Introduction
Teaching and Learning
Module tutors
Weekly timetable and rooming
Semester schedules
Methods of teaching and learning
One-to-one tutorials
Group tutorials
Guided independent study
Attendance, lateness and absence reporting
Delay or postponement of teaching sessions
Electronic devices
Study Skills
Introductory induction to library resources
Guidance sheets
Further support
Assessment
Illustrated essay
Requirements
Advice
Guidance
Assessment Criteria
Preparatory group presentations
PowerPoint presentation
Submission of Assignment
Deadline for submission
E-submission
Technical problems
Grading and feedback
Mark descriptors
Failure, Referral and retake
Research Ethics and integrity,
Academic offences
FAQs
Reading List
Front cover: Mona Hatoum, Roadworks (Performance Still), 1985-1995, Gelatin silver print on paper mounted on aluminium, 76 x 108 ins, Tate Gallery
Introduction
The module will increase your knowledge and understanding of the historical and theoretical context of your practice as an emergent artist. It focuses on the international history of post-war and contemporary fine art practices, and refers to artworks that use a wide variety of media, forms, techniques and subjects. It will enable you to develop a wide-ranging awareness of art produced since about 1960, and acquire skills and vocabulary needed to analyse and interpret art. This knowledge will help you understand how, when, where and why artists have made works of art and how their practices have been received and evaluated by critics and historians.
You will study the diverse disciplines of contemporary fine art, including painting, photography, image/text works, sculpture, installation, film, video, video-installation and live art, and examine significant contemporary art movements, including Pop, Minimalism, Photo-/Super-realism, Conceptualism, Neo-Expressionism, Land art, Commodity art and Internet art. You will interrogate some of the fundamental concepts that have shaped contemporary fine art practices and their historical classification, above all, Modernism and Postmodernism.
The module uses informal seminar discussions and group presentations to familiarize you with the work of a wide range of European, American, Asian and globally active contemporary artists. Your understanding of particular trends in art will be reinforced by applying historical and conceptual knowledge to the analysis of specific works of art. You will learn how to interpret artworks through analysis of their physical, formal, technical and thematic aspects.
You will be instructed in basic academic study skills and scholarly conventions, including research methods, reading and note-taking, and writing, referencing, illustrating and presenting essays and seminar papers. Assessment is based on one coursework assignment. If you are unclear about something or worried about your work, do ask the module leader or a module tutor for clarification or help.
Module tutors:
Robert Burstow (module leader)
Eleanor Letham
Paula McCloskey
Timetable and rooming
Seminars/presentations:
Thursdays, 10.00am-1.00pm (fortnightly)
Britannia Mill (3rd floor), room 302
Thursday afternoons
Britannia Mill café or Britannia Mill Studios (or elsewhere as agreed with tutor)
Guided Independent Study:
Wednesday mornings of those weeks when there is no classroom session
Semester schedules
3 Oct Introduction (syllabus, assessment, reading list, etc) (RB/EL)
17 Oct Study Skills: research resources and seminars (RB/EL)
Co-taught with Sally Forest, Subject Advisor for Art & Design
Students with surname beginning A-F:
10.00-11.30am: BM302 (with RB/EL);
12.00am-1.00pm: BM Library seminar room (SF)
Students with surname beginning G-Z:
10.00-11.00am: BM Library seminar room (SF)
11.30am-1.00pm: seminars (with RB/EL), BM302;
31 Oct Seminar (1): Contemporary painting practices (EL)
14 Nov Seminar (2): Contemporary photographic practices (EL)
28 Nov Seminar (3): Contemporary sculpture/installation practices
(PMcC/EL)
12 Dec Seminar (4): Contemporary conceptual, performative and
participatory art practices (EL)
30 Jan Study Skills: preparing your presentation and essay (RB/EL)
13 Feb Group presentations (1) (EL)
27 Feb Group presentations (2) (EL)
12 Mar Revision, study skills and feedback (RB/EL)
Module Title | CONTEXTUALISING PRACTICE | Date of Approval | Jul-19 | ||
Module Code | 4FA507 | Module Level | 4 | Credit value | 20 |
Module Delivery Mode | Online/Distance ☐ | Blended/Face to Face ü | Work-Based Learning ☐ | ||
Hours of work experience: Choose an item.
Module Description
Module Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
- Select relevant contemporary fine art practice source material that begins to inform own emergent practice.
- Articulate the relationship between source material and own practice through critical writing that is underpinned with appropriate, current, theories of art.
Module Content
Working with your studio and theoretical tutors you will be encouraged to source contextual materials of fine art practice that underpin your studio work. Whilst you will have notebook/ sketchbook work that supports your studio practice through the studio-based modules, your notebook / sketchbook work for this module will focus on relevant fine art practices. These contextual elements will come from a variety of sources, but you will be particularly encouraged to visit exhibitions, galleries and arts events. From these primary sources, you should begin to demonstrate a refinement in studying practices, artwork and activities that are relevant to your developing studio practice. You need to evidence that you can clearly articulate the relevance of the works and artists you are studying that informs your work. This will primarily be through visual material in notebooks / sketchbooks, supported by clear annotation as to the relevance of these.
This work will be supported by class-based sessions that introduce you to the fundamentals of contemporary art history. These sessions are designed to give you a grounded understanding of art historical precedents that have led to the positioning of contemporary art practices in western Europe.
As a means of instilling the beginnings of critical skills, and orientating you in your practice, you will take your research work (notebooks / sketchbooks) and synthesise this into a written text. This text will outline the sources you have been researching and demonstrate your understandings as to what practices are important to you in relation to your studio work.
Module Learning and Teaching
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities
25%
Guided Independent Study
75%
Placement Learning
0%
Module Assessment
The method of assessment for all level 4 modules is pass/fail and attendance record.
COURSEWORK
Summary of Assessment Method
Evidence of sound studentship through attendance at classroom-based sessions
Assesses Learning Outcomes: 1 – 2
Formative
Group presentations; Critiques; Individual tutorials prior to the essay submission to determine the standard of potential submission and receive approval for taking forward.
Reading List
Barnet, S. (1993) A Short Guide to Writing about Art. New York: Harper Collins.
Bishop, C. (2005) Installation Art: A Critical History. London: Tate.
Chadwick, W. (1990) Women, Art and Society. London: Thames & Hudson.
Collins, J. (2007) Sculpture Today. London: Phaidon.
Cotton, C. (2004) The Photograph as Contemporary Art. London: Thames & Hudson.
Freeland, C. (2001) But Is It Art?: an introduction to art theory. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Harrison, C. (1997) Modernism. London: Tate Publishing.
Heartney, E. (2001) Postmodernism. London: Tate Publishing.
Heartney, E. (2008) Art and Today. London & New York: Phaidon.
Heathfield, A. (ed.) (2004) Live: Art and Performance. London: Tate.
Lucie-Smith, E. (1994) Race, Sex and Gender in Contemporary Art: the Rise of Minority Culture. London: Art Books International.
Perry, G. & Wood, P. (eds) (2004) Themes in Contemporary Art. New Haven & London: Yale University & Open University Presses.
Rush, M. (2007 [2003]) Video Art. London: Thames & Hudson.
Schwabsky, B. (2002) Vitamin P: New Perspectives in Painting. London: Phaidon.
Stallabrass, J. (2003) Contemporary Art: a very short introduction. Oxford University Press.
Warburton, N. (2003) The Art Question. London: Routledge.
Woods, T. (1999) Beginning Postmodernism. Manchester University Press.
Methods of teaching and learning
The module uses a variety of teaching and learning methods, including seminars, group presentations, group tutorials, one-to-one tutorials and guided independent study. There are opportunities for collaborative and shared learning. You will undertake research, which will be presented informally in seminars and a group presentation and formally assessed in an illustrated essay. You will use the Course Resources section of University of Derby online (UDo), also known as Blackboard, to access module documents, learning resources and assignment feedback, and to submit work for assessment.
Seminars
Module teaching and learning is centred on a series of seminars, which provide opportunities for discussion of significant issues in contemporary art. You are expected to prepare and present information and ideas at them, but they are not intended to be formal presentations; rather, you should see your role as informing and leading a group conversation. You should expect other students and/or the tutor to interrupt you and question or comment on ideas you have put forward. While remaining polite and respectful, other students should feel free to challenge and debate your views. If you do not understand anything that is said at seminars, ask for clarification.
Each member of the group, possibly working in pairs or small groups, will be asked in advance to research a topic, usually based on one specific artwork or text, which relates to the overall topic of the seminar. Written details of the artworks and/or texts will be posted on Course Resources, along with advice on where to access the texts. As you and your artwork/text group will be expected to lead the seminar conversation (probably for 5-10 mins) from a well-informed standpoint, you will need to research and consider your topic carefully in advance and come prepared with information, ideas and analysis. If you are working on a topic with one or more other students, make sure you meet beforehand (physically or virtually) and decide between you who will be responsible for different aspects of the topic.
The tutor will provide relevant texts and/or images in a PowerPoint (which will be posted on UDo Course Resources after the seminar). For artworks that use time-based media, such as films, videos and live art, there may only be time to view excerpts of them. You are advised to take notes as many of the issues discussed will be relevant to the assessed essay. Your contribution to these seminars is not assessed and your notes will not normally be seen by the tutor. If you are unable to attend a seminar, please send your notes to your collaborators so they can present your contribution. For more advice on seminars, see Study Skills (2): Seminars and Presentations.
One-to-one tutorials
Your progress on the module will be guided and supported through a scheduled one-to-one tutorial at which you may discuss your contribution to the seminars and your assessed work. You are advised to prepare questions in advance and to take notes during and/or after the tutorial. Please attend promptly. Short-notice ‘emergency’ tutorials with the module leader are also normally bookable by email with at least one day’s notice.
As the direction of your work develops, you will also have the opportunity to attend a scheduled group tutorial with students studying a similar subject area. You are advised to prepare specific questions in advance and to take notes during and/or after them.
Much of your learning for this module will take place outside classroom sessions. Time is set aside for this in your timetable (see above). If that time clashes with other learning activities, you may use another suitable time in the week. You will also have time in January to devote to this module. You should use this time to read and assimilate the module handbook and Study Skills guidance sheets, to prepare for seminars, to research, plan and write your essay, and to identify items in the module Reading List relevant to seminars, presentations and your essay. If relevant to your studies, you may use this time to view artworks in museums, galleries and other public spaces, or to study in libraries or archives outside the University. You will need to be well organized and self-disciplined to use this time effectively.
Attendance, lateness and absence reporting
Attendance at scheduled teaching sessions (seminars, presentations and tutorials) is mandatory. The quality of studentship evidenced through engagement in these sessions is taken into account in assessment. Please attend punctually. Bring your student card for electronic scanning and remember to ‘tap in’ (no earlier than 15 mins before the session starts) or you will be recorded as absent. If you know in advance that are going to be late or absent, please inform the module leader and module tutor by email before the session. If there is an acceptable reason for your absence, it will be recorded as an ‘authorised absence’. If you are absent repeatedly you may be de-registered from the module.
Delay or postponement of teaching sessions
If a tutor is unavoidably delayed or needs to postpone a teaching session, s/he will do their best to inform you in advance by email or text.
Electronic devices
Mobile phones, tablets and laptops may not be used in class unless their use is recommended in a Support Plan or you have agreement from the module leader or tutor.
Study Skills
Introductory induction to library resources
There will be an introductory-level induction to the library’s physical and electronic resources with the Subject Advisor for Art and Design or another appropriate member of staff. You are advised to take notes. Before attending make sure you have access to UDo.
Guidance sheets
1. Written Work
2. Seminars and presentations
3. Extended assignment submission deadlines
4. Bibliographies
5. Referencing
6. Illustrations
Further support
If you would like further support for your Study Skills, including essay writing, citing and referencing, note-taking, and time management, this is available on the university website and on a one-to-one basis through the Study Advisor Scheme (see www.derby.ac.uk/services/library/study-skills).
Assessment of this module is based on one coursework assignment. It will be used to assess your historical and theoretical understanding of art, and your skills in academic research, presentation, writing and referencing. It will also assess your ability to apply ideas from the seminars, presentations and recommended reading to your understanding of Contemporary art. You are strongly advised to work on it consistently over the course of the semester. It should improve your skills in analysing artworks and expand your critical vocabulary and understanding of how artworks are rooted in their cultural, social and historical context.
Coursework assignment: illustrated essay
This assignment determines 100% of your overall grade for the module and confirms your achievement of the Learning Outcomes.
You are required to write and illustrate an essay of 1,500 words (within a margin of 10% over or under), which contextualizes your own emergent art practice by addressing the following three issues:
- how do its materials, techniques and forms relate to your underpinning ideas (refer to at least one specific artwork and no more than three)?
- how do its materials, techniques, forms and ideas respond to other artists’ practices (refer to at least one specific artwork by another artist and no more than three)?
- what justifications have been advanced to defend contemporary art practices that are interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary or ‘post medium’ against those that use a single discipline or medium (e.g., painting, sculpture, photography, film, video, etc)?
Advice:
Some general points to consider are:
- how does a particular artwork respond to a central issue in your artistic practice (e.g., a formal exploration of medium; a response to a particular issue/concept/movement in art practice; the ways in which the work engages with the viewer; etc.)?
- how does a particular artwork address wider issues and concepts in contemporary art practice?
- what is the history of your chosen area of practice? How do the artworks under discussion acknowledge or respond to this (if not applicable, why not)?
- what has been written on this area of art practice and how does it relate to the artworks discussed?
Guidance:
Your essay will be assessed in relation to the following guidance:
- Word count: this must include quotations but exclude the scholarly apparatus (i.e., title, section headings/questions, references, bibliography, illustration captions, etc.); state the word count at the end of the main text; you may be penalized if the main text is under or over the required length;
- Research: the essay should present your personal observations and ideas but should be based on thorough research into authoritative sources and/or information and ideas discussed in module seminars; use the module reading list and reading recommended in seminars or tutorials to find relevant sources; use a variety of sources (e.g., books, exhibition catalogues, journal articles, interviews and online sources); do not rely exclusively on online sources; if you use them, ensure they are authoritative – websites without identified authors (e.g., Wikipedia) are not appropriate for academic work; refer explicitly in the essay to research sources you have used;
- Structure: include an Introduction (which explains the aims of the essay) and a Conclusion (which explains how far the aims have been fulfilled);
- Writing style: write in clear, coherent and concise formal prose; you may write in the First Person (i.e., referring to ‘I’, ‘me’, ‘my’) if and when it seems appropriate, such as in the Introduction and/or Conclusion (see Study Skills [1]: Written work);
- Presentation: the main text should be typed in black, double-spaced, justified at the left-hand margin, and use a font size of no less than 12 pt; the pages should be numbered consecutively (see Study Skills [1]: Written work);
- Bibliography: list your key sources at the end of the essay, ordering and identifying items following a conventional system such as Harvard; you are not required to separate the sources you quote from those you do not quote (see Study Skills [4]: Bibliographies);
- References: cite the sources of any texts that you quote from or summarize, using a conventional system; for ease of viewing online, you are asked to use either Harvard-style in-text referencing or footnotes, but not endnotes (see Study Skills [5]: References);
- Illustrations: reproduce good quality photographs of artworks that are discussed; they should be captioned and placed in the main body of the essay, near to the point where they are first mentioned; they should be numbered consecutively and the reader directed to them by bracketed insertions in the main text, e.g. ‘(Fig. 1)’; (see Study Skills [6]: Illustrations);
- Proof read: print the essay and check grammar, spelling, typos, etc., before online submission; you may ask someone whose judgement you trust for advice on this;
- Plagiarism: use the full Turnitin report on your essay to identify and remove any phrases that are not your own, unless they are properly acknowledged as quotations by appropriate punctuation and referencing, and/or any phrases used in work that you previously submitted for assessment (see below: ‘Research Ethics and Integrity’).
Assessment Criteria
The assignment will be assessed against the following general criteria:
- fulfilment of basic requirements (e.g., word length, inclusion of illustrations);
- appropriateness of content and structure;
- thoroughness of research;
- use of appropriate evidence and supporting analysis;
- clarity and coherence of exposition;
- understanding of issues and materials discussed;
- critical engagement with theories and sources used;
- adherence to academic conventions for referencing sources;
- effective use of illustration(s).
Preparatory group presentations
Prior to submitting your assessed essay, you will have an opportunity to try out your ideas by sharing them in class in an illustrated group presentation with other members of the class. It is not formally assessed but allows you to engage in debate, benefit from suggestions and advice from colleagues and tutors, and receive formative feedback prior to submitting your essay.
Each person should speak for about 5 minutes with a pre-prepared PowerPoint presentation. (Bring a copy of your PPT on a memory stick or similar device to the session at which you are due to deliver.) You may read out a prepared paper or, if you prefer, present your ideas in a less formal and more improvised manner. If you write a paper, it will need to be about 500 words in length, including any quotations. If you intend to improvise, you are advised to prepare a list of bullet points to structure your talk and prompt your memory. Either way, take care to synchronize your comments with the images and text in your PPT, to engage your listeners through eye contact and your body language, and to make sure everyone can see your images, read your text and hear your voice.
PowerPoint:
Your PPT should conform to the following guidance and requirements:
- Slide selection: include at least one image of your own artwork; choose other images carefully to illustrate points you wish to make;
- Image captions: caption images clearly and fully with appropriate information (see Study Skills [6]: Illustrations);
- Text: use text to signpost the structure the content of the presentation and reinforce key ideas; do not include long written passages that cannot be read in the allotted time; do not paste the full text of your written paper, if you have one, into it;
- Bibliography: include a list of all the sources used by members of the group in an integrated, collective bibliography (see Study Skills [4]: Bibliographies);
- References: cite the sources of any quotations (see Study Skills [5]: References);
- Legibility: ensure your PPT is legible to your audience by sizing your text and illustrations appropriately for viewing in our allotted classroom.
- Video: if you play video clips, ensure they fit within the time constraint; if the clips are embedded in the PPT, ensure the classroom PC has the necessary software to play them (if in doubt, discuss technical compatibility with the tutor in advance of your presentation); if you wish, you will be able to access material online.
To make the most of these sessions it is important that you respond with positive and helpful comments to others’ presentations. For more advice on giving presentations, see Study Skills (2): Seminars and Presentations.
Your presentation must be delivered as scheduled. You must participate in the presentations unless you have a Support Plan that exempts you from presenting in class. (If you are exempted, you should still attend but arrange for another member of your group to read out your paper.) If you are unable to present for any reason, such as sickness, you should email the module leader and tutor in advance to notify them of your absence. You are required to attend both the presentation sessions.
The experience of giving a presentation and listening to others should improve the quality of your essay. However, you are advised not to share your notes or presentation paper with other members of the class, as essays must be your own individual work. If there is evidence of collusion, you will be penalized. (Turnitin will identify verbatim regurgitation.)
Submission of the Assignment
Deadline for submission
Your essay must be submitted by Thursday 26th March 2020, 12.00pm (midday).
There is no flexibility with the assignment deadline unless there is formal agreement that you have: (1) permission for Late Submission; (2) Exceptional Extenuating Circumstances (EEC); or (3) an Assessed Extended Deadline (AED). For further information on deferring the date and time of your submission, see Study Skills (3): Extended Assignment Submission Deadlines (available on UDo Course Resources).
E-submission
Your essay must be uploaded to the Assessments section of the module area on UDo Course Resources. It must be in the form of a single MS Word file (or other permitted format) and less than 20MB in size. To submit your assignment, go to UDo>Course Resources>My Modules>Contextualising Practice>Assessments: Assignment (illustrated essay). Select ‘Single file upload’. Title your assignment with the type of art practice discussed (e.g., painting, photography, sculpture, etc). If you have a medical condition that would make e-submission difficult, please inform the module leader. For further information on e-submission, see www.derby.ac.uk/esub.
Turnitin
Your assignment will be analysed by the Turnitin plagiarism-detection software and a report of the results will be available to you. You may revise your work and resubmit it any number of times before the deadline. After the first submission, subsequent submissions may take up to 24 hours to generate a new Turnitin report.
Technical problems with submission
If you experience any technical problems with e-submission:
- phone 01332 591234 for 24/7 helpline;
- email itservicecentre@derby.ac.uk;
- visit IT Help Desks in university libraries and room 207 in the Markeaton St building.
There is more advice (including opening hours of IT Help Desks) on the University website (see www.derby.ac.uk/services/its/it-services-for-students/help-and-advice
or go to university homepage (at bottom) > our organisation > services > IT Services > IT services for students > visit our service centres).
Please copy the module leader (R.Burstow@derby.ac.uk) into email correspondence with IT support staff. If technical problems with submission prevent you from submitting work before a deadline, you may as a last resort send it to the module leader as an email attachment, although you will still be required to submit the work through UDo Course Resources when you have resolved the technical difficulties. It is your responsibility to ensure your work is submitted for assessment.
Grading and Feedback
Your assignment will be assessed using the Level 4 Pass/Fail system.
Written feedback will normally be uploaded to your confidential Student Feedback folder in the module area on UDo Course Resources. You can expect to receive feedback within 3 weeks of submission (excluding vacation periods).
Failure, Referral and retake
If you do not submit work for assessment by the scheduled deadline and do not have permission for an extension, you will fail the module. If there is sufficient evidence of your engagement with the module, you may be given an opportunity to submit Referral work after the module ends, but your grade will be capped at 40% (you may still fail). If you have an AED, your Support Plan should make clear whether this applies to Referral assignments. If you fail the Referral Assignment and retake the module, your grade for the module will be capped at 40%.
Research Ethics and Integrity
All student research must comply with the University’s Research Ethics Policy and Code of Practice (see: www.derby.ac.uk/research/about-our-research/ethics).
Academic offences
The University has a public duty to ensure that the highest standards are maintained in the conduct of assessment. It is, therefore, essential that all students learn how to avoid committing an academic offence. Any action through which students seek to gain an unfair advantage in assessment constitutes an academic offence. Academic offences apply to coursework and examinations. They include plagiarism, collusion, impersonation and other forms of improper conduct. Being found guilty of an academic offence is treated very seriously by the university and will have significant repercussions for the offender. In its severest form, it can lead to expulsion from the University.
Plagiarism:
A student is liable to be found guilty of plagiarism if any work presented for individual assessment is found to contain the unacknowledged work of some other person(s). This includes the reproduction of text from published or electronic sources (even if the author(s) of the plagiarised text is not named). If this involves deliberate misrepresentation of material as the student’s own, in an attempt to deceive the examiners, then the offence is very grave indeed. All sources should be cited using a conventional referencing system and all quotations from the works of other authors clearly identified as such. If a student’s work is found to contain verbatim (or near verbatim) quotations from the work of other authors (including other students past or present) without clear acknowledgement, then plagiarism has been committed whether or not the student intended to deceive the examiners. If a student submits the same piece of work, in whole or part, for assessment in different modules, they may also be found to have committed an act of plagiarism (sometimes known as ‘self-plagiarism’ or ‘auto-plagiarism’).
Collusion:
Where there is a requirement for assessed work to be solely that of an individual student, collaboration is not permitted. Students who improperly work together in these circumstances are guilty of collusion.
Impersonation:
A student who is substituted by another person in an examination, or who submits by substitution the work of another person as their own, is guilty of deception by impersonation. The offence of impersonation can be applied to the student and to the accomplice.
When do I attend this module?
Normally on alternate Thursday mornings, 10.00am-1.00pm, and on Thursday afternoons for tutorials.
What do I hand in for my assessment and how am I assessed?
You must submit an essay. The assignment brief, learning outcomes and assessment criteria can be found in the module handbook. The module leader and your tutor will assess your submission, which will then be moderated by the External Examiner.
When will I get assessment feedback?
In most cases, formal written feedback will be uploaded to your student feedback folder on UDo Course Resources within 3 weeks of your submission date.
How do I make contact with the module tutors?
Contact details can be found in the module handbook under ‘Module tutors’.
How do I feedback about the module?
In each module meeting there will be time for questions and feedback. There will also be an opportunity to give feedback in the final session of the module, both through discussion and by completion of a Module Evaluation Questionnaire (MEQ). There is a comments box in the studios for you to use as you wish and nominated student representatives can relay feedback through meetings held each month.
What happens if I do not pass this module?
If you do not pass an assessed component of this module at the first attempt, you will normally be offered the opportunity to submit Referral work. If the Referral work is of a Pass standard the work will be capped at a mark of 40%. If you fail the Referral work, you may be permitted to retake the module.
What happens if some exceptional personal circumstances affect my submission?
If an unexpected and severe situation affects your performance in assessment, you should discuss the issues with your module tutor and submit a formal claim for Exceptional Extenuating Circumstances (EEC). This should be submitted prior to the submission deadline, with evidence and the work completed to date (Part I).
More information about assessment can be found online on the university home page in the Academic Regulations, Policy and Procedures section, under Part F Assessment Regulations for Undergraduate Programmes (www.derby.ac.uk/about/academic-regulations).
Reading List
(all books available on One Week Loan)
Modernism, antimodernism, postmodernism
Butler, C. (2002) Postmodernism: a very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Cottington, D. (2005) Modern Art: a very short introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Danto, A.C. (1997) After the End of Art: Contemporary Art and the Pale of History, Princeton. N.J.: Princeton University Press
Greenberg, C. (1980) ‘Modern and Postmodern’, Arts, 54 (6), February, pp.64-66; reprinted in Robert C. Morgan, ed., Clement Greenberg: Late Writings. Minneapolis & London: University of Minnesota Press, 2003, pp.25-33; also available: www.sharecom.ca/greenberg/postmodernism.html (9.12.2014)
Harrison, C. (1997) Modernism. London: Tate Publishing
Heartney, E. (2001) Postmodernism. London: Tate Publishing
Krauss, R. (2000) ‘A Voyage on the North Sea’: Art in the Age of the Post-Medium Condition. London: Thames & Hudson
Krauss, R. et al (2004) Art Since 1900: modernism, antimodernism, postmodernism. London: Thames & Hudson
Meecham, P. & J. Sheldon (2000) Modern Art: a critical introduction. London: Routledge
Sandler, I. (1997) Art of the Postmodern Era: From the late 1960s to the Early 1990s.
New York: Westview
Shiff, R. (2005) Doubt: Theories of Modernism and Postmodernism in the Visual Arts. London: Routledge
Ward, G. (2010) Understand Postmodernism. London: Teach Yourself
Woods, T. (1999) Beginning Postmodernism. Manchester University Press
Modern and Contemporary art
Archer, M. (1997) Art Since 1960. London: Thames & Hudson
Bickers, P. & A. Wilson (eds) (2007) Talking Art: Interviews with Artists since 1976. London: Art Monthly
Birnbaum, D. et al (2011) Defining Contemporary Art: 25 Years in 200 Pivotal
Artworks. London: Phaidon
Boon, M. & G. Levine, eds (2018) Practice (Documents of Contemporary Art).
London: Whitechapel Gallery
Collings, M. (1999) This is Modern Art. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Crow, T. (1996) The Rise of the Sixties. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Evans, D. (2009) Appropriation (Documents of Contemporary Art) London: Whitechapel Art Gallery
Fortnum, R. (2007) Contemporary Women Artists in their Own Words. London: IB
Tauris
Heartney, E. (2008) Art and Today. London & New York: Phaidon
Heartney, E. et al (2013) The Reckoning: Women Artists of the New Millennium. London: Prestel
Heartney, E. et al (2013) After the Revolution: Women Artists who Transformed Contemporary Art. London: Prestel
Hopkins, D. (2000) After Modern Art, 1945-2000. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Karabelnik, M. (ed.) (2004) Stripped Bare: the Body Revealed in Contemporary Art. London & New York: Merrell
Mulholland, N. (2003) The Cultural Devolution: Art in Britain in the Late Twentieth Century. Aldershot: Ashgate
Perry, G. & P. Wood (eds) (2004) Themes in Contemporary Art. New Haven & London: Yale University Press & Open University
Pooke, G. (2009) Contemporary British Art: An Introduction. London: Routledge
Rorimer, A. (2001) New Art in the 60s and 70s. London: Thames & Hudson
Rush, M. (1999) New Media in Late 20th-Century Art. London: Thames & Hudson
Stallabrass, J. (1999) High Art Lite: British Art in the 1990s. London: Verso
Stallabrass, J. (2003) Contemporary Art: a very short introduction. Oxford University Press
Warr, T. & A. Jones (eds) (2000) The Artist’s Body. London: Phaidon
Anthologies of writings by artists and critics
Harrison, C. & P. Wood (eds) (2002) Art in Theory 1900-2000: An Anthology of Changing Ideas. Oxford: Blackwell
Robinson, H. (ed.) (2001) Feminism-Art-Theory: an anthology, 1968-2000. Oxford: Blackwell
Contemporary painting
Gingeras, A.M. & B. Schwabsky (2005) The Triumph of Painting. London: Jonathan Cape in assoc with the Saatchi Gallery
Greenberg, C. (1960) ‘Modernist Painting’, Forum Lectures, 1 (2), pp.2-3; reprinted in C. Harrison & P. Wood, eds, Art in Theory, 1900-2000: An Anthology of Changing Ideas. Oxford: Blackwell, 2002, pp.773-79; also available: www.sharecom.ca/greenberg/modernism.html (9.12.2014)
Hayward Gallery, London (2007) The Painting of Modern Life. London: South Bank Centre
Myers, T.R., ed. (2011) Painting (Documents of Contemporary Art). London:
Whitechapel Gallery
Schwabsky, B. (2011 [2002]) Vitamin P2: New Perspectives in Painting. London:
Phaidon
Contemporary photography
Bate, D. (2015) Art Photography. London: Tate Publishing
Cotton, C. (2004) The Photograph as Contemporary Art. London: Thames & Hudson
Evans, M.M., ed. (1995) Contemporary Photographers. New York & London: St James’
Greenberg, C. (1946) ‘The Camera’s Glass Eye: review of an exhibition of Edward Weston’ [at Museum of Modern Art, New York], The Nation, 9 March 1946, pp.294-96; reprinted in J. O’Brien, ed., Clement Greenberg: the Collected Essays and Criticism: Vol. 2: Arrogant Purpose 1945-1949. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1986, pp.60-63
Herschberger, A.E., ed. (2014) Photographic Theory: an Historical Anthology. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell (includes C. Greenberg, ‘The Camera’s Eye’, pp.136-38 [text 4.4], with introduction)
Mitchell, W.J. (1994) The Reconfigured Eye: Visual Truth in the Post-Photographic Era. Boston (Mass.): MIT
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York (c.2003) Moving Pictures: Contemporary Photography and Video from the Guggenheim Museum Collections. New York & London: Guggenheim Museum and Thames & Hudson
Soutter, L. (2012) Why Art Photography? London: Routledge
Squiers, C. (1999) Over Exposed: Essays on Contemporary Photography. New York: New Press
Contemporary sculpture and installation art
Batchelor, D. (1997) Minimalism. London: Tate Gallery
Bishop, C. (2005) Installation Art: A Critical History. London: Tate
Causey, A. (1998) Sculpture Since 1945. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Collins, J. (2007) Sculpture Today. London: Phaidon
Greenberg, C. (1949) ‘The New Sculpture’, Partisan Review, 16, June, pp.637-642; reprinted in J. O’Brien, ed., Clement Greenberg: the Collected Essays and Criticism: Vol. 2: Arrogant Purpose, 1945-1949. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1986, pp.313-318
Hudek, A., ed. (2014) The Object (Documents of Contemporary Art). London:
Whitechapel Gallery
Kastner, J. (ed.) (1998) Land and Environmental Art. London: Phaidon
Oliveira, N. de, N. Oxley & M. Petry (1996 [1994]) Installation Art. London: Thames & Hudson
Rosenthal, M. (2003) Understanding Installation Art: from Duchamp to Holzer.
Munich: Prestel
Film and Video art
Elwes, C. (2004) Video Art: a guided tour. London: I. B. Tauris
Hamlyn, N. (2003) Film Art Phenomena. London: British Film Institute
Kholeif, O., ed. (2015) Moving Image (Documents of Contemporary Art). London:
Whitechapel Gallery
Rush, M. (2007 [2003]) Video Art. London: Thames & Hudson
Schneider, I. & B. Korot (1976) Video Art: an anthology. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
Contemporary Conceptual and Post-Conceptual practices
Duchamp, M. (1957) ‘The Creative Act’, Art News, 56 (4), Summer, 28-29
Godfrey, T. (1998) Conceptual Art. London: Phaidon
Lippard, L. (1973) Six Years: The Dematerialization of the Art Object from 1965 to 1972. University of California Press
Osborne, P. (ed.) (2002) Conceptual Art. London: Phaidon
Wood, P. (2002) Conceptual Art. London: Tate Publishing
Performative Art
Goldberg, R. (1998 [1979]) Performance: Live Art 1909 to the Present. London: Thames & Hudson
Heathfield, A. (ed.) (2004) Live: Art and Performance. London: Tate
Jones, A. (1998) Body Art: Performing the Subject. Minneapolis & London: University of Minnesota
Vergine, L. (2000) Body Art and Performance: The Body as Language. Skira
Participatory and Relational art
Almenberg, G. (2010) Notes on Participatory Art: Toward a Manifesto Differentiating it from Open Work, Interactive Art and Relational Art. Milton Keynes: Author House
Bishop, C. (2004) Antagonism and Relational Aesthetics. October, 110, Fall, 51-79
Bishop, C., ed. (2006) Participation (Documents of Contemporary art). London: Whitechapel Gallery
Bourriaud, N. (2002 [1998]) Relational Aesthetics (Eng trans.) Paris: Le presse du reel
Duchamp, M. (1957) ‘The Creative Act’, Art News, 56 (4), Summer, 28-29
Frieling, R. and B. Groys (2008) The Art of Participation: 1950 to Now. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Internet art
Greene, R. (2004) Internet Art. London: Thames & Hudson
Kholeif, O. (2016) Electronic Superhighway: From Experiments in Art and Technology to Art after the Internet. London: Whitechapel Art Gallery
McNeil, J. (2014) Art and the Internet. London: Black Dog
Stallabrass, J. (2003) Internet Art: the Online Clash of Culture and Commerce. London: Tate Publishing
Reference
Artcyclopedia (http://www.artcyclopedia.com; resource for art, artists, artworks,
galleries, museums, etc)
Harris, J. (2006) Art History: the Key Concepts. Abingdon & New York: Routledge
Macey, D. (2000) The Penguin Dictionary of Critical Theory. London: Penguin
Oxford Art Online (www.oxfordartonline.com [free access via UDo > library > Subject resources > Art & Design (general) > Indexes & databases];
dictionary of art, artists, etc)
Tate Gallery, London (http://www.tate.org.uk; resource for art, artists, artworks, etc)
VADS: online resource for visual arts (http://vads.ahds.co.uk)
Victoria & Albert Museum, London (http://www.vam.ac.uk; resource for art &
photography)
Zalta, E.N. (ed.) (nd) Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
(http://plato.stanford.edu/contents/html; resource for art theory)
Study Skills
Barnet, S. (1993) A Short Guide to Writing about Art. New York: Harper Collins
Chambers, E. & A. Northedge (1997) The Arts Good Study Guide. Milton Keynes: Open University
Fairbairn, G. & C. Winch (1996) Reading, Writing and Reasoning. Milton Keynes: Open University
Pears, R. & G. Shields (2013) Cite them Right: the Essential Referencing Guide (Palgrave Study Skills). London: Palgrave Macmillan
Williams, G. (2015) How to Write About Contemporary Art. London & New York: Thames & Hudson
Williams, K. (2009) Referencing and Understanding Plagiarism. Basingstoke: Macmillan