In this session Art Historian, Bojana Popovic, will discuss some of the most important abstract paintings of the 20th century and try to offer an insight into works of art that can, at times, seem inaccessible or daunting.
Art History Events
Artist in Focus: Francis Bacon
To coincide with the blockbuster exhibition 'Francis Bacon: Man and Beast' at the Royal Academy of Art in London, we will have a dedicated talk on this iconic artist. Characterised by his incredible ability to represent inner psychological turmoils and emotional torments, the works we will focus on hauntingly resonate through time.
Art as Political Protest
Spanning from Picasso's iconic Guernica to the works of contemporary artists like Georg Baselitz and Adrian Ghenie, we will look at how key political events of the 20th century have shaped art.
Freedom of Expression: Art vs Mass Media
At a time when photographs, captions and reference images in the news could no longer be trusted, artists create relevant works that rose a mirror to society and led audiences to challenge the 'information' provided by the media.
Contemporary African Art
The focus of this session will be to look at artists who draw inspiration from their roots and ancestry – whether it be their own personal histories relating to Africa, or their observation of the appropriation of African culture by the Western societies they are a part of today.
British Colonialism Through the Lens of Art
What can art, from the time of British colonialism, tell us about history and culture then and now? How has Imperial expansion shaped our perceptions of power, greatness and our understanding of nationhood? Join us for a discussion of a selection of famous British art works. We will unravel how they have influenced our perceptions of culture, beauty and heritage and still do in society today. We will also challenge that notion, in a study of some of contemporary art's responses, that bring the Great British narrative into question.
Postcolonial Happiness : British Empire and Indian Art
Though this lecture does not negate the conversations on and around decolonisation, it mainly focuses on the residual positive effects of colonialism on the art and culture of South Asia-mainly on the Indian subcontinent. The proposed discussion on Postcolonialism and its impact on Indian art is not an attempt to salvage the glorious or inglorious imperial past but to learn how the new world can move beyond this period-together, towards a place of mutual respect, diversity and inclusiveness.
Artist in Focus: Paula Rego
Paula Rego's art is undoubtedly characterised by her incredible ability to create captivating narratives that often evoke fairytales or dreams, but in this talk we will see how she equally uses her art to push important socio-political messages to the frontline.
Cuban Art V: Adios Utopia!
Lecture five will look at the way in which the fall of Berlin Wall and the start of the Periodo Especial affected Cuban Art.
Cuban Art IV: The Cuban Renaissance
This lecture will look at the period directly after the quinquenio gris and the way in which economic stability gave way to a Cuban artistic renaissance from the late 1970s until 1989.