BA (Hons) Fine Art Bachelor's degree at the University of Leeds

You'll be given the chance to explore contemporary and traditional approaches to fine art across a range of disciplines, making use of our excellent resources, including, film, experimental printmaking, ceramics, art writing, sculpture, photography and audio-visual practices. You'll be introduced into the broader context of contemporary art practices, engaging with artists, tutors and curators through practical studio workshops, live projects and exhibition opportunities. You'll begin to develop

This module continues with the development of independent studio work for developing self-directed practice-based research, and you will be encouraged to develop artwork that reflects your research interests and locates your work within the contextual framework of contemporary art practice. You'll work in self-selected groups as you develop an independent practice and work towards a public presentation of your work.

Taking the act of 'seeing' as its starting point, this module asks you to analyse assumptions about art that may appear natural, obvious or unquestionable. By exploring the many ways in which 'seeing' is -thought and theorised, you'll question the relation between society, ideas, art and writing. You'll consider how visual culture conveys and constructs social values and how 'seeing' is wrapped-up with verbal representations and conceptualisations, gaining skills of critical thinking, visual ana

Drawing on a wide array of critical art-historical sources and examples from visual culture, this module considers some of the ideological and conceptual structures associated with shaping the process of seeing. Through close reading, you'll gain an awareness of various categories and structures for seeing, you'll question notions of 'meaning' and 'interpretation'. Using these ideas as a basis, you'll develop critical thinking and writing skills to explore, and reflect on, how our lived experien

This module builds on your achievements of the previous year as you take on your own studio in a shared communal space. The emphasis is on independent, self-directed, practice-based research and continuing to address questions of its dissemination, presentation and audience. You'll develop your work supported by individual tutorials, group crits and technical workshops that allow you to explore the processes and materiality available to realise your creative aspirations.

Working in research focused studio groups, you'll develop a body of work that explores your ideas of audience in relation to appropriate methods of display for your work, building your awareness of the social and cultural contexts, networks and histories that inform contemporary art's production and presentation. This module will be supported by individual tutorials and group crits, that continue to support your analytical approach to your own work and that of your colleagues. Specialist worksho

Are there fundamental differences between the ways you see familiar objects and those from Asia? Are there ways in which the power and meanings of 'seeing' change in an Asian context, so that even though we are 'seeing' the same object, we understand the object differently? How do cultural and historical values and standards shape the act of seeing and how we interpret images? By engaging with wide-ranging historical and cultural examples drawn from a range of specialities from art to science, t

Narrative histories of English Art in the 20th century have tended to imply a succession of movements of varying 'modernity'. You'll look at the different definitions of 'modern' or 'contemporary' art at different historical moments in 20th century England to the present day, as well as studying the underlying critical ideologies. This module will make particular use of the notable collections of Leeds City Art Gallery and the University Collections to understand museological collecting and disp

The Grand Tour's origins lie in the early 17th century, when a small number of British aristocrats left their native islands to explore the cultural capitals of Europe. By the 18th century, it had developed into a rite of passage for privileged young men sent abroad to expand their knowledge of the visual arts, architecture, music and foreign political systems. Its culmination was Rome, where a thriving cultural industry arose to meet the demand for paintings, objet d'art and antiquities. This m

This module introduces some of the main themes in the histories of the art market. It is a chronologically ordered and thematic investigation that focuses on key notions, such as the Primary (production) and Secondary (resale/collecting) art markets, and key segments such as the Fine and Decorative Art ('Antiques') markets. The role of key institutions, such as auction houses and galleries, and key agents, such as art dealers, collectors and artists, are also addressed. You'll critically reflect

This module gives you an insight into African art and the ability to complete a critical assessment of the topic. You'll understand some of the major issues confronting African art history and will gain knowledge of some of the key aspects of African visual cultures. You'll also be able to recognise key works of African art.

This module explores a range of feminist, postcolonial and queer theories of the embodiment of gender, its performance, performativity and representation in art and visual culture, showing the relations between the two. You'll address shifts in the representational schema of the woman's body by the study of a range of feminist perspectives that offer a critical framework for thinking about the body, embodiment and difference in all its intersectional complexity. This module also covers a range o

You'll engage with several questions fundamental to a critical and historical approach to Renaissance art. Starting with the provocative notion of Anti-Renaissance – explored by the Italian art historian Eugenio Battisti, and in related discussions elsewhere – we will think through the Renaissance as a dynamic site of conflict, contestation and experiment. Against an idea of the Renaissance as the expression of a calm, linear 'progress' – towards artistic perfection, towards a rational approach

This module provides you with an opportunity to think about the ways in which your knowledge and expertise can be applied beyond your university studies. In order to participate in this module you will need to secure an opportunity to volunteer or work in an external context (such as school education, third sector, or with community groups, or you could use experiences you are gaining through engagement with Leeds University Union). You will be encouraged to consider the relevance of your academ