This course will examine the emergence of the modern print in nineteenth century Europe and trace its development up to the present day. Questions of technique, from etching, lithography and relief prints, through to photograph-based printmaking and the digitised computer image, will be considered in considerable detail. Questions of what constitutes an original print and some of the theoretical implications of these definitions will be discussed. Although the course will examine the heritage of European and American printmaking, a major focus will be twentieth century printmaking in Australia. Extensive use will be made of the major collections of Australian and international prints in public collections in Canberra.

This course draws on the nationally and internationally recognised research expertise of its convenor and Canberra's renown collections of Australian and international prints held in our national collecting institutions, especially at the National Gallery of Australia where many of the tutorials are held. The course equips the student with a working knowledge the history, techniques and traditions in fine art printmaking as well as a basic training in curatorial practices associated with printmaking.

Assessment is on the basis of one major research essay, due on the Monday of the second last week of teaching which is designed to demonstrate a student's ability to investigate one of the major themes raised during the course; a visual test held in the last week of teaching designed to demonstrate the student's visual literacy; an oral tutorial presentation which is also submitted as a fully documented written paper designed to encourage students to engage directly with an art object and to communicate this to an audience orally and in a written form, plus a small mark for participating in tutorial discussion designed to encourage students to engage with the full scope of the course.

All specific details of the assessment package including weightings and word lengths are finalised in consultation with the class in the first two weeks of semester.

* Grishin, S, Contemporary Australian Printmaking, Craftsman House

*Taliman, S, The Contemporary Print from Pre-pop to Postmodern, Thames

* Ivins, W M, Prints and Visual Communication, MIT