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Modern Icons
Artworks that disrupted the 20th and 21st centuries
What defines a modern art icon? Delve deeper into the social, cultural and historical reasons that have shaped the prominence of selected works in the history of art. Spanning the late 19th century up to the present day, we will focus on one artist each week, discovering the historical context in which they lived and worked. We will also explore critical views and public reception of their works at the time and consider how and why some of these viewpoints may have changed.
The artists featured are: Edouard Manet, Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo, Marcel Duchamp, Cindy Sherman and Louise Bourgeois. The course involves discussion and activities to stimulate engagement and enjoyment of the artworks featured each week.
The six sessions will run as follows:
- Introduction; and focus on Manet’s A Bar at the Folies- Bergère, 1882. (21st April)
- Focus on Picasso’s Guernica, 1937. (28th April)
- Focus on Frida Kahlo’s The Two Fridas, 1939. (5th May)
- Focus on Marcel Duchamp’s The Large Glass, 1915-23. (12th May)
- Focus on Cindy Sherman’s Untitled (Film Stills), 1975-78. (19th May)
No session on 26th May - Focus on Louise Bourgeois’ Maman, 1999; and course review. (2nd June)
The course tutor
Chantal Condron has worked in the arts sector for over 25 years including at Tate, Sotheby’s and the University of London Library. She was Curator of Public Engagement at the Government Art Collection and has led programmes at the University of Hull, Whitechapel Gallery, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and Ulster Museum, and presented talks in the UK and abroad. She teaches art history at City Lit and wrote the first-ever monograph on Danish artist Peter Hedegaard, which was published in 2019.
The course will run over six weeks on Tuesday afternoons at Hatfield Road Methodist Church in St Albans from 13.45 to 15.45, starting on Tuesday 21st April and ending on Tuesday 2nd June (there is no session on 26th May). The course costs £48 or you can join individual sessions for £10.