module specification

This module enables students to develop practical and conceptual knowledge and understanding of contemporary and historical painting and Preparation for self-employment through the development of their individual practice. The module builds on the skills and key concepts introduced at level 4, providing students with a sustained and in-depth engagement with painting and professional practice with continuing pre-work related learning support. Students further develop their technical competence together with confidence in decision making while exploring a range of approaches to painting practice in the realisation of individual project work.

This module is taught in integral relationship with other core modules at this level. Students will be expected to investigate and develop their work across the modules to develop a coherent practice.

Pass and Complete Preceding Level

The main module aims are to:

Provide students with skills for writing a painting project proposal, research and explore routes to and recruitment for suitable employment or self-employment.
Equip students with the necessary skills and critical understanding to develop their own approach to painting practice;
Enable students to test and apply their knowledge in the context of a negotiated painting project;
Support students to develop safe, sustainable and ethical working practices.

Indicative Content:

• Testing and research into different approaches to painting practice, employment and self-employment;
• Short self-directed projects to define area of main project;
• Project proposal development;
• Self-generated and negotiated project;
• Evaluation and reflection through group critiques and presentations;
• Structured feedback and individual guidance

Teaching and learning is organised around a series of demonstrations, lectures, seminars and workshops supported by online learning.  Tutorials and critiques provide constructive feedback and advice on work in progress and inform students about their progress and areas for development. Employability will be supported by the Careers and Employability Office

On completing the module, students should be able to:

1. Identify, test and apply technical processes to support their developing painting practice;
2. Explore approaches to presentation and interaction with audience, employers and/or funders and evaluate their effectiveness;
3. Document their practice to communicate ideas and intentions both visually and in writing;
4. Devise, manage and produce artwork based on research explorations, demonstrating an awareness of professional norms;
5. Apply informed critical judgment to support their developing practice.

Evaluation is embedded in the module and is key to the assessment strategy and approach. Students are routinely expected to engage in peer and self-evaluation.

Work will be assessed against the learning outcomes in relation to the following criteria:

• Appropriate use of research methods
• Quality of analysis and interpretation
• Subject knowledge and relevance
• Quality of communication and presentation
• Appropriate use of problem solving, testing and experimentation
• Management of own learning and personal professional development

Breuvart, V. (ed.), Vitamin P: New Perspectives in Painting, London, Phaidon 2002
Clark, T.J., Farewell to an Idea, Yale UP, Boston, 2001
Elkins, J., On Pictures and the Words that Fail them, CUP, Cambridge, 2011
Flam, J. D. (ed.), Matisse, Henri. Matisse on Art, UCP, Berkeley, 1995
Hollander, A., Moving Pictures, Harvard UP, Cambridge (MA), 1991
Kudielka, R. (ed.), Bridget Riley: Dialogues on Art, Zwemmer, London, 1995.
Newman, B., ‘The Sublime is Now’, in O'Neil, J.P. (ed.), Barnett Newman: Selected Writings, UCP, Berkeley 1992
Obrist, H-U., Gerhard Richter, The Daily Practice of Painting: Writings 1962-1993, Thames & Hudson, London, 1995.
Rose, B. (ed.), Art as Art: The Selected Writings of Ad Reinhardt. UCP, Berkeley, 1991
Rothko, M., The Artist’s Reality: Philosophies of Art, Yale UP, Boston, 2004.
Ryan, D., Talking Painting, Routledge, London, 2002
Schwabsky, B. (ed.), Vitamin P2: New Perspectives in Painting, London, Phaidon 2011
Staff, C., After Modernist Painting, IB Tauris, London, 2013