This module will explore key debates in the critical understanding of visual culture in the 20th and 21st centuries, with a specific focus on how film and the moving image has shaped our understanding of these issues. It will build on prior learning at L4 and allow students to develop the specialist knowledge and skills that will become central to their studies. In stressing the historical connections between film and visual culture, this module seeks to situate a number of critical debates in a wider context. The module will be divided into four distinct blocks, each lasting half a teaching block, and each with a clear historical focus at its core; the specific focus of the final three case studies will vary depending on the teaching team.
The module will begin by exploring the early 20th century Avant-Gardes, investigating questions around the formal and material properties of works of art, and connecting these issues to a wider engagement with the history of ideas. It will argue that film and the moving image exerted a key influence on the early Avant-Gardes, reinforcing ideas of change and movement as central to an understanding of modernity. The module will then trace this legacy through a series of historical case studies that will include examples drawn from European, American, and international traditions, investigating examples from experimental and popular forms, and will culminate in an exploration of the role and function of moving images in contemporary visual culture. Balancing historical perspectives with theoretical debates, the module aims to provide students with a broad overview of how visual culture shapes our understanding of the world at large.
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
The module will be taught through a series of seminars that will encourage students to develop their skills of critical reading and engagement with theoretical debates. The module will be divided into four main blocks, each lasting half a teaching block, and each with a specific historical case-study at its core.
The module will make use of the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) Canvas for communication and dissemination of information between students and staff as well as making online learning materials available to all.
All courses based in the Kingston School of Art offer students free access to the online video tutorial platform Lynda.com. This provides a wide range of subjects to choose from, many with downloadable exercise files, including software tutorials covering photography, graphics, web design, audio and music, CAD and Microsoft Office software, as well as courses on Business and Management skills. Some of these are embedded in the curriculum and offer additional self-paced learning, others may be taken at will by students wishing to broaden their employability skills in other areas.
| Definitive UNISTATS Category | Indicative Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | Lectures, workshops, tutorials, screenings | 88 |
| Guided independent study | 212 | |
| Total (number of credits x 10) | 300 | |
The assessment strategy for this module consists of a portfolio of tasks totaling approximately 4,000 words. The content of the portfolio will necessarily vary year on year in line with changes of case study, but may include critical analyses, essays, presentations, and other forms of creative and critical responses to the material covered in the module. It will also include a shorter piece of assessed work, of approximately 1,000-1,500 words, at the end of TB1 which is designed to test comprehension and understanding of key ideas, and will provide the opportunity for formative feedback prior to the submission of the rest of the portfolio. Seminars and tutorials will offer opportunities for formative feedback prior to final submission.
| Learning Outcome | Assessment Strategy |
|---|---|
| Investigate the emergence of key ideas in the history of visual culture | A1 |
| Analyse and interpret a range of historical and theoretical texts | A1 |
| Apply these ideas to their own analyses of visual culture | A1 |
| Understand the broader connection between film and visual culture | A1 |
| Description of Assessment | Definitive UNISTATS Categories | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Portfolio (4,000 words) (A1) | Coursework | 100% |
| Total (to equal 100%) | 100% | |
It IS a requirement that the element of assessment is passed in order to achieve an overall pass for the module.
Braudy, Leo, Cohen, Marshall (eds.) (2016) Film Theory and Criticism (8th Edition), Braudy, Cohen (eds.), New York: Oxford University Press
Comer, Stuart (2008) Film and Video Art, Tate Publishing, London
Foster, Winston-Dixon (eds.) (2002) Experimental Cinema: The Film Reader, London: Routledge
Lymberopolou, Bracewell-Homer, Robinson (eds.) (2012) Art and Visual Culture: A Reader, London: Tate Publishing, London
Rees, A.L. (2011) A History of Experimental Film and Video, London: Palgrave
To be confirmed once case studies have been decided.