Studying online
There are now 2 possible online modes for units:
Units with modes Online timetabled and Online flexible are available for any student to self-enrol and study online.
Click on an offering mode for more details.
Unit Overview
- Description
The introduction of prints on paper around 1400 is often cited as a media revolution comparable only to our own, recent transition into the digital age. Invented in China several centuries earlier, printmaking profoundly changed Western visual culture as low-cost, multiple-image prints permeated everyday life from card playing to personal devotion. Such was the significance of prints in the transmission of artistic and political ideas that they soon required regulation in the form of copyright or censorship. Within the larger context of Europe's emerging colonial and missionary ambitions, prints also communicated between 'centre' and 'periphery', with images of Christian saints being printed as far afield as Mexico and China and visual records of foreign costumes and customs streaming back into Europe. This unit examines the production and reception of prints both as exclusive, high art and as popular, low art. Particular focus is paid to the implications of their status as multiples, their impact on the dissemination of knowledge, and their role as agents in cultural exchange.
- Credit
- 6 points
- Offering
Availability Location Mode Not available in 2025 UWA (Perth) Face to face - Details for undergraduate courses
- Level 3 option in the History of Art; Art History and Curatorial Studies major sequences
- Level 3 elective
- Outcomes
Students are able to (1) distinguish between a variety of printmaking processes, their origins in China and Europe and international pathways along which technological developments travelled; (2) describe prints produced in Asia and Europe using appropriate specialist terminology; (3) actively participate in discussion and provoke debate; (4) integrate visual and aesthetic analyses of artworks into broader historical and theoretical arguments and identifying wider international trends, where appropriate; (5) formulate concise arguments based on a critical evaluation of appropriate secondary literature on the role of printmaking in shaping diverse cultural, aesthetic or political identities; and (6) demonstrate an understanding of the impact of printmaking on the global history of art.
- Assessment
Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) oral assessment; (2) research proposal; and (3) research essay. Further information is available in the unit outline.
Student may be offered supplementary assessment in this unit if they meet the eligibility criteria.
- Unit Coordinator(s)
- Dr Susanne Meurer
- Unit rules
- Prerequisites
- at least one Level 2 unit from the History of Art major sequence
- Incompatibility
- VISA2276 The Art of Printmaking: a Cultural History, HART2276 Prints from Dürer to Toulouse-Lautrec
- Contact hours
- lectures: 2 hours per week
tutorials: 1 hour per week
- The availability of units in Semester 1, 2, etc. was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change.
- All students are responsible for identifying when they need assistance to improve their academic learning, research, English language and numeracy skills; seeking out the services and resources available to help them; and applying what they learn. Students are encouraged to register for free online support through GETSmart; to help themselves to the extensive range of resources on UWA's STUDYSmarter website; and to participate in WRITESmart and (ma+hs)Smart drop-ins and workshops.
- Visit the Essential Textbooks website to see if any textbooks are required for this Unit. The website is updated regularly so content may change. Students are recommended to purchase Essential Textbooks, but a limited number of copies of all Essential Textbooks are held in the Library in print, and as an ebook where possible. Recommended readings for the unit can be accessed in Unit Readings directly through the Learning Management System (LMS).
- Contact hours provide an indication of the type and extent of in-class activities this unit may contain. The total amount of student work (including contact hours, assessment time, and self-study) will approximate 150 hours per 6 credit points.
Face to face
Predominantly face-to-face. On campus attendance required to complete this unit. May have accompanying resources online.
Online flexible
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit is asynchronous delivery, with NO requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online timetabled
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit includes some synchronous components, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online Restricted
Not available for self-enrolment. Students access this mode by contacting their student office through AskUWA. 100% Online Unit.
NO campus face-to-face attendance. All study and assessment requirements are online only. Unit includes some timetabled activities, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times. In exceptional cases (noted in the Handbook) students may be required to participate in face-to-face laboratory classes when a return to UWA’s Crawley campus becomes possible in order to be awarded a final grade.
External
No attendance or regular contact is required, and all study requirements are completed either via correspondence and/or online submission.
Off-campus
Regular attendance is not required, but student attends the institution face to face on an agreed schedule for purposes of supervision and/or instruction.
Multi-mode
Multiple modes of delivery. Unit includes a mix of online and on-campus study requirements. On campus attendance for some activities is required to complete this unit.