Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE ACR5005

 
TITLE Art Theory and Criticism

 
UM LEVEL 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course

 
MQF LEVEL 7

 
ECTS CREDITS 5

 
DEPARTMENT Arts, Open Communities and Adult Education

 
DESCRIPTION The study-unit analyses some of the more crucial debates in art theory and criticism today: the nature and meanings of 'art', the judgement of art, morality and art, interpretation, modernism and postmodernism, curatorial roles in relation to art works and pedagogies, globalisation and identity politics. Students are exposed to many readings in the different fields and encouraged to practice criticism in hands-on sessions.

Study-Unit Aims:

This study-unit aims to:
- Describe, analyse and critique different theories of art in relation to recent art histories, practices, political and social contexts;
- Describe, analyse and critique different schools of art criticism, focusing particularly on the 20th century and contemporary period;
- Expose students to the practice of hands-on art criticism.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:
- identify and describe different positions in the history of art theory and criticism: aestheticist and instrumentalist positions, formalism, the institutional theory of art, postmodernism, feminism, postcolonialism, relational aesthetics and other contemporary theories and theorists;
- formulate artistic views based on theoretical and historical knowledge;
- critically assess readings on art theory and criticism;
- apply techniques of criticism to actual exhibitions and art works;
- examine art criticism in relation to other fields such as art history, philosophy and artistic practices;
- apply critical theory to his/her own creative practice.

2. Skills:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:
- describe, interpret and evaluate art works and exhibitions;
- display a deep and practical knowledge of the vocabulary and strategies of art criticism in different cultural and educational settings;
- practise art criticism in writing and by articulating his/her interpretations of art works orally.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

- Bourriaud, N. (1998) Relational aesthetics, Presses du reel.
- Bourriaud, N. (2005) Postproduction: culture as screenplay: how art reprograms the world, Lukas & Sternberg.
- Clarke, M. (2007) Verbalising the Visual: translating art and design into words, AVA Academia.
- Danto, A. P. (1997) After the end of art: contemporary art and the pale of history, Princeton U.P.
- Gracyk, T. (2012) The philosophy of art: an introduction, Polity.
- Lippard, L. R. (1995) The pink glass swan: selected essays on feminist art, New Press.
- Stiles, K. and Selz, P. (2012) Theories and documents of contemporary art: a sourcebook of artists' writings, University of California P.
- Wood, P. (2002) Art in Theory 1900-2000, Blackwell.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Presentation (15 Minutes) See note below Yes 40%
Assignment See note below Yes 60%
Note: Assessment due will vary according to the study-unit availability.

 
LECTURER/S Raphael Vella
Gabriel Zammit

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit