Undergraduate - UnitAHT3109 - Constructing art in Australia: colonialism to postcolonialism

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2015 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

print version

6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL

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

Level	Undergraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture
Organisational Unit	Department of Fine Art
Offered	Not offered in 2015
Coordinator(s)	Dr Julie Cotter

Notes

This unit was formerly coded TAD3109

Synopsis

A 'survey' of visual arts in Australia from colonisation to contemporary contexts. Historical and social perspectives in the development of painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography and film, architecture and design. Representation and subjectivity, cultural identity, nationalism and nationhood, ethnicity and gender. Issues of mainstream and marginality; notions of the 'centre' and regionalism, Australia's relationship to Europe and European art generally, and the notion of landscape as a shaper of national identity.

Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, student will:

recognise the range of visual practices that have operated within Australian culture from both an historical and contemporary perspective
understand the significance and ideological uses of Australian visual practices in constructing notions of national identity
have a post-colonial perspective in contextualizing the historical and social developments of Australian visual culture

4 critically discuss the cultural practices of Australian artists and designers, in historical, artistic, ideological and socio-political contexts, and theorise the basis for the marginalisation of certain individuals and groups

5 be aware of the problematical nature of Australian artistic practices especially in terms of the local artist/designer's position within both regional and international contexts.

Assessment

Short Essay 40%
Long Essay 55%
Reader discussion 5%

Workload requirements

One 2 hour lecture, one 1 hour tutorial and 3 independent study hours per week

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Julie Cotter

Prerequisites

2 second-year level TAD or AHT units

Prohibitions

TAD3119, TAD2109, AHT2109