David Lozano

In this course we will focus on disciplinary and interdisciplinary art and design practices of contemporary art production. This team-taught, year-long class explores the materials and techniques of surface, space, and time (2D, 3D, and 4D), as well as the connections and interplay of these areas. Core Studio integrates the formal with the conceptual, traditional with the contemporary, and makes visible a variety of approaches in current cultural production in order to foster the development of students? emerging practices as makers and thinkers.

In this interdisciplinary studio course students will be authorized to use a variety of school shops, materials and equipment; including the woodshop, plaster studio, digital lab, sewing machine, hand tools, sound and video production, digital workflows and principles of visual fundamentals. This is a hands-on making class, faculty present artists and content related to a particular toolkit and, or project theme. Every section of Core Studio has shared learning outcomes which are uniquely realized by each Core faculty partnership.

Students should expect a fast-paced studio environment. In Core Studio students will complete short assignments as well as longer multi-week projects. Assignments are designed to help students develop their own ideas in relation to the materials, processes, and themes presented by faculty.

Core Studio is a year-long course that introduces students to both disciplinary and interdisciplinary art practice. Students learn about the methods, materials, tools and concepts in the areas of Surface (2-dimensional), Space (3-dimensional), and Time (4-dimensional), both independently and in relationship to one another. Students develop their own ideas in relation to the materials and themes being presented by faculty. Core Studio integrates the formal with the conceptual, historical with the contemporary, and makes visible the possibilities and variety of approaches in contemporary cultural production.

In this course we will focus on the development of artistic research skills for students already engaged in a practice. Students take this required course in order to experience and develop a variety of research methodologies, both conventional and alternative, which include utilizing collections and archives in the School and the extended community.

Students will undertake various types of research activities: a) collecting and classification, b) mapping and diagramming, c) systems of measurement, d) social interaction, e) information search systems, f) recording and representation, and g) drawing and other notational systems.

Faculty directed, open-media, interdisciplinary, idea based assignments are designed to help students recognize work habits, biases, strengths, and weaknesses. Through this course work students will be able to identify the most productive research methods and making strategies to bolster their emerging studio practice. Critique as an evaluative process used in art and design schools, is a focus in this course. Various methods and models of critique are used in order to give students the tools to discuss their own work and the work of others.

Can the sublime be relevant in art today? Do you love things that are ravishingly crafted or made simply beautiful? The beginning of this course will focus on exploring the everyday or mundane with emphasis on meaning through craft or aesthetics. Note that this course does not celebrate the ideal found in commercial beauty standards when related to the human body. In other words we will investigate beauty that is overlooked, unexpected or possibly marginalized. 'If it is truly awesome then it is probably sublime'- this second unit of the course will crystalize notions of the sublime through an installation-based project inspired by the original philosophies on the sublime. The final unit of the course will culminate with an in-depth exploration of dichotomies found in beauty and/or the sublime. Among the writings discussed in the course will be Edmund Burke's famous writing on aesthetics, essays by Crispin Sartwell, Peter Schjedahl and a David Batchelor essay from his book Chromophobia. Students will also be responsible for: creating work for 3 separate critiques; for all readings; writings; presentations; participation in discussions; and canvas postings.
The projects can be interdisciplinary with a focus on building, crafting, and constructing objects or images whether they are static or time based. The following are some of the artists that will be discussed and relate to one or more of the units: Doris Salcedo, Vija Celmins, Andy Goldswothy, Felix Gonzales-Torres, Mickalene Thomas, James Turrell, Jeffrey Gibson, Sarah Sze, Rachel Rose