Apocalypse Now: Western Concepts and Representations in Western Art

About

Throughout history, representations of the Apocalypse or ‘end of the world’ have evolved with the times, reflecting the changes occurring in the natural world, societies, politics and beliefs, as well as our understanding of the world and of our place within it.

Taken individually, each of these stories or images mirrors a society at a specific time but, together, they also illustrate the evolution of our thought-systems, philosophies, moral values and spiritualities.

Today, at a time when global environmental and health concerns are growing, and in the aftermath of the Covid pandemic, apocalyptic representations are still permeating many discourses, from the arts to politics and economics, from gender to science, AI and the physical world.

Using the exciting perspectives opened by the theory of the Anthropocene, this module will present an overview of some of the original apocalyptic tales, and the work of key artists of Western apocalyptic fiction, art, and architecture.

Week one: A creative frame: the Apocalypse from ancient tales to today’s Anthropocene theory
Historical perspectives: from the origins of creationism to millenarist expectations and today’s Anthropocene Apocalypse
Rethinking waste and power: ‘hyperobjects’ and the ‘wasteocene’ in Western literature
Eco-feminist apocalypsophies: Jean Hegland’s Into the Forest (1996) and the film adaptation by Patricia Rozema (2015)

Week two: The revolutions of Western apocalyptic art
Dark Romanticism, Gothicism and the Apocalypse: J. M.W Turner, J. Martin, C. D.Friedrich
A European Apocalypse in the interwar period: Otto Dix and Expressionism, Italian Futurism
Apocalypse now: Dana Schutz, the Apocalypse of the individual and of the collective in the United States today

Week three: Post-apocalyptic architecture and new living
The dystopian city in film: from Fritz Lang’s Metropolis to Tim Burton’s Gotham City
Post-war architecture: bunkers, nests, pods, capsules
Case studies: Charlotte Perriand’s ‘Maison du Bord de l’Eau’ (1934), Haus Rucker Co’s ‘Oasis’ (1972)
Survivalism and innovation: earth-based materials, ruination and renovation architecture
Case study: Yves Klein’s ‘Architecture de l’Air’

Course leader

Raphaëla Armbruster

Course aim

This module aims to:

- Introduce you to the historical background that frames the topic of the Apocalypse by reviewing key sources and the Western cultural origins of the story, and by examining how the topic continues to permeate arts and culture today.
- Present an analysis of contemporary theories surrounding the topic, including possible responses to current eco-anxieties and catastrophism, with reference to the debated theory of the Anthropocene.
- Introduce you to innovative approaches to living developed in architecture and architectural design.
- Equip you with the skills and knowledge needed to adopt a future-focused and confident perspective, enabling you to develop your own responses to the moral, social and environmental questions about the state of the world today.

Fee info