| Unit name | Art and Fashion |
|---|---|
| Unit code | HART30051 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Robles |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of History of Art (Historical Studies) |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
From the theatrical dress of Rembrandt and the exotic textiles and headgear of early modern Magi to the flamboyant costumes of the Ballet Russes and Rodchenko’s boiler-suit, fashion has provided a pivotal subject, source of inspiration and site for self-representation for artists. Depicted in art, fashion has been deployed as a tool for self-representation – from Frida Kahlo to Grayson Perry – and as a way to claim, subvert and reclaim power and status.
This unit takes as its starting point the complex relationship between art and fashion across a broad chronology. It will trace the ways in which art and fashion converge to open up themes that may include identity, morality and respectability and the ways in which fashion displays – both in print and in situ – blur the lines between fine art and material culture The unit will also introduce students to texts within the development of fashion theory and raise key art historical questions around fashion, taste, style and self-representation.
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
Classes will involve a combination of long- and short-form lectures, class discussion, investigative activities, and practical activities. Students will be expected to engage with readings and participate on a weekly basis. This will be further supported with drop-in sessions and self-directed exercises with tutor and peer feedback.
One 3000-word essay (50%) One timed assessment (50%). [Both elements will assess ILOs 1-5]
Carol Tulloch, The Birth of Cool: Style Narratives of the African Diaspora (London: Bloomsbury, 2016)
Nancy J. Troy, Couture Culture: A Study in Modern Art and Fashion (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2003)
David A Bailey and Gilane Tawadros (eds) , Veil: Veiling, Representation and Contemporary Art (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2003)
Aileen Ribeiro, Clothing Art: The Visual Culture of Fashion, 1600-1914 (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2016)
Ulinka Rublack, Dressing Up: Cultural Identity in Renaissance Europe (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010)
Marieke de Winkel, Fashion and Fancy: Dress and Meaning in Rembrandt's Paintings (Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2006)
