What will I be studying?
Diploma in History of Art II is a one-year course offering a theoretical approach to art history and the relevant socio-cultural, historical and political contexts.
The units are designed to introduce students to the most significant movements which emerged in Western Europe during the 20th century, from Cubism to Postmodernism, and their impact on painting, sculpture and architecture. On completion of the course, students will have acquired specific knowledge of the groundbreaking developments within art and of new media, from collage to digitalisation, involved in art production.
Each unit is taught through three weekend day-schools at Madingley Hall, Cambridge, the home of the Institute of Continuing Education, and a gallery visit. The day-schools will take place on Saturdays.
Unit 1: Modern art and life, 1880 - 1914
Teaching will take place at 3 Saturday day-schools on 7 October, 28 October, 18 November 2017, and a gallery visit on 9 December 2017
Throughout an increasingly urbanised Europe, art movements (or 'isms') proliferated from Symbolism and Postimpressionism to Cubism and Abstraction. This unit examines the impact of these new techniques on architecture, painting, sculpture and how the development of photography and film enabled artists to break boundaries further to create new concepts regarding living and looking. The unit includes a visit to the Tate Modern in London.
Unit 2: Art and politics 1914 - 1960
Teaching will take place at 3 Saturday day-schools on 13 January, 10 February, 3 March 2018 and a gallery visit on 24 March 2018
During this period the political stance of artists became increasingly apparent. This unit examines how the function of art as a political tool evolves through various art movements including Dada, Futurism, and Constructivism. It also examines the use of social realism in painting, sculpture and the poster as propaganda tools by fascist, communist and capitalist ideologies alike. The unit includes a visit to the Sainsbury Centre, University of East Anglia, Norwish for which transport will be provided.
Unit 3: Art in the consumer age 1960 - 2000: the commodification of art
Teaching will take place at 3 Saturday day-schools on 14 April, 19 May, 16 June 2018 and a gallery visit on 7 July 2018
This unit provides an examination of vernacular culture in post-war society, manifested in Pop Art and the redefining of the art object through Conceptualism, Performance, Land Art and Installation. All of these contributed to the dissemination of art into a wider cultural arena and to the use of new media: language, film, video, and digitalisation. The unit includes a guided architectural walk in London examining key examples of modern and postmodern design.