ART APPRECIATION
What is Contemporary Art?
AUTUMN AN145
Mondays and Saturdays
Emma Mahony
This course addresses the question of what ‘contemporary art’ is, and how it differs from modern art. Key concepts in contemporary art will be explored through the examination of artworks produced since 1975. The course will combine evening seminars with three Saturday morning visits to a variety of Dublin galleries, where the participants will be encouraged to draw on material covered in class. The seminars will comprise a mix of Powerpoint presentations, videos, and lively class discussions and debates. Participation is welcomed and no previous knowledge of Art History is required.
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BELFIELD |
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7 Mondays |
Sep 24, Oct 1, 8, 15, 22, Nov 5, 12 |
7.30pm - 9.30pm |
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3 Saturdays |
Oct 6, 20, Nov 10 (No Class Oct 27 - 29) |
11.00am -1.00pm |
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Fee €190 |
Print Open Learning Application Form 2012.13 or ring (01) 716-7123 for Laser/credit card payment |
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Tutor Details
Emma Mahony is a curator and lecturer. She holds a Joint Degree in Fine Art and the History of Art and Design, NCAD (1997) and an MA in Curating Contemporary Art, RCA (2000). From 2004 until 2008 she was Exhibitions Curator for the Hayward Gallery, London. She is currently a lecturer in the Faculty of Visual Culture at NCAD, where she teaches on postgraduate and undergraduate programmes.
Provisional list of key topics to be covered:
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- What is ‘Contemporary’ Art?
- Is Postmodernism over?
- What is the Altermodern?
- Visit to Irish Museum of Modern Art
- The Post Medium Condition
- The Collaborative Turn
- How Contemporary Art interacts with Economics and Politics
- Visit to Publically Funded Galleries
- The Megamonstermuseum: The Art Museum after Globalization
- Contemporary Art’s New Institutions
- Visit to a selection of Commercial Galleries
Who is the course for?
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- Anyone who is curious about contemporary art and who wishes to better understand it
- Anyone who has ever pondered the difference between modern and contemporary art
- Anyone who enjoys going around galleries in their spare time
- Anyone who wants to share their interest in art with others
- Anyone who has ever wondered why something is considered to be art, when their six year old could do a better job.
Reading List:
The following is a selection of recommended texts for those interested in reading further around the course content. We advise that you do not buy books in advance of the course as your tutor will discuss the list and suggest the most relevant reading for particular interests.
Buskirk, Martha (2003), The Contingent Object of Contemporary Art, Massachusetts: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
McEvilley, Thomas (1991), Art & Discontent, Theory at the Millennium, New York: McPherson & Co.
O’Doherty, Brian (1999), Inside the White Cube, The Ideology of the Gallery Space, Expanded Edition, London: University of California Press
Smith, Terry (2009), What is Contemporary Art?, Chicago and London: University of California Press
Julian Stallabrass (2004), Contemporary Art: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford: Oxford University Press
