The University of Adelaide
Course Outlines

ARTH 5208 - Studies in Contemporary Art

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2018

The course looks at contemporary art as 'cutting edge' art, how its origins are to be found in modernist notions of the avant garde and on recent national and international developments including installation, new media, performance art, the resilience of painting and the place of Indigenous art in the contemporary scene and differing genres of arts writing. The course will focus around contemporary work in the collection of the Art Gallery of South Australia.

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  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code ARTH 5208
    Course Studies in Contemporary Art
    Coordinating Unit Art History
    Term Semester 1
    Level Postgraduate Coursework
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 6
    Contact Up to 3 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y
    Restrictions Available to ProCertArtHist, GradCertArtHist, GradDipArtHist, MA(StArtHist) & MA(Cur&MuseumSt) MA students only
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Professor Catherine Speck

    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

    Wednesdays 4.10-8.00

    Lectures and tutorials at the University

    Gallery sessions at the Art Gallery of South Australia and other locations to be advised
  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    On successful completion of this course, students will be able to demonstrate:
    1 A broad understanding of the nature and origins of contemporary art within a global context.
    2 An ability to analyse works of contemporary art in a variety of media and using different methodologies.
    3 An ability to identify, access and critically evaluate a wide range of primary, secondary, textual and visual materials using a range of technologies.
    4 An ability to generate ideas and construct evidence based arguments in a planned and timely manner.
    5 An ability to communicate effectively in individual and team-based situations.
    6 An awareness of the ethical, social and cultural implications of contemporary art within a global context.
    7 A capacity to conduct enquiry according to scholarly and ethical conventions.
    University Graduate Attributes

    No information currently available.

  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    Course handbook - distributed at the first tutorial.
    Course readings - posted on Myuni.
    Recommended Resources
    Recommended texts (available at the Art Gallery of South Australia bookshop or online booksellers).

    Lecture images will be posted on Myuni.

    Barr Smith Library Resource Guide for Contemporary Art.
    Online Learning
    MyUni.
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    The lectures provide broad discussion of selected topics relevant to the history of contemporary art, which are complemented by focused tutorial case studies centred on oral presentations and group discussion of the prescribed tutorial readings and images. It is essential that students complete the weekly tutorial readings in order to share ideas, interpret subject matter, develop essential analytical skills and work together cooperatively. Material covered in the lectures and tutorials also provides the basic content for the final piece of assessment.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    The twelve week course is composed of eight weeks of university lectures (4.10-5.00) and tutorials (I.5 hours) plus four weeks of gallery sessions (4.30-6.30). Students are required to complete the
    weekly tutorial readings in advance of the tutorials and complete additional reading for their assessment tasks.

    Please note that 6-unit courses in HUMSS are designed on the assumption that all learning and assessment activities (including lectures, tutorials, preparatory work, research and writing of assignments etc.) will require approximately 312 hours.
    Learning Activities Summary
    Tentative schedule:

    Week 1    Introduction (Gallery and University)
    Week 2   Adelaide Biennial
    Week 3    Adelaide International
    Week 4   Contemporary art
    Week 5    Media art
    Week 6    Public art
    Week 7    Aboriginal art
    Week 8    Contemporary craft and design
    Week 9    Contemporary Chinese art
    Week 10   Contemporary art from the Asia-Pacific
    Week 11   Contemporary photography and film
    Week 12   The contemporary art phenomenon
    Specific Course Requirements
    A number of the "Gallery" sessions will be held at museums and galleries in Adelaide other than the Art Gallery of South Australia. It is the responsibility of students to arrange their own transport to those locations. Classes begin at the designated starting times set for the course at those venues.
    Small Group Discovery Experience

    The course is based on small group discovery experiences. Tutorials will involve group discussion of set texts and topical issues.

  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    The assessment on this course consists of four elements:

    (1) Research essay 40%

    (2) Exhibition review 15%

    (3) Tutorial paper 30% (20% paper; 10% presentation)

    (4) Slide test 15%
    Assessment Related Requirements
    The due dates for assessment are treated as examination dates. Requests for extension stating the reason for the extension must be sent to your tutor for approval in advance of the due date and supplemented by a hard-copy Extension Request form available on MyUni that must be signed off by both student and tutor.
    Assessment Detail
    Exhibition Review (750 words)
    Task description: Please write a review of the 2014 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art on show at the Art Gallery of South Australia. Remember in writing a review, use a lighter less academic writing style. Look at other art reviews in the Weekend Australian, Art Monthly and Artlink to see how exhibition reviewers approach this kind of writing.
    Weighting: 15% 
    Submission: Submit a hard copy with a completed and date-stamped essay cover sheet and signed plagiarism declaration in the History essay return box on level 4 of the Napier Building.

    Slide Test
    Task description: At the end of the course your knowledge of some of the key images covered during the lectures will be examined by a slide test. At each lecture you will be provided with a photocopy listing the salient facts of slides from the lecture. To enable you to familiarise yourself
    better with these after each lecture, the slides will be on the web at www.myuni.adelaide.edu.au. Prior to the exam you will be given a list of between 25-30 slides and those included in the exam will be drawn from this list. The slide test will be held under examination conditions. It consists of four single slides (each of five minutes duration) and two comparisons of two slides each (each of 15 minutes duration). For the former, you are expected to identify the artist, title, medium of each image and date and discuss the images. For the latter, you are also expected to identify the artists, title, medium and date and then to compare the images by discussing their iconography, composition and style.
    Weighting: 15% 
    Submission: In class.

    Tutorial (oral) presentation
    Task description: Topics are listed under the weekly university tutorials in the Course Guide and will be allocated at the University tutorial in the first week of semester. You are required to give an oral
    presentation to your tutorial group with a view to generating discussion and receiving feedback for the tutorial essay.
    Weighting: 10%
    Time: 15 minutes
    Submission: In class.

    Tutorial Paper (2,500 – 3,000 words)
    Task description: The tutorial essay is focussed on the topic of the tutorial oral presentation. Weighting: 20%
    Deadline: The tutorial essay is due one week after the tutorial oral presentation.
    Submission: Submit a hard copy with a completed and date-stamped essay cover sheet and signed plagiarism declaration in the History essay return box on level 4 of the Napier Building.

    Research Essay (3000 – 3,500 words)
    Task description: Research essay topics are based on key themes discussed in the course and are listed in the Course Guide along with a bibliography.
    Weighting: 40% 
    Submission: As above.
    Submission

    No information currently available.

    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines

    This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.

    The School of History and Politics is committed to upholding the  University's Policy on Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S). All  staff and students have a legal responsibility to act in the interests  of themselves and others with respect to OH&S. For information on the School's contingency plan and emergency procedures, please see the OH&S section on the school website:

    http://www.hss.adelaide.edu.au/historypolitics/ohs


  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.
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