Modern & Contemporary Art H

7530C MODERN & CONTEMPORARY ART HONORS
(f) UC Approved
A detailed examination of the art of the Western Canon, focusing on the modern era (1848 to the present) with special emphasis on themes of modernity, modernism, and the avant-garde. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, Modern and Contemporary Art Honors will be presented as a synthesis of visual art and history, emphasizing not only formal aesthetic qualities of a work of art but also its historical context. Painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, and photography along with pop culture, the dramatic arts and design will be explored in terms of style, meaning, and socioeconomic context with special attention to gender, function, and patronage as well as philosophical/aesthetic issues of taste, technology, and authenticity. Practicing visual analysis through “directed looking,” students will employ the basic methodology and vocabulary of art historians while gaining an understanding and appreciation of modern art, popular culture, and cultural literacy.
Length of Course: Year
Open to Grades: 10,11,12
Prerequisite: Teacher and Counselor recommendation