Shrewsbury School - Academic Perspectives

History of Art - Art and Second
Wave Feminism & Greek
Mythology in Art
The Michaelmas Term AP course, Art and Second Wave Feminism, aims to consider the works of several seminal
female artists, working in the 60s and 70s to combat issues of inequality and discrimination. We will look at how
these artists demonstrated, mocked and overturned the concepts of the ubiquitous and scopophilic male gaze, the
objectification of the female body, and the classic model of active male artist vs. passive female muse. The course
will consider how brave artists used radical nakedness and vulnerability to fight against phallocentrism and the
patriarchy. It should be an exciting - and occasionally uncomfortable – exploration into the Western Art world of
second wave feminism. Some artists will include: Hannah Wilke; Carolee Schneeman; VALIE EXPORT; Lynda
Benglis; Laurie Anderson; Suzanne Santoro, Lili Dujourie and Marina Abramovic.
The Lent Term AP course will be a study of Greek mythology depicted by artists through the ages. We will look
at the Olympians, the heroes, the heroines and the monsters. We will consider when a hero may in fact be a
monster; and a monster perhaps a victim. From the Renaissance to Mannerism, through the Baroque and into
the 19th Century. Students will get a comprehensive idea of the timeline of the History of Art, culminating in the
Classics re-imagined; through the eyes of contemporary artists. This course will incorporate both painting and
sculpture, giving students knowledge to identify artistic techniques, develop skills in formal analysis of a painting
or sculpture, and give them and understanding of how to ‘read’ an artwork. Towards the end of the course,
students will have a chance to become curators, as they consider the methodologies and practicalities of curating
an exhibition in small group projects.
Length of course: One term.
Course requirements: None, this course is open to all students.