Art History 627 - Contemporary Art

Addresses the history of contemporary art since 1980 from a western perspective, but in a global context. Introduces students to major issues in contemporary art and criticism such as conceptualism, new media, earth art, postmodernism, neo-expressionism, institutional critique, identity politics, political interventions, installation art, ecology, globalization, relational aesthetics, and the role of consumerism and the art market.

This course includes a new emphasis on community engagement and social practice art for Spring 2021: students will work with the UMCA education curator to coordinate group visits of area high school students to the museum, in person or virtually, for critical discussions on the culture of museums and the way they relate to diverse and racialized communities.