Advanced Artistic Work 3

The course concentrates on the development of individual artistic practice and the contextualisation of the studio work. It covers the entire range from research and concept development, reflection, articulation and realisation.

This course prepares MFA candidates for practice-based research in contemporary art. The regular course aims to help MFA candidates to steep themselves in the theory of their own research area, and to be able to examine it analytically in relationship to research production.

The objective is to focus and develop the MFA thesis project which is to be presented and defended in the MFA exhibition and exam at the end of the two-year term.
On completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. demonstrate understanding of the principles and practices in higher levels of research skills specific to artistic research.
2. frame research objectives rigorously, lucidly and in terms of propositions, insights to be gained.
3. demonstrate awareness of relevant methods and techniques of inquiry in contemporary art, and the capacity to apply them.
4. capacity to access and deploy search tools, databases, archives and bibliographic sources.
5. capacity to identify and contextualize currently dynamic issues in oneʼs field of research, in the sense of open questions, new topics and trends.
The individual studio work is examined in a progress review at the end of the term.

In addition to studiovisits and tutorials the course presents research methods in theory and practice:
- presenting a visual thesis for examination by exhibition;
- methods appropriate to creative arts research;
- using databases, archives and bibliographic sources specific to the creative arts;
- reporting the results of visual experimentation within the structure of a written exegesis;
- original knowledge and contribution;
- creative arts outputs and dissemination avenues.

Delivery is through a series of lectures and tutorial-type presentations supported by readings, group discussion and candidate presentations.