Weekly on Wednesdays, 10.30am–12.30pm
with Claire Chamberlain
Beginning 5 February 2025
2025 Term Dates
Term 1: 3 February - 13 April
Term 2: 28 April - 29 June
Term 3: 14 July - 21 September
Term 4: 6 October - 14 December
Introducing you to the world of art and its history.
This course will examine the changing nature of the History of Art and how shifts in thinking have changed how art is examined. It will also look at works of art made by contemporary artists that engage with the legacies of the past in relation to today’s concerns.
Art and the History of Art have evolved radically over the last 150 years. Artists have turned away from the classical tradition, embracing new media and aesthetic ideals, and art historians shifted their focus from the analysis of art's formal beauty to interpretation of its cultural meaning. The idea or paradigm of the artist and the art historian being white and male has also been challenged.
The course will place art works in a context and look at changing ideas, but it will not be strictly chronological - neither will it be prescriptive. Works of art from a range of periods, places and points of view will be examined. We may look at Jan van Eyck’s Arnolfini Marriage, Manet’s Olympia, Duchamp’s Fountain, Faith Ringold’s Dancing at the Louvre or Brett Graham’s Cease Tide of Wrong-Doing for instance.
Students will also trace the origins of contemporary art through the works of earlier ‘movers and shakers’. It will address how local and global histories have shaped pivotal moments and movements in the modern period (largely art produced in the twentieth century) and into our present century.
The course content will also respond to current national and international exhibitions, pivotal events and the interests of students. Comprising an evolving series of tutor-led discussions and selected gallery visits, Art History Now provides a relaxed and fun learning environment and there are no formal assessments.
*Please note, the listed course fee includes an online transaction surcharge. To avoid the surcharge, payment can be made via bank transfer, in which case the fee is $1400.00. See here for details.
About the tutor
Claire Chamberlain (MA Art History with First Class Honours, PGDipEd) has taught for Te Tuhi’s Art Today programme since 2018 and has over 25 years experience as a secondary teacher of art history. Overt the years, she published Art History texts, led international tours and was President of the New Zealand Art History Teachers’ Association. She has been joint head of Patrons of New Zealand at the Venice Biennale since 2022 and has been a patron herself since 2017. In 2024 she led a tour of Northern Italy in conjunction with an art travel specialist, and she will lead another one in 2025. A keen supporter of Aotearoa arts and artists, Claire is passionate about communicating her love of art and art history in an accessible and enjoyable way.
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