The focus of this course is in the tracing of the trends, history, theory and techniques employed and relevant to artists today. Students are encouraged to locate their own working practice in the contextual space of today’s art world and in doing so develop a stronger understanding of their own work and of the works around them. The classes will be chiefly organised through case studies with a strong focus on particular works of art, understood in their broader artistic and social context.

The course is designed to take advantage of current exhibitions with active debate and lessons held in the gallery environment. Furthermore, the classes aim to provide an awareness of current cultural and artistic shifts in the Britain and abroad.

Students are encouraged to demonstrate specialist knowledge and understanding of major developments and issues in the specific field of contemporary art. They will learn to be aware of and be able to position their own analysis/projects in relation to a range of interpretive methods employed in the discipline. This will involve familiarity with a substantial body of visual material and associated texts as well as an in-depth grasp of contemporary art history and the intellectual issues raised by its study.

Throughout the course, we will look closely at critical and theoretical texts, as well as conducting a series of in-depth case studies, focusing on current exhibitions, artist lectures and visits to artists or curators.