Are you interested in learning something new, gaining fresh perspectives on Australian art history, and immersing yourself in the NGV Collection?
Over four evening sessions, NGV curators and specialist staff and educators guide participants through Australian art histories, from a variety of perspectives.
With the NGV Collection of Australian and First Nations art and design at the heart of the course, participants will consider Australian art history in broad contexts through richly illustrated presentations, in-gallery tours, interactive activities and facilitated group discussions.
The course will consider Australian art in context with important First Nations art histories, examine Australia’s long history of artistic migration and global connectivity, and introduce the key artists and socio-historical events that helped shape the diverse and rich cultural landscape that we know today.
This course covers a broad overview of art on this continent up until the late twentieth-century.
From rich histories of travel and cultural trade that existed prior to British colonisation, to the early decades of colonialism – participants will examine the arrival of professional painters such as John Glover and Conrad Martens and the impact of the discovery of gold on the Australian artistic landscape.
Participants will engage with ideas about the ways that artists responded to the specific social context in Australia, as well as how international art movements impacted Australian artists, both here and abroad. Sessions will provide opportunities to closely study leading figures such as Tom Roberts, Frederick McCubbin and Clara Southern, as well as those pioneering the movement of Modernism in Australia, including Margaret Preston, Grace Cossington-Smith and Grace Crowley.
Unpack the contribution of Australian artists to the Surrealist movement, as well as the passionate debate over abstract and figurative art that ensued in Australia in the 1950s and 1960s with artists responding to international stylistic movements such as colour field and hard-edge abstraction.
Attention will also be paid to First Nations artists in the 1960s such as Walter Tjampitjinpa and Mick Wallangkarri Tjakamarra, whose intimate and expansive knowledge of Country and attunement to the rapidly shifting art market across Australia gave way to internationally acclaimed art movements such as the Hermannsburg Watercolours and the Papunya Tula.
This course will run on Thursday evenings from 12 June – 3 July, 6–8pm.
The course will include curator-led talks and tours introducing key ideas, themes, and works in Australian art with a focus on the NGV’s Collection of First Nations and Australian art. These sessions will be complemented by educator-led group discussions and activities, including different approaches to analysing and interpreting works of art, that will provide opportunity for participants to actively engage with the ideas explored in the course.
Sessions are held in the NGV’s learning spaces and galleries and take place after-hours to provide an exclusive and intimate learning experience.
No prior knowledge or experience is required.
A prescribed reading and resources list will be provided to course participants as part of the course materials, providing links to a curated selection of books, articles and videos to extend your learning.
$370 Members / $400 Non-Member / $385 Concession, Student & Educator
+ $5.50 Booking Fee
Enrolment includes access to all four weeks of the course, with all course materials provided. A prescribed reading and resources list will be provided to course participants as part of the course materials, providing links to a curated selection of books, articles and videos to extend your learning.
INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS & EDUCATORS
Australian Art Histories: Four-Week Course offers an inspiring and creative professional learning opportunity for teachers of all levels and subjects. This Four-Week Course meets the following AITSL standards:
A certificate of professional learning is available on request.
This course is part of NGV Art School, offering online courses, in-person courses, talks and livestreamed events to support avid learners of all ages to confidently embrace the world of art, design and ideas.