Fine Arts Courses

Semester specific course desciptions

Art History

116. Survey of Art.
A survey of the historical development of art forms from Paleolithic times to the late Middle Ages. Emphasis is placed upon the relationship between the formal aspects of art and the political and social history of a culture. Satisfies distribution requirement in humanities.

117. Survey of Western Art.
A survey of the historical development of art forms from the Renai-ssance to the present. Emphasis is placed upon the relationship between the formal aspects of art and the political and social his-tory of a culture. Satisfies distribution requirement in humanities. Also offered through European Studies.

202. Art of the Italian Renaissance.
A study of painting, sculpture and architecture of Italy from the late 13th to the late 16th centuries. Artists to be considered include Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael and Titian. Prerequisite: Fine Arts 116 or 117 or permission of instructor. Offered on rotation. Also offered through European Studies.

203. Art of the Northern Renaissance.
A study of painting and sculpture in northern and central Europe from the late 13th to the late 16th centuries. This course will focus on such artists as Jan van Eyck and Albrecht Durer, as well as such themes as the evolving representation of nature, witchcraft and other gendered imagery in art, and the early history of printmaking. Prerequisite: Fine Arts 116 or 117 or permission of instructor. Offered on rotation. Also offered through European Studies.

204. Baroque and Rococo Art.
A study of painting, sculpture and architecture in Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries. This course will explore such artists as Velazquez, Bernini, Artemisia Gentileschi and Rembrandt, evocative images of nature and mystical experience, and the Palace of Versailles. Prerequisite: Fine Arts 117 or permission of instructor. Offered on rotation. Also offered through European Studies.

206. Art of the Middle Ages.
A study of European art history from the collapse of the Roman Empire to the 14th century. Individual sessions explore the history of symbols, saints’ cults, pilgrimages and monasticism. Prerequisite: Fine Arts 116 or 117 or permission of instructor. Offered on rotation. Also offered through European Studies.

210. American Art.
A survey of American art from the 17th century to the eve of World War I. The emphasis is on painting, although other media are included. Field trips. Prerequisite: Fine Arts 117 or permission of instructor.

215. West African Arts.
This course deals for the most part with the traditional arts of West Africa. It explores the wide range of West African art forms, materials and functions as well as questions of production, ownership, utility, evaluation and change. Diversity and humanities distribution credits. Also offered through African Studies.

217. Buddhist Art and Ritual.
This course explores the historical and contemporary practices of Buddhist art and ritual in multiple geographical, social and cultural contexts. Specific examples of monuments, sculptures, paintings and ritual objects made for use by practicing Buddhists across Asia are studied to address questions of patronage and identity in various time periods. A large part of the course focuses on analyzing the contemporary reception and reshaping of traditional Buddhist ideas and art forms by diverse audiences around the world. This course also considers the changing context for Buddhist art and practice in Asia in an era of globalization. Fulfills the diversity and humanities distribution requirements. Also offered through Asian Studies.

218. Arts of South Asia
This course provides a thematic and historical introduction to the visual arts of South Asia. By examining sculpture, architecture, painting and film from the region, the course will introduce students to the multiple cultural strands that contribute to the histories of countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal and India. Our study will extend to the art made by and for communities of South Asian origin in North America today. Special emphasis will be given to issues of cross-cultural contacts, ethnicity and gender. Finally, we will look critically at the current debates surrounding methods of studying, collecting and displaying South Asian art. Fulfills the diversity and humanities requirements. Also offered through Asian Studies.

246. Art and Politics in Nigeria.
This course examines the relationship between art and sociopolitical conditions and events in Nigeria since 1960, as reflected in the works of selected major cultural producers. The most populous country in Africa, and one of the most diverse and important, Nigeria has produced world-class writers like Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka and Ben Okri. Key figures in literature, music and fine arts are studied and, through their works and personal histories, the role of the artist in society is examined. Offered on rotation. Diversity distribution credit. Also offered through African Studies.

247,248. Special Topics in Art.
Topics relate to the history, practice or theory of art. Open to all students, but depending on the topic prerequisites may be required. Specific topics are announced in the Class Schedule each semester, when offered.

252. History of Modern European Art.
A critical historical investigation of art production in western Eu-rope from 1850 to 1945. Special emphasis is given to these issues: the strategy and tactics of the avant-garde, the revolutionary potential of art, the public reception of modernist art, the politics of the art market, the problem of abstraction and issues of gender. Prerequisite: Fine Arts 117. Also offered through European Studies.

254. A History of Contemporary Art.
The aim of this course is to provide a historical basis for an understanding of the current ideologies of art. Beginning with the emergence of an avant-garde in the United States in the 1940s, the course investigates how artists and their publics attempted to redefine the role of art in the West. Prerequisite: Fine Arts 117.

325. The Museum as Cultural Crossroads.
An exploration of the museum as a largely Western creation and as a lens through which the Western world views other cultures. Class sessions focus on the history of collecting, the origins of great Western museums, the transport of cultural properties in the era of colonialism and the role of museums in communicating cultural difference. Offered on rotation. Also offered through Global Studies.

389, 390. Special Projects in Art.
Individual study for fine arts majors or especially qualified students. Prerequisite: consent of the supervising professor and department chair. Hours to be arranged.

395. Senior Project: Honors in Fine Arts.
Details of the program are available from the department chair. Prerequisite: permission of instructor and department chair.

451, 452. Seminar in Art.
Topics relate to the history, practice and theory of art. Primarily for qualified majors; however, students who are interested but who have backgrounds in areas other than art are welcome. Seminar topics and prerequisites are announced in the Class Schedule each semester.

458. Women Artists and Contemporary Feminisms.
The presence of women and women’s issues has had a significant historical impact in the arena of contemporary art, 1970 to present. This course focuses on the art of these women, their relationships with the feminist movement historically and theoretically and the development of feminist art history in this period. The course also provides background in the history of women, art and society. Prerequisites: Fine Arts 116 or 117 and one upper level course.

489, 490. SYE: Independent Study.
An independent study for senior fine arts majors that builds upon the student’s prior work in art history or studio art and is directed toward developing superior skills in research and writing or studio work. Prerequisites: permission of the instructor and depart­­ment chair (must be obtained the semester preceding the course)

Studio Courses
All studio courses are one-unit courses and meet six hours per week.

121. Introduction to Studio Art.
An introductory course that raises fundamental questions about the nature of artistic activity. Students should expect to be engaged in both the process of making art and discussion related to the theoretical basis of such activity. Open to all undergraduates; required of fine arts majors. Fine Arts 121 is prerequisite to all other studio courses, and it is suggested that this course be taken during the first year or sophomore year. Satisfies distribution requirement in arts and expression.

229. Introduction to Painting.
This course will place emphasis on gaining understanding of pictorial space in painting and use of basic elements such as color, value, form, composition and surface. Through various exercises and formal/thematic projects, students will learn how to work with paint, make transition from drawing into painting, and understand the process of transforming visual perception and ideas into an image/object. Regular presentations of relevant historical and contemporary paintings will complement the studio practice. Maintaining a visual journal will be required. Students will be expected to invest work outside the class, write response papers to readings and exhibitions, actively participate in discussions and critiques, and devise and execute their own final project. Prerequisites: Fine Arts 121, 231 and/or permission of instructor. Registration limited.

230. Intermediate Painting.
This course will place emphasis on generating extended statements through making a small but coherent body of work for each project. Students will be expected to continue to develop their understanding of the basic elements of painting while tackling a more complex set of problems and propositions. Projects will investigate painting’s relationship with the body, photography, film, narrative, mapping and conceptual art. Studio practice will be contextualized through slide lectures in relation to issues in aesthetics, art historical antecedents and contemporary society. Requirements include a presentation on an artist, reading scholarly essays and artists’ writings, response papers, reviews on exhibitions, and participation in discussions and critiques. Maintaining a visual journal will also be required. Students will be expected to invest significant work outside the class. Prerequisites: Fine Arts 121, 229, 231 and/or permission of instructor. Registration limited.

231. Drawing I.
This introductory course will emphasize developing drawing skills through academic exercises. Various media are used. Prerequisite: Fine Arts 121 or permission of instructor. Registration limited.

232. Drawing II.
This course will continue to emphasize developing drawing skills but will focus more on issues and ideas of expression. Various media are used. Prerequisite: Fine Arts 121 and 231 or permission of instructor. Registration limited.

235. Abstract Drawing: Uli and Other Forms
The principal objective of this course is to expose students to some abstract drawing traditions of the world and, through studio practices structured around these traditions, enable students to explore the potential of abstract drawing as a viable and independent means of expression. Using the Uli drawing/painting tradition of Nigeria as a point of departure, the course will cover European calligraphy; Chinese, Japanese and Arabic calligraphy and painting, and the graphic works of modern artists like Paul Klee, Joan Miro, Ben Shahn, Ibrahim el Salahi and Uche Okeke. Prerequisite: Fine Arts 121. Diversity distribution credit. Also offered through African Studies and Global Studies.

239. Sculpture I.
This is a course for expressing one’s ideas in three dimensions and through a variety of media. Through this course students receive an introduction to the basic techniques, materials and terminology of 3D design, sculpture and contemporary art in general. Assignments in modeling, mixed media, installation and collaboration are included. Materials investigated include clay, plaster, wood and metal as well as found, mixed and experimental media. In order to give students a broader perspective on contemporary cultural production and thought, this course is supplemented through the investigation of historical and theoretical aspects of contemporary art. Prerequisite: Fine Arts 121 or permission of instructor. Registration limited.

240. Sculpture II.
A continuation of Sculpture I. Students will be expected to expand their ideas into more fully resolved and conceptually challenging works. Collaboration, casting, fabrication/building techniques using wood and metal, investigation of tactical media approaches and other materials as determined by the student’s interest and conceptual direction. Prerequisite: Fine Arts 121 and 239 and permission of instructor.

241. Printmaking I.
An introduction to relief, intaglio and lithography processes, this course will involve drawing, processing, proofing and editioning prints. Students will also be exposed to historical and contemporary ideas and images related to making prints. Prerequisite: Fine Arts 121 or permission of instructor. Registration limited.

247, 248. Special Topics in Art.
Topics relate to the history, practice or theory of art. Open to all students, but depending on the topics, prerequisites may be required. Specific topics are announced in the Class Schedule each semester when offered.

249. Ceramics I.
This is a course for expressing one’s ideas through the most basic and malleable material – clay. Different hand-building techniques such as pinch, slab, coil, solid and hollow modeling will be explored as well as the basics of ceramic and non-ceramic finishes. In order to give students a broader perspective of the material and its use, this course is supplemented through the investigation of historical and theoretical aspects of contemporary ceramic and “fine” art. Prerequisite: Fine Arts 121.

250. Ceramics II.
A continuation of Ceramics I. Students will be expected to expand their ideas into more fully resolved and conceptually challenging works. Fabrication/building techniques such as press molding, slip casting, installation work and mixing media will be discussed. More advanced surfacing techniques such as ceramic decals, printing on clay, experimental finishes and glaze chemistry will be explored. Prerequisite: Fine Arts 121 and 249 and permission of instructor.

259. Photography I.
Photography and its use as a medium of documentary and creative expression. The use of cameras; developing, printing; design and composition in photography; and other aspects of photographic theory and history. Students are expected to provide their own SLR camera. Prerequisite: Fine Arts 121 or permission of instructor. Registration limited.

260. Photography II.
Advanced work in special photographic techniques beyond black and white photography. Prerequisites: Fine Arts 121, 259 and permission of instructor. Registration limited.

270. Collaboration Across the Arts.
The direction of this course is determined largely by the unique combination of students who participate. At the beginning of the semester, students will form groups of two or three to work on a collaborative project of their own design reflecting their collective interests. For example, a pair of students may create a multimedia work that draws connections between image and sound. This is only one type of project, as students working in visual art, music, video, film, drama, rhetoric, writing or any number of other disciplines may wish to participate. Class sessions will feature group critiques of works in progress, study of example works, discussions of relevant aesthetic issues, drawing connections across media and strategies for collaborative work. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Also offered as Music 270 and Performance and Communication Arts 270.

329. Advanced Painting.
The primary aim of this course is to examine painting as a mode of expression in the 21st century through theory and practice. A close look at the evolution of painting in the 20th century reveals that there have always been contradictory ideas and tendencies. Recent manifestations of painting are anything but pure, often combining previous painting languages with images of contemporary culture. In order to understand the sources, direction and viability of contemporary painting, the course will investigate its historical antecedents through a series of projects with relevant themes such as abstraction, geometry, gesture, chance, language/concept, popular culture/mass media, and photography and digital media. The course aims to reveal the dialectical nature of painting through a wide range of conceptual and technical means in developing a coherent body of work. Lectures, discussions, critiques and occasional visits to museums/galleries will complement the studio production. Students are required to do weekly readings, short papers and exhibition reviews, and maintain a visual journal. Prerequisites: Fine Arts 121, 231, 229, 230 and/or permission of instructor. Registration limited.

331, 332. Advanced Drawing I and II.
Advanced work in drawing. Prerequisites: Fine Arts 231, 232 and permission of instructor. Registration limited.

339, 340. Advanced Sculpture I and II.
Advanced work in sculpture. Prerequisites: Fine Arts 239, 240 and permission of instructor. Registration limited.

341. Advanced Printmaking I.
Students may elect to work in depth in relief or intaglio processes or they may elect to become involved in various expanded and experimental techniques such as monotypes or collotypes. Prerequisite: Fine Arts 241. Registration limited.

349, 350. Advanced Ceramics I and II.
Advanced work in ceramics. Prerequisites: Fine Arts 249, 250 and permission of instructor. Registration limited.

389, 390. Special Projects in Art I and II.
Individual study for fine arts majors or especially qualified students. Prerequisite: consent of the supervising professor and department chair. Hours to be arranged.

395. Senior Project. Honors in Fine Arts.
Details of the program are available from the department chair. Prerequisite: permission of instructor and department chair.

451, 452. Seminar in Art I and II.
Topics relate to the history, practice and theory of art. Primarily for qualified majors; however, students who are interested but have backgrounds in areas other than art are welcome. Seminar topics are announced in the Class Schedule each semester.

489, 490. SYE: Independent Study.
An independent study for senior fine arts majors that builds upon the student's prior work in art history or studio art and is directed toward developing superior skills in research and writing or studio work. Prerequisites: permission of the instructor and department chair (must be obtained the semester preceding the course).