The Story of Modern Art from Impressionism to Pop
At a Glance
- Classroom course (South Kensington)
- Tuesdays 18:00 - 19:30
- 15 weeks | October - March
- Starts 22 October 2024
- Fees from £144
- Tutor: Dr Michael Paraskos
Enrol-by Date
- 7 October 2024
Modern Art Video Paraskos
Dr Michael Paraskos invites you to join him on an exciting whistlestop tour of the sometimes bewildering world of modern art, starting with the Impressionists in the 1860s, and ending with art in the mid-twentieth century.
The journey is a facinating one, sometimes tragic, sometimes funny, and always extraordinary - if you have ever wanted to understand the modern art in some of our most well-known museums and galleries, by artists ranging from Monet and Picasso, to Dali and Warhol, then this is the course for you!
Study of this period in art history is extremely enjoyable and rewarding, but you will end the course with a greater understanding of some most significant works of art to be found in museums and galleries across the world today. From discovering how the Impressionists used the latest findings in science to select their colour palette, to how fear of the atomic bomb led to a whole new movement in sculpture, this course will give you a real insight into how modern artists have responded to the modern world, and how that world responded to them.
No previous knowledge of art, history, or art history is necessary, and your tutor is an expert at guiding both novices and the more experienced through the - sometimes shocking and sometimes comic - intricacies of modern art. In the classroom the course is structured to encourage discussion and debate on art in a lively and friendly way.
Class Recordings
These classes are not recorded, however recordings of the online version of the course may be available.
Attendance Certificate
Successful completion of this course leads to the award of an Imperial College attendance certificate
Terms and conditions apply to all enrolments to this course. Please read them before enrolment
Course Information
Course Programme
Programme (subject to possible modification)
- 22 October 2024: Is Impressionism modernist?
- 29 October 2024: The First Modernists
- 5 November: NO SESSION
- 12 November 2024: Post Impressionism
- 19 November 2024: Matisse and French Expressionism
- 26 November 2024: German Expressionism
- 3 December 2024: Picasso and Cubism
** CHRISTMAS BREAK **
- 14 January 2025: Futurism and its Offspring
- 21 January 2025: Dada and New Objectivity
- 28 January 2025: Surrealism
- 4 February 2025: Constructivism
- 11 February 2025: Building a New World: Bauhaus
- 18 February 2025: American Modernism Before the Second World War
- 25 February 2025: The Post-War Rise of New York
- 4 March 2025: American Pop and the Cult of the Real
- 11 March 2025: The University of Central Paranoia?
Additional Reading
There is no compulsory reading required for this course and there is no set course text, but if you would like to read more on the subject we suggest:
- David Britt, Modern Art: Impressionism to Post-Modernism (London: Thames and Hudson, 2007)
- David Cottington, Modern Art: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005)
- Pam Meecham, Modern Art: A Critical Introduction (London: Routledge, 2004)
Your Tutor
Dr Michael Paraskos is a very experienced adult education tutor, having taught for over twenty-five years. He is a Visiting Professor at York St John University and holds a Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and also teaches art history to students at the City and Guilds of London Art School.
Michael is a writer of both fiction and non-fiction and has published very widely on art of this period, as well as reviewing exhibitions and novels for BBC Radio 4’s Front Row and The Spectator magazine. His first novel In Search of Sixpence was published in 2016 and his second, called Barfrestone was published in 2024.
What did last year's students think of the course?
We asked last year's students to give anonymous feedback on this course and this is what they told us:
- "So far it has lived up to the course description."
- "The teaching was understandable, informative and lively."
- "I hope we have time to finish everything listed as Michael gives great narration to the movements we are looking at."
And overall all adult education students in 2023-2024 rated our courses as excellent with a score of 4.7 out of 5.
Thank you to everyone who completed the annual survey.
Course Fees and Rate Categories
| Weeks | Standard Rate | Internal Rate | Associate Rate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Early Bird: £241 Full price: £268 |
Early Bird: £144 Full price: £160 |
Early Bird: £190 Full price: £211 |
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| All fee rates quoted are for the whole course. Early Bird rates are available until the end of 30 September only. Part-payments are not possible. | |||||
Rate Categories and Discounts
Standard Rate
- Available to all except those who fall under the Internal Rate or Associate Rate category.
Internal Rate
- Current Imperial College students and staff (incl. Imperial NHS Trust, Imperial Innovations, ancillary & service staff employed on long-term contracts at Imperial College by third-party contractors)
- People enrolling under our Friends & Family scheme
- Alumni of Imperial College and predecessor colleges and institutes, including City & Guilds College Association members
- Students, staff and alumni of the Royal College of Art, Royal College of Music and City, UAL and the City and Guilds of London Art School
- Students, staff and Governors of Woodhouse College and the IC Mathematics School
Associate Rate
- Austrian Cultural Forum staff
- Co-operative College members
- Francis Crick Institute staff, researchers and students
- Friends and Patrons of the English Chamber Orchestra
- Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens
- Friends of Leighton House/ Sambourne House
- Friends of the Royal College of Music
- Harrods staff
- Historic Royal Palaces staff
- Lycee Charles de Gaulle staff
- Members of the Friends of Imperial College
- Members of the Kennel Club
- Members of the London Zoological Society
- Members of the South London Botanical Institute (SLBI)
- Members of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
- National Health Service (NHS) employees
- Natural History Museum staff
- Residents of postcodes SW3, SW5, SW7, SW10 and W8
- Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council staff
- Royal Geographical Society staff
- Science Museum staff
- Staff of Exhibition Road Cultural Group (Discover South Kensington) organisations
- Students (non-Imperial College)
- Teachers and other staff of UK schools
- The American Institute for Foreign Study
- Tutors and other staff of institution members of the Association of Colleges
- Tutors and other staff of other universities and higher education institutions
- Victoria and Albert Museum staff
Late enrolment
It is possible to enrol on many of our adult education courses after the course has already started. For non-language courses this is subject entirely to agreement by the tutor. For language courses it is subject to agreement by the language coordinator conducting level assessment. If you want to join a course late do bear in mind there might be work you will need to catch up on, particularly in language courses.
Friends and Family Scheme
This course is eligible for allowing Imperial College students and staff to share their discount with their friends and family.
Term Dates 2024-2025
| Weeks | Autumn term | Spring term | Summer term | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Week starting 21 October - week ending 14 December 2024 (7 weeks)* | Week starting 13 January - week ending 8 March 2025 (8 weeks)* | n/a | ||
| *This is a 2-term course - Autumn term PLUS Spring term - with the Christmas break in between | |||||
Enrolment Process
Enrolment via the blue booking link is open. Early-bird discounts are available until the end of 30 September 2024
Enrolment and payment run through the Imperial College eStore. When enrolling:
- Do check on the drop down menu above called "Course Fees and Rate Categories" to see if you are eligible for a discounted rate and also do make sure you select that rate when enrolling on the eStore
- If you are a first-time eStore user you will need to create an account before enrolling. You can do this by entering an email address and password. This account can then be used for any future enrolments via the eStore.
When you have enrolled you will be sent the following email notifications:
| What is sent | When is it sent | What does it contain | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Payment confirmation | Is sent straight away following submission of your online application |
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| 2. Enrolment confirmation | Is usually sent within 10 working days. Please treat your payment confirmation as confirmation that your applicant details and payment have been received |
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| 3. Programme information | Is usually sent on Friday late afternoon the week before term starts |
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Any Questions?
If you have any questions about the academic content or teaching of this course please contact the Course Tutor, Dr Michael Paraskos, m.paraskos@imperial.ac.uk
If you have any questions about your enrolment or payment processes please contact the Programme Administrator, Christian Jacobi, eveningclass@imperial.ac.uk