This course is part of the Modern and Contemporary Art and Design Specialization

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Lisa Mazzola

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Offered By

Modern and Contemporary Art and Design SpecializationThe Museum of Modern Art

About this Course

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Welcome to Modern Art & Ideas! This course is designed for anyone interested in learning more about modern and contemporary art. Over the next five weeks, you will look at art through a variety of themes: Places & Spaces, Art & Identity, Transforming Everyday Objects, and Art & Society. Each week kicks off with a video that connects works of art from The Museum of Modern Art’s collection to the theme. You will hear audio interviews with artists, designers, and curators and learn more about selected works in the additional readings and resources.
Throughout this course you will discover how artists:
-- represent place and take inspiration from their environment,
-- create works of art to express, explore, and question identity,
-- use everyday objects to challenge assumptions about what constitutes a work of art and how it should be made,
-- and respond to the social, cultural, and political issues of their time through works of art.

Through the discussion forum prompts and peer review assignment, you will also have the opportunity to connect with other learners and explore how these themes resonate with your own life and experience.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 1 of 4 in the

Modern and Contemporary Art and Design Specialization

Beginner Level

Approx. 14 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Greek, Italian, Portuguese (Brazilian), Vietnamese, German, Russian, Turkish, English, Spanish, Persian, Hungarian

Skills you will gain

Creativity
Art
History
Art History
Art Direction

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 1 of 4 in the

Modern and Contemporary Art and Design Specialization

Beginner Level

Approx. 14 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Greek, Italian, Portuguese (Brazilian), Vietnamese, German, Russian, Turkish, English, Spanish, Persian, Hungarian

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.68/5 (1,129 Ratings)

Lisa Mazzola

Director, Young Learners

Department of Learning and Engagement

524,804 Learners

4 Courses

Offered by

The Museum of Modern Art

The Museum of Modern Art is a place that fuels creativity, ignites minds, and provides inspiration. Join us in exploring the art, ideas, and issues of our time through the Modern and Contemporary Art and Design Specialization or through individual courses: Modern Art & Ideas, Seeing Through Photographs, What Is Contemporary Art?, Fashion as Design, and In the Studio: Postwar Abstract Painting. Learn about teaching with art in our three courses designed for K-12 educators: Art & Inquiry, Art & Activity, and Art & Ideas.

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating98%(69,004 ratings)

Week

Week 1

1 hour to complete

Module 1: Introduction to Modern Art & Ideas

Be introduced to some of the overall benefits of studying modern and contemporary art through accessible and relevant themes.

1 hour to complete

1 video (Total 1 min), 5 readings

Week

Week 2

3 hours to complete

Module 2: Places & Spaces

Discover some of the many ways that artists represent place and take inspiration from their environment.

3 hours to complete

12 videos (Total 26 min), 4 readings, 2 quizzes

12 videos

Places & Spaces4m

Vincent van Gogh. The Starry Night. 18892m

Piet Mondrian. Broadway Boogie Woogie. 1942–431m

Gordon Matta-Clark. Bingo. 19741m

Norman Lewis. City Night. 19492m

Andrew Wyeth. Christina's World. 19481m

Salvador Dalí. The Persistence of Memory. 19311m

Claude Monet. Water Lilies. 1914–261m

Rachel Whiteread. Water Tower. 19982m

Edward Hopper. House By the Railroad. 19251m

Louis I. Kahn. Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh (Study for National Assembly Building). 1962–832m

Zarina. Home is a Foreign Place. 19992m

4 readings

Introduction to Places & Spaces10m

Slideshow20m

In Depth: Bernd & Hilla Becher30m

Optional Readings & Resources10m

2 practice exercises

Practice Quiz20m

Weekly Reflection30m

Week

Week 3

2 hours to complete

Module 3: Art & Identity

See how artists create works of art to express, explore, and question identity.

2 hours to complete

8 videos (Total 19 min), 5 readings, 2 quizzes

8 videos

Art & Identity4m

Frida Kahlo. Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair. 19402m

Andy Warhol. Gold Marilyn Monroe. 19621m

Pablo Picasso. Girl before a Mirror. 19322m

Marc Chagall. I and the Village. 19112m

Henri Matisse. The Red Studio. 19112m

Rineke Dijkstra. Almerisa series. 1994–20081m

Kara Walker. 40 Acres of Mules. 20152m

5 readings

Introduction to Art & Identity10m

Slideshow20m

In Depth: Frida Kahlo and Ellen Gallagher10m

Optional Readings & Resources10m

Mid-course survey5m

2 practice exercises

Practice Quiz30m

Weekly Reflection30m

Week

Week 4

2 hours to complete

Module 4: Transforming Everyday Objects

Discover how artists use everyday objects to challenge assumptions about what constitutes art and how it should be made. Explore a variety of artistic and design choices, and the creative acts of inventing and transforming everyday objects.

2 hours to complete

10 videos (Total 21 min), 4 readings, 2 quizzes

10 videos

Transforming Everyday Objects4m

Marcel Duchamp. Bicycle Wheel. 19132m

Robert Rauschenberg. Bed. 19551m

Meret Oppenheim. Object. 19362m

Décolletage Plastique Design Team. Bic Cristal® Ballpoint pen. 19502m

Louise Nevelson. Sky Cathedral. 19581m

Mike Kelley. Untitled. 19902m

Jessica Rosenkrantz, Jesse Louis-Rosenberg. Kinematics Dress. 20131m

Doris Salcedo. Atrabilious. 1992–931m

Betye Saar. Black Girl's Window. 19691m

4 readings

Introduction to Transforming Everyday Objects10m

Slideshow20m

In Depth: Design Objects & Marcel Duchamp10m

Optional Readings & Resources10m

2 practice exercises

Practice Quiz30m

Weekly Reflection30m

Reviews

4.8

1487 reviews

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TOP REVIEWS FROM MODERN ART & IDEAS

by FSDec 20, 2019

This course is like a revelation to me. There is so much thing I did not know about critical thinking especially through art. Very recommended to anyone who ever thought art is a trivial thing.

by PYOct 31, 2018

The whole program was very well organized, and I liked how the themes were not in chronological order. All the narration and artists’ talk were interesting and highly informative. Thanks!

by CPJun 4, 2020

I found it very interesting and challenging giving me deeper understanding of art as themes and why modern art was linked with the industrial revolution, media and relationship with its audience.

by DPMar 11, 2017

What a genuinely refreshing course that really caught me attention. Well done to the team behind this course as I am more interested in modern art after completing this course than ever before.

View all reviews

About the Modern and Contemporary Art and Design Specialization

This Specialization will introduce you to the art of our time. Through original films and audio, you will go behind the scenes to look closely at artworks and into studios to hear directly from artists, designers, curators and others. This Specialization is for anyone who would like to learn more about modern and contemporary art. No prior knowledge is required. Enroll to receive invitations to virtual events, gain exclusive access to MoMA resources, and share ideas with an international learner community.

Start with Modern Art & Ideas to learn how artists have taken inspiration from their environment and responded to social issues over the past 150 years. Next, take a deep dive into Seeing Through Photographs, exploring photography from its origins in the mid-1800s through the present. This course addresses the gap between seeing and truly understanding photographs by introducing ideas, approaches and technologies that inform their making. Explore artworks made since 1980 in What Is Contemporary Art? Ranging from 3-D–printed glass and fiber sculptures to performances in a factory, the works in this course introduce you to the diverse materials, motivations and methods of artists working today. Complete the Specialization with Fashion as Design, and investigate the choices you make about fashion in relation to expression, sustainability, labor practices, identity and more. Learn from makers working with clothing every day—and, in some cases, reinventing it for the future.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

Modern Art & Ideas

About this Course

Skills you will gain