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MODULE DESCRIPTOR
Module Title
Contextual & Critical Studies - Fine Art Contexts
Reference	AA2700	Version	3
Created	March 2023	SCQF Level	SCQF 8
Approved	August 2012	SCQF Points	30
Amended	July 2023	ECTS Points	15

Aims of Module
This module will build upon students' introduction to Contextual and Critical Studies in stage 1. The core skills of research, analysis, synthesis and communication will be expanded upon, further enabling students to communicate effectively, textually and orally, the critical position of their evolving practice within contemporary and historical themes related to fine art culture.

Learning Outcomes for Module
On completion of this module, students are expected to be able to:
1	Demonstrate the ability to research using methods appropriate to the critical themes, theories and concepts in contemporary practice.
2	Analyse and discuss historical and contemporary themes, theories and concepts in the context of contemporary practice.
3	Apply critical and analytical thinking to the enquiry and exploration of ideas in relation to critical themes, theories and concepts within historical and contemporary practice.
4	Synthesise information related to the contexts of historical and contemporary practice and communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

Indicative Module Content
The module will build upon the interdisciplinary themes from visual culture introduced in stage 1 and enable students to develop greater contextual awareness specific to contemporary fine art practice in all its manifestations and linkages to the wider field of culture. Semester 1 will focus on placing contemporary art practice in its multiple critical, cultural and socio-political contexts, examining the roles of and interconnections between the various agents and institutions involved in the making, dissemination and interpretation of fine art, including curators, art critics, art galleries and museums, now and in the recent past. Semester 2 will consider a range of critical theories, methods and themes applicable to contemporary art practice, such as post-structuralism, feminism and phenomenology; semiotics and psychoanalysis; and subjectivity, modernity and globalisation. Emphasis is placed on developing critical thinking and research, and encouraging students to explore various writing styles appropriate to a particular theme and/or their professional context. Completed theoretical project work should evidence an awareness and consideration of sustainable themes in a manner appropriate to the context of the discipline.

Indicative Module Content

The module will build upon the interdisciplinary themes from visual culture introduced in stage 1 and enable students to develop greater contextual awareness specific to contemporary fine art practice in all its manifestations and linkages to the wider field of culture. Semester 1 will focus on placing contemporary art practice in its multiple critical, cultural and socio-political contexts, examining the roles of and interconnections between the various agents and institutions involved in the making, dissemination and interpretation of fine art, including curators, art critics, art galleries and museums, now and in the recent past. Semester 2 will consider a range of critical theories, methods and themes applicable to contemporary art practice, such as post-structuralism, feminism and phenomenology; semiotics and psychoanalysis; and subjectivity, modernity and globalisation. Emphasis is placed on developing critical thinking and research, and encouraging students to explore various writing styles appropriate to a particular theme and/or their professional context. Completed theoretical project work should evidence an awareness and consideration of sustainable themes in a manner appropriate to the context of the discipline.

Module Delivery
The module is lecture and seminar based, with allocated time for private and directed study and further reading. Group discussion and critical debate will be facilitated through seminar and on-line forums. Visits from professional in the field, and national and international study visits may form part of the curriculum.

Indicative Student Workload	Full Time	Part Time
Contact Hours	45	N/A
Non-Contact Hours	255	N/A
Placement/Work-Based Learning Experience [Notional] Hours	N/A	N/A
TOTAL	300	N/A
Actual Placement hours for professional, statutory or regulatory body

ASSESSMENT PLAN
If a major/minor model is used and box is ticked, % weightings below are indicative only.
Component 1
Type:	Coursework	Weighting:	100%	Outcomes Assessed:	1, 2, 3, 4
Description:	Submission of written coursework.

MODULE PERFORMANCE DESCRIPTOR
Explanatory Text
In order to pass the module you need to achieve a D or above.
Module Grade	Minimum Requirements to achieve Module Grade:
A	An A in C1
B	A B in C1
C	A C in C1
D	A D in C1
E	An E in C1
F	An F in C1
NS	Non-submission of work by published deadline or non-attendance for examination

Module Requirements
Prerequisites for Module	None.
Corequisites for module	None.
Precluded Modules	None.

INDICATIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY
1	Archer, M (2015), Art Since 1960, London : Thames & Hudson
2	Fisher, Mark (2009), Capitalist Realism, Alresford : Zero Books
3	Fisher, Max (2022), The Chaos Machine : The Inside Story of How Social Media Re-Wired our Minds & Our World, London : Quercus
4	Hopkins, D (2017), After Modern Art, 1945-2017, Oxford : Oxford University Press
5	Howells, R & Negreiros, J (2019), Visual Culture, Cambridge : Polity Press
6	Mirzoeff, N (2015), How to See the World, London : Pelican Books
7	Stallabrass, J (2020), Contemporary Art : A Very Short Introduction, Oxford : Oxford University Press
8	Steyerl, H (2017), Duty Free Art : Art in an age of Plantary Civil War, London : Verso

Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen

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