What is Art?
An Interdisciplinary Journey of Discovery of the Self, Society, and the Cosmos
Spring 2001
A&S 2-72
Tuesdays/Thursdays 11:00-12:15
Dr. Deborah Vess
e-mail: dvess@mail.gcsu.edu
Required Texts | Course Description | Course Requirements | Course objectives | Outline of Topics and Readings: | Course Introduction | The Elements of Art | Unit II: Functionalism | Unit III Art as Mirror of Reality | Unit IV Art and the Ordered Cosmos | Unit V: Art as Self-Expression Policies and Procedures| Format for event critiques
OFFICE
HOURS
My office hours
for spring semester are from 9:00-11:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and
Fridays. If it is not possible for you to see me during these times,
please make an appointment. My
office is located in A&S 2-50A, and my phone number is x4441. Should you need to see me, please try to come during office
hours, send me an e-mail requesting assistance, or phone my secretary
for an appointment.
PERSONAL SAFETY: In the event of a fire alarm signal students should exit the building in a quick and orderly manner through the nearest hallway exit. First and second floor classes should exit through ground level exits; third floor classes through nearest stairwell to a ground level exit. Do not use the elevator. Third floor stairwells are areas where disabled people may communicate with rescue workers. Be familiar with the floor plan and exits of this building.
CANCELED CLASSES: In the event that a class must be canceled, someone will appear personally in the class to notify students. No other method of notification will be official.
DISABILITY STATEMENT: If you require special arrangements due to a physical or learning disability, please notify the instructor as soon as possible.
DISRUPTIONS: Late arrivals and early departures are extremely disruptive. Please try to arrive on time. Students who arrive more than ten minutes late will be counted absent for the day. Early departures should only be made in the case of extreme emergency.
*The Humanistic
Tradition
*Benjamin Hoff,
The Tao of Pooh
You can find these books at the university bookstore.
*We also have a multimedia textbook for this course on the Web; this material will the primary text for the course and will be absolutely essential for you to read. These materials were written by Dr. Vess and your other instructors here at the university expressly for this class, and we hope you will find them helpful. To access your online textbook for this course, go to: http://www.faculty.de.gcsu.edu:8900/; this takes you to the University=s WEBCT screen. You will be assigned a password and log in name to access the online course listed under IDST 2310, the Fine and Applied Arts in Civilization. Your log in ID and your password is the first letter of the your first name as officially recorded by the university, your last name, and the last four digits of your social security number (all typed in lower case without any spaces.). For example, the log in and password of John Doe whose ss# is 123-45-6789 would be: jdoe6789. You can also access most of the reading materials at http://www.faculty.de.gcsu.edu/~dvess/ids/fap/fapciv.shtml; quizzes are not accessible here. (Some of the images here are password protected; please use the username: wrldciv and the password: bfcaamc to access these files.).
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is an interdisciplinary exploration of the contributions of the world=s great civilizations to the humanities and the fine and applied arts. Our thematic focus for the course is "What is art?" and we will attempt to answer this question by studying various works from multiple disciplines, including art history, architecture, drama, the textile arts, music, literature, poetry, and philosophy within the context of historic and cultural trends in the humanities, sciences, and society. We will analyze these works of art within the framework of several representative aesthetic theories. We will also explore the role of the arts and of the artist within the world's societies. An important aspect of the course will be the integration of our topical units with on-campus artistic events and gallery exhibits, as well as engaging in several creative activities in which students will create their own self-portrait from found objects and design and implement a Zen garden. Our study of "what is art?" will lead us on a journey in which we will discover various notions of the self, of society and the roles of the artist, and of the cosmos and our place in it. We shall also be introduced to cross-cultural ideals of beauty, of art and the artist, and of the uses of the elements of art to express these ideals. In this interdisciplinary course, we will integrate the methodology, perspectives, and content of multiple disciplines to come to develop a greater understanding of "What is art?" and to go on a deeper "journey of discovery of self, society, and the cosmos." In the process, it is hoped that students will develop a greater tolerance for the diversity of the world's cultures, standards of beauty, customs, and individuals; the ability to synthesize diverse disciplinary perspectives; nd the ability to apply abstract knowledge to many different contexts.
Our course will be organized into four broad topical units and an introduction to the elements of art:
Introduction: Broad discussion of possible responses to the question of "what is art?" and brief introduction to the elements of art
Unit I: The Artist as Craftsperson: The Function of Art (Functionalism)
Unit II: Ut pictura poesis: Art as Mirror of the Cosmos
Unit III: Art and the Ordered Cosmos (Asian and European views of nature)
Unit IV: Art as Self-expression
You may see the course outline below for a more detailed listing of topics and readings.
1. Students will develop an appreciation and awareness of the cultural contributions of the world' great civilizations to art, architecture, drama, poetry and literature, music and the textile arts.
2. Students will develop an appreciation and understanding of various ways of interpreting the nature, function, and styles of art; students should be able to define, discuss and give examples of various aesthetic theories of art, including functionalism, realism, idealism, formalism, and expressionism.
3. Students will develop the ability to discuss and apply examples of different disciplinary and cultural perspectives on the use and meaning of color, rhythm, shape, texture, and line in works of art from multiple disciplines
4. Students will appreciate the ways in which the various arts and humanities reflect and express different disciplinary and cultural views of the self, society, and the cosmos.
5. Students will be able to explain different cultural, literary, artistic, and historic views of the function of art and the role of the artist in society, and to critique the idea that art is appreciated in terms of its function.
6. Students will be able to explain different cultural, literary, artistic, and historic views of functionalism, realism, idealism, formalism, and expressionism in the arts and humanities, and to discuss interdisciplinary examples of these aesthetic theories.
7. Students will develop an appreciation of different
disciplinary and cultural approaches to the question of "What is art?"
8. Students will develop and demonstrate their own response to the question of "what is art?" through a discussion and critique of various disciplinary and cultural responses studied in the course.
9. Students will develop the ability to express
their own notions of self, society, and the cosmos through the various
art forms of the disciplines studied and to critique and analyze various
historic and contemporary theories of the self.
10.
GRADING
POLICY/COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Quizzes
There will be several quizzes on the readings and course content. These quizzes will begin during the unit on cave art and houses of prayer, and will be conducted on-line in the computer labs. Students will take the quizzes on their own time. These quizzes will consist of fill-in-the-blank, short answer, visual identification of art masterworks, and multiple choice questions. NO LATE QUIZZES ACCEPTED. QUIZZES MUST BE COMPLETED BY DUE DATES. NO EXCEPTIONS. The computer denies attempts to access the quizzes after due date, so please be sure to complete your quizzes on time. If you are having trouble accessing the computer materials, notify your instructor BEFORE the due date. Please do not wait until several weeks have passed to take action. These quizzes will be worth 10 percent of your grade.
Attendance
at Arts Events on campus:
Students will also be required to attend at least three artistic events on campus during the course of the semester. At least one event must be a musical performance; at least one must be a theatrical event, and at least one should be a gallery exhibit. Students may consult the arts events listed on the university's calender of events. I will also be suggesting events to you as the semester continues. Many of these events charge an admission fee of $1 per student. Students will write a brief summary and critique of their arts experience this semester. Student should use the form included at the end of this syllabus. The arts critique will be worth 10 percent of your grade; the writeup is due on April 5th. Late papers will be docked ten points a day.
Applied
projects and class workshops:
There will be some applied art projects assigned, such as the Zen garden project. Some of these projects will be done in class and some will be completed outside of class. NO MAKEUPS WILL BE PERMITTED for in-class workshops and NO late projects will be accepted for any reason. These projects will be graded on the following basis: following instructions, effort, thought, and creativity shown, and the quality and neatness of its construction. If the project looks like you put it together in the hour before class, you can expect the grade to reflect that. While I do not expect any of you to demonstrate professional artistic ability, I do look for the project to reflect effort, neatness, and some serious thought put into the planning of its design. These projects will count as 5 percent of your final grade.
Group Projects:
There will be two group projects this semester, one on Art as Propaganda and one on the Tao of Pooh. Students must participate in these activities fully to receive their grades, and you will be graded in part by your peers on your participation in these units. These projects count as 10 percent of your final grade.
Egypt project:
Students will write a creative autobiography based on an Egyptian role. Further details appear in the syllabus and on a handout to be distributed later. This project will be worth 10 percent of your total grade.
WEBCT discussions:
In addition,
students will also participate in several online discussions within
the WEBCT course package, and will complete several Internet/computer assignments. These projects/assignments will
count together as 10 percent of your overall grade.
Self-portrait
final exam project
The final class project/exam will be to create a self-portrait, write an in-depth essay integrating the various disciplinary theories of the self discussed in class, and present these on a web page within the student presentation area. Students should use supporting evidence from readings for the essay, and should then explain how their own self-portrait reflects or reacts to these theories. The presentation web page should integrate these and other perspectives by providing links and other resources on the topic of the self. The self-portrait itself may make use of multi-media resources, and you should pay careful attention to craftsmanship and design. You will post your web page with links to your exam essay or its entire contents, and an electronic image of the self-portrait in the WEBCT student presentation area (your essay should also be posted as an attachment in the bulletin board area under "the me I have come to know"; finally, you will present the self-portrait to the class during the final exam period, May 1, 2001.The self-portrait project, consisting of the portrait and the exam essay will be worth 15 percent of your final grade. The essay will be worth 60 points, while the applied component and your presentation web page will be worth 40 points of the exam grade. More detailed instructions will follow later.
Exams:
In addition,
there will be two midterm exams in the course.
The midterm exams will count as 15 percent of your grade. The exams will be composed primarily of essay
questions, with some multiple choice, matching, and/or slide identifications
questions or special outside projects as components.
MAKEUPS: The TENTATIVE date for each exam
is listed on the syllabus. Makeups
for exams will be administered only in the most extreme circumstances
and will consist entirely of essay questions. If you must miss an exam,
you must contact Dr. Vess PRIOR to the exam and arrange
a makeup time if you are permitted an excused absence.
If you do not contact Dr. Vess, you will NOT be
allowed to makeup the exam, and will receive a "zero" for
that unit. In the event that you are permitted to make up the exam, the make-up will be administered on the last
day of classes, April 27, 2001. The professor assumes no responsibility
for scheduling makeups. You are responsible for scheduling your makeup
exam for the makeup exam day, April 27, 2001. No more than one missed exam will be made up
UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES; if you miss more than one exam, you will receive
a zero for that grade. NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE TO THIS
POLICY. PLEASE DO NOT ASK THAT AN EXCEPTION BE MADE
IN YOUR CASE.
ATTENDANCE POLICY: You are responsible for all material presented in class lectures and discussions, and from films, transparencies and other media resources; please be aware that this sort of material is difficult, if not impossible, to make up. This syllabus contains only a partial listing of classroom resources which will be used. The instructor assumes NO RESPONSIBILITY whatsoever for providing you with missed notes, etc. Please DO NOT call or come by and expect me to teach you the material you missed or to show you a film you missed. The syllabus provides you with information as to topics covered. If you are not present I cannot teach you, and since we will often be exchanging ideas in discussion, the class will be deprived of your input. PLEASE attend regularly. Students who accumulate more than four absences in this course prior to midterm, February 28, will be dropped from the roll by the instructor with a grade of AF@. After midterm, February 28, you will receive an AF@ for more than six total absences during the semester. There will be NO EXCEPTIONS to this policy, regardless of the reason for the absences. If you have missed six times, you have missed three weeks of the course. In my estimation, missing this much of the course of the course would naturally entail failure.
ACADEMIC
INTEGRITY: Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated.
Any attempt to present ideas from a textbook or other source
as one's own, such as copying answers during exams or using unattributed
information in a paper, is considered cheating.
If caught cheating, you will receive a "O" the first
time and an "F" in the course and referral to the Vice-President
for Student Affairs and to the Dean of Arts and Sciences for further
offenses. There will be no exceptions
to this policy.
The outline
which follows is a TENTATIVE outline only.
We may at times move ahead or fall behind our schedule. For this
reason, it is crucial that you attend regularly. It is YOUR responsibility
to know where we are in the course. Regular attendance and participation
in the discussions, lectures and completing the readings are a must
for success in this course.
THE LAST
DAY TO DROP THE COURSE WITHOUT ACADEMIC PENALTY IS March 2, 2001.
January 9: First day of class. Course introduction.
What is art and what are the elements of art? Under what conditions do we consider an object a work of art? We will view and introductory video today and discuss it. We will also go to the computer lab for an Introduction to the online resources for the class. I want you to get comfortable with the WEBCT package, as we will be using this environment extensively. Consequently, I will be showing you how to post responses to the bulletin board area and also how to complete the quizzes.
Your first assignment in this course is to post your responses to "Young artists speak on the nature of art" in the class bulletin board area of your WEBCT online package. Please try to complete these entries while we are in the lab area. Also, by the next class period, please complete the practice quiz found in the WEBCT package. We will have plenty of time to discuss any problems or questions when we are in the lab and also when we are back in class. Should you have any problems at all at any time in the course, IMMEDIATELY see Dr. Vess. Please do not wait until grades are due to inform your instructor that you never could access the course package!
Assignment:
WEBCT assignment: please post your response to "What is an interdisciplinary class?" and "first introductions" topics on the class bulletin board area of
your WEBCT online package by January 11th. If you did not post a response
to "What
is art" in class today, please do so by the next class
session, January 11th.
January 11: Unit I: Introduction to the Elements of Art: Shape and line
Problem for the Elements of Art unit: Some of the elements of art, such as color, seem to apply more to one art from than to others (for example, to art more than to music). Can there be parallels to each element of art in the visual and aural arts as well as the humanities, such as literature? Can you think of other disciplines in which we might apply these terms?
An interdisciplinary survey of psychological theories of the symbolism of shapes and lines and their expressions in the visual arts and music
*workshop on preferential shapes (take-home assignment due on January 16)
January 18: Introduction to the Elements of Art: Color Aesthetics
*An interdisciplinary
survey of color aesthetics in the medieval illuminations (art) of Hildegard
von Bingen; color analogues in music (chant of Hildegard and other examples)
and literature
Readings: Dr. Vess's chapter on Hildegard
in the online course package; chapter
on the science of color in the online course package.
January 23: Introduction to the Elements of Art: Yoruba Color Aesthetics
*workshop on Yoruba bead-making
Readings: Dr. Farrar's chapter on Yoruba color aesthetics in the online course package.
January 25: Introduction to the Elements of Art: Rhythm in Music
*African drum rhythms and dance: Guest lecture by Dr. Patti Tolbert
*Other musical examples
January
30: Introduction to the Elements of Art: Rhythm in Poetry
*Special guest lecture by Dr. Wayne Glowka, Department of English, Speech, and Journalism
*Assignment: Post your response to "A poetic journey through the elements of art" in the class bulletin board area by February 1.
February
1:Unit II: THE ARTIST
AS CRAFTSPERSON: ART AND ITS FUNCTIONS (FUNCTIONALISM)
In this unit we will explore functionalism, the idea that the worth or success of a work of art is to be evaluated and appreciated in terms of its fulfilment of the function for which it was designed.
This view of art was widely held during antiquity and the Middle Ages. We will also focus on the idea of the artist as a craftsperson whose chief function is to serve society.
*Paleolithic Cave Art: "Journey into the Womb"
Problem: Consider the historian's definition of a primary source and history's reliance on the written record. In what ways can art be used as a "primary source"? What do the cave paintings of Lascaux as well as the disciplines of archaeology, anthropology, and mythology reveal to us about Paleolithic culture and about their possible use?
An interdisciplinary survey of prehistoric artifacts and fossils, including archaeological resources and Paleolithic cave art. What possible functions might Paleolithic cave art have served? What is the various evidence we have and what does it suggest to us about the uses of these paintings?
Explore Cave Art of Lascaux and other pre-historic caves on the Internet.
See your
online course package chapter on Cave art for links
Readings: Prehistory and the birth of civilization, in the Humanistic Tradition, volume 1, p. 1-11.
February 6: Houses of Prayer and Ritual Expressions: The Pyramids
"Egypt: The Quest for Eternity"
Problem: What do history, archaeology, astronomy, science, art history, and anthropology tell us about the reasons why the pyramids were built (their function)? If there are conflicting views between the disciplines, what are the reasons?
*An interdisciplinary journey through the history, religion, social structure, archaeology, science, technology, and art of ancient Egypt in an attempt to understand the functions and uses of the Egyptian pyramids.
Dr. Vess's chapter on the Pyramids in your online textbook
Readings: "Ancient Civilizations," Hum. Trad, vol. I, to p. 30.
Handout from the Book of the Dead in your course packet
*Assignment: Go to the web chapter on Egypt, click on the "Middle Egyptian Hieroglyphics link," and then write your name in hieroglyphics. To be brought to class TODAY.
*Assignment: Write a creative "autobiography" in which you assume the role of an Egyptian and describe Egyptian beliefs about the afterlife and other customs . In your role, do you see the tombs and other monuments created for the afterlife as art? You may make use of a wide array of resources for your assignment; you will receive a handout listing various resources on the web for your use. Students will present their papers to the class.
February 8: Presentation of "autobiographies"
Assignment: Take the web quiz over the pyramids, Egypt and cave art by the next class period, February 13th.
February 13/15Houses of Prayer and Ritual Expressions: The Mosque
"Pillars of Faith"
Problem: European cathedrals have been called "frozen chant." In what ways can a mosque be said to be an expression of musical ideals of silence and sound? In what ways can a mosque and other Islamic art forms such as chant, prayer rugs, iron work, and illuminations be said to be a "book" which presents the teachings of the Qur'an?
*An interdisciplinary discussion of the major tenets of Islam and the ways in which they are expressed in mosques, chant, illuminations, ironwork, calligraphy, and the textile arts.
Readings: The Islamic World, in Hum. Trad. Vol. 2, 43-63.
Dr. Vess's chapter on mosques in your online course package.
Architecture of Isfahan, Internet site accessed through class web site.
*Assignment: access the Qur'an search engine through your online course
package page on mosques. Search for the words "idol," ""image," and/or "worship," list at least five passages which discuss these
terms, and then summarize and explain the teachings of the Qur'an on idols and image worship as seen in these
passages. Search results due TODAY at the beginning of class, February
13th. Post the results to the class bulletin board.
*Assignment: February 15th, students should design their own mosque. Based on the information we covered on the 13th, what do you think Islamic religious art would look like? What shapes, lines, and other designs might a mosque incorporate? Would it be open air or closed? Would it allow much light in or little? Would there be a central worship area?Would women be segregated from men? Try to use your imagination and bring your mosque to class on the 15th. You may actually create a 3D mosque or you may create architectural plans on a computer or by hand, but if you choose the latter, you must be specific about each structural area, and the colors, lines, shapes, and designs that appear.
*Assignment: take the web quiz over Mosques and Islam by February 20th.
February 20 Houses of Prayer and Ritual Expressions: The medieval cathedral
"Windows to Eternity"
Problem: What do numerology, history, theology, literature, and other disciplines tell us was the function of a medieval cathedral? Is pilgrimage always a movement physically? In what ways could one stand in the nave of Chartres and "take a pilgrimage"?
*An interdisciplinary discussion of the medieval custom of pilgrimage in history, hagiography, and literature, the medieval cathedral as a center for pilgrimage, and the medieval theological expression of cosmic order in numerology, symbolism, colors.
Readings: Chapters 12 and 13 in vol. II, Hum. Trad.
*Optional readings:
Henry Adams, Mont St. Michel and Chartres, "The 12th-
Century Windows"
Assignment: Take the Web quiz over Chartres by next class period.
February 22: MIDTERM EXAM I
February 27: Art and the State: The West African Art of Benin
"The Mudfish and the European"
*An interdisciplinary journey through the medieval history and mythology of Benin, European records of the voyages of discovery, and the African art of Benin. We will compare African and European accounts of the Age of Discovery and consider art as a primary source African-centered record of the Age of Discovery.
Readings:
Hum. Trd
*Assignment: take the Web quiz by next class period
March 1: Art and the State: China
"Temples and Forbidden Cities"
*Problem: How do the Temple of Heaven and the Forbidden City make use of color, direction, shape, texture, and other elements of art to portray the power of the emperor?
*An interdisciplinary
study of Chinese history, philosophy, art, and architecture.
Readings: Dr.
Vess's chapter on China in your web course package; Hum. Trd
March 2:
LAST DAY TO DROP THE COURSE WITHOUT ACADEMIC PENALTY
March 6: Art and the State: The French Revolution
"Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity!"
*Problem: How were the ideals of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen and of the 18th century philosophes presented through the visual arts, music, and film?
*An interdisciplinary journey through the history of the French Revolution, the works of the eighteenth-century philosophes, and the mottos of the revolution as expressed in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, the career of Napoleon, the art of David, Delacroix, Goya, music of Beethoven and Tchaikovsky, and film of Abel Gance.
Readings: Dr. Vess's chapter on the French Revolution in your online course package.
*Assignment: Take the Web Quiz by March 8 over the French Revolution in your online course package.
March 8: Student Group Presentations on Art as Propaganda
March
13 Unit III UT
PICTURA POESIS: ART AS MIRROR OF REALITY
In this unit, we will explore other aesthetic theories of art: Realism and Idealism. According to realism, art should attempt to produce reality as it truly is. Idealism is related to realism in that idealistic art it attempts to reproduce the world, but the world is conceived as it ideally ought to be, or as it is thought to be. In this unit, we will develop the idea of the artist as genius, whose ability to truly see, as Da Vinci put it, allows him/her to penetrate the essence of the cosmos.
Art as Mirror
of Reality: Idealism
The Greeks
Readings: Plato's Allegory of the Cave, on reserve and online
"The Classical Style,"
Dr. Vess's chapter on the Acropolis in the WEBCT package.
March 15:
"Michelangelo: Forms, Mind, and Marble"
*Problem: Michelangelo's techniques were in many ways much more realistic than art of the previous Middle Ages, yet they are considered expressions of idealism in art. In what ways did Michelangelo's art suggest a world beyond the one we see and in what ways did he implant philosophy in stone? In what ways does idealism as an aesthetic theory conflict with functionalism? In what ways does it support it?
Readings: Dr. Vess's chapter on Michelangelo in your online course textbook.
Chapter 17 in Hum. Trad, vol. 3, p. 64-69.
Assignment: Complete the web quiz for this unit by the next class period, March 20.
March 20: Art as Mirror of Reality: Realism
in Art, Literature, and Music
*Problem: What are the analogues to realism in art in disciplines such as music and literature? In what ways does realism as an aesthetic theory conflict with functionalism? In what ways does it support it?
*an interdisciplinary survey of realism in art, and the philosophical, theological, and historical events which motivated the change from medieval to Renaissance aesthetics.
Readings: "Classical Humanism" chp. 16 in Hum. Trad. Vol. 3, and "Renaissance Artists" chapter 17 through p. 60 in Hum. Trad., vol. 3.; web text chapter.
Realism in
literature; comparison to realism in 19th century art
Reading assignment: Rebecca Harding Davis, "Life in the Iron Mills" through your WEBCT chapter itself; or on reserve at the library and accessible through http://www.samford.edu/schools/artsci/english/lasseter/editiron.htm (link provided in your course chapter) or through http://www.selfknowledge.net/b/ironm10.htm (complete with hypertext commentary); also read Dr. Rose's chapter on realism in your WEBCT course text.
March 26-30
Spring Break
UNIT
IV: ART AND THE ORDERED COSMOS
In this unit,
we will study differing views of the cosmos and of its structure. Here, again, the artist will be seen as one
who penetrates the ultimate nature of the cosmos and presents that structure
to viewers.
"Reason and the Ordering of Unruly Nature"
Chapters by Dr. Greg Pepetone and Dr. Vess in our online Web text.
Listen to Dr. Vess's performance of the Mozart D Minor concerto through your online course chapter by Dr. Vess
*Assignment:
Based on our discussion today, please design your own 18th century landscape
garden. Draw up the plans and
explain the reasons behind your design. Due by April 5th. You will share
your plans with the class.
"Transience, Beauty, and Nature"
*Problem: How
do the Japanese views of the ordered cosmos differ from those of the
Chinese?
*An interdisciplinary
survey of Japanese views of nature through the perspectives of Shinto,
Zen Buddhism, Haiku, Zen Gardens, The Tea Ceremony, and Japanese film
(Kurosawa's Dreams).
Readings: Medieval period in Japan, Hum. Trad.,
Explore the Internet link in your web chapter to Haiku.
Assignment: Students will design a Zen garden in class post their responses on
the class discussion board to "I can name that tune in 3 lines." Be
prepared to share your responses with the class. Posting due by April 10th.
Note: Arts
Write-ups are due today.
April 10/12: Asian Views of Nature:
China
"The Tao"
*Problem: How does the Chinese vision of the ordered cosmos differ from that of Christianity as seen in Chartres or Islam as seen in the mosque? How would Taoism mold Chinese artistic expressions?
*An interdisciplinary
study of the philosophical and "religious" school
of Taoism, and its expression in landscape art and literature.
The Tao of Pooh
*Assignment:
In the WEBCT bulletin board area, please post your response to "A lesson with Pooh on art." Postings
due by April 12th BEFORE CLASS.
April 17th:
EXAM III
In this unit
we will explore art as a form of self-expression.
We will study various concepts of the self from Asian and European
traditions and from disciplines such as psychology and literature, and
then explore the ways these concepts are reflected in the visual, musical,
and theatrical arts. We will
also look at the ways in which notions of self are socially constructed
and expressed in the arts. Here,
we explore the artist as individual who is nevertheless often governed
by social constraints.
April 19
We will spend
today on developing our self-portrait projects. We will look at many
examples of self-portraits, as well as codified forms of expression
in Japanese drama.
*Assignment: students will
begin work on self-portrait project.
Students will write an exam
essay on the portrait,: 1) clearly explaining and analyzing the various
theories of the self examined in the disciplines presented in class,
and 2) explaining their use of line, shape, and color, and the ways
in which their self-portrait agrees with or differs from the views in
psychology, the Rilke text, the Asian views of the self, the study of
social constructs of self-expression, and our study of emotion in music
and art. Due on May
1, during the scheduled final exam period. Projects will be posted
in the WEBCT course bulletin board. Essays should also appear as attachments under
"The me
I have come to know."
April 24
*Problem: Find
applications of Freudian Psychology in the arts and in literature. In
what ways do Freud and Jung conflict on their view of the self? How
is the approach of psychology different from that of the visual and
aural arts and the humanities? What different aspects of the self do
the theories of Freud and Jung capture?
*An interdisciplinary survey of psychological
theories of the self and their expression in surrealistic art of Dali
and the literature of Rilke
Web chapter in your course package by Dr. Gillis (Jung) and also the chapter by Dr. Vess (Freud)
Rilke, "Faces," found in your course package.
*Assignment: Please post your response to "Analyze this: A meeting between Freud,
Jung, and Rilke" in the course bulletin board. Due by April 26.
Readings: chapter by Dr. Greg Pepetone in our online Web text (Romanticism in music); Wordsworth's "Tintern Abbey" and Coleridge's "Kubla Kahn" found in your WEBCT course package under this unit; listen to Dr. Vess's digitized performances of the Chopin F Minor Concerto and the Brahms pieces.
*Assignment: please enter your class bulletin board, and post your response
to the course survey questions in the class bulletin board area.
Due by May 1.
Tuesday,
May 1. FINAL EXAM PERIOD: 11:00-1:45
Presentation of self-portraits. Submission of final projects in WEBCT
area due by today.
Students in
IDST 2310 are required to attend at least one event apart from the required
gallery exhibit on April 5th. Please
consult the university
calendar of events for a list of appropriate events.
I. Please briefly summarize the content and theme
of the events you attended. If
you attended a play, please summarize the plot and main characters. If a recital, please list one or two sample
pieces and any relevant information you learned about them from
the program notes.
II. On the first day of class, we discussed the
question "What is Art?". Based on what you have learned
this semester and on these three performances or events, would you please
give me your more considered answer to that question now? In your response,
you might consider what uses of color, line, shape, texture or rhythm
were evident in the works, and whether
any aspects of the performance or works illustrate functionalism,
realism, idealism, formalism (Art and the Ordered Cosmos), or Expressionism
(Art as Self-Expression). What special features create a work of art?
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