MA/PgDip Art and Design: Contemporary Fine Art

This course uses a range of teaching and learning settings including lectures, seminars/workshops, tutorials, situated learning (e.g. ‘live’ projects) and independent learning. The combination of these aims is to develop an environment that allows students to progressively take ownership and direction of their learning so that they may develop as independent, life-long learners. The process of Masters level study, relating to an individual and independent arts practice, is one of dense critical self-reflection; this is achieved by including self-directed projects where students have the opportunity to negotiate their learning and assessment requirements.

Indicative to the course are:

• formal lectures
• seminar presentations
• workshops
• critical analysis and independent learning.

Award specific learning activities include exercises; team and peer-based learning, studio practice and critical seminar-events , site visits, visiting professionals, work placements, online activities and critical debates. Students will have the opportunity to engage in a range of course-work activities in order to foster active learning through contribution to participatory exercises and through formal and informal presentations of their work.

Assessment

Assessment methods used on the course include:

• Practical, oral and written assignments (80%)
• Group presentations (20%)

You will be assessed throughout the course on:

• Body of work and contextual research: e.g studio/portfolio/exhibition/publication/etc*.
• Reflective journals: log or sketch-book/statement/seminar or other presentation*  

All submissions are comprised of a body of arts practice: ‘studio’ plus a contextual and critical research portfolio, and reflective logs/journals. As the ‘thesis’ is embedded in the practice there is no requirement for a separate, written dissertation- although you may elect to do so, if appropriate, by negotiation with final award Course Team.  

*You can negotiate the format of your submissions, in response to the needs and priorities within your practice, and in line with contemporary professional practice habits.

Staff Profile

Louise Brookes

Course Leader: MA Contemporary Fine Art

As a practicing professional artist Louise Brookes makes interventions, installations and performances that explore contingencies of reading and meaning within found and given social and physical contexts.

In particular, an investigation or expose of the politics of given and found situations and the potential for audience participation within production and perception are constants within her practice. Brookes work often involves the audience directly within the making and reading processes, addressing the nature of authorship and ownership within the production of artworks.

Her work is exhibited internationally where she tends to work to the context and social environment of the place and, thereby, create fresh interventions and performative narratives. She is known specifically for her innovative and highly original public art commissions, originating and working creatively with social networking systems and challenging the very institutions that commission her work.