This degree encourages you to develop an independent critical involvement with works of art and visual culture, to examine changing historical conceptions of art and the artist, and to explore the visual arts in their wider cultural and political contexts.Why study BA History of Art at Goldsmiths
Year 1 (credit level 4)On the BA History of Art you will develop an independent critical involvement with works of art and visual culture. Our first-year modules enable you to examine changing conceptions of art and the artist, historically and also in terms of context, ideas, and kinds of practice. It will introduce you to history of art as a discipline and engage you in discussion of key aspects of contemporary visual culture – including not just artefacts in museums and art galleries, but also architecture, cityscape and landscape, adverts, TV and film, websites, the body, and street style.Each of our first-year modules is taught by a team of four or five different teachers from the permanent faculty. Our approach to learning, teaching and research is exploratory, innovative and rigorous. In this way, first-year students soon get to know many of the Department’s core academic staff. You will therefore begin your second year with both rich insights from and a comprehensive overview of Department life as a whole. In the first year, you study the following compulsory modules:Modernities Seeing and Showing Space and Time Beyond Boundaries The second and third year modules are also thematic in content, and the themes relate to five pathways running through the programme: Art and ideas Space and placeThe CuratorialSound and image EmbodimentIndividual modules are identified with one or more of these pathways, to help you in defining your special areas of interest as you proceed.Year 2 (credit level 5) In your second year, you study the following compulsory module: Contemporaneities You then study option Modules to the value of 90 credits from an approved list available annually from the Department of Visual Cultures. This currently includes: Beckett and AestheticsCohabitations/InhabitationsArt and Technologies of the ImageThe Fact of BlacknessFashion as a Dialectical imageOrnamentation and MaterialityMuseums, Galleries, ExhibitionsPopular ModernismPatterns of PerceptionPostmodernitiesRadical Imagination & Speculative VoyagesYour fourth option module could be a History of Art module or a Related Study module from another department within Goldsmiths.Year 3 (credit level 6)You take two History of Art special subjects and a third module which may be a further History of Art special subject or an option module or a Related Study. You also write an 8,000 – 10,000-word Dissertation on a topic of your own choice supervised by a tutor. Special Subjects include: Animating ArchitectureArchive and Spectacle Film Fables Documentary Lives Philosophy and... Sexual Poetics The Truth in Painting Counter Forensics Research ArchitecturePlacementsLink your studies to one of the many interesting public institutions through our 'Visual Cultures as Public Practice' module. Your research project could be based at the V&A, The Live Art Development Agency, Iniva, Hackney Museum, the Zoo, amongst many others.Please note that due to staff research commitments not all of the modules may be available every year.
You’ll be assessed by coursework only. Normally this consists of essays, sometimes accompanied by creative projects, group projects, multi-media projects, presentations, symposia, reviews, and studio work.
Year 1 (credit level 4) On the BA History of Art you will develop an independent critical involvement with works of art and visual culture. Our first-year modules enable you to examine changing conceptions of art and the artist, historically and also in terms of context, ideas, and kinds of practice. It will introduce you to history of art as a discipline and engage you in discussion of key aspects of contemporary visual culture – including not just artefacts in museums and art galleries, but also architecture, cityscape and landscape, adverts, TV and film, websites, the body, and street style. Each of our first-year modules is taught by a team of four or five different teachers from the permanent faculty. Our approach to learning, teaching and research is exploratory, innovative and rigorous. In this way, first-year students soon get to know many of the Department’s core academic staff. You will therefore begin your second year with both rich insights from and a comprehensive overview of Department life as a whole. In the first year, you study the following compulsory modules: Modernities Seeing and Showing Space and Time Beyond Boundaries The second and third year modules are also thematic in content, and the themes relate to five pathways running through the programme: Art and ideas Space and place The Curatorial Sound and image Embodiment Individual modules are identified with one or more of these pathways, to help you in defining your special areas of interest as you proceed. Year 2 (credit level 5) In your second year, you study the following compulsory module: Contemporaneities You then study option Modules to the value of 90 credits from an approved list available annually from the Department of Visual Cultures. This currently includes: Beckett and Aesthetics Cohabitations/Inhabitations Art and Technologies of the Image The Fact of Blackness Fashion as a Dialectical image Ornamentation and Materiality Museums, Galleries, Exhibitions Popular Modernism Patterns of Perception Postmodernities Radical Imagination & Speculative Voyages Your fourth option module could be a History of Art module or a Related Study module from another department within Goldsmiths. Year 3 (credit level 6) You take two History of Art special subjects and a third module which may be a further History of Art special subject or an option module or a Related Study. You also write an 8,000 – 10,000-word Dissertation on a topic of your own choice supervised by a tutor. Special Subjects include: Animating Architecture Archive and Spectacle Film Fables Documentary Lives Philosophy and... Sexual Poetics The Truth in Painting Counter Forensics Research Architecture Placements Link your studies to one of the many interesting public institutions through our 'Visual Cultures as Public Practice' module. Your research project could be based at the V&A, The Live Art Development Agency, Iniva, Hackney Museum, the Zoo, amongst many others. Please note that due to staff research commitments not all of the modules may be available every year.
A local representative of Goldsmiths, University of London in Singapore is available online to assist you with enquiries about this course.