BA (Hons) Contemporary Fine Art
- UCAS code: W101
- Mode of study: Full time or sandwich with work placement
- Duration: 3 years full time, 4 years sandwich with work placement
- Entry requirements 2013: 240-300 points to include a minimum of 240 points from A levels, or equivalent, with 100 points from an A level in an Art & Design subject. Or Foundation Art & Design or National Diploma in Art & Design. Applicants may be subject to interview. A portfolio is essential.
- Please see details of the range of other qualifications that will also be considered on the 'Entry Requirements' tab below. Please do contact us for advice on other qualifications that aren't listed here.
Find out more:
Tel: +44 (0)23 9284 2421
Email: create.admissions@port.ac.uk
Department: School of Art, Design and Media (ADM)
Course overview
This is a contemporary fine art course with an emphasis on the development of challenging and experimental work which embraces and brings to the fore the use of media in a contemporary context. You will develop your own personal artistic practice sustained by an authoritative theoretical understanding and knowledge of production technologies.
In recent years contemporary fine art has incorporated the use of emerging digital technologies. You will be able to explore:
- film/video
- sound, installation
- performance
- electronic and new media
- drawing
- painting
- sculpture
- photography
- whatever medium you consider relevant to the development of your work
There will be optional units and opportunities which specifically address the issues of digital imaging and printing, animation, audio recording and sound manipulation, interaction, video and web technologies, and performance. These will be augmented by the opportunity to use traditional resources, including print making and working with wood and/or metal.
You will study and produce art in the form of online gallery exhibitions and public art commissions, and will be encouraged to develop an understanding of the historical and contemporary cultural contexts in which you work.
A distinctive combination of practice, theory and professional development
We offer a distinctive combination of practice, theory and professional development, continually threaded through each year of the course. While personal artistic development is the core of your practice, knowledge of the professional world you will enter is equally important. You will therefore be encouraged and supported to take your practice outside of the University at every opportunity. To assist this, we have an annual Professional Development Fund for which you can competitively bid to take projects out of the university environment - for example, to local galleries and graduate showcase events in London.
A dynamic and lively learning environment
The School of Art, Design and Media brings together students and staff from various creative disciplines, generating a dynamic learning environment. Our mission is to provide an educational ethos that emphasises a distinctive relationship between practice and research in a cultural context, with strong emphasis upon the professional skills required to succeed in design, art and media-related professions.
A lively and diverse programme of visiting speakers, including artists, curators and arts administrators, are invited to lecture on their work, encouraging a vibrant culture of debate and interaction, as well as bringing you into contact with professional life.
Is this the right course for me?
The BA (Hons) Contemporary Fine Art course depends to a large extent on creative independence and an experimental approach to the range of media available to contemporary arts practitioners. We are interested in well-motivated, enthusiastic students. You will be asked to present a portfolio of original work.
Visit us and find out more
If you would like to visit and see more for yourself, we hold Open and Preview Days throughout the year. For further information about these or any other course we offer, please contact us.
Course content
Year one
In year one you will begin the exploration of contemporary fine art media. Practice is developed through seminar groups, which are supported by critical and theoretical presentations, lectures and discussions. There is the establishment of the ethos of practice and research. Subjects will include:
- personal artistic development
- professional practice
- visual culture (theory and context)
- video and sound
- web
- photography
- digital photography and printing
- 3D workshop
- paint
Year two
Year two continues the exploration and definition of personal practice. Professional development is brought to the fore in a combination of units that raise awareness of the complexity, diversity and requirements of various artistic and creative industries careers. Core units include:
- Personal Artistic Development
- Professional Practice and Enterprise
- Visual Culture
Optional units cover:
- documentary production
- interdisciplinary performance
- sound and visualisation
- digital photography
- student enterprise
- sound and visualisation
- digital art and media
- understanding contemporary fine art
- music: practice, performance and research
- professional experience
- learning a language
Year three
Year three culminates in your final-year exhibition. You will also produce a theoretical or practical dissertation demonstrating your theoretical understanding of cultural practice, through written or practical studio work. Units address issues of personal artistic development, curation and exhibition critique, as well as professional development and enterprise.
Teaching and assessment
Knowledge will be gained through a mixture of lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops and studio project work. Typically you will have some hours of lectures, practical workshop instruction, seminars and tutorials, and supervised practical work for a proportion of each week. The remainder of the week is made up of self-directed study.
In most areas you will be assessed by coursework made up of practical work or a mixture of practical work and and written assignment. Generally speaking, coursework is spread throughout the semester and work is assessed continuously.
Career prospects
Contemporary fine art courses offer a variety of graduate employment possibilities. This is due to the large range of creative, technical and communication skills gained whilst studying the subject.
Recent graduates have found success as:
- contracted gallery artists
- public artists
- gallery managers
- curators
- academic researchers
On a broader scale others have found work in
- publishing
- teaching
- television
- theatre
Facilities and features
The School of Art, Design and Media provides you with appropriate studio space, access to printmaking workshops, 3D workshops, photographic facilities, computer suites and the knowledge and experience of professional academic and support staff.
Students are actively encouraged to use the studio space to create work.
Our open access IT suites have PCs as well as Macs, flatbed scanners, slide scanners and large format ink jet printers. You will have your own email address and access to information from the Student Portal on the University website.
A lively and diverse programme of visiting speakers, including artists, curators and arts administrators, are invited to lecture on their work, encouraging a vibrant culture of debate and interaction, as well as bringing you into contact with professional life.
Entry requirements
View all the entry requirements for BA (Hons) Contemporary Fine Art for the academic year 2013/14 (opens in new window).
Suggested portfolio content
The work contained within your portfolio can be produced as part of a formal course of study or evening class, or anything you have produced independently. Please include photographs of any large-scale 3D projects that are too unwieldy to bring with you. Sketchbooks are essential as they help to give us an insight into your visual research capabilities and thinking processes.
Evidence of theoretical studies in the form of a marked essay or other written material is also an advantage. Finally, anything that indicates an interest in contemporary fine art is useful too (e.g. visits to relevant exhibitions, galleries and so on).
More information about the portfolio requirements and interview procedures can be found on our website.