Caution
Copyright © Monash University 1996
ISBN 1320-6222
Authorised by Academic Registrar, April 1996
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 1996.
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.
+ 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
+ VSA3010/4010 Making art history*
+ 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*
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; ie VSA1010, VSA2230/3230 and VSA2270/3270 are of relevance to a degree in Australian studies; VSA2150/3150 is of relevance to a degree in women's studies; VSA2110/3110, VSA2130/3130 and VSA2790/3790 are of relevance to a degree in European studies; VSA2130/3130 is of relevance to a degree 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 1996.
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.
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.
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 1996.
+ VSA1020 Transformations of the visual
+ VSA2130 American and European postwar art
+ VSA2230 Australian art: 1880s to the present
+ VSA2270 Australian architecture
+ VSA2310 Modern architecture and urbanism
+ VSA2430 History and theory of photography, part 2, 1940-present
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.
+ VSA3110 European art, 1900-1940
+ VSA3130 American and European postwar art
+ VSA3230 Australian art: 1880s to the present
+ VSA3270 Australian architecture
+ VSA3310 Modern architecture and urbanism
+ VSA3430 History and theory of photography, part 2, 1940-present
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 1996 are as follows:
+ VSA4000 Minor thesis
+ VSA4010 Making art history
+ VSA4019 Reading the art 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
In 1996 and 1997 we expect to introduce a sequence of subjects in screen production: `Screen production I' commencing in 1996 and `Screen production II' commencing in 1997. These subjects will cater both for performing arts students and for film and television students who want to develop a literacy in screen production, using video, as a practical complement to their critical, historical and theoretical studies.
+ VSA1050 Contemporary popular film
+ VSA2190/3190 Forms of narrative cinema
+ VSA2220/3220 Alternative film and video
+ VSA2390 Screen production I
+ VSA2670/3670 Asian cinema (proposed to be offered next in 1997)
+ VSA2710/3710 Alternatives in documentary film - an Australian focus
+ VSA2770/3770 Television studies (proposed to be offered next in 1997)
+ VSA3007/4007 Gender and genre: masculinity in film (proposed to be offered next in 1997)
+ VSA3630/4630 German cinema
+ 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
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.
+ 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.
+ VSA2220 Alternative film and video
+ VSA2390 Screen production I
+ VSA2710 Alternatives in documentary - an Australian focus
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.
+ VSA3220 Alternative film and video
+ VSA3630 German cinema
+ VSA3710 Alternatives in documentary - an Australian focus
+ VSA3750 Indonesian and Southeast Asian film and television
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.
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 VSA4630 German cinema or VSA4750 Indonesian and Southeast Asian film and television.
The available range of fourth-year level courses in film and television studies is therefore:
+ VSA4000 Minor thesis
+ VSA4040 Film theory and film criticism: part 1
+ VSA4050 Film theory and film criticism: part 2
+ VSA4600 Film, culture, class
+ VSA4630 German cinema
+ VSA4750 Indonesian and Southeast Asian film and television