A beginners Art survey course.

2004

The following syllabus/content was for the first class I taught at Kean University in New Jersey. For an introductory course in art I was really interested in not only exposing the students to the traditional arts (painting, drawing, sculpture), but also the contemporary arts such as conceptual art, land art, net.art, multimedia arts etc.

We looked at painters such as Pablo Picasso but also artists such as Christo & Jean-Claude and Chris Burden. Lectures were always accompanied by video and imagery. Students also experimented with various traditional and experimental mediums. The goal was to give the students exposure to all the various types of art without focusing on any ‘one’ art form in particular.

INTRO TO ART :: KEAN U FA1000*14&*20 :: Fall 2004

instructor:
mark edward grimm
meg156@columbia.edu
megrimm.net

class list-serve / mailing-list via email for internet-based discussions and written assignments:
art@papaya.fruit.za.net

required text
stewart, m. (2002). launching the imagination.mcgraw-hill.

required museum visit:
one (self-guided) museum visit. TBA

KEAN FINE ART DEPARTMENT ATTENDENCE REQUIRMENT: TWO MISSES = GRADE DROP BY ONE LETTER GRADE. LET ME KNOW VIA EMAIL OF EMERGENCIES

ARTWORK:: WRITING :: MUSEUM :: 40%
CLASS AND LIST-SERVE PARTICIPATION:: 40%
FINAL PROJECT:: 20%
course objectives

This course is a lecture / discussion / studio class that will give students a condensed introduction to the theory, practice and history of contemporary art. Through discussions based on images and multimedia presentations, students will help to guide the course towards their own personal objectives and ideas about contemporary art as they are continuously reflected upon through presentations and practice. Furthermore, our studio work will begin by focusing on using traditional materials for art creation but will evolve to match with our theoretical objectives of self-exploration and image and project creation, therefore, studio experimentation is highly encouraged.

By the end of the course students will have gained an understanding of the creative process from initial concept through final product. They will use the studio experience as a catalyst to understanding the art process. They will acquire skills in several different media as a means of communicating conceptually and visually.

course requirements

Class participation in discussions, group activities, and assignments + regular attendance, creative involvement, and the completion of all classroom activities. Students must maintain sketch book/journal, and reading and video viewing assignments will be followed by short written responses and discussions posted to the class listserve. All class activities will facilitate homework assignments.

supplies :: to purchase or share with others

drawing :: sketchbook for course 9×12 . box of 32 crayons : newsprint pad 11×14 or larger :: small India ink black permanent ink :: cheap sumi brush . bamboo with natural hair :: hb . 4h . 6b drawing pencils, shading stick:: kneaded or pink or gum eraser :: pencil sharpener :: inexpensive ruler ::

painting :: starter set of acrylics or just red . blue . yellow . white . black :: 2 or 3 cheap brushes small to large :: small matt gel medium for acrylic :: water container :: paper palette pad :: canvas . will discuss sizes ::palette knife ::

printmaking :: linoleum block :: linoleum carving block :: water based speedball printing ink in black :: rubber brayer ::

misc :: recycled magazines . colored images :: glue :: scissors :: crayons ::

other supplies to be discussed

about the sketchbook/journal: sketch books and artist journals are regularly used to record ideas, thoughts and images that are found to be of interest. Any questions, comments, or ideas are recoded for later use. Many times artists use sketchbooks to work out problems in their art related to larger projects. This class will use sketchbooks to think about and develop our own artworks towards the final goal of a class project.

about the final project: the final project will be an individual work done in one of the mediums we covered in class- or a combination of them, and will be your own in-depth exploration into one of our units of study. You must also post a one-page written text to the list-serve defining the concepts behind your piece.

week 1 group introductions :

– overview of course : introductions to art, the instructor, and each other
– purchase book and supplies
– homework: bring in a small object that represents yourself.
Read pages 1-23 in “Launching the Imagination”

week 2 Drawing, mark-making and expression as used in traditional and non-traditional artistic process

– object discussion from week 1
– gesture and line in contemporary art- lecture with images, video clips from “Basquiat”
– discussions of artistic process in gesture drawing, line drawings and mark-making – what is “drawing”? how can we express ourselves with different types of line, form and gesture?
– practice: explorations in drawing with line, gesture, and value – 1 minute drawings using still-life and the figure. Pencil weights and shading/contours.
– homework: Use your sketchbooks and pencil to draw your object four different times, on four separate sheets of paper. Illustrate your understanding of: value, texture, shape, and line. Refer to pages 1-23 in your book for help.

week 3 artistic process

-Reviewing drawings assigned last week
-Discuss artistic “process” of concepts from start to finish using video clips from Christo and Jean-Claude documentary. Focus on using drawing as a preliminary step and tool for formulating ideas.

– Homework: hand-out question to be answered on Listserve.
– Homework: -Read pages 2-0 through 2-18 (chapter 2) in “Launching the Imagination”
– 5 1-minute pencil drawings in your sketchbook, plus one final drawing, again, using only pencil.

week 4 Introduction to Color

– discuss previous efforts in drawing experiments and pin-point originality and concepts that are found to be interesting
– lecture on color theory
– practice: using collage exploration and color experimentation (crayons/markers) rework/rebuild/reimagine the interesting and original ideas present in your drawing using color.
– discussion and critique of results

– Homework: -Read pages 3-0 through 3-37 (chapter 3) in “Launching the Imagination”
– Bring ruler/straight edge for next week.
– Research “design” on the internet and bring in an example of a type of design (industrial, graphic, motion) that is interesting to you.

week 5 2-Dimentional Design and Organization

– Overview of unity and variety, Weight and gravity, emphasis, scale, proportion, rhythm, pattern and repetition.
– Discussions about design in everyday life. furniture, advertising, web-design.
– Design exercises

– Homework: Finish answering questions and post to listserve
– continue online discussions
– Bring drawing materials (color, B&W, collage items) next week

week 6 Collaboration

– Discussions on Group Work
– Group Projects throughout rest of class
– Homework: -Read pages 4-0 through 4-8 (chapter 3) in “Launching the Imagination”
– Bring smock/old t-shirt & printmaking supplies (to be discussed)

week 7 Printing

– What is printmaking? Demonstration!!! Image examples.
– Linoleum Block Printing Studio project
– Studio Work Time
– HOMEWORK: Bring experimental printmaking objects, anything that through our discussions you think might be able to be printed (vegetables, potatoes, cardboard, wood, cloth) – be original!

week 8 Printmaking Day

– printmaking day!
– studio, discussions and critiques
– HOMEWORK – bring in photograph(s) of something you own that is “changeable” (to be discussed)

week 9 Critical Practices in Art, Architecture and the Environment

– Lecture with slides on architecture and the environment
– studio work on changing designs of know knowns.
HOMEWORK: Continue with explorations in sketchbook in ideas of “change”

week 10 visiting artist one
– visiting artist will give drawing/composition demonstration and discuss own work.
– drawing and/or painting exercise with artist
– Reading: David Hickey: the Birth of the Big Beautiful Art Market
(to put online – will give link)

week 11 Art Market
– Discussions of Dave Hickey article
– Discussions of Art Market and Contemporary ‘Marketable’ Art
– Reading on Internet Art (net.art) links to be sent via E-mail

week 12 Internet/virtual/electronic art
– Discussions/Lecture on Internet Art (net.art)
– Discussions/Lecture on Conceptual/Outsider/Autonomous Art
– Homework. Create a computer based image/website/text idea (to be discussed). post image and/or link to listserv.
– Bring painting supplies for next week (to be discussed)

week 13 Visiting Artist 2
– Visiting artist will give painting demonstration

week 14 ……………12.09
– Studio Painting!!

week 15 ……………12.16
Final Critique: last class. share/show projects and have discussions. BRING IN ALL WORK DONE. Show MUSEUM VISIT PROOF!!hh

PLEASE NOTE: If Classes get cancelled for various reasons some weeks may be combined and/or skipped to stay on schedule. If class cancellations happen we will discuss options.