AH 100
3 credits
History of Art and Culture in a Global Context
Prerequisite(s): None
This course will introduce students to the study of visual art and culture in a global context. Thematic approaches to the art of various cultures will encourage students to appreciate distinct cultural traditions while also considering collisions, connections and cross-fertilization between cultures. Some reference will be made to Indigenous Art in British Columbia.
AH 101
3 credits
Art and Culture in the West to 1400
Prerequisite(s): None.
An introduction to visual arts and culture from Prehistory to 1400. Historical and geographical contexts will be considered, along with the dominant political, religious, and social concerns that inform the works examined.
AH 102
3 credits
Art and Culture in the West from 1400 to the Present
Prerequisite(s): None.
An introduction to visual arts and culture from the Renaissance to the contemporary era, with a focus on understanding how artistic production informs and responds to the political, social, and religious concerns of its time and place.
AH 200
3 credits
Art History and Its Methods
Prerequisite(s): 15 university-level credits.
An introduction to a variety of critical approaches to the study of art, emphasizing the value of applying different theoretical methods to enrich and broaden an understanding of the visual arts.
AH 203
3 credits
History of Posters - The Art of Persuasion
Prerequisite(s): None.
Posters have played a role in times of revolution, war, protest, and for cultural and commercial circulation. Investigation of world posters will address the artistic, socio-political, and economic motivations behind their production as well as their diverse audiences and contexts.
AH 204
3 credits
Indigenous Art of the Northwest Coast
Prerequisite(s): None
Students will consider how the art and visual culture of the Indigenous peoples of the Northwest Coast of British Columbia have functioned in rituals and have been appropriated for financial gain, politicized as a vision of Canada and as a tool of Indigenous activism, and integrated into globalized display cultures.
AH 205
3 credits
Art Practices and Popular Culture
Prerequisite(s): 15 university-level credits.
An examination of popular culture in relation to historical and contemporary art-making practices. Students will apply critical methods to the study of relevant historical artistic movements (e.g. Cubism, Dada, Pop), and examine the social and political role of art and the artist.
AH 215
3 credits
Contemporary Canadian Art
Prerequisite(s): None
This course provides an introduction to Canadian art produced since 1945. The rich and multifarious artworks produced in Canada are representative of the country’s regional and ethnic diversity, while national interests and international influences are also much in evidence. The course may be taught as a chronological survey, or organized to focus on specific themes or issues; please consult the department for current offerings.
AH 219
3 credits
Classical Art and Its Legacy
Prerequisite(s): 15 university-level credits.
A contextual examination of the visual culture of Classical Antiquity from its origins in Ancient Greece and Rome through its enduring and often politically-fraught global legacy.
AH 230
3 credits
Issues in Exhibition
Prerequisite(s): 3 credits of lower-level Art History.
A field experience course in which students will analyze curatorial objectives, elements of display, and supportive exhibition materials. This course may be combined with a study tour experience that may vary in length and location from local institutions to international sites.
AH 235
3 credits
Art and Religion
Prerequisite(s): 15 university-level credits.
An introduction to the visual culture of spiritual and religious beliefs and practices from a variety of geographic, cultural and chronological contexts. Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Indigenous, Islamic, Judaic and Sikh traditions, among others, will be considered.
AH 250
3 credits
Art and the Metropolis
Prerequisite(s): None.
A case study of a specific city, the study tour destination, as a site vested with cultural and symbolic meaning. Examines the historical and present contexts of the city by focusing on its art and architecture. This course is offered in the winter semester and prepares students for the biannual VA study tour.
Note: This course will be offered under different letter designations (e.g. C-Z), representing different cities. Students may only take the course once for credit.
AH 270
3 credits
Architecture and Nature: Building Between Earth and Sky
Prerequisite(s): 15 university-level credits.
An examination of the changing relationship between architecture and nature from prehistory to the present day that encompasses architecture, urban planning, garden design, and commemorative monuments. This course references both built and imagined examples in art and visual culture.
Note: This course may include field trips.
AH 310
4 credits
Studies in Medieval Art
Prerequisite(s): 9 credits of 100- or 200-level Art History. Students who do not meet these pre-reqs
but have completed 45 university-level credits may obtain instructor's permission
This course focuses on developments in the visual culture of Medieval Europe within a specific period from the fifth through the fifteenth centuries. This rich and extensive period encompasses many cultures, styles, genres, media, and regions, ranging, for example, from Anglo-Saxon jewelry of the British Isles, through monumental Gothic buildings emanating out of northern France, to the more classically-nuanced art and architecture of the Italian peninsula. The visual culture of this era will be examined in relation to historical and geographical contexts, and the dominant political, religious, and social concerns of each period. The specific period to be considered may vary. Please consult the instructor.
AH 311
4 credits
Studies in Renaissance Art
Prerequisite(s): 9 credits of 100- or 200-level Art History. Students who do not meet these prerequisites,
but have completed 45 university-level credits may obtain instructor's permission.
This course will examine developments in the visual culture of Renaissance Europe from the fourteenth through the sixteenth centuries. This is a time of intense artistic productivity and intellectual exploration that stimulates profound changes in the production, circulation, and reception of visual art, marking the beginning of the early modern period. The visual culture of this era will be examined in relation to historical and geographical contexts, and the dominant political, religious, and social concerns of the period. The specific topic will vary. Please consult the instructor.
AH 312
4 credits
Studies in Baroque Art and Architecture
Prerequisite(s): 3 credits of 100- or 200-level Art History or 45 university-level credits.
From the vantage points of the Counter-Reformation and rise of modern European states, this course addresses visual culture from the late 16th through the early 18th century in relation to the rise of the art academies, art theory, religious conflict, scientific discovery, political geography, and colonial expansion.
AH 313
4 credits
Arts in Context: Romanticism
Prerequisite(s): Three credits of 100- or 200-level Art History or 45 university-level credits.
An examination of visual arts and culture from the late 18th to the mid-19th century, with a primary focus on Romantic art in Western Europe. Romanticism’s dominant themes will be considered in relation to the era's profound political and social upheavals.
AH 315
4 credits
Arts in Context: Contemporary
Prerequisite(s): 3 credits of 100- or 200- level Art History, or 45 university-level credits.
After the end of WWII, Western cultures faced challenges and diversification as never before. This course considers the production, circulation, and reception of contemporary arts in their relation to social upheaval, political movements, emerging critical thought, and globalization.
AH 316
4 credits
Arts in Context: Gender, Art, and Society
Prerequisite(s): 6 credits of 100- or 200-level Art History, or 45 university-level credits.
An examination of how gender has influenced the creation and reception of visual arts including a consideration of interrelations of gender, class, race, and sexuality, as well as the impact of feminism and critical theory.
AH 320
4 credits
Art and Culture: Special Topics
Prerequisite(s): 6 credits of 100- and/or 200-level Art History, or 45 university-level credits.
Topics will vary. Students will encounter the artistic and cultural production of a non-Western society (e.g. Haida, Japanese), or related groups of societies (e.g. Oceanic or African) from an interdisciplinary perspective.
AH 321
4 credits
Canada: Contact Zone
Prerequisite(s): 3 credits of 100- or 200-level Art History or 45 university-level credits.
This course explores the role of art and visual culture as a mediator between Indigenous and Settler communities in pre-and post-Confederation Canada. Conflict, negotiation, appropriation, and resistance characterize such cross-cultural exchanges, and – in this complex context – the course considers the social, political, and economic implications of post-Contact art objects.
Note: Students with credit for AH 320D cannot take this course for further credit.
AH 323
4 credits
Arts in Context: Modernity and Modernism, 1850-1900
Prerequisite(s): 3 credits of 100- or 200-level Art History or 45 university-level credits.
Examines the development of the visual arts from 1850 to 1900. Major artistic movements from Realism, through Impressionism, to Symbolism, and Art Nouveau are explored.
Note: Students with credit for AH 314 cannot take this course for further credit.
AH 324
4 credits
Arts in Context: Avant-Garde Art, 1900-1945
Prerequisite(s): 3 credits of 100- or 200-level Art History or 45 university-level credits.
An examination of art agitation and artistic experimentations from around 1900 to 1945. The course focuses on how the arts in Europe and America participated in a redefinition of the past and present in times of political conflict and social upheaval.
Note: Students with credit for AH 314 cannot take this course for further credit.
AH 330
4 credits
Museum Principles and Practices
Prerequisite(s): 3 credits of 100- or 200-level Art History or 45 university-level credits.
This course provides a theoretical and practical study of how museums perpetuate aesthetic, cultural, and political interests. Students will examine how galleries construct meaning and determine public taste by analyzing exhibitions in terms of broad institutional mandate as well as specific curatorial objectives, issues of display, and issues of reception.
AH 340
4 credits
Art and Fashion
Prerequisite(s): 6 credits of Art History or 45 university-level credits.
An examination of art and fashion with attention to wardrobe as cultural phenomenon and means of communication. Considers emblematic dimensions of dress and purpose of dress beyond mere functionality.
Note: Students with credit for AH 341 cannot take this course for further credit.
AH 401
4 credits
Senior Seminar I
Prerequisite(s): Two upper-level Art History courses, to include AH 314 or AH 315, plus 30 additional university-level credits.
This course presents an overview of key theoretical issues important to the practice and reception of contemporary art. Modern and contemporary cultural theories, art theory, and art criticism are examined.
Note: This course is offered as AH 401 and VA 401. Students may take only one of these for credit.
AH 403
3 credits
Senior Seminar II
Prerequisite(s): AH 401/VA 401.
This seminar explores advanced theoretical issues pertaining to art-making practices. Research will be conducted on contemporary art practice, cultural theory, and art criticism.
Note: This course is offered as AH 403 and VA 403. Students may take only one of these for credit.
AH 490
4 credits
Directed Studies in Art History and Visual Studies
Prerequisite(s): 60 university-level credits, including 12 credits of Art History with a minimum of 4 credits at the upper-level.
For upper-level students who wish to pursue an independent course of concentrated study in a topic not otherwise offered, or a supervised practicum.
Note: Institutional policy requires the submission of a proposal prior to registration in this course. [UFV Policy 207]
