Universität Wien

080083 SE The Apparatus of Painting in Modern and Contemporary Art: Hand, Eye, Feet, Mouth (2025W)

10.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 8 - Kunstgeschichte und Europäische Ethnologie
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle
Fr 09.01. 10:00-18:00 Seminarraum 3 d. Inst. f. Kunstgeschichte UniCampus Hof 9 3F-EG-25

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

Language: German

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Friday 07.11. 15:00 - 16:30 Seminarraum 3 d. Inst. f. Kunstgeschichte UniCampus Hof 9 3F-EG-25
  • Friday 05.12. 10:00 - 18:00 Seminarraum 3 d. Inst. f. Kunstgeschichte UniCampus Hof 9 3F-EG-25
  • Saturday 06.12. 10:00 - 18:00 Seminarraum 3 d. Inst. f. Kunstgeschichte UniCampus Hof 9 3F-EG-25
  • Saturday 10.01. 10:00 - 18:00 Seminarraum 3 d. Inst. f. Kunstgeschichte UniCampus Hof 9 3F-EG-25

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

The hand and brush are often considered the central tools of painting. Throughout art history, the hand of the traditionally male artist has been invested with all kinds of different attributes, ranging from genius creativity to the ability to translate mental images directly onto canvas. This seminar is dedicated to the exploration of an alternative history of modern painting that deviates from the notion of an "intact" body capable of seamlessly converting impulses from the eye and mind into works of art. Instead, it focuses on painting as an embodied practice performed with the feet, mouth, and entire body.
The inspiration for this approach is the Chilean-German, armless trans artist Lorenza Böttner (19591994). Based on Böttner's practice of foot and mouth painting and performance, the seminar reflects on the place of historical foot painters such as Aimée Rapin (18681956) in modernism and the physical preconditionsapparatusesof painting. The intersections of (dis)ability and gender are addressed through a combination of methods from disability studies, art history, and gender/queer studies.

Assessment and permitted materials

- Participation: preparatory reading, participation in discussions, written comments
- Short presentation (approx. 15 min)
- Written seminar paper (approx. 40,000 characters)
- By registering for this course, you agree that the automated plagiarism detection software Turnitin will check all written assignments you submit in Moodle.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Minimum requirements:
- Participation in the course requires the active involvement of the participants and therefore attendance is mandatory. An unexcused absence of up to 2 course units (=3 hours) is permitted. Repeated absences without good reason will result in a negative assessment.
- All course components must be completed in order to pass the course. A positive grade requires a positively assessed seminar paper. If a negative grade is expected, the paper can be revised.

Assessment criteria:
- Participation: 15%
- Presentation: 25%
- Written seminar paper: 60%

Grading scale:
1 (very good) 100-90 points; 2 (good) 89-81 points; 3 (satisfactory) 80-71 points; 4 (sufficient) 70-61 points; 5 (insufficient) 60-0 points

Examination topics

Exam content is the material covered in the course.

Reading list

- Henri Focillon, Lob der Hand, Göttingen 1954.
- Robert McRuer, Crip Theory. Cultural Signs of Queerness and Disability, New York 2006.
- Wolfram Pichler und Ralph Ubl, Vor dem ersten Strich. Dispositive der Zeichnung in der modernen und vormodernen Kunst, in: Werner Busch, Oliver Jehle und Carolin Meister (Hg.), Randgänge der Zeichnung, München 2006, S. 231-255.
- Paul Preciado (Hg.), Lorenza Böttner. Requiem für die Norm, Ausst.-Kat. Barcelona (La Virreina, 7. November 2018 3. Februar 2019), Stuttgart (Württembergischer Kunstverein, 23. Februar 18. Juli 2019) u.a., Leipzig 2022.
- Further materials will be provided via moodle.

Association in the course directory

Last modified: Mo 03.11.2025 12:46