Issues in Contemporary Art
UndergraduateCUR-VIS192025
Question the last fifty years of arts practice from social, political and cultural points of view. Put recurring themes in contemporary art up for discussion. Dig into modernism and post-modernism. Focus your art history study on theory and context.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Enrol by
- 23 Nov 2025
- Entry requirements
- Prior study needed
- Duration
- 13 weeks
- Start dates
- 2 June 2025,
- 1 Dec 2025
- Price from
- $1,286
- Upfront cost
- $0
- Loan available
- HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
Issues in Contemporary Art
About this subject
At the completion of this subject students will:
- analyse issues that have faced contemporary art in the late 20th/early 21st century and in terms of historical, social, political and cultural contexts
- research and analyse the critical and theoretical underpinnings of various contemporary art movements and how they have influenced each other
- present research using appropriate technology.
- Art theory and context
- Practices of seeing
- Art, politics and ideology
- Commodity, culture and desire
- Identity and the body
- The persistence of abstraction
- Conceptual art
- Landscape art and the environment
- Modernism and postmodernism
- Art science and technology
This subject provides an introduction to the major theoretical issues of contemporary art with a strong emphasis given to contemporary practice. Theories of seeing and of cultural production are examined and illustrated through examples of contemporary art practices.
Please Note: If it’s your first time studying a Curtin University subject you’ll need to complete their compulsory ‘Academic Integrity Program’. It only takes two hours to complete online, and provides you with vital information about studying with Curtin University. The Academic Integrity Program is compulsory, so if it’s not completed your subject grades will be withheld.
Find out more about the Academic Integrity module.
- Online test (20%)
- Essay 1 (40%)
- Essay 2 (40%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
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Entry requirements
Others
You must have a high level of proficiency in the English language and competent essay writing skills.
Additional requirements
No additional requirements
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.
Student feedback
7 student respondents between 19 Aug 2024 - 10 Mar 2025.
85%of students felt the study load was manageable
100%of students felt this subject helped them gain relevant skills
What to study next?
Once you’ve completed this subject it can be credited towards one of the following courses
Bachelor of Arts (Digital and Social Media) (Visual Culture)
UndergraduateCUR-ICV-DEG
Undergraduate Certificate in Art History
UndergraduateCUR-ART-CTF
Bachelor of Arts (Visual Culture)
UndergraduateCUR-VLC-DEG
Bachelor of Arts (Digital Experience and Interaction Design) (Visual Culture)
UndergraduateCUR-DDV-DEG
Bachelor of Arts (Fine Art) (Visual Culture)
UndergraduateCUR-FAV-DEG
Bachelor of Arts (Professional Writing and Publishing) (Visual Culture)
UndergraduateCUR-PVC-DEG
UndergraduateCUR-JPN-DEG
Bachelor of Arts (Korean Studies)
UndergraduateCUR-KOR-DEG
Bachelor of Arts (Digital and Social Media)
UndergraduateCUR-NET-DEG
UndergraduateCUR-CHN-DEG
UndergraduateCUR-FIA-DEG
Bachelor of Arts (Professional Writing and Publishing)
UndergraduateCUR-PWP-DEG
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