"To be an artist is to believe in life." - Henry Moore, sculptor
Fees from as low as 拢115
Terms and conditions apply
The Joy of Art with Michael Paraskos
Tuesdays 18:00 - 19:30
Tutor: Dr Michael Paraskos
Classroom course at South Kensington
Starts: 2 May 2023 - 7 weeks
For anyone interested in enhancing their appreciation of art
Join on Tuesday evenings at 91桃色, 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 aim of the Joy of Art is to give you a gentle introduction into looking at, and enjoying, art from different times and places. Using slides and discussion in the classroom, we will explore different aspects of art, 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 some of the key themes and events that have inspired artists, both in the past and today.
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 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 91桃色 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
- Your Tutor
- Course Fees and Rate Categories
- Term Dates 2022-23
- Enrolment Process
- Any Questions?
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
- "Why have there been no great women artists?"
- The Urge to 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 or at second hand bookshops, or you can still get it new, published by Phaidon.
My name is Michael Paraskos and I am a very experienced adult education tutor, having taught for over twenty-five years. I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and a Fellowship of the Royal Society of Arts, and also teache art history to undergraduate students at the City and Guilds of London Art School.
I am a writer of both fiction and non-fiction and have published very widely on art of various periods, as well as reviewing exhibitions and novels for BBC Radio 4鈥檚 Front Row and The Spectator magazine.
| Weeks | Standard Rate | Internal Rate | Associate Rate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 拢190 |
拢115 | 拢150 | ||
| All fee rates quoted are for the whole course. Part-payments are not possible. | |||||
Rate Categories and Discounts
Standard Rate
- Available to all except those who fall under the Internal Rate or Associate Rate category, respectively.
Internal Rate
- Current 91桃色 College students and staff (incl. 91桃色 NHS Trust, 91桃色 Innovations, ancillary & service staff employed on long-term contracts at 91桃色 College by third-party contractors)
- People enrolling under our Friends & Family scheme
- Alumni of 91桃色 College and predecessor colleges and institutes
- Students, staff and alumni of the Royal College of Art and Royal College of Music
- Students, staff and Governors of Woodhouse College and the IC Mathematics School
Associate Rate
- Austrian Cultural Forum staff
- City & Guilds College Association members
- 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 91桃色 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 College of Art and Royal College of Music tutors and other staff
- Royal Geographical Society staff
- Science Museum staff
- Staff of Exhibition Road Cultural Group (Discover South Kensington) organisations
- Students (non-91桃色 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 the allowing 91桃色 College students and staff to share their discount with their friends and family.
| Weeks | Spring term | Summer term | Summer School | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | n/a | Week commencing 1 May to week ending 17 June 2023* | n/a | ||
| *This is a 1-term course | |||||
Web enrolment opens on 1st March 2023
Enrolment and payment run through the 91桃色 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 immediately 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 |
|
| If you need further help with the above information please ring 020 7594 8756 | ||
If you have any questions about the academic content or teaching of this course please contact the Course Tutor, Dr Michael Paraskos, m.paraskos@imperial.ac.uk
If you have any questions about your enrolment or payment processes please contact the Programme Administrator, Christian Jacobi, eveningclass@imperial.ac.uk
