All essays MUST critically analyse the work of at least one artist studied in this unit.
1. Was modernism in art exclusively a Western phenomenon? In your answer, critically
analyse the works of at least one artist in detail.
2. How did artists react to art critic Clement Greenberg’s theory of modernist painting? In
your answer, critically analyse works by one or more artists associated with ONE of the
following groups:
a) pop art;
b) minimalism;
c) conceptual art.
3. How have feminist artists approached the representation of women in their work?
Describe a key strategy feminist artists have used for portraying women’s experiences
and/or depicting women’s bodies, and explain why they used this strategy.
4. Critically analyse the convergence of art and politics in ONE of the following:
a) Japanese art following World War II;
b) The events of May 1968 in Paris;
c) Chinese avant-garde art of the 1980s and 1990s;
d) A decolonial movement in the second half of the 20th century;
e) The AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s.
In your answer, critically analyse artworks produced during this time and also discuss the
historical context of these events.
5. Why have artists used found images and/or the strategy of repetition in their work? What
effects has this strategy had on art practice?
6. Some artists have used their work to critique art institutions such as museums and
galleries. How and why have artists associated with movements like earth art, institutional
critique, or conceptual art challenged conventions around the form an artwork can take, or
the way it is exhibited?
7. Describe how one or more artists have blurred the boundary between their artworks and
their own life, moving from an object-centred art practice towards a way of making art
centred on experiences or interactions. Why did they do this, and what were some effects
of their approach?
8. Open question
Develop your own essay question based on a theme, topic, artist or movement discussed in
the course, in consultation with your tutor or lecturer. Your question may develop ideas
related to your studio work, art writing, or other research interests. If you wish to write your
own question, please discuss your proposed topic with your tutor or lecturer. No essay will
be accepted if the question has not been approved by the teaching staff.
