Monday
and Thursday 2:00 – 3:50 pm
Classroom: West Hall 323
Prof.
Michael Century
century@rpi.edu
276-2302
West Hall 115b
Office
hours Wednesday 12-2 pm
Online
syllabus and reading links: http://www.arts.rpi.edu/century/MMC09/SyllMMC09.htm
The purpose of this class is to lay a foundation for
understanding modern art and culture, with an emphasis on the twentieth
century.
This course should hone your skills in the interpretation,
analysis and knowledge of cultural creations, which specifically includes works
of art presented in class and texts assigned for homework. You will examine key
critical dialogues related to these works, engaging ideas with an aim toward
broader cultural understanding, and developing independent responses to
contemporary art works and those of the last century. The course covers multiple media, ranging from the visual
arts to music, theater and film, and particular emphasis on recent electronic
and digital media.
You are expected to learn the basic "alphabet" of
this course; key movements, artists, specific works, dates, cultural contexts,
etc. Communication skills – writing, speaking, and discussion –
will be emphasized and developed in class work and course requirements.
Lectures
will be illustrated with audio-visual materials – slides, video, sound,
digital multimedia, etc.
Discussion and participation are a crucial part of the class, and
weighted in the grading accordingly.
Participation is defined as being prepared for class (having thoroughly
reviewed all materials assigned), engaging thoughtfully in discussions, and punctually submitting written assignments.
20%
Class participation and online journal
35%
Response papers
20%
Critical Essay
12%
Midterm Exam
13%
Final Exam
Regular writing of critical responses is emphasized in this
course. Topics for these short papers will be specifically assigned in class
and be based on material that is either posted online or distributed in class,
or they will involve attending exhibitions or performances.
You will compose a concise written response to these
materials, around 300 words. These will be due at the start of each Monday's
class (unless otherwise specified in class).
The aim here is to avoid summarizing or describing the material,
but rather to engage both critically and intuitively with the material to
formulate a substantive personal response. Standard essay style need not apply.
I will be looking for a clear and concisely written effort to express your
responses to the work using an open and engaged mind.
FOUR
response papers will be assigned throughout the term. You will choose one of
papers to develop into a more in-depth critical essay (see below).
The
critical essay should be a closer consideration and development of your ideas,
Though formal requirements and style are more free in this essay than in a
standard term paper, use this as an opportunity to be very creative while
maintaining a high level of concision and clarity. Length should be 1250-1500
words.
Students
will be shown images and sound excerpts and will be asked to identify basic
information (time period, artist, related movement, etc.) as well as key points
about the piece's significance (within the context of that period, movement,
the artist's work, broader cultural perspective, etc.). A selection of more
open-ended questions will address the understanding of certain core concepts,
as well as provide opportunities to express independent critical responses.
The final
exam is in class and will follow an identical format to the midterm exam
In advance of each class, students are
required to post reading notes, discussion points and questions to a personal
journal on LMS course website http://rpilms.rpi.edu/.. These will be in response to the
reading and other assignments for each upcoming class. Discussion points can be questions,
comments, ideas for debate, etc.
These discussion points will help structure lecture and discussion.
Required text: Believing is Seeing: Creating the Culture
of Art by Mary Anne Staniszewski
Additional materials and web links will be used throughout the
course, either posted online or otherwise distributed.
Articles
for downloading are available at:
http://www.arts.rpi.edu/century/MMC09/SyllMMC09.htm
Academic dishonesty is, by
definition, considered a flagrant offense to the education process. It is taken
seriously by students, faculty, and Rensselaer and will be addressed in an
effective manner. If a student is found in violation of academic dishonesty
policy (for example submitting another student's assignment for your own), your
grade will be submitted as "F" for that assignment and the incident
will be reported to the Dean of Students Office For the full formal policy,
please see http://doso.rpi.edu/update.doc
|
Date |
Topic |
Required
readings |
|
Mon
8-31 |
Course
Introduction, Syllabus, Assignments |
|
|
Thu 9-03 |
Modernity: Aesthetic, political and industrial
revolution. |
Staniszewski, Believing is seeing: creating the
culture of art, 1-120. |
|
Thu 9-10 |
The
Machine-Made Image: Photography,
Film, Phonograph |
Way
of Seeing, by John Berger, first episode, view in 4 parts on Youtube Music becomes a thing, in Eisenberg, E.
(1987). The Recording Angel:
Explorations in Phonography |
|
Mon
9-14 |
From
Realism to Abstraction; From Tonality to Atonality |
Oxford Art
Online articles: "Abstract Art" #1-2; "Cubism" #1-3 |
|
Thu 9-17 |
Futurism,
the Art of Noise, The Liberation of Sound |
Manifestos of the Avant Garde – 145-149 Russolo
Art of Noises |
|
Mon
9-21 |
Dada |
|
|
Thu
9-24 |
Constructivism,
Soviet Revolution and the Arts |
Oxford Art
online "Constructivism" (section 1, Russia) Vertov Kino Eye - Introduction |
|
Mon
9-28 |
Surrealism |
Surrealist manifesto 432-439 |
|
Thu
10-1 |
Bauhaus
and International Style.Weimar culture |
Frampton
History of Bauhaus, Manifesto of the Bauhaus: pp 338-343 |
|
Mon
10-5 |
New York
School in Music and Art, Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art |
Abstract
Expressionism, from Oxford Art ONline Warhol survey in Fineberg, Art Since 1940, p.
250-59 |
|
Thu
10-08 |
Electronic
Music |
T.
Taylor Post War Music and the
Techno-Scientific Imaginary, pp 41-60 only |
Tues 10-13 |
1960s
Cultural Revolutions |
Rielly
The
1960s, pp ix-xx, Introduction and Timeline. Marwick pp 316-318 |
|
Thu
10-15 |
Feminism
and Art |
Lippard
From the Centre Introduction Believing
is Seeing: 125-159 Oxford Art
Online "Feminism and Art" |
|
Mon
10-19 |
Review |
|
|
Thu
10- 22 |
Mid Term Exam |
|
|
|
UPDATED OCT 22/09
|
|
|
Mon
10-26 |
Post-modernism
|
Staniszewski,
Believing is Seeing pp 199-301 Lovejoy
Electronic Era & Postmodernism |
|
Thu
10-29 |
Minimalism
|
Oxford Art
Online "Minimalism"
Reich,
Music as Gradual Process |
|
Mon
11-2 |
Video
Art |
Hanhardt,
Video Culture Introduction Oxford Art
Online "Video Art" |
|
Thu11-5 |
Environmental
Art |
Oxford Art
Online "Land Art", "Environmental Art" |
|
Mon
11-9 |
Abstract
film, early computer animation, Introduction to Interactive Art |
Moritz
on Fischinger,
Moritz on John
Whitney, Explore films of McLaren. |
|
Thurs
11-12 |
Interactivity - EMPAC Field Trip ÒThey WatchÓ |
Rokeby
Subjectivity and Control in Interactive Art Workspace
Unlimited Krueger,
Weinbren, Hershman, Rokeby, Lozano Hemmer, Sommerer, Utterback |
|
Mon
11-16 |
Interactive
and Immersive Art |
|
|
Thu
11-19 |
More
Interactive and Immersive Art |
|
|
Mon
11-23 |
Sound
Art |
Listening
to be Assigned from Naxos and DRAM |
|
Thu
11-26 |
NO
CLASS - THANKSGIVING |
|
|
Mon
11-30 |
Network
culture, telematic art |
Telematics and Art,
Ippolito The Art
of Misuse Survey
the ÒTelerealÓ
links, Datasphere sections |
|
Thu
12-3 |
Digital
authorship and remix culture |
Lev
Manovich,
Remix and Remixability L.
Lessig Remix 1-19,
optional to page 84 |
|
Mon
12-7 |
Review |
|
|
Thu 12-10 |
Final Exam |
|