ÐÂÏã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û

This MA special subject surveys and analyses engagements between art and feminism since 2008. The module begins by examining the resurgence of interest in the histories of second-wave feminism in the late 2000s - described by the art historian Catherine Grant in terms of ‘fans of feminism’ - before asking what happened in the decade that followed.

Based around a close engagement with the work of a young generation of artists, this module will address some of the most pressing themes and questions that define the field: from the reproduction of labour in the digital economy, to the relationship between art and the environment, to thinking about race and representation. A unique feature of the module is that we will also start to approach the problem of social class in contemporary art, asking how might the visual languages of class manifest and why has social class not been considered as a vector of identity in the discourses of contemporary art in any sustained way?

The chronological scope of the module is framed by the global economic downturn of 2007-2008 and the political and social effects that it gave rise to, including increasing levels of inequality. The development of new networked communication technologies from around this time will also form an important backdrop to the module as a whole, and we will think about technology not only in relation to feminist theory and practice but also consider the construction of models of masculinity and the importance of trans scholarship to theorizing the Web (and vice versa). We will critically engage with some of the new discursive frameworks that have emerged in parallel to these developments in the last decade – including the anthropocene, the posthuman and the so-called new-materialisms – and analyse how these have informed artistic responses to thinking about identity and subjectivity. The course aims to situate these practices historically, and we will consider possible points of connection – and disconnection – with earlier moments such as performance practices of the 1960s and 70s, body art of the 1990s and cyberfeminism.

Visits to relevant galleries and institutions across London will form a common component of the module.