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Modernism on Sea (lunchtime sessions)

6 weekly sessions on campus, on Tuesdays from 11am-1pm, starting from Tuesday 4 November.

Overview

This fascinating course, delivered in daytime sessions, takes its inspiration from Feigel and Harris' Modernism on Sea: Art and Culture at the British Seaside (2009). This book explores avant-garde art, architecture, film, literature, photography and design, from the early 20th century to the present, setting the arrival of modernism against the background of seaside tradition.

We'll follow a similar journey of discovery in this 6-week course and enjoy an exploration of the sights and sounds of the British seaside we have probably all experienced in our lives. The wide-ranging subjects will include art of the Camden Town Group and John Piper, poetry and literature of Virginia Woolf, Stevie Smith and Sylvia Plath, and the art deco architecture of lidos and pavilions. We'll revisit postcards, promenades and piers, but we will keep our focus on modernism as the overarching theme and vision. No previous experience is necessary for this cultural trip to the seaside.

Syllabus

  • Week 1: Modernism and the seaside- what do we know and understand about Modernism? What are the key themes, styles, techniques of Modernist art, architecture, literature and film?
  • Week 2: Modernism, the British seaside and art
  • Week 3: Modernism, the British seaside and architecture and design
  • Week 4:  Modernism, the British seaside and literature
  • Week 5:  Modernism, the British seaside and film, photography, music
  • Week 6: Modernism, student research and contributions.

Course lecturer

Dr Judith Walsh is a lecturer in modern and contemporary art. Her PhD examined aesthetic, cultural and societal themes and trends of the post war period including the ‘battle’ between figurative and abstract art. Currently working for the University of Liverpool she has also taught extensively for Tate Liverpool, National Museums Liverpool and Liverpool Hope University. She is particularly interested in the collaborative nature of artistic practice and the philosophy of aesthetics and contemporary art in a globalised world. 

Course fee

  • Standard fee: £95
  • Concession fee: £50.