Understanding Art: The Joy of Art
At a Glance
- Classroom course (South Kensington)
- 6 weeks | October - November (starts 24 October 2023)
- Tuesdays 12:30 - 13:30
- Fee: £75
- Tutor: Dr Michael Paraskos
Enrolment deadline
Courses starting in October 2023
- 8 October 2023
Enrolment on this course opens 1 August 2023. Join our mailing list for updates.
Join Dr Michael Paraskos on Tuesday lunchtimes at Imperial College London, to discover how to look at, understand and enjoy works of art, in the return of this popular course, last seen before the covid lockdown.
For thousands of years art has been a key part of human society. Even today, alongside science, it is one of the foundation stones of our civilization. But art can often seem obscure and baffling. Many people find it difficult to understand a sculpture depicting a figure from Greek mythology, or are lost when presented with a painting showing a black square painted onto a black canvas.
The Joy of Art is a gentle introduction into looking at, and enjoying, art. Using slides and discussion in the classroom, we will explore different ways of looking at, and enjoying, art, with examples ranging from ancient times through to the present day, in a relaxed but inspiring way.
The course seeks to build your confidence and understanding when visiting art museums and galleries, and at the end of the course you will have discovered how art communicates its messages and meanings.
Each week we will look at art from a different perspective, to gain an idea of how to look at, talk about and appreciate different types of art and understand some of the different approaches to art. The aim is not to replace our personal taste about what we like and don't like in works of art, but to understand how we can come to enjoy unfamiliar art and increase our enjoyment of familiar art by looking at it in new ways.
From Old Master paintings to abstract sculpture, this is a fun course that will change how you see art.
Class Recordings
These classes are not recorded
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 and Additional Reading
Course Programme (subject to possible change)
- Formalism
- The Picture as Text
- Geometry and Order
- Gods and Goddesses and Saints and Sinners
- Narrative, Realism and History
- Talking to Dougal about abstraction?
Additional Reading
There is no required reading for this course, but you might enjoy looking at:
E.H. Gombrich, The Story of Art
This is a longstanding standard in art history, so it is very easy to find second hand copies at www.abebooks.co.uk or at second hand bookshops, or you can still get it new, published by Phaidon.
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 is due to be published in autumn 2023.
Course Fees and Rate Categories
| Weeks | Standard Rate | Internal Rate | Associate Rate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | £75 (single rate) |
£75 (single rate) | £75(single rate) | ||
| Please note for this course a single rate applies. The fee rate quoted is for the whole course. No early bird rate available. Part-payments are not possible. | |||||
Rate Categories (for information only)
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 and Royal College of Music and 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
- 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 2023-2024
| Weeks | Autumn term | Spring term | Summer term | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Week commencing 23 October to week ending 2 December 2023* | n/a | n/a | ||
| * This is a one-term course | |||||
Enrolment Process
Web enrolment starts 1 August 2023
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 instantaneously following submission of your online application |
|
| 2. Enrolment confirmation | Is sent within 10 working days. Please treat your payment confirmation as confirmation that your applicant details and payment have been received |
|
| 3. Programme information | Is usually sent on Friday late afternoon the week before term starts |
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| If you need further help with the above information please ring 020 7594 8756 | ||
Any Questions?
- Questions regarding the content and teaching of this course should be sent to the tutor, Dr Michael Paraskos, m.paraskos@imperial.ac.uk
- Questions about your enrolment and payment should be sent to the Programme Administrator, Christian Jacobi, eveningclass@imperial.ac.uk