What is Art?
An Interdisciplinary Journey of Discovery of the Self, Society, and the Cosmos
Spring 2000
A&S 2-72
Tuesdays/Thursdays 11:00-12:15
Dr. Deborah Vess
e-mail: dvess@mail.gcsu.edu
Required Texts | Course Description | Course objectives | Course Requirements | Outline of Topics and Readings: | Course Introduction | The Elements of Art | Unit I: Functionalism | Unit II Art as Mirror of Reality | Unit III Art and the Ordered Cosmos | Unit IV: Art as Self-Expression | Policies and Procedures
My office hours for spring semester are 9:30-10:45 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and from 10:00-11:00 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.
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.
*The Humanistic Tradition, volumes 1, 2, and 3.
*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. 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. Should you lose your password, 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. 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. Some of the images are password protected; please use the username: benedict and password: benedict, no caps, to view these images.
OTHER READINGS:
Students will also be required to read materials on reserve at the library and on the Internet.
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 diversity, the ability to synthesize diverse disciplinary perspectives, and 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 survey of "what is art?"and 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's 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?" and the ability to analyze and to synthesize these various views.
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.
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. MUST BE COMPLETED BY DUE DATES. The computer denies attempts to access the quizzes after due date, so please be sure to complete your quizzes on time. These quizzes will be worth 10 percent of your grade.
Attendance at Arts Events on campus:
Students will also be required to attend the poetry reading of Bin Ramke, January 28th 7:30 P.M. A&S auditorium; the exhibit on "Hmong Artistry: Preserving a Culture on Cloth," March 5-26th at the Museum and Archives of Georgia Education on North Clarke Street; and the performance of AWomen of Spirit@ on April 5th during the afternoon for the Liberal Arts Symposium. Class conflicts and other problems with attendance at these events should be discussed with the instructor PRIOR to the event.
Students will also attend at least one other event from the list below:
Any event from the Southern Culture lecture series during the semester, Mondays from 5:00-7:00, A&S 2-72
Uppity Blues Women, January 20,TBA.
Wendy Mullen, Soprano, January 23, 3:00 P.M. Max Noah Hall
John Murphy, Pianist, February 7, 8:00 P.M. Max Noah Hall
Castellani-Andriaccio Duo, February 12 8:00 P.M. Max Noah Hall
Dr. Ann Caldwell, Organ Recital, February 13, First Baptist Church, Milledgeville
Gint, February 24-27, Russell Auditorium. Check campus paper for times.
Jekyll and Hyde, March 7, 8:00 P.M. Russell Auditorium
Any event from the Georgia Festival of Arts & Letters, March 8-11
All's Well That Ends Well, March 16-19, Russell Auditorium
Borealis Wind Quintet, March 20, 8:00 P.M. Max Noah Hall
GC&SU Jazz Band concert, April 6-7 8:00 P.M. Russell auditorium
Magic Circle Opera, "A childhood miracle," April 9 3:00 and 5:00 P.M. Russell Auditorium
Any theatrical performance on campus
Any other event of the Liberal Arts Symposium or various concert series on campus.
*note: many of these events charge an admission fee of $1 per student.
Students will write a brief summary and critique of their arts experience, in a format to be handed out later. The arts critiques will be worth 10 percent of your grade.
Class Applied projects, online discussions, and other assignments:
There will be some applied art projects assigned, such as the Zen garden/haiku project. 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 and write an in-depth essay integrating the various disciplinary theories of the self discussed in class. 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 self-portrait may make use of multi-media resources, and should pay careful attention to craftsmanship. You will post your exam essay and an electronic image of the self-portrait in the student presentation area, and then present the self-portrait to the class during the final exam period, May 2.The self-portrait project, consisting of the portrait and the exam essay will be worth 20 percent of your final grade.
Exams:
In addition, there will be two midterm exams in the course. The midterm exams will count as 20 percent of your grade. The exams will be composed primarily of essay questions, with some multiple choice, matching, and/or slide identifications questions.
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 28, 2000. The professor assumes no responsibility for scheduling makeups. You are responsible for scheduling your makeup exam for the makeup exam day, April 28, 2000. 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.
ELECTRONIC/COMPUTER RESOURCES:
IDST 2310 Online Textbook: 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.
Should you lose your password, you can also access the reading materials at http://www.faculty.de.gcsu.edu/~dvess/ids/fap/fapciv.shtml; quizzes are not accessible here. 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. Several images are password protected in this file. Please use the user name: wrldciv and the password: bfcaamc to access these files.
Dr. Vess's World Civilization Virtual Library (http://www.faculty.de.gcsu.edu/~dvess/dvess.shtml). If all else fails, you can reach any of my materials through this URL. This is my home page for all the courses I teach; you will find a link there for this course. We will use it this semester for various assignments, and you may use it to further explore many of the topics we will discuss.
These electronic resources can be accessed from any terminal at the college or from your home.
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 18, of the course will be dropped from the roll by the instructor with a grade of "F". After midterm, February 18, you will receive an "F" 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 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 FEBRUARY 18, 2000.
January 11: 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? Introduction to the online resources for the class.
January 13: 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 18)
January 18: Introduction to the Elements of Art: Color Aesthetics
*students will present their preferential shapes project
*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.
January 20: Introduction to the Elements of Art: Yoruba Color Aesthetics
lecture/discussion by Dr. Roxanne Farrar
*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, Art, Poetry, and Oration
*guest lecture by Dr. Patti Tolbert, Assistant Professor of Music on African drum rhythms and dance.
*presentation by Dr. Vess of analogues to musical rhythm in art, poetry and oration
*Note the required poetry reading by Bin Ramke, January 28th at 7:30 P.M.
*Your assignment in conjunction with the Ramke reading will be to develop a brief presentation to post in the student presentation area on color, line, shape, texture, and rhythm in the arts and humanities. Find at least three examples from different disciplines (such as art, literature, and music) and explain at least one of the elements of art as it applies to these examples. Due by February 1. Counts as part of your discussion/class project grade.
January 27: 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 Aprimary 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?
*active learning unit: clay goddess.
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.
*Assignment: Post in the class bulletin board area your responses to the ways in which we may apply the methods of an historian in analyzing a primary source document to Paleolithic cave art. Due by February 1.
February 1: 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
*Assignment: Go to the web chapter on Egypt, click on the "Middle Egyptian Hieroglyphics link," and then write your name in hieroglyphics. To be shared with the class TODAY.
*Assignment: Take the web quiz over the pyramids, Egypt and cave art by the next class period.
February 3 Houses of Prayer and Ritual Expressions: The Acropolis
"Shadows of the Eternal"
Questions: Are there examples of art works considered beautiful by the standards of Greek aesthetics which might not be considered beautiful or even works of art by other standards? Why or why not? Do you find Greek aesthetics a satisfactory approach the question of AWhat is Art?@
*An interdisciplinary study of the history, social structure, mythology, religion, drama, philosophy, architecture, art, sculpture, and aesthetics of ancient Greece in an attempt to understand the functions of the Acropolis.
Readings: "The Classical Style," p. 102-124.
Dr. Vess's chapter on the Acropolis and Greek Aesthetics in your online course package
*ASSIGNMENT: participate in the online class discussion forum; postings due by February 8th.
February 8 Houses of Prayer and Ritual Expressions: The Mosque
"Pillars of Faith"
Problem: European cathedrals have been called Afrozen 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: take the web quiz over Mosques and Islam by the next class period.
*Assignment: access the Qur'an search engine through your online course package page on mosques. Search for the words "idol" and "image," list at least five passages which discuss these terms, and the summarize and explain the teachings of the Qur=an on idols as seen in these passages. Search results due TODAY.
February 10 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 Atake 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" on reserve
Assignment: Take the Web quiz over Chartres by next class period.
February 15: EXAM I
February 17: Art and the State: The West African Art of Benin
"The Mudfish and the European"
*Problem: In what ways can the visual arts in Benin be considered a historic record of the mythology and political and social structure of a society, and in what ways does the art of Benin revise European historic accounts of the Age of Discovery?
*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., vol. 3, p. Chapter 19 to p. 153.
*Assignment: post response on your Discussion board for this unit by class today
*Assignment: take the Web quiz by next class period
February 18: LAST DAY TO DROP WITH A "W"
February 22: Art and the State: China
"Tombs, Temples, and Forbidden Cities"
*Problem: What do numismatics, philosophy, law, history, calligraphy, ethnography, and other disciplines tell us was the purpose of the art of the reign of Shi Huang Ti and what was his legacy? 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, calligraphy, numismatics, art, and architecture. We will explore the use of art as propaganda to express the power of the state/emperor.
Readings: Dr. Vess's chapter on China in your web course package; Hum. Trd., vol. 1, p. 157-167.
*Assignment: Go to the web chapter page, click on the "China the Beautiful"link, go to "Chinese Calligraphy," and define the 5 styles of Chinese calligraphy in a short essay. Due today!
February 24/29: 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 the next class period over the French Revolution in your online course package.
March 2 Threads of Life: The Textile Arts and Weaving Motifs in the Disciplines
*Problem: In what ways does weaving function as a powerful metaphor in other disciplines, such as mythology, music, and literature?
*An interdisciplinary study of the textile arts in various cultures, the significance of weaving in history and languages, and weaving motifs in literature, music, mythology, and world cultures.
Readings: consult the online course package
for myths from Africa, and Greece. Myth from China to be distributed in class.
March 7: The class will attend the gallery exhibit on "Hmong Artistry: Preserving a Culture on Cloth." Students will respond to specific questions about the gallery exhibit in the online class discussion forum by March 14th.
March 9/14 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
"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?
*An interdisciplinary survey of the philosophical school of Neoplatonism and its expression in the painting, sculpture, and poetry of Michelangelo.
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 16: 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.
March 21: Art as Mirror of Reality: Realism in Literature and Art
Special guest lecture by Dr. Jane Rose, Professor of English and Acting Co-Chair of the Department of English, Speech, and Journalism, on realism in literature; comparison to realism in 19th century art
Reading assignment: excerpts from Kate Chopin and Rebecca Harding Davis, accessible through links in Dr. Rose's online course chapter.
March 23: EXAM II
March 27-31: Spring Break!
UNIT III: 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.
April 4: 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.
Readings: Hum. Trad. Vol I, p. 57-59.
The Tao of Pooh
*Assignment: complete the interactive unit on Taoism in your web course package. You will need a formatted 3 2 floppy disk IBM format to record your answers. Please turn this in today.
*Assignment: In the WEBCT course discussion area, please assume the role of Pooh and teach a student how to paint a Chinese Taoist landscape scroll. Postings due by April 6th.
April 5: Women of Spirit Performance, 2:00 P.M., A&S auditorium (time subject to change); pre-performance lecture by opera company-- attendance is required.
April 6/ 11: Asian Views of Nature: Japan
"Transience, Beauty, and Nature"
*Problem: How do the Japanese views of the ordered cosmos differ from those of the Chinese? How can eternity be captured in a transient moment? Explain your answer through at least three art forms from different disciplines.
*An interdisciplinary survey of Japanese views of nature through the perspectives of Shinto, Zen Buddhism, Haiku, Zen Gardens, The Tea Ceremony, and Japanese film (Kirusawa's Dreams).
Readings: Medieval period in Japan, Hum. Trad., vol. 2, p. 162-169.
Haiku of Basho to be distributed in class.
Explore the internet link in your web chapter to Haiku.
Assignment: Students will design a Zen garden in class and write a Haiku poem which expresses Zen Buddhist ideals of nature. Due on April 11th. Students should post their Haiku poems on the class discussion board, and will share their Haiku poems with the class. In addition, students should explain how Shinto and Zen Buddhist ideals are reflected in their Haiku.
April 13 The European Mechanistic Universe
"Reason and the Ordering of Unruly Nature"
*How did Newtonian Mechanics influence philosophy, art, music, literature, and landscape design?
*An interdisciplinary survey of the Newtonian Revolution, eighteenth-century rationalism in philosophy, literature, the landscape garden, and the classical music.
Readings:
Alexander Pope, Essay on Man on reserve
Readings: Chapters by Dr. Greg Pepetone and and Dr. Vess in our online Web text.
*Assignment: assume the role of Newton. Please instruct Mozart or the young Beethoven in ways to compose music according to the philosophy and scientific assumptions of the age.
UNIT IV: ART AS SELF-EXPRESSION
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. The final project for this semester will be the creation of your own self-portrait to share with the class.
April 18 Art as Self-Expression: Romanticism
*Problem: find the analogues to the Romantic use of color, line, shape, and other design in at least three disciplines. How does the sense of the ordered cosmos in romanticism differ from that of the medieval cathedral and the Chinese and Japanese views of nature? How does the aesthetic theory of expressionism conflict with and present problems for the functionalist view of art?
*An interdisciplinary study of self-expression and Romanticism in the visual arts and music; discussion of the use of color, line, and other design elements in self-expression
Readings: chapter by Dr. Greg Pepetone in our online Web text (Romanticism in music); Wordsworth's "Tintern Abby" and Coleridge's "Kubla Kahn" to be distributed; listen to Dr. Vess's digitized performances of the Chopin F Minor Concerto and the Brahms pieces.
*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 2, during the final exam period.
*Assignment: please enter your discussion board, and assume the role of an artist of the late 19th century. Please offer your advice to the literary and artistic figures studied under realism as to how to produce a better work of work. Due by the next class period.
APRIL 20 What is the Self? Psychological Views of the Self and Literary Expressions
*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?
*An interdisciplinary survey of psychological theories of the self and their expression in surrealistic art of Dali and the literature of Rilke
Readings:
Web chapter in your course package by Dr. Gillis and also the chapter by Dr. Vess. (Freud and Jung)
Rilke, "Faces," to be distributed
*Participate in course discussion board. You will assume the role of Freud and analyze the psche of Rilke! Due by the next class period.
April 25 Social Constructs of "Faces": Codified forms of expression in Asian Drama
*Problem: Which aspect of the Freudian self would most be captured by the codified forms of expression in drama? Which aspects neglected?
*An interdisciplinary exploration of social constructs of self-expression and non-verbal forms of communication in Japanese Kabuki and Bunraku and other cultural contexts
April 27: What is the Self? Asian Views of the Self
"The Self as the Cosmos"
*Problem: In what ways does Hinduism present a similar view of the self to that of the psychologists studied? In what ways does the approach of a spiritual tradition differ from that of psychology? The arts?
*An interdisciplinary survey of Hindu and Buddhist views of the Self as seen through primary source texts and their expression in art
Readings: Hum. Trd, vol. I, p. 41-43, vol. III, p.143- 151.
*Assignment: complete the interactive materials on the Hindu texts; you will need to bring a formatted 3 2 inch floppy disk to the lab. Turn it in today. No late discs accepted.
Tuesday, May 2. FINAL EXAM PERIOD: 11:00-1:45 Presentation of self-portraits. Submission of final projects in WEBCT area due by today.
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