VART13007 Visual Arts, Media & Society

This course involves the making and critical appraisal of pictures. It introduces students to skills of making pictures and an approach to understanding the value and function of images in society. The functions of images to be explored include narration, embellishment, persuasion and expression. The media with which students will make pictures includes painting and drawing. Student's own picture making will be informed by a critical examination of a wide variety of visual representations from different cultures and historical periods. The media students will critically examine include painting and drawing, but also sculpture, photography, and video. Throughout the course, issues raised in the appraisal of other people's pictures will inform student's own making activities. In turn, the knowledge students gain through picture making will inform their appraisal of other's work.