Contemporary Art: History and Theory

Contemporary art’s succession of contending, and often conflicting, ideas and styles challenges those who view art as a mode of self-expression that nevertheless manages to be generally accessible. Examine the radical vision that drove disparate contemporary movements such as pop, minimalism and conceptualism. Explore how forms such as performance, body and land art expanded the concept of what it means to create fine art. You ultimately gain an understanding of the impulses, interests and innovations that have driven the art world from the middle of the 20th century to the present.

(Available spring term)