. VSA4000 Minor thesis
2. VSA4040 Film theory and film criticism: part I and VSA4050 Film theory and film criticism: part II
3. VSA4600 Film, culture, class or VSA4007 Gender and genre: masculinity in film or VSA3750 Indonesian and Southeast Asian film and television
* VSA4000 Minor thesis
* VSA4040 Film theory and film criticism: part 1
* VSA4050 Film theory and film criticism: part 2
* VSA4600 Film, culture, class
* VSA4007 Gender and genre: masculinity in film
* VSA4750 Indonesian and Southeast Asian film and television