Course Details in 2026/27 Session

Module Title	LH Queer Art From Britain Since 1957
School	Lan, Cult, Art Hist & Music
Department	Art Hist, Cur and Vis Studies
Module Code	09 40364
Module Lead	Greg Salter
Level	Honours Level
Credits	20
Semester
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions	None
Contact Hours	Lecture-10 hours Seminar-20 hours Guided independent study-170 hours Total: 200 hours
Exclusions
Description	This module explores queer art from Britain since 1957. Beginning with art produced at the same moment as the publication of the Wolfenden Report, which recommended the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality, this module traces 'queer art' since then. It examines art that emerged alongside partial decriminalisation in England and Wales in 1967 (later in Scotland and Northern Ireland), gay liberation in the 1970s, the impact of HIV/AIDS in the 1980s and 1990s, and recent legislative changes (the repeal of Section 28, civil partnerships and gay marriage). At the same time, this module explores how art illuminates the international influences on queer experiences across this period, taking in queer entanglements with colonial histories and decolonising states, as well as the presence of migrations, race, and class in queer art histories from Britain. This module will focus largely on artists and artworks, though we will also refer, where relevant, to film, literature, and popular culture to reflect the way in which queer art and culture of this period worked across cultural boundaries. Alongside texts by queer art historians, we will consider scholarship in queer history and queer studies.
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module students should be able to: demonstrate a detailed and comprehensive knowledge of the module’s taught content. describe relationships between relevant artworks and the cultural and social environment of the period covered by the module. identify and analyse relevant artworks produced during the period covered by the module. comment on theoretical and other matters embodied in primary or other sources relating to the period covered by the module.
Assessment
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Assessment: 1 x 2500-word essay (50% of the final module mark) 1 x 1.5-hour unseen examination (50% of the final module mark) Alternative assessment if on campus activity is restricted: proctored exams will be converted to take home papers. Reassessment: Re-submission of failed component.
Other
Reading List