Spring 2015 Studio Art Special Topic Classes

SPECIAL TOPICS
Spring 2015 (4 credits)

AR 351F Projects in Water Based Media (Janet Sorensen)  M W 1:25-4:25

An investigation of the interplay between idea, media, process and content, using water based drawing and painting materials.  Students will initiate individual projects that lead toward a sustained, cohesive body of work.   Critiques, discussions, and writing assignments will broaden students’ awareness and refine critical judgment.

Prerequisites: AR 264F Water based Media, or permission of instructor.
Recommended one of the following:  AR 201 or AR 209 or AR 223 or AR 228

AR 351H Advanced Printmaking  (Kate Leavitt)  T R 9:30-12:30

Further investigation of formal, expressive, and technical aspects of printmaking. This course emphasizes individual exploration of structured assignments, leading toward self-directed studio practice. Readings and discussions complement studio practice.  Emphasis is placed upon more individual exploration of assigned formal problems in the studio.

Prerequisites: AR 228 or AR 342 or AR 350 or AR 264H

AR 264C Drawing and the Narrative  (Fabian Lopez)  T R 2:00-5:00

In visual art, just as in other fields of study there are many ways to gather, interpret and utilize information. Through the medium of drawing, students will develop analytical and expressive responses to narrative themes in music, film and literature. Assignments, discussions and readings from various artist and critics lead students to develop work in consideration of recent trends in contemporary drawing.

Prerequisite: AR 133

 
AR 264G Picturing Identity   (David Gyscek)  T R 2:10-5:10

This intermediate photography course will be directed at and focused on the exploration of identity and diversity. The primary mode of inquiry will be the students’ studio practice, which will be augmented by reading and writing assignments to help contextualize and inform that practice.

While diversity points to the make-up of any given community, identity—that is, how we each self-identify and how others identify each of us—can be personally and/or socially constructed. What identity looks like is an aspect of diversity that can be difficult to discuss. Appearances, after all, are often deceiving and can easily lead to stereotyping, profiling, and worse. But, are there visual clues or signs that we can legitimately explore, discuss, and use in image making and within a broader discussion of diversity?

As context, we will look at historical and contemporary artists from a variety of cultural backgrounds who engage in questions of identity—either through the depiction of the self or of the other. Against the heteronormative mode of expression and taste, we will explore how art (and photography, more specifically) has responded to and influenced changing norms in our conception and understanding of the individual in relation to various publics. Racial, ethnic, gendered, sexual, religious, and socio-economic facets of identity will be considered as students make pictures that explore the nature of identity.

Prerequisites: AR 136 or AR 209 or AR 229

AR 264J Interactive Design  (Sarah Sweeney)  M W 9:05-12:05

An introduction to designing interactive pages and environments for the web.  Emphasis is placed on visual and information design through theories of color, principles of design and the study of typography.  A variety of tools and techniques will be explored including photo editing, writing code for the web and animation through basic scripting languages.  Studio projects will explore issues of audience participation, experience design, motion and interface.

Prerequisites: AR 131 or AR 133 or AR 134

AR 251D  Wearable Art  (Sang Wook Lee)  M W 1:25-4:25

This course is designed to introduce a variety of sewing skills and projects that will spark interest and help students learn about wearable art. Experimentation with fiber arts techniques includes dying, embellishment, sewing and structure within a contemporary art context. The students will have an opportunity to explore and develop their unique approach to creativity by developing and producing wearable art.

Prerequisites: AR 214 or AR 215 or AR 216

 

SPECIAL TOPICS
Spring 2015 (1 credit)

ID 251-002  Special Topics:  Book Design  (Deb Hall)  F 10:00-12:00
March 4 - April 28, 2015

This one-credit course will explore the basics of book design and provide an opportunity to design both a print and/or digital book using your own content. We will break down the components of layout design, type and image and design a book from the ground up. InDesign, Photoshop (as it relates to design practice), font and file management, printing, and the use of images and type, are introduced through a series of demonstrations/projects that build upon one another. This course includes basic information about book typography, grids and structures, proportions, formats, using images, placing and styling text, and ultimately publishing a book for print as an ibook or emagazine. This course has been designed for students at any level of experience.

ID 251-003  Special Topics:  Web Design  (Sarah Sweeney)  M 5:00-7:00
March 4 - April 28, 2015

In this one credit course we will explore web design by creating a website for existing academic content using cloud based software. At the beginning of the course each student will propose an interactive project that will transform their content developed in other courses into a publicly accessible website. Each student will develop the architecture of their website by creating a site structure, a system of navigation and textual and visual content. We will also explore the visual design of the website through lectures, exercises and demonstrations on color, imagery, positioning and typography. This course assumes no prior knowledge of design or technology.