From the National Gallery to Tate Modern, commercial galleries to independent spaces, this course surveys some of London's most compelling art works. From nineteenth century pioneers such as Édouard Manet and Claude Monet, to some of the most iconic practitioners of the mid-twentieth century including Jackson Pollock and Donald Judd, we will consider the role of art in the social, cultural, and political spheres up until today. The first half of the course will be taught in five of London's key institutions. Here we will consider developments in painting, sculpture, and photography as each medium responded to changing social dynamics in Europe and North America, and later to critical and abstract engagement with the white cube. The final three classes will take place in a selection of temporary exhibitions, where we will consider contemporary art's relation to the market as well as more recent critical practices pushing the boundaries of how we view art, and how art views it's surroundings.
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