Points of View: Developing Strategies for Independent Research in Art & Design

This course is not on offer in 2024. MCAP/VCAP students should contact the program convenor to discuss a suitable substitution. This course introduces students to developing and critically addressing an independent research question relevant to their own art practice or field of specialisation. Providing strategies to help refine, structure, and present a position and argument, it is aimed at students engaged in either practice-led research or art history and art theory. Students will learn to frame research questions, articulate construct logical arguments and explore ways to understand and contextualise their research. To deepen their critical understanding of art within historical and contemporary contexts, students will develop skills in writing and oral communication by locating, interpreting, and critically evaluating key information from academic resources. It is structured around seminar presentations and guest lectures, including academics artists, curators, and writers, and involves visits to collections and displays at national institutions where different examples of research approaches are demonstrated and tested.