Art Appreciation: Painting in the 21st Century

This course will put an emphasis on developments of figurative and abstract painting in the twenty-first century. There will be views of artists already prominent in the twentieth century and newly emerging artists from a wide range of attentions. From those born in the 1930's to those born in the 1980's.

The course will include attention to twenty-first century works by Dia-Al-Azzawi, Richard Hamilton, David Hockney, Jasper Johns, Yoko Ono, Paula Rego, Gerhard Richter, Penny Hallas, Chantel Joffe, Claudette Johnson, Anselm Kiefer, Thérèse Oulton, Fiona Rae, Emma Stibbon, Barbara Walker, and then the works of younger artists born after 1970 like Michael Armitage, Jenny Saville, and Lynette Yiadem-Boakye.

The course will attend to direct visual experience of reproduction of the works involved linked to elements of comprehension and understanding through a considerable range of exciting encounters and engagements. The emphasis will be upon knowledge from enjoyment.

There are no requirements from students prior the beginning of the course. Students would benefit from access to online sources during the course. Papers and images will be made available to students through the WEA Canvas site. You will need to have access to the internet to access the papers for this course. The course uses a secure digital learning portal for all the classes and for communications with the tutor and access to learning materials.