A wide shot of a ceramics studio, featuring students working with pottery wheels and other tools.
A headshot of SAIC faculty member Rebecca Walz.

Rebecca Walz

Lecturer

Contact

Bio

Education: MFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and BFA from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Exhibitions: The Carnegie Museum of Art; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; LAXART; Breese Little; Abbaye Saint–Magloire Galerie; Institute of Contemporary Art, Singapore; International Museum of Surgical Science; The Suburban; Western Exhibitions; Andrew Rafacz Gallery. Collections: Museum of Modern Art, New York NY; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago IL; Joan Flasch Artist’s Books Collection; The Art Collection of Hobart and William Smith Colleges; The Kinsey Institute of Sex, Gender, and Reproduction Special Collections; Microsoft Collection. Bibliography: Fulgar Press; Journal of Extreme Anthropologie; The New York Times; Artforum; Newcity; Cephalophore Publications; and the Religious Studies Review Journal. Residencies & Awards: Yaddo; The Alfred and Trafford Klots International Program; The International Museum of Surgical Science; Vermont Studio Center; Ragdale Foundation; Pyramid Atlantic Art Center for the Arts; Oxbow School of Art.

Courses

Title Department Catalog Term

Description

Grounded in an interdisciplinary approach, students in this advanced course explore a range of creative strategies used by contemporary artists in order to develop new ideas and create strong, portfolio-quality work. This course is designed to introduce students to a number of new media, materials, and methods to expand skills in areas such as drawing, painting, sculpture, installation, video, sound, and performance. With extensive faculty guidance and peer support, students will develop individual projects, learn to clearly articulate their ideas, and produce work that fully represent them as artists. Artist presentations, critiques, and field trips supplement studio coursework. This course is intended for students that have previous experience and a deep interest in the visual arts, want to add new work to their portfolio, and are comfortable working independently from specific assignments using interdisciplinary practices. Artwork and performances that are temporary in nature or that cannot be easily transported will be properly documented through photography and video.

*NOTE* Previous experience in art/design and the ability to work independent of specific assignments required. SAIC provides basic equipment for this course, but students are encouraged to bring their own digital camera, tablet, and/or laptop for homework and after-studio hours projects.*NOTE* Previous experience in art/design and the ability to work independent of specific assignments required. SAIC provides basic equipment for this course, but students are encouraged to bring their own digital camera, tablet, and/or laptop for homework and after-studio hours projects.

Class Number

1011

Credits

1

Description

In this course students will focus interests and refine their skills to create strong, portfolio-quality work. This advanced course is intended for students with previous drawing and/or painting experience who are ready to experiment, take risks, and push their skills to the next level. The organization of ideas and development of self-directed work is emphasized with instructor guidance and peer support. Students explore contemporary artistic practices through interdisciplinary approaches that cultivate material exploration, image making strategies, and traditional and non-traditional drawing and painting techniques. Lead by their individual projects and goals, students may choose to work in a variety of media, such as water-based paint, oil paint, ink, pencil, charcoal, collage, or a combination of media. Trips to the Art Institute of Chicago, contemporary artist presentations, group critiques, daily writing exercises, and class discussions supplement the studio experience.

*NOTE* Painting and/or drawing experience and ability to work independent of specific assignments required. Students are encouraged to bring their own digital camera, tablet, and/or laptop for homework/research and after-studio hours projects. Note: Figure Drawing, Figure Painting, Painting, and Drawing courses may use nude models hired by the School. Other classes may use them to a lesser degree.

Class Number

1038

Credits

2

Description

In this course students will focus interests and refine their skills to create strong, portfolio-quality work. This advanced course is intended for students with previous drawing and/or painting experience who are ready to experiment, take risks, and push their skills to the next level. The organization of ideas and development of self-directed work is emphasized with instructor guidance and peer support. Students explore contemporary artistic practices through interdisciplinary approaches that cultivate material exploration, image-making strategies, and traditional and non-traditional drawing and painting techniques. Lead by their individual projects and goals, students may choose to work in a variety of media, such as water-based paint, oil paint, ink, pencil, charcoal, collage, or a combination of media.

*Note: Painting and/or drawing experience and ability to work independently on specific assignments required.

Class Number

1003

Credits

2

Description

This course investigates the relationship between eroticism, excess, artistic practice, and modes of representation. Taking an interdisciplinary and transgeneric approach (with readings in theory, history, philosophy, psychology, and literature), the course will treat a variety of mediums, with special emphasis on painting, drawing, and adjacent practices. Instructors frame the concept of ?erotics? as a mode of practice that investigates and integrates sex, gender, and a variety of ambivalent movements, for example, the play of form and formlessness, figuration and monstrosity, taboo and transgression, attraction and repulsion, incorporation and excretion, abjection and sublimity. Key ideas discussed in class include sex/uality, gender, difference, bodies, ritual, violence, representation, desire, ?perversion.? Students will read texts from art theory and history, psychoanalysis, literature, and psychology. Throughout the class, they will be asked to synthesize course readings and discussions with their own artistic practice.

Class Number

2290

Credits

3

Description

This course investigates the relationship between eroticism, excess, artistic practice, and modes of representation. Taking an interdisciplinary and transgeneric approach (with readings in theory, history, philosophy, psychology, and literature), the course will treat a variety of mediums, with special emphasis on painting, drawing, and adjacent practices. Instructors frame the concept of ?erotics? as a mode of practice that investigates and integrates sex, gender, and a variety of ambivalent movements, for example, the play of form and formlessness, figuration and monstrosity, taboo and transgression, attraction and repulsion, incorporation and excretion, abjection and sublimity. Key ideas discussed in class include sex/uality, gender, difference, bodies, ritual, violence, representation, desire, ?perversion.? Students will read texts from art theory and history, psychoanalysis, literature, and psychology. Throughout the class, they will be asked to synthesize course readings and discussions with their own artistic practice.

Class Number

2291

Credits

3