This course will discuss objects and the relationship of people to objects. It will examine key moments in the history of objects over the past two centuries, with an emphasis on the post-war period and the current moment. Starting from motions of the object motivated by and motivating particular modern and contemporary art and craft practices, the course will examine the production, consumption and distribution of objects, and the ways in which they have been collected, categorised and otherwise deployed to produce meaning.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:- Demonstrate knowledge of important theoretical and historical frameworks for interpreting objects in visual art discourse.
- Apply relevant theoretical and historical frameworks for interpreting objects to contemporary visual art discourse.
- Present written and oral arguments about theories of objects and their relationship with visual culture.
- Compare and evaluate important theoretical and historical frameworks for interpreting objects in visual arts discourse.
Indicative Assessment
Oral Presentation, 15 minutes, and comprehensive notes (30%) Learning Outcomes 1-3Essay, 4,500 words (60%) Learning Outcomes 1-4
Participation (10%) Learning Outcomes 1-4
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Workload
130 hours of total student learning time made up from: a) 36 hours of contact over 12 weeks: 24 hours of lectures and 12 hours of tutorials; and b) 94 hours of independent student research, reading and writing.Requisite and Incompatibility
Preliminary Reading
Appadurai, A., 'Introduction: commodities and the politics of value', In A. Appadurai, (ed), The social life of things: commodities in cultural perspective, Cambridge U. P., 1986.Course readings will be available on the Watt
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2017 | $2652 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2017 | $4080 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
