ARHT2636: Semester 2, 2021

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Units ARHT2636 Semester 2 2021 [Normal day]

Unit of study_

ARHT2636: Contemporary Indigenous Art

Semester 2, 2021 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Aboriginal and Torres Strait art is the major Australian movement of the last 50 years. Surveying its development from Papunya Tula to the present, the unit focuses on critical issues like appropriation and copyright, art and native title, women artists, the market and curatorial practices.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	ARHT2636
Academic unit	Art History
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	ARHT2036
Prerequisites ?	12 credit points at 1000 level in Art History or 12 credit points at 1000 level in Indigenous Studies
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Stephen Gilchrist, stephen.gilchrist@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Stephen Gilchrist, stephen.gilchrist@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Research essay Written assessment	55%	Formal exam period Due date: 21 Nov 2021 at 23:59	2500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Discussion Online task	10%	Multiple weeks	4 posts
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Visual analysis Written assessment	35%	Week 05 Due date: 05 Sep 2021 at 23:59	1500 words
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Discussion Boards: Please respond to at least 4 online questions under each week’s module and engage with fellow students on the discussion boards throughout the semester. These posts should demonstrate a developing understanding of the unit through an engagement with the articles, chapters, lectures and class discussions. Please try to articulate the author’s argument(s), identify how these contribute to our class session’s theme, and open up issues raised in the text(s) for further class discussion. You will need to post on at least 4 discussion boards across the semester.
Visual analysis: This assessment is about close visual analysis and object specific research. Choose an Indigenous work of art that is prefereably on display from the Indigenous collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales to research and write an in depth analysis of it as if an extended wall label. This is an exercise in looking, researching, and writing.
Research essay: The final research paper is intended to be an in-depth exploration of one of the questions found at the top of each weekly tutorial reading. You may choose your own question in discussion with your lecturer. The goal is to provide you with the opportunity to further pursue something that has piqued your interest or curiosity during the semester in light of the content and themes of this course.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	In the beginning: foundational concepts and methodologies	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	The memory of place: art of the South-East	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	Self guided walking tour of the Unsettled Exhibition at the Australian Museum.	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 03	First citizen: Albert Namatjira, Assimilation and the Hermannsburg School	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 03	Viewing Hermannsburg watercolours in AGNSW study room	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 04	Regimes of value: the art market, resale royalty, and copyright	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 04	Self-guided trip to MCA to see Richard Bell exhibition 'You can go now'	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 05	Local and global: Papunya and the category of the contemporary	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 06	Shock of the ancient: art of the Western and Central deserts	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 07	Eulogies in Ochre: art from the Tiwi Islands and the East Kimberley	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 08	Registers of knowledge: bark painting from Arnhem Land	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 08	Guest speaker: Matt Poll	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 09	Collective creation: art centre models across Australia including, Boomalli and proppaNow	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 10	Indigenous photography: daguerreotypes, stereotypes, and prototypes (Indigenous photography)	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 11	Indigenising museums: repatriation, activism, and the politics of curation	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 12	Artist talk	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 13	Something more: land rights, sovereignty, and treaties	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold. If a unit of study has a participation mark, your attendance may influence this mark.
Lecture recordings: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on Canvas. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.
Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library eReserve, available on Canvas.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. understand the cosmological dimension of Indigenous art and the diversity of Indigenous contemporary art practice
LO2. relate contemporary art practice to issues of assimilation, colonisation, sovereignty, reconciliation, formulations of nationhood and alternative citizenship, intersectionality, and social justice
LO3. problematise the dichotomies between remote/urban, art/craft, ethnography/art, prehistory/history, traditional/contemporary
LO4. understand the multiple regimes of value that shape the creation and circulation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art in Australia and globally
LO5. demonstrate knowledge of the historical reception of Indigenous art and the shifting frameworks of Indigenous museology
LO6. engage with works of art and discuss them in relation to art historical, critical, political, and theoretical interpretations of Aboriginal art
LO7. demonstrate skills in critical reading, writing, and thinking.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Tutorial structure has been changed based on feedback from the last iteration.

Additional information

More information can be found on Canvas.

Site visit guidelines

Site visits for local students will be encouraged where possible.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Site visit guidelines

Disclaimer

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