Authorised by Academic Registrar, April 1996
Objectives By the completion of this subject students are expected to have demonstrated that they can recognise key formal and conceptual characteristics of the varieties of visual arts of the Western European tradition from the second half of the twentieth century; that they have developed the capacity to identify, discuss, compare, and appraise examples of the several schools and movements of late modernist and postmodernist art, and that they can demonstrate an understanding of the social, cultural, and theoretical issues and problems relating to prevailing and emerging movements; and that they have an understanding of how twentieth-century art and modes have shaped present-day artistic theory and practice, , and how their own artistic practice is formed and informed by developments in art particularly since 1945.
Synopsis This subject examines developments in international art since World War II, beginning with the New York School and the European School, and proceeding through discussions of pop art, contemporary realisms, recent abstraction, minimalism, kinetic art and conceptualism, to new image and neo-expressionism. Issues such as the `death of modernism', the rise of popular culture, the production of neo-dada and kitsch, the institutionalisation of the `art-world', and problems of regionalism and centrality will be included.
Assessment Two essays (1500 words): 50% + One 2-hour examination: 50%