Art Criticism, Contemporary Contexts and Informed Creative Practice

This course is for students who are developing a visual arts project or have an interest in doing so. It introduces contemporary art contexts and several methodologies for looking and engaging with artwork so that students can orientate their work within a wider scheme, find new connections and opportunities for development. The course will be focused on ideas rather than artistic techniques. Students should expect to engage with a variety of texts, from Roland Barthes essay, ‘The Death of the Author’ to Walter Benjamin’s ‘Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction’ and established artists practices. They will develop critical thinking skills, presentation skills and engage in constructive criticism while beginning to question why we and other people make art.