Los Angeles Art and Architecture 1945-1980
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| HART2030 | Cultural, Media and Visual Studies | 2 | 20 | Spring UK |
- Code
- HART2030
- School
- Cultural, Media and Visual Studies
- Level
- 2
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Spring UK
Summary
This module introduces a number of artistic and architectural practices that emerged in Southern California after 1945. Exploring the cultural and historical context of a number of artistic practices, we will consider the role of Los Angeles in the development of post-1945 American art and architecture, including mid-century modernism, Pop Art, Conceptual Art and Light & Space Art. Central to this module is the question of whether all art made in Los Angeles can be classified as Los Angeles Art that is, the extent to which the art and architecture of the region necessarily reflected the geographical location, climate, and expansive urban layout of Los Angeles. To this end, we will consider the critical reception of art of this period, investigating, amongst other critical constructs, the notions of centre and periphery, regionalism and the cultural construction of the American west that shaped much writing on California during the period.
A single coursework assessment will replace all failed assessment components at the reassessment stage.
Target Students
Only available for International Media & Communication Studies students, Film and Television Studies students, History of Arts students, Liberal Arts students and Exchange students
Classes
- One 1-hour seminar each week for 10 weeks
- One 2-hour lecture each week for 10 weeks
Assessment
- 100% Coursework: 3,000 words portfolio of written work and equivalent
Assessed by end of spring semester
Educational Aims
•To introduce students to a range of artistic themes, practices and movements in Los Angeles art and architecture between 1945 and 1980;•To foster an awareness of the critical debates surrounding American art during that period;•To develop the ability of students to interpret critically visual, textual and historical evidence, relating to modern art in Los Angeles.Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding:
Knowledge of a range of themes and movements in Los Angeles art and architecture
Understanding of the place of Los Angeles in the historiography of American modern art
Awareness of the key critical debates surrounding Californian art
The ability to distinguish critically between primary and secondary sources and to situate them in relation to one another
The ability to form a structured, sustained argument
Intellectual Skills
The module will encourage students:
To analyse textual and visual sources
Professional / practical skills
Independent research
To relate artistic developments of the period to broader patterns of historical and cultural change
To think critically, independently and imaginatively
The confidence to present material to the group in a cogent manner
Collaborative group work, and participation in class discussions
Transferable (Key) skills:
The ability to work alone or collaboratively
Effective time management