Undergraduate Courses in Studio Art

2008-09

1A-B-C Topics in Visual Culture: Foundation Projects (4-4-4). Approaches to postwar art and culture. Solving visual problems and developing understanding of how gender, sexuality, race, nationality influence contemporary cultures. Examines individual's relation to being an artist, encouraging experimentation rather than repeating received ideas. (IV)

9A Media, Art, and Technology (4) F. Addresses key themes in the Studio Art Department curriculum: the relationship between art and culture; concepts of audience; differing functions of media forms; new information and communication technologies; education and democracy; issues of identity, difference, and globalization. (IV)

9B Visiting Artists (4) W. Combines lectures on the various histories and contexts of contemporary art with guest speakers currently working in the field. (IV)

9C Thematic Investigation (4) S. A thematic investigation into modern and contemporary art (1945-present). (IV)

11A History of Contemporary Art (4) S. Surveys critical thought that has influenced twentieth-century art production, preparing the student to engage contemporary art with a critical eye, specifically addressing aesthetic and political debates of the historical avant-garde, the neo-avant garde, and postmodern culture. Prerequisites: Studio Art 9A, 9B. (IV)

20 Basic Drawing (4). Encourages an investigation of the premises and limits of drawing, primarily, but not inevitably, as a two-dimensional medium. Includes slide presentations and discussions of the historical uses of a wide range of drawing. (IX)

30A-B Basic Painting I, II (4-4). Examination of the fundamental components of painting: color, form, space, surface, scale, and content. Studio work, slide presentations, and critiques of student work. Open to Studio Art majors only.

40 Basic Sculpture (4). The practice of sculpture in the contemporary arts; inclusion of spatial interventions, site-specific and environmental design, appropriation of found materials; techniques in cutting, joining, and assembly of wood, metals, and plastics. May include casting, welding, and ceramics. Materials fee. (IX)

51 Basic Ceramic Sculpture (4). Exploration of use of clay as sculptural basis with an emphasis on development of an idea and its relation to contemporary and experimental art practice. Hand-building, glazing, finishing processes, and use of other structural materials. Materials fee. (IX)

65A Introduction to Digital Imaging (4). Introduction to basic theories and techniques for producing art using digital media. Provides an overview of the aesthetics of digital art, covering such topics as the nature of the real and the relation between digital and analog media.

65B Introduction to Digital Multimedia (4). Introduction to theories and techniques of creating time-based art using digital technologies. Digital sound- and video-editing programs are emphasized and basic concepts in animation, multimedia, and interactivity are covered. Prerequisite: Studio Art 65A.

65C Introduction to the Internet (4). Introduction to creating art for the Internet, covering history and structure along with key types of Internet activity including e-mail, Telnet, html, virtual worlds, CUSeeMe, VRML. Basics of Internet connectivity and hands-on work in UNIX, html, and scripting for the Web. Prerequisite: Studio Art 65B.

71A Introduction to Photography I (4). Introduction to technical underpinnings emphasizing photography as a contemporary art practice. Topics include 35 mm. non-automatic camera operation, exposure and lighting, black and white printing, introduction to digital photography, discussion of critical and historical issues. Materials fee. Formerly Studio Art 71. (IX)

71B Introduction to Photography II (4). Techniques covered include: medium and large format cameras, digital photography, studio lighting, digital and analog color printing, mural room. Conceptual direction is developed through critiques, critical readings, discussions, slide lectures. Materials fee. Prerequisite: Studio Art 71 or 71A. (IX)

81A Video Production (4). Introduction to the three production stages of video making. Study of the narrative structure of cinema and acquisition of video production skills in camera, lighting, sound, and editing. Production work, readings, and screenings outside of class are assigned. Materials fee. Formerly Studio Art 81. (IX)

81B Video Stage Production (4). Focuses on video production, technical skills including: camera operation, stage lighting, sound recording, and construction of basic scenic elements. Emphasis is placed on the function and responsibilities of the production crew and proper working and safety procedures. Materials fee. Prerequisite: Studio Art 81A. (IX)

91 Basic Performance Art (4). Exploration of objects, gesture, action, text, image, and media to create narrative or non-narrative works. Elements of theory and history of performance art are discussed to illustrate techniques and styles. The goal is to understand, identify, and articulate your artistic vision and voice. May be taken for credit twice. (IX)

100 Special Topics in Studio Art (4). Prerequisites: Studio Art 10A, B, C, or 9A, B and 11A. May be taken for credit six times as topics vary.

101 Artists as Writers (4). Contemporary art practice involves text, as final form or an integral element. Many contemporary artists consider writing as essential to their practice. Covers historical and contemporary uses of text and image as well as artists' writings. Prerequisites: Studio Art 10A, B, C or 9A, B and 11A, or consent of instructor; and, when offered for upper-division writing: satisfactory completion of the lower-division writing requirement.

102 Intermediate Drawing (4). Continuation of the investigation initiated in Studio Art 20, with an emphasis on experimentation, personal investigation, and the development of conceptual working premises, as well as the acquisition of necessary skills. Group discussion and critique are emphasized. Prerequisites: Studio Art 1A-B-C and 20 or consent of instructor. May be taken for credit twice.

103 Intermediate Painting (4). Continuation of the investigation initiated in basic painting, with an emphasis on experimentation, personal investigation, development of conceptual working premises, as well as the acquisition of necessary skills. Group discussion and critique are emphasized. Prerequisites: Studio Art 1A-B-C and 30 or consent of instructor. May be taken for credit twice.

104 Intermediate Sculpture (4). Investigation of three-dimensional space, including the construction of objects and the manipulation of the environment. Students define personal projects and translate personal, social, and political experience into visual meaning. Range of artists' works introduced. Group discussion and critiques. Materials fee. Prerequisites: Studio Art 1A-B-C and 40 or consent of instructor. May be taken for credit twice.

105 Intermediate Ceramic Sculpture (4). Further investigation of the use of clay as a medium, with emphasis on experimental practice and the relationship to contemporary visual art. Emphasizes discussion of ideas, and provides information on clay body, fabrication, glazing, and firing. Materials fee. Prerequisites: Studio Art 1A-B-C and 51 or consent of instructor. May be taken for credit twice.

106 Interactive Digital Media: Sound and Video (4). Students learn how to prepare and present multimedia materials within interactive formats. Programs for digitizing and altering sound and video are introduced. Various strategies for editing and arranging materials within temporal parameters are discussed. Prerequisites: Studio Art 1A-B-C, 65A-B-C, or consent of instructor. May be taken for credit twice.

107 Intermediate Projects in Photography (4). Students begin learning how to develop photographic projects of their own making. Focuses on employing and expanding upon previously learned technical and critical skills specific to students' individual interests and ideas. Critiques, readings, lectures, labs. Materials fee. Prerequisites: Studio Art 1A-B-C, and 71 or 71A-B. May be taken for credit twice.

108 Intermediate Video Projects (4). Students learn how to conceive, develop, and produce original video works building directly upon previously learned skills. Use of the video stage and post-production editing facilities. Lectures on video and film subjects, production strategies, readings, screening, field trips, and group critiques. Materials fee. Prerequisites: Studio Art 81A-B; senior Studio Art majors only. May be taken for credit twice.

109 Intermediate Performance Art (4). Continued investigation of the concepts and history of experimental performance art, including its relation to contemporary artistic practice. Continues to refine technical skills, as well as space, audiences, and cultural connections. Prerequisites: Studio Art 1A-B-C; Studio Art 91 or consent of instructor. May be taken for credit twice.

110 Interdisciplinary Digital Arts (4) F, W, S. Covers a range of interdisciplinary approaches for utilizing computer systems. Investigates such topics as World Wide Web design and authoring, digital mail art, computer installations, and performance within video conferencing contexts. Prerequisites: Studio Art 1A-B-C, 65A-B-C, or consent of instructor. May be taken for credit twice.

111 3D Methods and Materials (4). Presents a wide variety of concepts, materials, tools, and fabrication techniques vital to art production. Wood tools, clay, castable rubber, urethane foam, fiberglass, plaster, steel, and welding are introduced. Student projects are based on conceptual problems incorporating these materials. Materials fee. Prerequisites: Studio Art 1A-B-C. May be taken for credit twice.

112 Digital Typography and Communication (4). Investigates the use of type for visual and verbal communication. Covers the history of typography and the fundamentals of creating and working with digital type, including type design and composition with type. Prerequisites: Studio Art 1A-B-C and 65A; or consent of instructor.

116 Feminist Issues in Studio Art (4). Feminist perspectives and topics in relation to cultural production. Feminist debates on sexuality, perspectives on women of color, on race and gender, feminist film criticism, histories of the first and second waves of feminism, histories of feminist art. Prerequisites: Studio Art 10A, B, C, or 9A, B and 11A. May be taken for credit twice.

116A (Dis)abled Bodies: Issues in Visuality (4). Takes a broad look at visualizations of normalcy and deviance. Among the topics considered are illness and/or disability in relation to allegory, metaphor, social space, oppositional-thinking, the medical gaze, ethnicity, gender resistance, passing, pain, and postmodernism. Prerequisites: Studio Art 10A, B, C, or 9A, B and 11A.

117 Issues in Popular Culture (4). In-depth investigation of the relationship between visual art practices and popular culture. Prerequisites: Studio Art 10A, B, C, or 9A, B and 11A. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.

118 Issues in Urban Space, Housing, Community Development, and Architecture (4). Social histories and cultural critiques of urban, suburban, and architectural spaces and the social construction of community and public spaces. Content varies and may deal with a variety of geographic locations, cultures, social perspectives, and artists' strategies of public address. Prerequisites: Studio Art 10A, B, C, or 9A, B and 11A. May be taken for credit twice.

119 Issues in Contemporary Painting (4). Investigation of issues in modern and contemporary art work and criticism, wherein an assessment of Modernist influences is followed by the examination of contemporary painting as a cross-disciplinary practice employing popular culture, "high art," theory, and new technology. Prerequisites: Studio Art 10A, B, C, or 9A, B and 11A. May be taken for credit twice.

119A Issues in Contemporary Drawing (4). Investigation of the expanded category of drawing as a primary practice rather than a developmental tool. Explores the relationship between Conceptualism, process, and content considering the changes in method, presentation, and theory from middle of last century to now. Prerequisites: Studio Art 10A, B, C, or 9A, B and 11A. May be taken for credit twice.

120 Issues in Narrative (4). Emphasizes the construction of narratives in different media--painting, photography, sculpture, video. Particular attention paid to the development of personal and community histories as a working base. Prerequisites: Studio Art 10A, B, C, or 9A, B and 11A. May be taken for credit twice.

121 Issues in Race and Representation (4). Emphasizes the construction of racial difference and stereotyping in the visual and performing arts, and on the histories of cultures and artists who functioned outside the contemporary mainstream. Readings assigned. Prerequisites: Studio Art 10A, B, C, or 9A, B and 11A. May be taken for credit twice.

121A, B Afro-futurism (4, 4). Futuristic artistic visions of black film, video, and cyberspace which create Afro-futurism. African American diasporic cultural retention in modern techno-culture; digital activism; and dreams of designing technology based on African aesthetic principles are addressed. Prerequisites: Studio Art 10A, B, C, or 9A, B and 11A.

122 Issues in Lesbian and Gay Visual Representation (4). History of lesbian and gay culture in relation to the visual and performing arts; the construction of sexual difference, debates around positive and negative representations, queer activism, and the intersections of sexuality with gender and race. Readings assigned. Prerequisites: Studio Art 10A, B, C, or 9A, B and 11A. May be taken for credit twice.

123 Issues in Cultural Display (4). Lecture/seminar on issues of the production and representation of culture, including patronage, museum history, exhibition design and history, arts funding, cultural identity, and cultural diversity. Field trips, screening and slide lectures are generally assigned. Prerequisites: Studio Art 10A, B, C, or 9A, B and 11A. May be taken for credit twice.

123A Issues in the New Culture Wars (4). The term "culture wars" originally described Reagan/Bush era political efforts launched over matters like abortion, religion, gay rights, school curricula. Such controversies provided motivation and content for many artists. Addresses new culture wars emerging since 9/11 over privacy, technology globalization, terrorism. Prerequisites: Studio Art 10A, B, C, or 9A, B and 11A.

123B Issues in Media, Violence, and Fear (4). Violence has been a key ingredient in story-telling throughout history in art, literature, religion, and entertainment. The continuing presence of media violence has provoked debates among parents, politicians, media producers, and academics. Examines history, theory, aesthetics, economics, and politics of violent representation.

124 Issues in the History of Intermedia (4). Examines, in a nonlinear and eclectic fashion of contemporary oppositional art practices, work not considered art-making within conventional definitions, and intermedia approaches from the postwar period. Reading and lectures will be drawn from a wide range of sources. Prerequisites: Studio Art 10A, B, C, or 9A, B and 11A. May be taken for credit twice.

124A Tactical Media and the Politic of Information (4). Provides an overview of Tactical Media as a practice and its theoretical influences. First half covers extensive readings relating to Tactical Media as a practice, whereas the second half involves projects and workshops developments. Prerequisites: Studio Art 10A, B, C, or 9A, B and 11A.

125 Issues in Photography (4). Rigorous investigation of photographic practices and critical writings, the relationship of photography to the construction and maintenance of cultural institutions, the circulation of photographic ideas in society, and photography and technology. Prerequisites: Studio Art 10A, B, C, or 9A, B and 11A. May be taken for credit twice.

127A Issues in Video History and Criticism (4). Investigation of historical development of video as an artistic practice. Topics include relationships between art and video technology, artists' critiques of television, experimentation with image processing and synthesis, performances designed for video, experiments in documentary representation, video installation. Readings and screenings assigned. Prerequisites: Studio Art 81A and 81B.

127B Issues in Experimental Film History (4). A critical study of experimental film/video art genres and production techniques considering their narrative, structural, iconographic, and cultural aspects. Hollywood narrative, Nouvelle Vague, American Independent, and Video Art are compared in terms of production innovation, design, and conceptual content. Prerequisite: Studio Art 127A.

128 Issues in New Genres (4). Investigates issues in post-studio practices, including concepts of time, relational aesthetics, site-specificity, institutional critique, and the post-medium condition. Prerequisites: Studio Art 10A, B, C, or 9A, B and 11A. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.

130 Projects in New Technologies (4). Working with media such as electronic still cameras, desktop publishing, faxes, satellites, virtual reality, digitized imaging. Cultural issues pertinent to the emergence of new technology (e.g., ethical concerns, social impact, copyright laws, nontraditional approaches to distribution, cyberpunk, global markets). Prerequisites: two intermediate courses and consent of instructor. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.

131 Projects in Installation (4). Investigates interior installation in particular spaces. Working in teams, students install, discuss, and remove projects. Technical information and hands-on experience with various media is provided. Prerequisites: two intermediate courses or consent of instructor. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.

132A Projects in Video Pre-Production (4). Examines the preparatory and planning stages of video production, including script writing, story boarding, location scouting, script breakdown, and budgeting. Projects may encompass one or more of these stages which will be explored through readings, discussions, and demonstrations. Materials fee. Prerequisites: Studio Art 81A-B. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.

132B Projects in Video Post-Production (4). Examines procedures and techniques utilized in video production after principal shooting is completed, including effects processing, composting, sound design, and DVD authoring. Projects focus on one or more of these processes, which will be explored through readings, discussions, and demonstrations. Prerequisites: Studio Art 81A-B. May be taken for credit twice.

135 Gaming Studies (4). Critical analysis of various genres of computer games and gaming theory and practice through playing, writing, and discussion. The focus is on creating a Design Document for the student's own gaming environment using gaming metaphors, design principles, and technologies. Prerequisites: Studio Art 1A-B-C and 65A-B-C.

138 World Building (4). Interdisciplinary approaches to working across the digital/nondigital boundary to create an alternative universe. Emphasis is on critical thinking, comprehensive planning, integration of multiple media, and narrative development. Prerequisites: Studio Art 1A-B-C and 65A.

141 Projects in Video Installation (4). Incorporating narrative structures in a multi-screen context. Students design and produce an active space in which activities will move from one screen to another. May be taken for credit twice.

143 Projects in Computer Painting (4). Study and utilization of the computer as a digital sketchbook and design tool for the creation of paintings. Discussion of the issues related to benefits and limitations of new technology in the art-making process. Prerequisite: Studio Art 30, 103, or consent of instructor.

144 Projects in the Artist's Book (4). Investigation of the relationship of the visual artist and the book. Study of the words, images, marks, silences, and formulation of new perceptual literature whose content alters the concept of authorship. Students create book projects utilizing various techniques. Prerequisites: two intermediate-level Studio Art courses.

146 The Artist in the Archive (4). Considers data storage, retrieval systems, technology, secrets, disparate collections, and forgetting. Focuses on artists who prefer their information in quantity and who use or construct databases to structure and/or generate their work. Prerequisites: Studio Art 1A-B-C; 10A, B, C, or 9A, B and 11A.

149 Multimedia and the Arts in the Multicultural Classroom (4) F, W, S. Multiculturalism and underrepresented U.S. minorities and the visual and performing arts: perspectives in artistic perception, creative expression, historical and cultural context, and aesthetic valuing, and media literacy in the interpretation and production of multimedia arts products and applications for K-12 classrooms. Same as Education 104E. (VII)

150 Advanced Studio Topics/Painting (4). Provides an intensive and specialized working environment. Thematic issues and material strategies explored. Prerequisites: Studio Art 30 and 103 or consent of instructor. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.

150C Advanced Drawing (4). Advanced studio problems for visual exploration. Students pursue individual solutions to self-defined and presubscribed projects. Techniques/materials are individual choice. Continual analysis of the personal process. Prerequisites: Studio Art 20, 102. May be repeated for credit with consent of instructor.

150F Advanced Figure Drawing (4). Students develop technical skills in rendering the figure. Live model sessions and an introduction to anatomy. Also investigates use of the figure in contemporary art. Prerequisite: Studio Art 102. May be taken for credit twice.

151 Advanced Studio Topics/Sculpture (4). Provides an intensive and specialized working environment. Thematic issues and material strategies will be explored. Prerequisites: two intermediate courses and consent of instructor. Materials fee. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.

152A Advanced Studio Topics/Photography (4). Focused investigation of a range of issues in photographic practice, with an emphasis on developing individual student projects, refining critical thinking, and conceptual framing, Technical topics covered as required. Readings, lectures, critiques, labs. Materials fee. Prerequisites: Studio Art 71 or 71A-B, and 107. May be repeated for credit. Formerly Studio Art 152.

152B Documentary Photography (4). Documentary practice is examined through the realization of photo-based projects. Thematic focus of student's choosing is refined through lectures, discussions, technical demonstrations, field trips, labs, and individual meetings. Materials fee. Prerequisites: Studio Art 71 or 71A-B, and 107 or consent of instructor. May be repeated for credit.

152C The Public Image (4). Strategies for artistic intervention in the public circulation of images are examined alongside the role images play in constructing public identity. Individual or collaborative student projects are directed around course themes. Materials fee. Prerequisites: Studio Art 71 or 71A-B, and 107 or consent of instructor. May be repeated for credit.

152D The Photographic Tableau (4). Examines and develops photographic projects intended for traditional artistic venues (i.e., galleries and museums). In addition to exploring appropriate techniques and presentation strategies, students consider the interdependency between construction of images and semantic shaping of traditional art venues. Materials fee. Prerequisites: Studio Art 71 or 71A-B, and 107 or consent of instructor. May be repeated for credit.

152E The Constructed Image (4). A studio investigation of theoretical ideas, critical possibilities, historical precedents, and various techniques involving the production of fabricated images. Techniques may include montage, digital, chemical and in-camera manipulations, studio constructions, appropriations, performance, and projected images. Materials fee. Prerequisites: Studio Art 71 or 71A-B, and 107 or consent of instructor. May be repeated for credit.

152F Seminar Production Component (4). Photographic and/or inter-media production course tied to a specific Issues course (for example, Issues in Photography, Issues in Feminism, Issues in Urban Space). Critiques, labs, field trips, discussion, demonstrations. Materials fee. Prerequisites: Studio Art 71 or 71A-B, and 107 or consent of instructor. May be repeated for credit.

153 Advanced Studio Topics/Video (4). The class will be directed to the production of individual or collaborative videotapes, using studio, portable camera, and editing facilities and sound and computer elements. Emphasis will be on individually initiated projects. Readings and screenings are assigned. Materials fee. Prerequisites: Studio Art 108 or consent of instructor. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.

154 Advanced Studio Topics/Performance (4). An intensive investigation of the practice of performance art, with an emphasis on th development of individual projects, and the refinement of various technical skills, as well as audiences, spaces, and cultural connections. Prerequisite: Studio Art 109 or consent of instructor. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.

156 Advanced Studio Topics/Ceramic Sculpture (4). Discussion of ideas, techniques, and personal control of form. Clay body, fabrication, glazing, and firing. Emphasis on development of personal direction. Prerequisites: Studio Art 105. Materials fee. May be repeated for credit with consent of instructor.

166 Advanced Collaborative Projects (4). Organized around the design and completion of a group project such as authoring a CD-ROM, engineering a complex collaborative performance, or curating a Web-based exhibition site. Prerequisites: Studio Art 1A-B-C, 65A-B-C, or consent of instructor. May be taken for credit twice.

166A Advanced Collaborative Projects in Video (4). Original video projects produced in collaborative teams combining advanced video students with teams of students from other areas of study, including Drama, Dance, and Music. Shoots may be carried out on the video stage as well as field locations. Prerequisites: Studio Art 1A-B-C, 81A-B, and 108 or consent of instructor. May be taken for credit twice.

175 Digital Art Aesthetics (4). Focuses on current theoretical and political research related to digital imaging, including ethical implications of artificial life, significance of identity politics, gender/race in cyberspace, access to computing systems, issues of post-structuralist aesthetics. Showing of contemporary artists in this field. Prerequisites: Studio Art 1A-B-C, 65A-B-C, or consent of instructor. May be taken for credit twice.

190 Senior Project and Critique (4). Directed-study critique class in preparation for final project and life after graduation; documentation and portfolio preparation for graduate school. Investigation of exhibition spaces and funding opportunities, participation in artists' communities outside the university, artists' rights issues. Prerequisite: senior standing. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.

190B Senior Projects and Critique in Photography (4). Directed group study focused on production of photographic projects of significant scope and ambition. Emphasis on preparation for continued study and/or practice in photography in advanced settings beyond the undergraduate university experience. Materials fee. Prerequisite: Studio Art 71 or 71A-B; 107; 152 or 152A; and senior standing.

190C Senior Projects and Critique in Video (4). Directed group study focused on production and exhibition of individual video projects of significant scope and ambition. Emphasis is placed on critical evaluation. Assignments include work documentation, preparation for graduate school, and investigation of future opportunities outside the University. Prerequisites: Studio Art 1A-B-C, 81A-B, 108, 132A or 132B, 141 or 153; senior standing. May be taken for credit twice.

191 Studio Problems: Methods and Materials (4). An open media discussion and critique course emphasizing the development of working ideas and the execution of projects in all media. Readings assigned as required; field trips, slide and film/video presentations are integral. Prerequisites: two intermediate courses. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.

197 Studio Art Internship (1 to 4). Under faculty supervision, students participate directly in a variety of art institution settings, including museums, galleries, and nonprofit organizations. Pass/Not Pass only. Prerequisites: junior standing, consent of instructor, and consent of department chair. May be taken for credit twice.

198 Senior Exhibition (4). Preparation, installation, and participation in the annual senior exhibition. Pass/Not Pass only. Prerequisite: senior Studio Art majors only.

199 Independent Study (1 to 4). Individual study or directed creative projects as arranged with faculty member. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. May be repeated for credit.