Texts: The Methodologies of Art - (MA) Laurie Adams

Art: A Brief History (Art) - Marilyn Stokstad

E-reserve articles
 

Course Description:

The philosophy of art addresses the fundamental questions about art, such as what is art and how is it to be criticized (described, interpreted and evaluated)? This done in various ways with a variety of examples intertwined into the course.
 

Requirements:

100 Before class - e-mail approximately 200 words (100 per work of art) as your response after reviewing the material for class. Responses are to the underlined questions.
 

100 Take home mid term on formalism and, iconography and psycho analysis as methodologies for art interpretation.
 

100 Final paper on 4 ways to interpret 1 (or 2 works of art if comparative). Rough draft on day of presentation with resources used. Final paper as the final exam. Four approaches will be used with a philosophical defense as your choice.
 

50 Presentation for 10 minutes on your paper, 1 page outline for each in class, attendance at all presentations from fellow students.
 

75 Preparation and participation in class (includes attendance) term paper outline with research resources, research on your work of art (computer and ordinary). Visit to major art museum with evidence and one page report.
 

75 Final takehome assigned work of art on What is Art? 5 pages due at exam time - bring to HM 477.
 

25 Extra credit - One page report on fine art events from 5 different art forms and (eg opera, play, concert, ballet, showing by professional painter) with evidence of attendance.

Total 500
 
 

• Th Aug. 24 Introduction, and overview. Art Ch 1 Examples

 
• T Aug. 29 MA Ch 1 Introduction Plato/Aristole) and Art. Introduction and Ch 1 as examples - What is Art?

• Th Aug. 31 MA Ch 2 Formalism and Style ( Kant and Fry/Bell) - How is art interpreted?

 
• T Sept. 5 Art (Starter Kit) on the language of art and Art Ch 19 on modern art, also read E-reserve Langer on Feeling and Form. How is formalism applied to 2 examples from Ch 19?

 
• Sept. 7 MA Chs 9, 10, 11 Psychoanalysis and aesthetics (Freud & Banthes/Foucault) How is Art interpreted?

 
• T Sept. 12 Art Ch 18 Post Impressionism. How is psychoanalysis applied to 2 examples from guest class by a professor/artist.

 
• Th Sept. 14 Art Ch especially pp. 192-199 and e-reserve - Islamic Art, guest class by Marilyn Fischer (professor/musician) on Sufi/Islamic music.

 
• T Sept. 19 MA Ch 3 Iconography, How is Art interpreted iconographically with one Islamic example (Art Ch 8).

 
• Th Sept. 21 Art Ch 13 pp. 306-333 - develop the iconography (story) of 2 examples. (1 St. Theresa of Avila, by Bernini?

• T Sept. 26 Philosophical Iconographies for cross-cultural art: Art Chs 3 and 9, only Chinese art (Confucianism/Taoism), E -reserve - 2 articles, "Chinese Aesthetics" and "Old Age in Landscape." How are 2 examples interpreted with Chinese Philosophy?

• Th Sept. 28 Art Chs 3 and 9 again only Buddhist art (Indian, Chinese, Japanese) E-reserve - 2 articles "Japanese Aesthetics" "Japanese on Nature". How are 2 examples interpreted?

 
• T Oct. 3 Art Chs 3 & 9 (Hindu, Vedanta iconography), E-reserve 1 article "Rasa: Delight". (Takehome exam is handed out) How are 2 examples interpreted with Indian philosophy?

• Th Oct. 5 MA Ch 9 Marxism (economic and business). How is Art interpreted from a socio-economic perspective? E-reserve - Beiger "Oil Painting"

 
• T Oct. 10 (Takehome is due) Art Chs 4 on Aegean art and Ch 10 on Romanesque/Gothic art. (Please look at the pictures before class)and think about from a Marxist interpretation.

 
• Th Oct. 12 MA Ch 3 Feminism. How is art interpreted from a feminist perspective?

 
• T Oct. 17 Art Ch 11 Early Renaissance - and Byzantine Ch 7, pp. 166-179. Also E-reserve "Japanese on Women" and "Why are there no great women artists" by Nochlinc. How do you interpret art - 2 examples, 1 from Ch 11 and 1 from Ch 12?)

 
• Th Oct. 19 MA Ch 6 Biograohy and Autobiography (Augustine and Vasari) How is Art interpreted from this perspective?

 
• T Oct. 24 Art Ch 12 High Renaissance and Reformation. How do you interpret art, 1 from High Renaissance and one from Reformation as examples?

• Th Oct. 26 MA Ch 7 Structuralism pp. 133-154, Levi-Strauss and Merleau-Ponty. How is art interpreted from a structuralist perspective?

 
• T Oct. 31 Art Ch 16 Neoclassical and Romantic. E-reserve Hegel "The Ages of Art". How do you interpret work of art from each culture?

 
• Th Nov. 2 MA Ch 7 pp. 154-161 Post-Structuralism and Ch 8 Deconstructionism (Wietzsche, Heidegger) E-reserve "Deconstruction and the Energizer Bunny Rabbit." How is art interpreted from a post-structuralist and with deconstruction perspective?

 
• T Nov. 7 Art Ch 15 African Art, Ch 14 Art of the Americas and Ch 17 Realism to Impressionsim. E-reserve articles. How do you interpret art (1 from Chs 14/15 and one from Ch 17?

 
• Th Nov. 9 Art Ch 20 Contemporary Art - Open to interpretation: Formalism, Iconography, Marxism, Feminism, autobiography/biography, psychoanalysis, structuralism, post-structuralism/deconstructionism. (Review of approaches for your presentations and your papers.

 
• T Nov. 14 Presentations begin (10 minutes on your 4 ways to interpret your work of art (6) presentations for that day. Your attendance required, rough draft of paper is due.

 
• Th Nov. 16 Presentations continued (7) presentations - Your attendance required, rough draft of paper is due.

 
• T Nov. 21 Presentations continued (7) presentations - Your attendance required, rough draft of paper is due.

 
• T Nov. 28 Presentations continued (6) presentations - Your attendance required, rough draft of paper is due.

 
• Th Nov. 30 Presentations continued (6) presentations - Your attendance required, rough draft of paper is due.

 
• T Dec. 5 Presentations continued (4) presentations - Your attendance is required, rough draft of paper is due.

Take home final essay of 5 pages.