AH20280 Queer Art Histories

Academic Year 2022/2023

What is queer art and who makes it? Has there always been queerness in art? In this module, we will look at art-historical practices from a variety of historical, geographical, and social contexts, to explore how queerness, same-sex desire, or “homosexuality” have been represented, and how these representations changed over time, at intersections with their sociopolitical contexts. While the module has a predominantly contemporary focus, we will begin with an examination of historical examples of same-sex desire in art before the 19th century. We will then look at the modern developments brought by the Enlightenment and scientific progress which first invented and categorised “homosexuality” as a medical category and deviance, prompting 19th century artists to develop an elaborate language of coded homoeroticism. Following this historical introduction to the module, the focus will shift to a thematic approach: we will cover a broad range of distinct practices and reflect on many different meanings of queerness, including: the US gay liberation history and the AIDS epidemic; thriving spaces of queer cultures such as waterfront and nightclubs; Irish, Polish, and Jewish queer artistic practices; and gender binary-defying practices of two-spirit Indigenous Americans and Indian Hijras. We will also look at queer exhibitions and exhibiting queerness in various international contexts, and explore instances of explicit or implicit censorship of same-sex desire in art institutions. The module will feature a visit to an exhibition (TBC) and guest speakers (TBC).
The objective of the module is to unearth and discover histories and contexts which often remain hidden and silenced, and to develop a good understanding of how queerness and “homosexuality” have been shaped and reshaped by various historical and social factors. The module’s focus is also on decolonising knowledge of queer histories which often are only ascribed to Western Europe and the US or the global North. An important aspect of this module is to decentralise this Western knowledge production and introduce a broad variety of selected queer artistic practices.