SM 2273 Art Criticism
Spring 2009
Tutor: Leung Po-shan, Anthony
Email: leungpo.artcriticism@gmail.com
Course Aims
This course aims to introduce the theoretical foundation and practical skills required of a well informed art critic. Basic philosophy of aesthetic and critical view on the relationship between art, history, culture and society will form the conceptual basics, followed rigorous in-class analysis of individual art works that respect contexts and individual visions. The actual practice of criticism encourages research-based writing, writing for specific audiences, and the craftsmanship of various genres involved, such as individual work review, editorials, interviews, review for exhibitions and festivals, the management of a web-based art discussion platform, participatory models and other innovative forms of art criticism.
Course structure
The course is divided into the five following areas:
1. What is criticism?
2. The art of understanding the others: report and interview
3. Theoretically-informed writing practices
4. Contextualization- connecting with history
5. Criticism and engagement
Teaching and learning mode
There is no mass lectures; the course will take a participatory approach. Close-reading of theoretical texts and sharing of writings among the class will take place on alternative weeks. Students may need to visit exhibitions or public seminars outside the class schedule occasionally. All must constantly take active participation through-out the course. Late coming to class or late submission of course work will affect the final grade.
Course work and assessment
The course will take continuous assessment on class participation as well as final assessment on all submitted writings.
- Course work (50%): In order to prompt class discussion and to help the students to understand writing as a thinking process, all have to prepare a piece of short writing (100-500w) on the assigned topic(s) and uploaded to the class blog on each Monday by noon.
Sample:
WOO Bo-kuen, "SOHO Ornamentation"
- Final essays (50%): Students have to further develop these short writings into critical opinion towards the end of the term. Students have to focus on three of the five listed areas as their final projects; and write an essay for each (500-800w in English). Please confirm your final topic with by week 8 in written form.
Sample:
WOO Bo-kuen, "Spiritual Ambiguity of Leung Mee Ping"
YUEN Sau-ying, "Criticism of the life in creative industrial under Neo-Bohemia and cretive class"
Problematic case:
Katie MOK, "John Cage as a revolutionary composer in the modernist era"
Submission deadline: 30 Apr (in hard copy with proper citation according to the university requirment.)
Assigned readings and exhibitions for class discussion
(The tutor will announce assigned activities for each class two weeks in advance. Please pay attention of the latest notice.)
wk 2- 20 Jan |
Close reading 1:1. Elkins (2003), “How Unified is Art Criticism”, What Happened to Art Criticism, pp.15-54. |
wk 3- 3 Feb |
Discussion on current exhibition 1 (write on either one):1. Looking for Antonio Mak (HK Museum of Art/ till 28 Jan) |
wk 4- 10 Feb |
Close reading 2:1. Clement Greenberg, “Modernist Painting” in Risati, Howard. (1998) Postmodern perspectives : issues in contemporary art. Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Prentice Hall, c1998, pp.12-19. N6494.P66 P67 1998 |
wk 5- 17 Feb |
Close reading 3: |
wk 6- 24 Feb |
Discussion of current exhibition 2 ： |
wk 7- 3 Mar |
Discussion on current exhibition 3 : |
wk 8- 10 Mar |
Close reading 4: |
wk 9- 17 Mar |
Discussion on current exhibition 4: |
wk10- 24 Mar |
Close reading 5: |
wk 11- 31 Mar |
Discussion on current exhibition 5: |
wk 12- 7 Apr |
Close reading 6:Discussion on final essay: |
wk 13- 21 Apr |
Discussion on final essay:Conclusion: |
Reference
I. The five areas:
1. What is criticism? (and general introduction)
Elkins, James. (2003) What Happened to Art Criticism? Chicago: Prickly Paradigm Press. N7475.E55 2003
Freeland, Cynthia.(2001) Art Theory: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2003.
Freeland, Cynthia. (2001) But is it art? : an introduction to art theory. Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2001. N70 .F74 2003
Nelson, Robert S. & Richard Shiff ed. (1996) Critical Terms for Art History, Chicago & London: Chicago University Press. N34 .C75 1996
2. The art of understanding the others: report and interview
陳光興(2006)：《去帝國─亞洲作為方法》。台北：行人出版社。
3. Theoretically-informed writing practices
General anthology:
Foster, Hal. (1983) The Anti-Aesthetic: Essays on Postmodern Culture. Seattle : Bay Press. BH301.M54 A6 1998
Kocur, Zoya & Simon Leung. (2005) Theory in Contemporary Art Since 1985. Malden, MA : Blackwell.
(*James Gaywood, “‘yBa’ as Critique: The Socio-Political Inference of the Mediated Identity of Recent British Art” (1997), pp.89-100)
(* Pierre Bourdieu, “The Intellectual Field: A World Apart” (1990), pp.11-18.)
Ross, Stephen David.(1994) Art and its significance : an anthology of aesthetic theory. Albany : State University of New York Press. (link: http://lib.cityu.edu.hk/record=b1591980)
Modernism (NEW):
Meecham, Pam and Julie Sheldon. (2000) Modern art : a critical introduction. London ; New York : Routledge. NX456 .M44 2000
Risati, Howard. (1998) Postmodern perspectives : issues in contemporary art. Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Prentice Hall, c1998. N6494.P66 P67 1998
Chinese painting (NEW):
清‧石濤《畫語錄》(見傳閱本)
徐復觀：《中國藝術精神》。台北：學生書局，1966年。(N7340 .H78 1992 )
例：《至人無法 : 故宮，上博珍藏八大石濤書畫精品》。澳門 : 澳門藝術博物館，2004年。 (ND1049.c53 A4 2004 v.1 v.2)
Post-colonial:
Araeen, Rasheed, Sean Cubitt, Ziauddin Sardar ed. (2002). The third text reader on art, culture and theory. London ; New York : Continuum. NX180.S6 T44 2002
Ashcroft, Bill, and Gareth Griffiths, Helen Tiffin ed. (2006) The post-colonial studies reader. London; New York: Routledge, 2006. PR9080 .P57 2006
*Fisher, Jean. (1995) ‘Some thoughts on ‘contaminations’’, Third Text, no.32 Autumn 1995, pp.3-7.)
Young, J. C. Robert. (2001) Postcolonialism: an historical introduction, Oxford, UK: Malden, Mass; Blackwell Publisher.
Feminism:
Kelly, Mary. (1981). ‘Re-Viewing Modernist Criticism’ Screen vol.22, no. 3 (1981); or in Kelly, Mary (1999). Imaging Desire. Cambridge, Mass. : MIT Press. N72.F45 K46 1996
Mulvey, Laura. “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema”, first published in Screen, 16.3 Autumn 1975, pp. 6-18.)
*Pollock, Griselda. (1988) Vision & Difference: Femininity, Feminism and the Histories of Art. New York & London: Routledge.N72.F45 P64 2003(*”Modernity and the space of femininity” pp.50-90)
文潔華(1996)：《性別與創造 : 女性主義美學及其他 》。香港：香港人文科學出版社。HQ1216 .W46 1996
City, policy and the arts:
Bennett, Tony. (1995) The birth of the museum : history, theory, politics. London ; New York : Routledge.
Duncan, Carol. (1995) Civilizing Rituals: inside public art museum. London: Routledge.
Lacy, Suzanne. (1995) Mapping the terrain : new genre public art. Seattle, Wash. : Bay Press, c1995.
*Lloyd, Richard. (2006) Neo-bohemia : art and commerce in the postindustrial city. New York : Routledge.
*McGuigan, Jim. (1996) Culture and the Public Sphere, London & New York: Routledge 1996.
Miles, Malcolm, Hall, Tim and Borden, Iain ed. (2004) The City Culture Reader, London: New York: Routledge.
Schubert, Karstern. (2000) The Curator’s Egg: The evolution of the museum concept from the French Revolution to the present day, London: One-Off Press, 2000.
Smiers, Joost. (2003) Arts Under Pressure: promoting cultural diversity in the age of globalization, London ; New York : Zed Books ; The Hague : Hivos, 2003.
*Sturken, Marita, “The Wall, the Screen, and the Image: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial”, Representations, No.35, Special Issue: Monumental Histories. (Sumer, 1991), pp.118-142. (D) (馬里塔‧斯特肯著，潘琴譯：〈墻、屏幕和形象：解析越戰老兵悼念碑〉，羅崗、顧錚主編(2003)。《視覺文化讀本》。桂林市：廣西師範大學出版社。頁122-142。)
德利克(Arif Dirlik)，張歷君譯：「建築與全球現代性、殖民主義以及地方」，《中外文學》，第34卷，第1期，2005年6月，23-43頁。
蔡照儀(2004)：《全球古根漢效應》。台北：典藏藝術家庭。
*馬國明(2007)。《全面都市化的社會》。香港：進一步多媒體有限公司。
4. Contextualization- connecting with history
Two cases:
Everett, Sally. (1991) Art theory and criticism : an anthology of formalist, avant-garde, contextualist, and post-modernist thought. Jefferson, N.C. ; London : McFarland.
黎肖嫻(2005)。《蔡仞姿跨媒介創作鍊歷的三十年》。香港：Para/Site藝術空間。(Bilingual publication: Lai, Linda ed., [Re-]Fabrication: Choi Yan-chi’s 30 years, path of Inter-disciplinarity in Art.)
李世莊(2007)。《從現實到夢幻：陳福善的藝術》。 香港：亞洲藝術文獻庫。(Bilingual publication: Lee, Jack (ed.) From reality to fantasy : the art of Luis Chan. )
5. Criticism and engagement
Felshin, Nina. (1995) But is it Art? The Spirit of Art as Activism. Seatle: Bay Press.
II. Selected reference on Hong Kong Art:
(The course encourage students to explore themselves relevant materials in the area. These art the basic introductory materials. Further explanation in class.)
Archive and documentary:
Clarke, David & Oscar Ho (ed.)(2002) Someone else’s story : our footnotes : contemporary art of Hong Kong, 1990-1999, Hong Kong: Hong Kong Art Centre. (祁大衛、何慶基編(2002)：《他人的故事 : 我們的註腳 : 香港當代藝術硏究, 1990-1999》，香港：香港藝術中心。
Clarke, David J. (2003) Art in Hong Kong : a chronological guide to exhibitions (1985-2001). Hong Kong : Hong Kong Art Archive : Dept. of Fine Arts, the University of Hong Kong.
Clarke, David J. (2003) Hong Kong art bibliography, Hong Kong : Hong Kong Art Archive. Dept. of Fine Arts, University of Hong Kong. ( http://web.hku.hk:8400/~hkaa/hkaa/biblio_all.php )
莫家良、陳育強編(2000)：《香港視覺藝術年鑑1999》。香港：香港中文大學藝術系。(from 1999, annual publication)
Book & Anthology:
Clarke, David J. (2001) Hong Kong art : culture and decolonization. London : Reaktion.
Lai, Ming-hoi Victor. (2008) Oasis- Artist’s Studio in Hong Kong Vol.2. Hong Kong: Asia One Product and Publishing Limited. (另有中文版)
Turner, Mathew and Iren Ngan. (1994) Hong Kong sixties. Designing, identity. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Arts Centre. (田邁修、顔淑芬、危轉娣：《香港六十年代. 身份、文化認同與設計》)
Tang, Ying-chi. (2006) Oasis- Artist’s Studio in Hong Kong Vol.1. Hong Kong: Asia One Product and Publishing Limited.(另有中文版)
張鳳麟編：《拆東牆補西牆—香港裝置藝術賞析》，進一步多媒體出版社，1999。
朱琦(2005年)：《香港藝術》。香港：三聯書店。
林雪虹(2008年)：《視藝文集》。香港：小書局。
黎健強主編：《形彩風流 : 香港視覺文化史話》，香港：三聯書店(香港)有限公司，2002年。
黎健強、梁寶山合編：《從過渡跨越千禧 : 七人視藝評論自選文集》，香港：香港藝術中心，2002年。
《今天‧香港十年》。香港：牛津出版社。2007年夏季號總第77號。
III. Selected reference on Chinese Contemporary Art:
巫鴻(2005)：《作品與展場─巫鴻論中國當代藝術》。廣州：嶺南美術出版社。
李陀 等(編)(1990)：《中國前衛藝術》。香港 : 牛津大學出版社。
胡永芬(2007)：《後解嚴與後八九：兩岸當代美術對照》。台北：藝術家。 ( Post-Martial Law vs. Post-，89：The Contemporary Art in Taiwan and China )
陳英德(1987)：《海外看大陸藝術》。台北：藝術家。
高名潞(2001)：世紀烏托邦 : 大陸前衛藝術。台北：美術家。
IV. Selected reference on Taiwan Contemporary Art:
陳香君(2004)：《藝術檔案, 社會閱讀 : 藝術與社會的深層對話》。台北：典藏藝術。
謝東山(2005)：《台灣美術批評史》。台北：臺北市 : 洪葉文化事業有限公司。
V. Periodicals:
The West:
Artforum
Flash Art
Third Text
Asia:
Art Asia Pacific
Asian Art News
Oxford Art Journal
China:
Artforum (Mainland: http://artforum.com.cn )
October
Yishu: Journal of Chinese Contemporary Art (http://www.yishujournal.com/)
《美術館》(廣州美術館主辦；上海書店出版)(不定期刊物)
《藝術世界》
Taiwan:
《典藏─今藝術》
《藝術家》
Hong Kong:
《信報》、《a.m. post》、《文化現場》、《字花》、《月台》、《明報》(「星期天生活」及「世紀版」)、《獨立媒體》……
VI. Tools, date Bases & web resources:
Association of International Art Critic Hong Kong (AICA)國際藝評家協會(香港) http://www.aicahk.org/
Macey, David (2001). The Penguin Dictionary of Critical Theory. London: Penguin Books.
Asia Art Archive (http://www.aaa.org.hk)
Hong Kong University. “Hong Kong Art Archive”, (http://web.hku.hk:8400/~hkaa/hkaa/ )
Murray, Chris. (2003) Key Writers on Art: The Twentieth Century. London ; New York : Routledge.
劉建華的博客mMK: http://mmkaspar.blogspot.com
梁寶山的博客「模達紀事」http://motat.blogspot.com
獨立媒體 http://www.inmediahk.net
豆瓣 http://www.douban.com
牛角包電子報 http://www.pixelbread.com