BA (Hons) Fine Art and History of Art

How did the First World War transform European culture? How did artists, architects and designers embrace new technologies, materials and new ways of thinking? And how did changing views on gender and sexuality influence art and architecture? In this module you’ll examine how emerging modernist culture was expressed. You’ll look at forms like paintings, buildings, magazines, film and exhibitions. And you’ll study artists like Charlotte Perriand, Varvara Setpanova, Wells Coates and Marcel Breuer.

Welcome to the Studio Practice module, where we're all about nurturing your expertise in contemporary art. Our goal is to help you find your unique path in this ever-evolving field, allowing your practice to flourish.

To achieve this, we're going to boost your ability and confidence, equipping you with the right research methods and technical know-how. You won't be alone on this journey – you'll become part of a seminar group that focuses on various areas within contemporary art.

These seminars, workshops, and group tutorials are where expertise is gained. They'll provide you with the knowledge, skills, and hands-on experience you need to grow in your chosen field. Through engaging discussions and experimentation, we'll encourage you to build upon what you explored so far, ultimately establishing your own independent practice. This is your chance to find your place in the vibrant world of contemporary art, both in theory and in practice.

In this module, you’ll be spending a week in Paris, one of the world’s most famous cities for art. You’ll gain core analytical skills and fresh insights for your History of Art degree. You’ll explore the city’s rich range of architecture, and its renowned galleries, museums and temporary exhibitions. You’ll benefit from the input of expert staff on guided visits, while having the freedom to explore sites and galleries independently, absorbing the city’s extraordinary paintings, sculptures and buildings.

This field work trip ordinarily runs in Paris. It is possible that circumstances may arise in any given year that could change the destination of the field work trip.

This module gives you the chance to research a topic that fascinates you. With support from a supervisor, you’ll choose, plan and carry out your independent research, gaining in-depth knowledge of your subject. Student projects have included subjects like:

• Is democracy failing in Eastern Europe?
• Did Putin solve Russia’s governance problems?
• Authoritarianism and political stability in North Korea

You’ll build great project management and research skills, which will help you in your future career.

You'll have the chance to dive into the Arts and Creative industries by securing a professional or industrial Placement. You’ll bridge the gap between academic knowledge and real-world experience. You'll get the chance to immerse yourself in the professional world and, more importantly, reflect deeply on your journey.

This module is all about connecting theory with practical professional practices. You'll gain a deep understanding of what it's like to work within a professional framework. This includes tackling key issues related to organising public exhibitions or collaborating with professional artists.

The best part? You have a wide range of options for your Placement, from galleries and theatres to community-based organisations. You can even work alongside seasoned professionals in the arts, such as practising artists or curators.

Welcome to a module that's all about taking your contemporary art practice to the next level. We're here to help you consolidate your intellectual knowledge and practical experience in your chosen field.

Now, it's time to expand and enhance the conceptual strategies you began exploring in Practice 3. The goal is to create a well-rounded body of contemporary artwork that truly reflects your vision. As you progress through this module, you'll gain a deeper understanding of the latest developments in your field and learn essential research methodologies. These skills will empower you to produce artworks that align with your unique interests.

At the end of the module, you'll have the chance to showcase your completed work in a public exhibition. This experience is invaluable and teaches you the art of successful installation. By the time you finish this semester, you'll have a growing sense of your independent art practice and how it fits into the broader critical framework.

In this module you’ll examine European Art during a period of transformative change. You’ll consider the sweeping political and social movements of the time - and their impact on art. You’ll explore the British Empire, the French Revolution and the drive for European political reform. You’ll learn about the rise of artistic exhibitions and the beginnings of the print trade. You’ll consider the emergence of a ‘public’ for art and the birth of art criticism. And you’ll examine a range of genres, from portraiture and tomb sculpture to comic art.

This is your second step in our progressive series of professional modules. Here, we bridge the gap between academia and industry in a way that mirrors real-life practices for artists and creative professionals.

This module empowers you to take the reins of your creative journey. You'll choose and participate in projects that align with your unique career aspirations. This module will take your skills to the next level. You'll attend advanced professional workshops designed to equip you with valuable skills for your creative career.

You’ll be encouraged to step into the spotlight with greater independence in your creative projects. It's time to gain a deeper understanding of your own career aspirations and how to turn them into reality.

In this module we will engage critically with traditional readings of the Italian Renaissance and more recent approaches to this extraordinary period of artistic creativity. Alongside great altarpieces and fresco cycles by famed artists such as Leonardo and Titian we will analyse works created by women, cheap paintings made for ordinary consumers by anonymous artisans, household goods, and simple objects imbued with intense spiritual power. The seismic religious changes of the period will be analysed. So too will the major significance of new maritime routes that connected Europe with Africa, Asia and the Americas. We will consider the profound impact of knowledge of the wider world, and interactions with people of different faiths and ethnicities, on the visual and material culture of the Renaissance.

This module option is part of our compulsory Themes in European Art 1450-1700 module. This particular module option is subject to availability in any given year.

The aim of this module is to develop your professional profile and professional confidence of through experiential learning opportunities and engagement with external organisations by undergoing work placements, internships and industry experiences. It aims to enable you to manage their own learning and self-direction through identifying opportunities that align to their disciplinary ambitions, situating your practice in a professional context. It offers a range of options including an Enterprise Residency where you can operate as a freelancer and develop ideas for a start-up business with the full support of Brookes Enterprise Support.

Do you dream of curating your own exhibition? Do you want to explore career options you didn’t know existed? In this module, you’ll gain direct and expert experience in curating displays and exhibitions of historic and contemporary art. You’ll learn the core issues in curating exhibitions, and explore themes such as:

• theories of curating
• curating contemporary art
• curating historic exhibitions.

You’ll also look at the practical side of curation, including:

• proposals
• loans
• funding
• displays
• lighting
• layout
• catalogues
• interpretation.

This module gives you the opportunity to conduct an advanced level exploration of a subject not directly covered by the History of Art syllabus. In doing so, you’ll develop skills in independent research and analysis.

You might choose to explore a response to a current exhibition, or investigate an issue in the field of art history or criticism. Alternatively, you might select a specialist topic related to another module, or connected to ongoing staff research. The topic will be a substantial one and you will design and carry out your study under the guidance and supervision of one or more members of the History of Art staff.

The aim of this module is to give you the opportunity to study a specialised topic, and enable you to deepen your understanding of art-historical knowledge and methods.

The topics will be closely related to staff research interests, and will foster a familiarity with current research and a critical awareness of recent scholarship in the area under study. Your research skills, including an evaluative appreciation of source materials and their uses, will be developed.

You have the opportunity to apply, at the highest undergraduate level, the skills you developed in the first year and second year modules, and at the same time you'll develop your skills further through the concentrated study of a specialised topic.

The aim of this second module is to give you the another opportunity to study a specialised topic, and enable you to deepen your understanding of art-historical knowledge and methods.

The topics will be closely related to staff research interests, and will foster a familiarity with current research and a critical awareness of recent scholarship in the area under study. Your research skills, including an evaluative appreciation of source materials and their uses, will be developed.

You have the opportunity to apply, at the highest undergraduate level, the skills you developed in the first year and second year modules, and at the same time you'll develop your skills further through the concentrated study of a specialised topic.

The aim of this module is to give you an opportunity to carry out a critical examination, through research and extended written work, of a theme or issue relevant to both your subjects as a combined honours student. The topic is selected by you in consultation with staff in History of Art and in your other subject.

If you are taking this module you must also register for the interdisciplinary dissertation in your other field. This module gives you the opportunity to apply, at the highest undergraduate level, the skills of researching, analysing and communicating developed in the level four, five and six modules in the investigation of a topic of your own choosing. It also allows you to carry out your own exploration of synergies between your two subjects.

In this module, you'll be given the space to explore your own interests and concerns, with the goal of establishing and defining your subject matter or field of inquiry.​

During this module, you'll conduct theoretical and contextual research to better understand how your practice fits into contemporary issues within your field. The research itself can take various forms, tailored to your individual practice. We'll blend traditional academic research methods with hands-on experiments to create independent practical work.

This module is a significant step in your development as an artist. It requires intense creative engagement and reflection, ultimately helping you build a coherent and confident working process.

Importantly, this module forms the conceptual foundation for your degree show work in the next semester. By the end of it, you'll be well-prepared to propose the work you'll develop in Semester 2.

You’ll have hands-on experience, where you'll face the real-world challenges of exhibiting your work to the public. It's the moment to bridge the gap between the ideas you've been cultivating, the form your work takes, and the details of how it all comes together.

Your mission is to create a fully developed body of contemporary art for the public exhibition at the Fine Art Degree Show. Your work will build upon the research and experimentation you delved into during Practice 5: Research and Development. This is your chance to take those ideas to the next level and transform them into compelling and ambitious pieces that meet professional standards.

Whether you've taken Practice 5 or not, this module offers an opportunity to build upon your prior learning and unleash your creative potential. It's the grand stage where your artistic journey reaches a peak, and we're here to support you every step of the way.