Art Studio: Perspectives on Art Making

Introduction to contemporary art practice in various media. Explores method and meaning in art making, the role of experimentation, and the translation of experience into artwork. Credit not awarded for both ARTS 1400 and ARTS 1014.

SART, AHST, ARTE majors and SART, AHST and ARTS minors only during week of registration; Course supplies fee: $145; Open to degree and PACE students

Perspectives on Artmaking is an introductory course for the contemporary practice of interdisciplinary arts. Explores methods and motivation to create artistic, conceptual, or functional variations. This is a project-based class that leans on 2D and 3D design with intent to experiment, explore, invent, reclaim, and reimagine the role that art and materiality play in one’s everyday experience and practice. We work in a variety of media including drawing, painting, collage, weaving, digital processes & fabrication, sculpture, and video. Personal research and a reckoning with global contemporary arts practices is essential. Attention will be paid to engaging with artistic and cultural discourses throughout time while translating visual ideas from drafts done by hand to more complex iterations done in other mediums. Critiques are an important part of the curriculum where students develop analytical thinking and vocabulary skills. This course will be taught in-person. Students will attend class two days per week. You will also write critical reviews of exhibits or artworks in the Fleming Museum, Burlington City Arts, or a gallery of your choice. Students learn through a variety of methods including studio time, lectures, reading, writing, demonstrations, individual instruction, and slide presentations. Textbook: Media and Cultural Studies (Revised Edition) Eds. Meenakshi Gigi Durham and Douglas M. Kellner. This is a Catamount Core: AH1

In-class studio practice will include graded work as well as ungraded “practice” or warm-up work. There will be graded homework assignments given on a weekly basis, which will relate to the in-class work. Students are expected to take note of verbal announcements during class, and to check their UVM email accounts regularly for emailed updates. Students should expect to spend at least 2X the amount of class time in the studio space out-of-class per week to complete all projects successfully. Work will be graded throughout the term with feedback provided through individual and group critiques. Performance on assigned projects will be evaluated in relation to the goals and outcomes outlined when the assignment was given. Meeting deadlines with finished work will always be among these goals. Students will be required to keep a sketchbook where they will work out ideas and keep images of artist’s work that relates to the projects being investigated.

Evaluation is comprised of four parts: Projects, Out-of-Studio Work, Discussion, and Critical Writing. Projects are generally evaluated on clarity of intention, experimentation, critical analysis, and clear visual resolution; and specific project criteria will be outlined in-class and on Brightspace. All projects must be completed and turned in at the time specified to receive a passing grade. The Sketchbook is one evaluation tool of out-of-studio work, and accounts for the broader idea of process work. Students will need to spend time outside the classroom to complete the required process work evaluation. Students should come to class with it as well as all appropriate supplies and materials. The quality of in-class work is directly related to what you produce outside of class. We will be working on 5 major projects over the course of the semester along with short practice projects that will give you the chance to work on your skills and understand the possibilities of various materials. The Discussion criteria will also be evaluated throughout the term and based on in-class participation during critique, and from readings and lectures. Critical Writing will be evaluated by informal and formalized realization of writing prompts and proposals based on gallery exhibits.