Monash University Handbook 2011 Postgraduate - Unit

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

Centres around a proposal written in the critical context of contemporary issues in the visual arts. It is undertaken at the initial stages of the course and is therefore encouraged to be provisional, positioning the work but with a sense of flexibility and openness to current discourses that inform contemporary practice.

Objectives

On successful completion of this unit, students will:

1. be able to develop their initial proposal for studio research with a critical awareness of artistic positionality as well as the potential for challenge, debate and expansion;
2. understand methodology as a critique of method, seeking the cultural values embedded in investigative method, even when it is ostensibly value-free or objective;
3. have a sympathetic working knowledge of the language of theory in order to express the cultural values of their work, not just their practical dimensions;
4. appreciate that texts on art contain the cultural assumptions of their authors and develop a critical sense for identifying their values;
5. appreciate the difference between professional practice in their discipline and research in their discipline.

Assessment

Preliminary work on studio proposal: 25%
Annotated studio proposal (5000 words): 75%

Chief examiner(s)

Fiona MacDonald

Contact hours

2 hours per week, 10 hours of private study