| Art and Spirituality |
Art History, Theory, and Criticism |
4039 (001) |
Spring 2025 |
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Description
Throughout human history, a pervasive belief in spirits, gods, and divine forces has profoundly influenced cultures, leaving an indelible mark on their customs and artistic expressions. This course adopts a broad approach, anchored in the selection of artifacts and artworks from the AIC collection. These pieces will serve as portals into a spectrum of theistic and nontheistic spiritual traditions.
We will place particular emphasis on sections of the AIC dedicated to the Arts of Africa, Arts of the Americas, and Arts of Asia. Additionally, we will delve into the evolving concept of spirituality in art from the 20th century onwards, with particular attention given to the early 20th century (1900-1950).
The culminating project for this course entails the creation of a 10-15 page research paper. Throughout the semester, students will also engage in concise object-based written exercises and participate in museum group presentations.
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Class Number
2200
Credits
3
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| Emptiness: Histories, Theories, and Practices |
Art History, Theory, and Criticism |
4045 (001) |
Spring 2025 |
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Description
This experimental 2000- or 4000-level course delves into the multifaceted concept, experience, and practice of 'Emptiness.' Students will explore this theme through the lenses of philosophy, the history of religions, technology, science, and artistic practices. The course examines how emptiness has been theorized, thematized, and experienced throughout history, as well as its historical and spiritual significance.
This course will explore a diverse range of scholars, artists, and artistic traditions. We will delve into Song-Yuan Flower and Bird Paintings and the Japanese Ink painting tradition, as well as modern and contemporary figures like Adolf Wölfli, Awa Tsireh, Pablita Velarde, Alberto Giacometti, John Cage, and Yves Klein. The course will also examine architectural visionaries such as Tadao Ando, and key contributors to Minimalist art, including Agnes Martin, James Turrell, and Robert Irwin. Further areas of focus include the Dansaekhwa movement, and the evolution of installation art, for instance as exemplified by the work of Danh Vo.
This experimental course combines studio visits with in-class presentations, merging practice and theory. Students will be asked to explore modes of visualizing emptiness through creative projects, while also working on papers that examine a specific art historical or theoretical aspect of the histories of emptiness.
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Class Number
2374
Credits
3
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| Reframing |
Art History, Theory, and Criticism |
5002 (004) |
Fall 2024 |
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Description
This classes introduces topics, themes, methods and theories of modern and contemporary art from the late 19th century to the present. The class is geared at incoming MFA students to engage in issues relevant to art historical methods to supplement their artistic practice. Individual instructors will adapt the content based on their individual areas of expertise.
Content will vary depending on instructors but include key texts in Modern and Contemporary art history.
The course will include reading by relevant scholars in the field of Modern and Contemporary Art. Students will turn in weekly responses, take quizzes and tests and possibly write a research paper at the end of the semester
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Class Number
1116
Credits
3
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| History of Art History |
Art History, Theory, and Criticism |
5007 (001) |
Fall 2024 |
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Description
In this seminar, the genesis of the discipline of art history, its founding and continuing assumptions are examined through close readings of key texts in the discipline up until the period of high formalism in the 1950s. Readings are chosen from among the following thinkers: Kugler, Schnaase, Morelli, Riegl, Wolfflin, Focillon, Panofsky, and Warburg. Student reports focus on others. Discussions introduce issues regarding the rise of art history in universities, professional organizations, and conferences, and the relation between museum and academia. Formalism, contextualism, universal history, and the relation between nationalism and art are explored.
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Class Number
1118
Credits
3
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| History of Art History |
Art History, Theory, and Criticism |
5007 (002) |
Fall 2024 |
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Description
In this seminar, the genesis of the discipline of art history, its founding and continuing assumptions are examined through close readings of key texts in the discipline up until the period of high formalism in the 1950s. Readings are chosen from among the following thinkers: Kugler, Schnaase, Morelli, Riegl, Wolfflin, Focillon, Panofsky, and Warburg. Student reports focus on others. Discussions introduce issues regarding the rise of art history in universities, professional organizations, and conferences, and the relation between museum and academia. Formalism, contextualism, universal history, and the relation between nationalism and art are explored.
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Class Number
1195
Credits
3
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| Med/Med Std: Arts of Remediation |
Art History, Theory, and Criticism |
5599 (001) |
Spring 2025 |
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Description
This course investigates the reuse and reinterpretation of found images across a diverse range of artistic mediums. From traditional collage techniques to contemporary digital manipulation, we will explore the transformation of visual materials in practices such as cut-and-paste, found footage, readymade, appropriation art, photography, narrative and experimental cinema, and installation art. Artists who work with found imagery will serve as case studies, including but not limited to Hannah Höch, Romare Bearden, John Baldessari, Barbara Kruger, Sherrie Levine, Carrie Mae Weems, Santu Mofokeng, Fred Wilson, Christian Marclay, Anri Sala, and Arthur Jafa, among others. Through these examples, students will gain insight into how artists challenge and expand the boundaries of image production, authorship, and meaning.
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Class Number
2372
Credits
3
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