Introduction to Art History II

Subject guarantor:

Jitka Šosová

Name of lecturer(s):

Jitka Šosová

Synopsis:

2

INTRODUCTION TO ART HISTORY

AAAD

Jitka Šosová

SECOND SEMESTER

1.

The question of bearing information: what happens if a piece of art is meant to be consumed

primarily through intellectual means?

? Suprematism

? Conceptual Art

2.

The question of beauty: What happens when art isn't beautiful to look at and instead tries to

engage the audience differently?

? Expressionism in Dresden

? Existential Art

? Viennese Actionism

3.

The question of servitude: what happens when art is regarded as an instrument to illustrate a

particular ideology?

? Socialist Realism

? Nazi Art (including film)

? Contemporary legitimization of power and / or capital

?

4.

The question of genius: when and why did artists gain the status of intellectuals? Why did

they want to achieve it, and what paradigm it helped to create?

? Expressionism

? Pop-art (and an artist as a brand

? Nouveau Realism (subsequent mocking of the concept)

? Feminist Critique

5.

The question of representing movement: Modernist artists generally wanted to grasp the

crucial qualities of their era. The most important of which was dynamic movement. How was

the iconographic element used, and how was the notion of modernity conveyed?

? Futurism

? Video Art

? Body-Art

6.

The question of a total piece of art: what are the ramifications of including other senses in

experiencing visual art?

? Art Nouveau (a concept of Gesamtkunstwerk in architecture and design)

? Installation Art

? Land-Art

3

INTRODUCTION TO ART HISTORY

AAAD

Jitka Šosová

7.

The limits of rationality: what if there were pieces meant to confuse and frustrate us? Are

there other ways how to experience art?

? Surrealism (including exhibition installation and the use of photographs)

? Dadaism

? Minimalism and Post-Minimalism

8.

Visit the National Gallery Prague. The permanent exhibit of the First Republic.

9.

The question of originality: one of the expectations concerning modern art is the absence of

pre-existing models and patterns for individual pieces. But did the practice really work like

this?

? Symbolist Art

? Pablo Picasso and his use of Tribal Art

? Marcel Duchamp and ready-made

10.

The question of the center and the periphery: what happens when a particular idea is

appealing to artists from a different culture?

? Polish Abstract Art

? Slovak Abstract Art and the unknown center of Košice

11.

Visit the National Gallery Prague. The permanent exhibit of the First Republic.

? Short workshop focused on public speaking

12.

Presentations

Exam: Presentation of your own research into one of the pieces from a list (see the list below). Your

task is to create a 15 minutes-long presentation in which you are expected to explain the piece to

your classmates. You may include as many visual or textual references as you wish, but keep in

mind the effectivity of your choices. No two students can present on the same piece.

You will be judged based on the following criteria:

1. use of correct terminology

2. use of poignant visual reference and comparisons

3. analysis of authorial intent based on historical information

4. constructing a useful context helpful for understanding the historical meaning of the piece

5. providing your own understanding of the chosen piece

6. the length of your presentation

Prerequisites:

Lectures outline:

Seminar outline:

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Note:

Schedule for winter semester 2020/2021:

The schedule has not yet been prepared

Schedule for summer semester 2020/2021:

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The subject is a part of the following study plans: