THE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
SCHOOL OF CULTURE AND COMMUNICATION, FACULTY OF ARTS
Subject 107-131
Modern Art: The Politics of the New
Subject Guide
Semester one, 2009
The website for this subject is available through the Learning Management
System (LMS) at: http://www.lms.unimelb.edu.au/login/
The LMS is an important source of information for this subject. Useful
resources such as lecture / seminar notes, lecture recordings and subject
announcements will be available through the website. It is your responsibility
to regularly check in with the LMS for subject announcements and
updates.
You will require a university email account (username and password) to access
the Learning Management System. You can activate your university email
account at:
http://www.infodiv.unimelb.edu.au/email/student/activating.html
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Teaching Staff
Subject Coordinator: Dr. Anthony White
Office Location:
G35 Elizabeth Murdoch Building
Phone: 83443408
Fax:
83445563
Email:
a.white@unimelb.edu.au
Consultation hours: by appointment
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Subject Overview / Subject Description
This subject explores the relationships between art, artist and audience by examining a
selection of artists, movements and themes in late 19th and 20th century art.
The aim of the subject is to provide students with a knowledge of such topics as crosscultural interaction and its impact on art, the advent of new artistic techniques such as
abstraction and collage, the depiction of the psyche in modern and contemporary art, the
relationship of art to its physical, social and political context, and the ways in which visual
images help to define individual and social identities.
Student evaluation of this subject:
A previous version of this course was taught in 2007 and 2008.
The following are some of the ratings this subject received from the Quality of Teaching
questionnaire:
Question 2 ‘This subject was well taught’ – rating of 4.6 out of 5 in 2007; 4.3 in 2008
Question 3 ‘This subject was intellectually stimulating’ – 4.5 out of 5 in 2007; 4.4 in 2008
Question 9 ‘Overall, I was satisfied with the quality of the learning experience in this
subject’ – 4.5 out of 5 in 2007; 4.1 in 2008
Comments made by students include:
‘I really enjoyed this subject’
‘Both the lecturer and the tutor were very helpful when I was struggling with my
assessment.’
‘The reader was an excellent resource’
‘Lectures well presented and enjoyable.’
Learning Objectives
On completing the subject students should
• have an understanding of the history of modern art,
• have acquired a set of basic skills in visual analysis,
• understand some of the principal methodologies employed in the discipline of art
history.
On completion of this subject students should be able to:
• Prepare and present their ideas in both verbal and written mode at an intermediate
level and in conformity to conventions of academic presentation.
• Participate in discussion and group activities and be sensitive to the participation of
others.
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Time Commitment to Study:
Time management plays a key role in relation to successful university study. Students need
to keep in mind that as well as scheduled contact hours for lectures, tutorials and seminars a
considerable additional time commitment is needed to complete the academic requirements
of each subject.
First year subjects
36 contact hours per subject;
30 hours of class preparation and reading per subject;
36 hours of assessment-related tasks per subject
102 hours total time commitment per subject per semester
8.5 hours total time commitment per week per subject
This means that in every week of semester, aside from your specified contact hours of
lecture and tutorials, you should also be devoting at least 5 - 6 hours of your own time to
each subject undertaken during the semester including reading, research and assessment
tasks.
Subject materials:
Required readings are in the Subject Reader.
Expectations about reading:
You should ensure that you do your reading before seminars. It is advisable to bring your
Subject Reader to all lectures and seminars
This subject includes material from a variety of different sources and can include readings
which are quite different from traditional journal articles or other academic writing including reports and briefing notes. This helps to develop an important skill – the ability to
interpret and analyse a variety of written material.
Undertaking Research:
Please note that the readings in the Subject Reader are the minimum reading you are
required to do. All students are expected to read more widely, particularly for areas in
which they are writing essays. Where you are unable to obtain material from the Baillieu,
always check the State Library.
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If you are having trouble locating a particular reading, you should consult with the lecturer
who may be able to help you to access a copy, or suggest alternatives. Students who read
more widely will inevitably be more successful in their studies.
Planning your workload
It is important to plan your workload in advance. If you leave things to the last minute, you
will often find that someone else is using the book that you want. The best thing to do is to
sit down now with your diary and organize a semester time-line for all your subjects.
Please remember that having essays for other subjects due at the same time does not
amount to ‘special circumstances’ for requesting special consideration or an extension!
Students' responsibilities to contribute to their own learning
At the commencement of each semester students are made aware, through
subject readers, departmental notice boards, web raft and other means, of
their responsibilities to contribute to their own learning. All students must:
* familiarise themselves with departmental guidelines for assessment;
* be aware of the requirements and due dates for each of the components of assessment,
including examination times;
* ensure that the they take into account the total time commitment to study
for each subject of their enrolment;
* make sure that their studies are not impeded by part-time work or other
outside commitments;
* regularly consult subject noticeboards or wherever subject information is
regularly posted;
* seek assistance if they experience difficulties with any aspect of their
studies.
It is also each student's responsibility to plan their course that satisfies
course requirements by ensuring timely enrolment in the correct number
of subjects at the appropriate year level.
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Subject Structure
Students are expected to attend 2 x 1 hour lectures and a 1 hour tutorial per week.
The lecture timetable is as follows:
Day
Time
Lecture 1:
Location
Tuesday
5.15pm-6.15pm
Baldwin Spencer-Theatre
5.15pm-6.15pm
Old Arts-Theatre D
Lecture 2:
Thursday
Tutorial allocation will be done through Alloc8 (SIS: https://sis.unimelb.edu.au/cgibin/scitt.pl). You must access and print your timetable to confirm your place. Please note
that changes to tutorial allocation can only be made in exceptional circumstances.
Readings
All required readings for this subject are listed in this guide and included in the subject
reader. Required readings represent the minimum expected for you to participate
effectively in class.
Further recommended readings are listed in this guide and on the LMS. You are
encouraged to augment your understanding of the topics discussed by drawing on this list.
In addition, it is expected that you will develop your own learning and knowledge through
wider reading and research, particularly with regard to completion of assessment items.
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Lecture Program
Part 1: Introduction and Background
Week 1
Tues. 3 March - Introduction to the Subject
Thurs. 5 March - Nineteenth-Century Art: Modern Beginnings
Tutorial 1: Introduction
Part 2: Crossing Cultures: North East West South
Week 2
Tues. 10 March – French Orientalism: Fantasies of the ‘Other’
Thurs. 12 March – British Orientalism [AI]
Tutorial 2: Orientalism
Week 3
Tues. 17 March – Paul Gauguin and Tahiti
Thurs. 19 March - Pablo Picasso and Africa
Tutorial 3: Paul Gauguin
Part 3: New Techniques: The Avant-Garde
Week 4
Tues. 24 March – Cubism: A New Language of Form
Thurs. 26 March - Photography and Modernism [RJ]
Tutorial 4: Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque
Week 5
Tues. 31 March - The Invention of Collage and Photomontage
Thurs. 2 April - Modernist Architecture and Design
Tutorial 5: Hannah Höch
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Part 4: Gender, Psyche, Society: Mid-20thCentury Art
Week 6
Tues. 7 April - Surrealism and Louise Bourgeois
Thurs. 9 April - Australian Art [TBC]
Tutorial 6: Louise Bourgeois
Week 7
Tues. 21 April - Jackson Pollock: Energy Made Visible
Thurs. 23 April - Andy Warhol: Self and Commodity
Tutorial 7: Jackson Pollock
Part 5: Context: Beyond the Art Work
Week 8
Tues. 28 April - Minimalist Sculpture: Specific Objects
Thurs. 30 April - Art and Advertising
Tutorial 8: Researching Your Essay (note change of venue - check with tutor for exact
location)
Week 9
Tues. 5 May October - Earth Art and Performance: The Expanded Field
Thurs. 7 May - The Artist and the Museum [VG]
Tutorial 9: Donald Judd & Robert Morris
Part 6: Representations: Image and Identity
Week 10
Tues. 12 May - American Post-Modernism: A Forest of Signs
Thurs. 14 May - Australian Indigenous Art: Painting Country
Tutorial 10: Sherrie Levine
Week 11
Tues. 19 May - Installation Art: In Situations
Thurs. 21 May - Labour, Technology and Memory
Tutorial 11: Felix Gonzales-Torres
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Part 7: Contemporary/Review
Week 12
Tues. 26 May - Contemporary Art [JR]
Thurs. 28 May - Review
Tutorial 12: Review
Guest Lecturers:
Alison Inglis [AI]
Vivien Gaston [VG]
Jarrod Rawlins [JR]
Ryan Johnston [RJ]
SWOT VAC 1 June – 7 June
EXAMINATION PERIOD 8 June – 26 June
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Tutorial Program and Reading Guide
Part 1: Introduction and Background
Tutorial 1: Introduction to the Subject and its Themes
The first tutorial will provide an introduction to the subject, giving an overview of its major
themes and administrative aspects. Discussion will include: an introduction to the topics
covered during the semester; an introduction to the reader, the assessment tasks, and the
use of library facilities; some suggestions of useful texts; definition of key terms.
Required Reading:
Terry Barrett, “Theory and Art Criticism,” in Criticizing Art: Understanding the
Contemporary, London & Toronto: Mayfield, 1994, pp. 109 – 41.
Part 2: Crossing Cultures: North East West South
Tutorial 2: Orientalism
This week we will consider the history of Orientalist painting in Europe in the late
nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. While reading think about the following issues:
What is the definition of Orientalism? What image of non-European cultures did Orientalist
painters put forward?
Required Reading:
Edward Said, "Introduction" in Orientalism, New York, Vintage Books, 1979, pp. 1 - 28.
Linda Nochlin, “The Imaginary Orient” in The Politics of Vision: Essays on NineteenthCentury Art and Society, New York, Harper and Row, 1989, pp. 33 – 57.
Further Reading:
Ursula Prunster, “From Empire’s End: Australians as Orientalists, 1880 – 1920” in Roger
Benjamin, ed., Orientalism: Delacroix to Klee, Sydney, The Art Gallery of New South
Wales, 1997, pp. 41 – 53.
Tutorial 3: Paul Gauguin
This week we will consider the Tahitian paintings of the French Symbolist artist Paul
Gauguin. While reading, think about the following issues: What is primitivism? What was
the appeal of the primitive for Gauguin? How does Gauguin construct the identity of
Tahitian women? How did Gauguin represent himself as an artist?
Required Reading:
Peter Brooks, "Gauguin's Tahitian Body," in Norma Broude and Mary Garrard eds, The
Expanding Discourse: Feminism and Art History New York: Harper Collins/Icon Editions,
1992, pp. 330 - 345
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Paul Gauguin, “On Primitivism” in Herschel B. Chipp ed., Theories of Modern Art: A
Source Book for Artists and Critics, Berkeley, University of California Press, 1968, pp. 78
- 86
Further Reading:
Abigail Solomon Godeau, “Going Native: Paul Gauguin and the Invention of Primitivist
Modernism,” in Norma Broude and Mary Gerrard, eds, The Expanding Discourse:
Feminism and Art History, New York: Harper Collins/Icon Editions, 1992, pp. 314 – 329.
Part 3: New Techniques: The Avant-Garde
Tutorial 4: Pablo Picasso and Georges Braques
This week we will examine the cubist works of the Spanish artist Pablo Picasso and the
French artist George Braque. While reading, think about the following issues: What is the
definition of cubism? How do cubist techniques differ from more traditional approaches to
art making? Which interpretation of Cubism do you find most convincing?
Required Reading:
Robert Rosenblum, “Picasso and Braque: 1909 – 1911” in Cubism and Twentieth Century
Art, New Jersey, Prentice Hall/Englewood Cliffs, 1976, pp. 31 – 32, 41 – 48, 65 – 66.
John Berger, Success and Failure of Picasso (1965) London, Granta, 1992, pp. 47 - 75.
Gelett Burgess, ‘Picasso is a Devil’ [1910] in Gert Schiff, ed., Picasso in Perspective
Englewood Cliffs, Prentice-Hall Inc., 1976, pp. 30 – 31.
Further Reading:
Anna C. Chave, ‘New Encounters with Les Demoiselles d’Avignon: Gender, Race, and the
Origins of Cubism’ Art Bulletin v. LXXVI, n. 4 (1994): pp. 596 – 611.
Tutorial 5: Hannah Höch
This week we will examine the photomontage works of the German Dadaist Hannah Höch.
While reading, think about the following issues: What is the definition of photomontage?
How does the photomontage technique differ from more traditional approaches to art
making? How do Höch’s works relate to the political context of twentieth-century German
society?
Required Reading:
Maria Makela, “By Design: The Early Work of Hannah Höch in Context,” in The
Photomontages of Hannah Höch, Minneapolis, Walker Art Center, 1997, pp. 60 – 69.
Hannah Höch [interview with Edouard Roditi] in Edouard Roditi, Dialogues:
Conversations with European Artists at Mid-Century, San Francisco, Bedford Arts, 1990,
pp. 65 - 74
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Further Reading:
Maud Lavin, "The Berlin Dada Photomontages" in Cut with a Kitchen Knife: The Weimar
Photomontages of Hannah Hoch, New Haven, Yale University Press, 1993, pp. 13 - 47.
Part 4: Gender, Psyche, Society: Mid-Century Art
Tutorial 6: Louise Bourgeois
In this tutorial we will discuss the work of the French-American sculptor Louise Bourgeois.
While reading, think about the following questions: To what degree do Bourgeois’
sculptures and drawings reject traditional artistic conventions? How important is an
understanding of Bourgeois’ biography to an appreciation of her paintings? To what extent
can Bourgeois’ sculptures and drawings paintings be interpreted as statements about
political and psychoanalytic issues?
Required Reading:
Roland Barthes, "The Death of the Author," [1968] in David Lodge, ed., Modern Criticism
and Theory: A Reader, New York, Longman, 1988, pp. 167 - 172.
Julie Nicoletta, “Louise Bourgeois’s Femmes-Maisons: Confronting Lacan,” in Woman’s
Art Journal, vol. 13, no. 2 (Autumn 1992 – Winter 1993), pp. 21 – 26.
Ann Gibson, “Louise Bourgeois’s Retroactive Politics of Gender,” in Art Journal, Vol. 53,
no. 4, (Winter 1994), pp. 44 – 47.
Further Reading:
Anne Wagner, “Bourgeois Prehistory, or the Ransom of Fantasies” in Oxford Art Journal,
vol. 22, no. 2 (1999), pp. 5 – 23.
Tutorial 7: Jackson Pollock
This week deals with the work of the American Abstract Expressionist painter Jackson
Pollock. While reading, think about the following issues: What are the innovations in
painting technique introduced by Pollock, and how do they affect our viewing of his work?
How is gender constructed in Pollock’s paintings?
Required Reading:
Meyer Schapiro, "Recent Abstract Painting" [1957] in Modern Art, 19th and 20th
Centuries: Selected Papers, New York, Braziller, 1978, pp. 213 - 226.
Andrew Perchuk, "Pollock and Postwar Masculinity." in Andrew Perchuk and Helaine
Posner, eds., The Masculine Masquerade: Masculinity and Representation, Cambridge,
Mass., MIT Press, 1995, pp. 31 - 42.
Jackson Pollock, “Artist’s Statements and Interviews,” in Pepe Karmel, ed., Jackson
Pollock: Interviews, Articles, Reviews, New York, Museum of Modern Art, 1999, pp. 15 –
19, 24.
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Further Reading:
Harold Rosenberg, "The American Action Painters," in Art News Vol. 51, no. 8, 22 - 23, 48
- 50.
Part 5: Context: Beyond the Art Work
Tutorial 8: Researching your Essay
NB: Venue to be confirmed.
Tutorial 9: Donald Judd & Robert Morris
This week concerns the American Minimalists, in particular Donald Judd and Robert
Morris. While reading, you may consider the following questions: To what degree did the
Minimalists depart from Clement Greenberg's theory of Modernism? Why did the
Minimalists de-emphasise individualism, skill and signature style? In what ways did
Minimalism change the viewer’s experience of and relationship to the artwork?
Required Reading:
Clement Greenberg, "Modernist Painting," in Francis Frascina and Charles Harrison, eds.,
Modern Art and Modernism: A Critical Anthology, New York, Harper and Row, 1982, pp.
5 - 10.
David Batchelor, “Of Painting and Sculpture,” in Minimalism, London, Tate Gallery, 1997,
14 – 37.
Robert Morris, “Notes on Sculpture, Part 2” [1966] in Continuous Project Altered Daily:
The Writings of Robert Morris, Cambridge, Mass. MIT Press, 1993, pp. 10 – 21.
Further Reading:
Donald Judd, "Specific Objects" [1965] in Charles Harrison and Paul Wood, eds., in Art in
Theory, 1900 – 1990: An Anthology of Changing Ideas, Oxford, UK & Cambridge, Mass.,
Blackwell, 1992, pp. 809 – 813.
Part 6: Representations: Image and Identity
Tutorial 10: Sherrie Levine
This week is dedicated to the work of the American artist Sherrie Levine. In your reading
you may consider the following issues: How does Levine's work challenge conventional
theories of authorship? What relation between the production of images and the
construction of gender is suggested by the work of Levine and other artists in the 1980s? In
what ways might we view Levine's work as an expression of 'fandom'?
Required Reading:
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Jeanne Siegel, "After Sherrie Levine (interview) in Arts Magazine, vol. 59, 1985, pp. 141 –
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Laura Cottingham, "The Feminine De-Mystique: Gender, Power, Irony and Aestheticized
Feminism in 80s Art" in Flash Art No. 147, 1989, pp. 91 - 95.
Susan Kandel, "Sherrie Levine: Stalker" in Art/Text No. 59, 1998, pp. 66 - 70.
Howard Singerman, “Looking After Sherrie Levine," in Parkett No. 32, 1992, pp. 101 104.
Further Reading:
Laura Mulvey, "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema," [1975] in Brian Wallis, Art After
Modernism: Rethinking Representation, New York, The New Museum of Contemporary
Art, 1984, pp. 361 - 373.
Tutorial 11: Felix Gonzalez-Torres
This week we will examine the work of the sculptor and installation artist Felix GonzalezTorres. While reading, consider the following questions: What relationship does GonzalezTorres’ work have to the legacy of Minimalist sculpture? In what ways, if any, are
Gonzalez-Torres’ works able to speak to issues of gay identity and the AIDS epidemic?
Required Reading:
Jan Avgikos, “This is My Body,” in Artforum, Vol. 29, no. 6, 1991, pp. 79 - 83
Simon Watney, “In Purgatory: The Work of Felix Gonzalez-Torres,” in Parkett, 39, 1994,
pp. 38 – 44.
Felix Gonzalez – Torres [interview with Robert Nickas], “All the Time in the World” in
Flash Art, Vol. XXIV, No. 161, November/December, 1991, pp. 86 – 89.
Further Reading:
Christopher Ho, "Within and Beyond: Felix Gonzalez-Torres's Crowd," in PAJ: A Journal
of Performance and Art, Vol. 67, 2001, pp. 1 - 17.
Part 7: Contemporary/Review
Tutorial 12: Review
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Assessment
You must submit all assessment pieces as a hurdle requirement for the subject.
Summary
Task
Due Date
Length
Grade %
Attendance
Continuous
Minimum 75% of tutes Hurdle
First Essay
9 April, 5pm
1,000 words
20%
Second Essay
21 May, 5pm
2,000 words
50%
Visual Exam
11 June 5.15 – 6.15pm
1 hour [= 1000 words]
30%
Description of Assessment Tasks
Attendance
Attendance at all lectures and tutorials is expected. Students who attend regularly and do
the prescribed reading tend to perform better in the assessment. Apologies for absence,
especially from tutorials/seminars, are also expected.
The School’s policy on tutorial/seminar attendance is as follows: 1st year Students must
attend a minimum of 75% of tutorials; 2nd/3rd /4th year and Masters students must attend a
minimum of 70% of tutorials/seminars, unless a higher attendance requirement has been
stipulated by the lecturer in charge. Students who do not fulfill this tutorial attendance
hurdle requirement will NOT pass the course.
As part of your weekly preparation for the tutorials, you should read all of the prescribed
texts and be prepared to respond to the questions that are posed for each class. These
questions are intended to act as a guide for your weekly reading, and will provide the
foundation for tutorial discussions and activities.
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First Essay: Arguing from Visual Analysis and Texts
Due Date: 9 April, 5pm
Length: 1,000 words Value: 20% of your final grade.
Description: This assessment task asks you to construct an argument about the meaning of
a single work of art. Your argument will be based on the evidence gathered from
conducting a visual analysis of a specific work of art, and will critically engage with
arguments found in published texts.
Instructions for Completing First Essay:
In order to complete the First Essay, you will need to visit the National Gallery of Victoria
or the Ian Potter Museum of Art and examine one of the art works currently on display
there. You may choose any work, in any medium, from any culture in any period.
Once you have selected a work of art:
1)
Take notes on your observations of the visual qualities of the work.
2) Select two published texts that discuss the particular artist or period relevant to your
chosen work. Critically assess the arguments of those texts and compare your own
observations to the claims made in those texts.
3) Write a coherent argument, with an introduction and a conclusion, about the meaning
of the work incorporating points 1 and 2 above.
Please Note:
a) Your observations of the work will be based on some of the terms and concepts found in
the Visual Analysis Guide (See below)
b) Your chosen texts will be drawn from research performed in the library.
c) Your completed essay will be an interpretation. Make an argument that connects the
artist’s choice of materials and techniques to the subject matter of the work. Remember to
use your own observations of the work as evidence, while critically engaging with the ideas
in your chosen texts.
d) Your completed essay will contain footnotes and a bibliography citing the literature you
examined.
e) Your essay will conform to the rules in the art history style guide, which is available on
the LMS site for this subject.
f) All essays must have an official cover sheet attached, with all information filled in.
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Visual Analysis Guide
Medium:
- Be sure to specify exactly the medium in your description. Eg: oil on canvas, ink on
paper, marble, baked enamel on aluminium etc. Be careful to include everything,
particularly in the case of mixed media works.
Technique – use and handling of materials:
- Is the paint applied thinly or thickly, transparent or opaque? (Thickly applied oil paint is
often called impasto.) How would you characterize the brushstroke - is it visible? Is the
paint surface smooth or rough?
- Sculpture can be carved, modelled, cast, welded etc. Specify the technique employed.
What is the surface like? Is it rough or smooth, deeply modelled or shallow and flat? Has
the surface been treated in a special way - scratched perhaps?
Modelling:
- In painting and drawing, the technique whereby drawn or painted shapes are given the
appearance of three-dimensions, by value or colour gradations. When this appearance is
created by value gradations (shading) this is sometimes referred to as chiaroscuro. How is
this technique employed, if at all, in the work?
- In sculpture, modelling refers to the physical shaping of the surface rather than to the
creation of the illusion of three dimensions.
Line:
- Characterize the use of line (if any) in the work. Are the lines short or long, broad or
narrow, straight or curved? Do they appear freely drawn, or precise and geometric? To
what degree do they appear strictly ordered, or random? Is there repetition of line, or
variation? Are the lines horizontal, vertical, diagonal or a combination? Do the lines
describe the contours of objects or planes?
Colour:
- The three important categories of colour description are Hue - the property that gives the
colour its name: yellow, green, purple, etc; Saturation - the relative intensity of the colour.
A vivid red is a highly saturated red. A pale red is a red of low saturation; Value - the
relative lightness or darkness of a colour. A colour of low value has a lot of black mixed
into it; a colour of high value has a lot of white mixed into it. Ask yourself what colours
there are in the picture, and how you would describe them in terms of the above categories.
Overall, is it a light or dark picture? Also consider whether the painted areas are uniform in
colour or variegated.
- In sculpture, how is colour used? Is the colour applied or is it that of the material chosen?
Is it monochrome (one colour) or polychrome (many colours)?
Figure / Ground relations:
In the broadest sense, most pictures can be analysed in terms of how they relate figure to
ground. The figure is that which appears to stand out from the ground behind it. For
example, a black circle drawn on a white sheet of paper can appear like a circle hovering in
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front of a white background. This relation can create a sense of depth and spatial recession
in the picture. In looking at a work, consider whether the figure / ground relation is clear,
whether it is ambiguous, or perhaps non-existent.
Space:
- How would you describe the sense of space in the work? Is there a space that you feel you
could walk into? Traditionally, Western artists used a system of ‘one-point perspective’
where everything in the work gets smaller as it gets further away from the viewer, and
visible or imagined straight lines all converge in a single vanishing point somewhere near
the centre of the composition. Is this system present? Or is the paint used in a way that
emphasizes the flatness of the two-dimensional surface? Does the picture appear to
continue past the lateral boundaries of the frame, or does it appear very self-contained?
- In sculpture, consider what kind of space the work occupies. Does it reach out into the
viewer's space or keep to itself? Does it occupy three dimensions or is it more twodimensional? Is there a base or pedestal? What is the relationship of the work to the space
of the ground on which it sits? Is it raised off the ground or does it make contact with the
ground? Is the base part of the work or completely separate?
Composition:
- Consider the organization of the work in its totality. Do the formal elements of the
painting (lines, colours, planes) form a visual whole? How would you describe this total
effect? Is it symmetrical? Does one area of the picture seem to dominate? Where is this
area? Does the picture appear structured or unstructured? When the organization of the
painting is derived from the boundaries of the picture frame it is said to have a deductive
structure.
- In sculpture, what kind of shape and volume are you looking at? Consider its overall
outline and that of its internal parts. Is it curvaceous or angular? Consider it both as an
outline and as a volume. Is it open and airy or dense and closed? Is it a complex
combination of parts or a simple shape? Is the work planar or in the round? Is the viewer
invited to see the work from one particular angle?
Subject Matter
- Remember that the visual properties of a work need to be related to the subject matter or
content. Why is the artist’s choice of materials and techniques appropriate (or not) to the
subject? What purpose do these visual properties have? How do they affect our
interpretation of the work?
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Assessment Sheet – First Essay
Students Name:
Grade:
H1
H2A
H2B
H3
P
N
Argument and Organization
Does the essay make a coherent and convincing
argument?
Is there a clear opening statement of the principal
argument and a conclusion?
Do all points made in the body of the essay relate
to the main argument?
Is the body of the essay well organized?
Use of Evidence
Is the visual analysis sufficiently in-depth and
does it support the argument?
Does the argument critically engage with
arguments made in appropriate published sources?
Is there sufficient explanation of how the visual
and documentary evidence support the argument?
Presentation
Is the written expression clear and
comprehensible?
Is the published source material documented in an
appropriate and consistent manner in the footnotes
and bibliography?
Is the essay free of errors in grammar and
spelling?
Marks removed for Late Submission and/or under or over word limit:
General Comments:
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Second Essay: Research Essay
Due Date: 21 May, 5pm
Length 2,000 words
Value: 50% of your final grade.
Description: The Second Essay is a problem-solving exercise. It asks for evidence of
independence in both the formulation of an argument and research. The essay should begin
with the identification of a problem, and attempt to find an independent solution to this
problem that extends upon prevailing readings.
Instructions for Completing Second Essay
Remember to consult the bibliography provided (on-line) in conducting your research.
All essays must have an official cover sheet attached, with all information filled in,
including the question number.
Students should locate and use sources beyond those listed in the bibliographies provided
in this subject. You are encouraged to seek out reference material from across the
University's library system (especially the Rowden White, the Baillieu, ERC and
Architecture libraries), as well as the State and RMIT Libraries.
Plagiarism is, of course, illegal. "Word finds" on WWW sites has proven to be a convenient
way of tracking work that has been plagiarised from that source.
Provision of illustrations is essential. Black and white illustrations are perfectly
satisfactory, unless colour illustrations are necessary to the strength of a particular
argument. Illustrations should be labelled with the name of the artist, title and date of the
work.
Presentation should conform to the art history style guide which is available on the LMS
site for this subject.
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Second Essay Questions
Please Note: Quotes included in the questions below are not taken from published sources.
They are designed to provoke your thinking.
1. “When western artists of the 19th and 20th century depicted subjects drawn from
the Middle East or North Africa, they created political propaganda supporting the
violent occupation and subjugation of other cultures by the West.” To what extent
is this an accurate characterization of Orientalist art? In your response, critically
examine the work of two artists covered in this subject.
2. Twentieth-century primitivist artists such as Pablo Picasso, Paul Gauguin and
others attacked several conventions of western art, in particular those pertaining to
the nude. Critically analyse the work of two primitivist artists studied in this
subject, paying particular attention to their transformation of the traditional female
and/or male nude.
3. Cubist painters fragmented the human body and the picture surface in their work.
What is the meaning of this feature of cubist painting? In your answer critically
examine the work of two artists dealt with in this subject.
4. “With techniques such as abstraction, collage and photomontage, modern artists
turned away from representing an objectively observable reality. This rejection of
art’s traditional purpose gave rise to chaotic art works that communicate nothing.”
Is this a valid argument? In your response, analyse the work of two artists covered
in this subject.
5. Technological developments such as the camera and mass production have had an
enormous impact on a whole of range of art, including painting, sculpture,
photography, design and architecture. To what extent can the changes in 20th
century art be explained as a direct consequence of technological change? In your
response, critically examine two artists examined in this subject.
6. For Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, photography could be considered a ‘new instrument of
vision.’ With reference to two modernist photographers, demonstrate how
photography was able to transform the contemporary vision of the world.
7. In the work of artists such as Hannah Hoch, Louise Bourgeois and Jackson Pollock,
the body is so distorted as to be almost unrecognisable. Critically analyse the work
of two artists studied in this subject, paying particular attention to the meaning of
their unconventional representations of the human body.
8. Why did some 20th century artists, such as Andy Warhol, Robert Morris and Sherrie
Levine, negate the idea that art is self-expression? In your response, critically
analyse the work of two artists covered in this subject.
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9. “The most significant innovation of the American Minimalists was not their
simplification of form but rather their complete transformation of the relationship
between art work and viewer.” Paying close attention to the work of two artists
studied in this subject, argue how well the statement above fits as a description of
American Minimalism.
10. Artists in the 20th century provoked viewers not only with innovative techniques but
also with their unconventional representations of gender. Analyse the work of two
artists covered in this subject, paying particular attention to they way they construct
gender identity.
11. Why have artists such as Pablo Picasso, Hannah Hoch, Andy Warhol and others
blurred the boundaries between art and mass culture? In your response, critically
examine the work of two artists covered in this subject.
12. “Earth art, performance art and installation art are radical because they refuse to
produce an art object that can be bought and sold like any other commodity in
capitalist society.” Critically analyse the work of two artists covered in this subject
and argue for or against the above proposition.
13. “Post-modernism is a complete break with modernism. The two movements are not
connected in any way.” To what extent is this an accurate description of the shift
that occurs around the 1980s? Discuss with reference to two artists studied in this
subject.
14. Many 1980s artists, rather than inventing completely new images, appropriated preexisting images. Critically examine the work of two artists who quote or borrow
images from other sources and discuss what impact this development has on the
traditional idea of the author.
15. The twentieth century saw a complete transformation in the idea of artistic skill.
Closely examine the work of two artists covered in this subject, relating this
transformation to contemporary historical, social and technological developments.
16. Unlike most European art, Australian indigenous art is governed by protocols about
secret/sacred material, protocols that determine who has the right to paint, see and
know the meaning of art works. Closely examine the work of two Australian
indigenous artists and discuss how such protocols affect the viewer’s understanding
of the work.
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Assessment Sheet – Second Essay
Students Name:
Grade:
H1
H2A
H2B
H3
P
N
Argument and Organization
Does the essay make a coherent and convincing
argument and address the set question?
Is there a clear opening statement of the principal
argument and a conclusion?
Do all points made in the body of the essay relate
to the main argument?
Is the body of the essay well organized?
Use of Evidence
Is the visual analysis sufficiently in-depth and
does it support the argument?
Does the argument critically engage with
arguments made in appropriate published sources?
Is there sufficient explanation of how the visual
and documentary evidence support the argument?
Presentation
Is the written expression clear and
comprehensible?
Is the published source material documented in an
appropriate and consistent manner in the footnotes
and bibliography?
Is the essay free of errors in grammar and
spelling?
Marks removed for Late Submission and/or under or over word limit:
General Comments:
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Visual Exam
Date: 11 June, 5.15pm to 6.15pm. (Students are able to enter the theatre from 5pm)
Venue: TBC.
Length: 1000 words
Value: 30% of your final grade.
Description:
The Visual Exam is designed to test students’ ability to identify key works. It is also
designed to gauge how effectively students have grasped the key themes covered in the
course, and how well they are able to apply those themes to a discussion of specific art
works.
Instructions for Completing Visual Exam
The Visual Exam will be 1 hour in duration and will consist of three 20-minute pairs of
images. You are to identify both works in each pair giving artist, title and date. You are to
discuss only one work from each pair by responding to a set question which will ask you
to relate the chosen work to the issues raised by the lectures and tutorial reading. Answers
should be coherent essays and not in point form.
Your answers should include some comments on visual analysis but you should not devote
the bulk of your answers to this. The key criterion in assessing your answers is whether
they display a knowledge and understanding of the issues and ideas covered by the subject.
It is not enough to give a purely descriptive or stylistic account of the work.
The images for the Visual Exam will be selected from the image list of the final lecture for
the subject. Digital reproductions of those images are on the web – go to the link 'Key
Images - Review Image List' on the ‘Image Lists’ page on the website for this subject.
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Common Writing Problems
The following is a list, in no particular order, of problems that frequently occur in
undergraduate art history essays. It is intended as a supplement to the information provided
about essay writing by the School of Culture and Communication.
Not answering/addressing the question.
Many essays simply do not answer the question they set out to discuss or examine. The
reader is left feeling as if they are reading a different essay to the one they expected given
the title, question or premise stated in the introduction. This problem is often connected to a
failure to define terms and examine the question's meaning.
Poor expression, bad spelling.
There is no excuse for bad spelling - use your spell check - and use it well. Poor expression
ranges from poor grammar, to clumsy, wordy, unclear and similar problems. Show the
essay to someone else if you are unsure, it's a great way to clear up any problems of this
nature.
Points made do not relate to the main thesis of the essay.
If in the introduction I state that my argument is going to be that all cows are from Siberia,
arguing in paragraph 6 that cows like cold weather is irrelevant (unless I can connect the
two points in some way). This kind of problem appears quite often in undergraduate essays.
It doesn't matter how interesting or well-argued the individual point is, if it doesn't fit into
the overall essay design and argument it adds nothing to the essay and may detract from
your grade.
Over or under word limit.
Part of the task assigned to you is to make your ideas, evidence and argument fit within the
constraints of the word limit. Over the limit is as serious a fault as under the limit; it reveals
that you were not able to plan and modify the material to fit the space allowed.
Late Submission
As with word limit, going over time is something your examiner takes very seriously. It is
not simply a university administration issue; the deadline is actually part of the assignment
that has been set for you - to do the prescribed work within a certain time frame. As
everybody in the subject has the same time in which to do their assessment task, if you take
longer that gives you an advantage over the others. Accordingly late submissions are
penalized at a rate determined by the course co-ordinator, which may be 5% per week.
Insufficient evidence.
The different kinds of evidence in art history range from visual analysis, to artists'
statements to other primary documents depending on the argument made - for example,
quotations from contemporary art reviews etc. If you don't provide enough of these to back
up your argument, you will not convince the reader of your case.
Poor choice of references or use of referencing.
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An example of poor references might be an over-reliance on broad survey texts to the
exclusion of monographic books, reviews or articles, which will make your essay
superficial. Moreover, when you quote someone else's words, don't just insert them without
comment. Introduce the writer and say why you agree or disagree with their statements.
Their import may be self-evident to you, but they are not to the reader who, you must
presume, has not read them before. A guide to academic referencing is available on the
department's website, please consult this in writing your essay. Also please make sure that
full citation details are given. Finally, be very careful about websites. Think about whether
they seem reputable or reliable, and ask yourself whether you are using them because they
are useful sources or because you can't be bothered to go to the library. You MUST put the
date you viewed the website next to all website citations.
Poor structure
Many weaker essays jump from topic to topic and back again without a logical structure or
sequence. They deal with one topic, move onto a second topic and then come back to the
first one for no apparent reason. It makes it hard for the reader to assemble your thoughts,
leaving a sense of confusion, which detracts from your essay.
Poor 'signposting'
In essays with poor 'signposting' the reader is not sure where one topic ends and another
begins. The result is that at any one point in the essay it is not clear which point is being
argued. Let the reader know what you are doing; use paragraphs and opening sentences to
break topics and themes up logically.
Poor argument.
This problem can be caused by a variety of flaws. The ideas may not be sufficiently
discussed, explained or borne out by logical statement. One of the best ways to construct
your essay is to imagine you are in a courtroom and that you have to make a case for one
side of the argument as opposed to the other. Consistently argue your point, marshalling
evidence as you go. Convince the reader! Remember as you write each paragraph, that
there is an issue at stake, and ask yourself: how is what I am saying right now furthering
my side of the argument? If the set essay question does not define a clear problem or
contention, construct one for yourself.
Imprecision
This can be in the use of evidence - insufficient analysis of the text or artwork to give any
meaningful support to the argument, or vagueness in the argumentation. The reader wants
to feel that you have really 'nailed' the point you are making, that you have made the
connections between the evidence, the literature and your own contentions that are
necessary for the argument to be really convincing.
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Grading system
A standard grading system applies across all Faculties of the University, as follows:
N 0%-49% Fail - not satisfactory
• Work that fails to meet the basic assessment criteria;
• Work that contravenes the policies and regulations set out for the assessment
exercise;
• Where a student fails a subject, all failed components of assessment are double
marked.
P 50%-64% Pass - satisfactory
• Completion of key tasks at an adequate level of performance in argumentation,
documentation and expression;
• Work that meets a limited number of the key assessment criteria;
• Work that shows substantial room for improvement in many areas.
H3 65%-69% Third-class honours - competent
• Completion of key tasks at a satisfactory level, with demonstrated understanding of
key ideas and some analytical skills, and satisfactory presentation, research and
documentation;
• Work that meets most of the key assessment criteria;
• Work that shows room for improvement in several areas.
H2B 70%-74% Second-class honours level B - good
• Good work that is solidly researched, shows a good understanding of key ideas,
demonstrates some use of critical analysis along with good presentation and
documentation;
• Work that meets most of the key assessment criteria and performs well in some;
• Work that shows some room for improvement.
H2A 75%-79% Second-class honours level A - very good
• Very good work that is very well researched, shows critical analytical skills, is well
argued, with scholarly presentation and documentation;
• Work that meets all the key assessment criteria and exceeds in some;
• Work that shows limited room for improvement.
H1 80%-100% First-class honours - excellent
• Excellent analysis, comprehensive research, sophisticated theoretical or
methodological understanding, impeccable presentation;
• Work that meets all the key assessment criteria and excels in most;
• Work that meets these criteria and is also in some way original, exciting or
challenging could be awarded marks in the high 80s or above.
• Marks of 90% and above may be awarded to the best student work in the H1 range.
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Assessment Submission
Submission for assessment will be at the School Office, 2nd floor of the John Medley
Building (West Tower) and an appropriate cover sheet is to be attached to the assessment this applies to all pieces of assessment due throughout and at the end of the semester.
Essays cannot be submitted by fax or email. You should include a stamped and selfaddressed envelope if you wish to have your final marked essay returned to you. Essays
without a stamped self-addressed envelope will not receive examiners comments and will
not be returned to students.
Duplicate Copies
Please keep a copy of all written work submitted. The Faculty of Arts requires that students
keep a duplicate of all submitted work which is part of the course assessment to ensure
against accidental loss.
Word Limit
Your essays must conform to the word limit. Grades will be deducted for essays that are
more than 10% over or under the stated limit.
General Remarks
You may not submit for assessment in this subject any written work submitted in whole or
part for assessment in another subject.
Brief comments will be included on returned assignments, together with a grade on the
following scale: H1 = 80-100%, H2A = 75-79%, H2B = 70-74%, H3 = 65-69%, P =
50-64%, N = 0-49%. All failed essays will be double-marked before being returned.
Any request for a reconsideration of the final and official grade for this subject must be
made in writing to the Head of School or the Head of your study area, and give reasons
why reconsideration is justified. You will be required to resubmit all original pieces of
assessment submitted for the subject with your request for reassessment.
You should check details of your enrolment, because you will not receive a formal result
for any subject unless you are enrolled in it correctly. You need to make changes to your
enrolment within the first two teaching weeks of the semester.
We strongly recommend that you obtain a copy of the School of Culture and
Communications Essay Writing Guide available from the School Office, level 2, John
Medley Building or from our website. This Guide describes matters of writing style,
referencing and essay submission in great detail. It is a very important resource for your
studies.
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Late Assignments
Late submission without an approved extension obtained prior to the due date will result in
a deduction of 2% per day past the due date, up to a maximum of 5 working days after
which the piece of assessment will be marked on a pass (50%) / fail (0%) basis only.
If for some reason you think cannot make a deadline, please see your tutor well before the
due date to discuss the possibility of an extension. Extensions will only be granted in
special circumstances and will require documentation such as medical certificates for
medical conditions.
All requests for extensions for final essays must be accompanied by an application for
Special Consideration with supporting documentation.
The final deadline for submission of all work to be assessed is the last day of the
examination period for that particular semester, in which the piece of assessment will be
marked on a pass/fail basis only. After this date, work will not be accepted or assessed.
Special Consideration
Special Consideration is available when:
a. at any time, your work during the academic year has to a substantial degree been
hampered by illness or other cause; or
b. you have been prevented by illness or other cause from preparing for all or part of
a component of assessment; or
c. you were to a substantial degree adversely affected by illness or other cause
during the performance of a component of assessment.
Requests for Special Consideration are lodged online at https://sis.unimelb.edu.au/cgibin/special-consideration.pl and the requested supporting documentation must be submitted
before the application will be considered. Please note the timelines for the lodgement of
special consideration. Applications that are lodged outside of these timelines will not be
considered.
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Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the use of another person's work (or a resubmitted version of one’s own
work) without due acknowledgment. Plagiarism includes:
• direct copying from a book article, web site, or another student's assignment;
• paraphrasing another person's work with minor changes, but keeping the meaning,
form and/or progression of ideas of the original;
• piecing together sections of the work of others into a new whole;
• submitting an assignment that has already been submitted for assessment in another
subject; and
• presenting an assignment as independent work when it has been produced in whole or
part in collusion with other people, for example, another student or a tutor.
Plagiarism is academic misconduct, and is taken very seriously by the University and the
Faculty of Arts. Any acts of suspected plagiarism detected by your assessors will be
followed up, and any students involved will be required to respond via the Faculty and/or
University procedures for handling suspected plagiarism. For more information and advice
about how to avoid plagiarism, see the University's Academic Honesty page at
http://academichonesty.unimelb.edu.au/advice.html.
Ensure that you are aware of how to appropriately acknowledge sources in your
assignments and what referencing style is expected from you in this subject (please ask
your tutor or subject coordinator if unsure).
The Academic Skills Unit (ASU) has a number of free online resources on referencing at:
http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/asu/resources/referencing/index.html
How to Avoid Plagiarism and Why is Plagiarism so Serious?
Plagiarism is defined as ‘the taking and passing off the thoughts, writings, etc, of other
people as your own’. In short, it is intellectual theft.
In not crediting the source, a person is guilty of stealing another’s research, thinking,
writing, or images (intellectual knowledge in all its forms). It is unacceptable at all times; it
is completely unacceptable in an intellectual environment such as a university. We take a
very dim view of students who engage in plagiarism.
If a student is found to have deliberately plagiarised the work of another — including
copying the work of other students — the penalties are severe. The ‘best outcome’ will be a
zero for the particular assessment exercise. You may be failed outright for that subject.
If there is reason to believe that you have made a practice of plagiarism, university
disciplinary action may be recommended which could result in your expulsion from the
university and denial of your degree.
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Sometimes a student might inadvertently plagiarise. This is usually the result of
inexperience, sloppy note taking, or a combination of both. With the advent of the Internet
and a wide range of other electronic sources, the rules for correct citation are still being
written. In general, you should try to follow the practice established for citation of written
works.
The following notes are to help you avert being suspected of or accused of plagiarising the
work of another person. They include special notes on citation of sources found on the
World Wide Web.
You must cite the source of information in the body of any essay or assignment (either as a
numbered footnote or as an in-text reference) and list the cited source in the bibliography
ordered alphabetically. To do this properly, you need to be careful about recording the
source of each note that you make, whatever the source, be it a book, a journal, a film or
TV documentary, or a source on the Internet.
Each note you take should include certain basic information which enables another person
to identify correctly and locate that source and the origin of your quote or data cited. The
methods vary for different types of sources. In the first reference to any type of item you
must give a description sufficient to identify it.
The School of Culture & Communication Essay Writing Guide provides precise style
requirements for citing references but in general, you are required to note:
For books: Author (full name), Title of book (underlined or in italics), the edition (if not
the first), Place and Date of the publication, and Page Number.
For articles: Author (full name), Title of article (between ‘quotation marks’), Name of
journal (underlined or in italics), Volume and Issue number, Date/Year of publication, Page
Number.
For World Wide Web sources: name of organisation providing the service, the title of the
home page and its http://-address (this is the most important reference), the date of creation
of that page (if known) or the date of your access (since pages can change or disappear).
Because the WWW is hyperlink media, pages containing ‘hotlinks’ which allow you to go
elsewhere, it is important that you note the actual location (URL) of the page from which
you have obtained your information. You do that by looking at the Location: field which
shows the http://-address. (Some sites allow you to visit other sites within one of their
frames without changing the root address. You need to note this.)
If you take notes using your word processor running simultaneously with your WWW
browser, using a process of copy and paste, make sure you put quotation marks around
passages which are a direct copy of the Web document to distinguish the copied passages
from notes which are in your own words.
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