A&H 315 Interpreting Modern Art

Content

Modernism is the common denominator for a complex and widely differing range of movements and de­ve­l­op­­ments in the visual arts since 1870. The notions of modernism and avant-garde led (and perhaps still lead) to a broad range of ideas and theories on art. The course will offer a survey of the most important movements in modern art and treat them in chronological order. It broaches international developments by focusing in par­ticular on works from major artists (e.g. Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Piet Mondrian, Marcel Duchamp, Louise Bourgeois, and Gerhard Richter). Art work and theoretical ideas, as well as soci­al phenomena that can be considered important in­flu­en­ces on the ideas and works of artists, will be taken into account.

Instructor

Dr. Hans Bloemsma

Track

Art History

Period

Fall / 2011

Evaluation/Assessment

• Mid-term examination 30%
• Final examination 30%
• Term paper 25%
• Individual presentation and group presentation 15%

Course Material

• Nikos Stangos (ed.), Concepts of Modern Art. From Fauvism to Postmodernism, 3rd edition, London: Thames & Hudson, 2003 [ISBN 0-500-20268-0];
• Gill Perry and Paul Wood (ed.), Themes in Contemporary Art, New Haven and London: Yale University Press in association with the Open University, 2004 [ISBN 0-300-10297-6].
• Reader

Prerequisites

The following course is required in order to take this course:

• A&H 215 17th-Century Dutch Painting