*Visual and Environmental Studies 3abr. Design in 3-D: Beginning Studio Course
Catalog Number: 0442 Enrollment: Limited to 12
Patrick Strzelec
Half course (spring term). M., 1–4, Tu., 8:30–11:30. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7, 8
Students work with a variety of materials to solve specific 3–dimensional problems. The course will be based on spatial thinking that deals with form, perspective, balance, density, and line.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 4abr. The Alchemy of Color: Beginning Studio Course
Catalog Number: 4682 Enrollment: Limited to 12
Stephen Ellis
Half course (spring term). W., 1–5, 6–8. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7, 8
Color is the most mysterious formal element in visual art and its interaction the most unpredictable and difficult to analyze. To paraphrase Delacroix, painting is the art of turning mud into jewels. We will begin investigating this alchemy by reading in the color theory of Chevreul, Itten, Kandinsky, and Albers. Having established basic principles and vocabulary, we will explore the diverse uses of color in the art of many different cultures and periods. Throughout the term, students will be assigned related projects (in water-based mediums) all of which will culminate in a final project to be designed by the student.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 10aar. Fundamentals of Drawing: Studio Course
Catalog Number: 7057 Enrollment: Limited to 15
William P. Reimann
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 8:30–11:30. EXAM GROUP: 10, 11, 12
Studio problems develop the draftsman’s way of knowing through observations, formulation, and articulation. Class discussions develop visually oriented critical ability. A variety of drawing media are introduced. Outside assignments are a regular part of the course, extending studio projects to encourage independent experiment and individual exploration.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 10aaxr. Fundamentals of Drawing/2-D Design: Studio Course
Catalog Number: 4704 Enrollment: Limited to 15
Paul Stopforth
Half course (fall term). M., W., 9–12. EXAM GROUP: 2, 3, 4
Using a variety of graphic media this course will develop responses and explore possibilities in the process of drawing. A diverse range of hand made and found objects will function as source material for much of the course, in which observation, structural principles, and expressive procedures will be articulated in the making of drawings. Individual and group discussion will focus on work in progress; occasional slide presentations and museum visits.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 10abr. Fundamentals of Drawing: Studio Course
Catalog Number: 5332 Enrollment: Limited to 20
William P. Reimann
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 8:30–11:30. EXAM GROUP: 10, 11, 12
Same as VES 10aar above.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 10b. Intermediate Drawing.: Studio Course
Catalog Number: 1763 Enrollment: Limited to 20
William P. Reimann
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 1–4. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16, 17
Continuation and extension of VES 10a. Studio problems are viewed against drawing traditions and conventions, raising questions of value and interpretation. Field trips and required independent work demand selectivity and judgement to compose using more complex media. Emphasis on individual growth and cultivation of self-critical ability.
Prerequisite: VES 10a or equivalent preparation (to be validated by portfolio presentation and interview).
[*Visual and Environmental Studies 15aar. Fundamentals of Printmaking: Studio Course]
Catalog Number: 8651 Enrollment: Limited to 12
Peik Larsen
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
A hands-on investigation of transfer processes and use of printmaking materials. Woodcut, linocut, intaglio, and monotype will be explored mostly in black and white.
Note: Expected to be given in 2000–01. No previous printmaking experience required.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 15abr. Silkscreen: Beginning Studio Course
Catalog Number: 0844 Enrollment: Limited to 12
Annette Lemieux
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 8:30–11:30. EXAM GROUP: 10, 11, 12
For the student who is interested in the manipulation of found and original imagery. Students will create monotypes on paper and other surfaces utilizing the silkscreen process. Via slide presentations the class will be introduced to the work of artists such as Rauschenberg, Warhol, Polke, and others who use the silkscreen process.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 20aar. Painting with Attitude: Beginning Studio Course
Catalog Number: 4153 Enrollment: Limited to 12
Nancy Mitchnick
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 1–4. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16, 17
Painting with Attitude is an intense fast-paced beginning painting class. We will work with abstraction as a way to comprehend space in Painting. We will then move to the landscape, the still life, and dramatic narrative interiors with and without figures. The course will be conducted through the practice of painting. Technical demonstrations, slide talks, critique, and discussion will form the basic structure of the class.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 20abr. Grounds for Painting: Beginning Studio Course
Catalog Number: 2204 Enrollment: Limited to 12
Paul Stopforth
Half course (spring term). M., W., 9–12. EXAM GROUP: 2, 3, 4
Through a range of explorative processes this course will function as a ground within which a variety of painterly possiblities are constructed. The emphasis will be on the practice of painting in developing relationships to material, mark, surface, color, pictorial ambiguity, and meaning. Individual and group discussions will focus on work in progress; there will be occasional slide presentations and museum visits.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 30aar. Fundamentals of Sculpture: Studio Course
Catalog Number: 6594 Enrollment: Limited to 12
Patrick Strzelec
Half course (fall term). M., 1–4, Tu., 8:30–11:30. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7, 8
Students will explore traditional and non-traditional methods of sculpture making. The focus will be on working in the studio with various materials, techniques, and processes, utilizing a hands-on approach in order to develop a personal vision. Museum and gallery visits will be included, providing a broader context and understanding of the medium.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 30abr. Fundamentals of Sculpture: Studio Course
Catalog Number: 7185 Enrollment: Limited to 12
Patrick Strzelec
Half course (spring term). Tu., 1–4, W., 9–12. EXAM GROUP: 2, 3, 4
Same as VES 30aar above.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 40ar. Fundamentals of Still Photography: Studio Course
Catalog Number: 2010 Enrollment: Limited to 50
Chris Killip
Half course (fall term). W., at 11, with three hours lab and three hours section each week to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 4
Introduction to still photography through individual and group exercises, with an emphasis on the medium as a vehicle for expression, documentation, and personal vision. Covers necessary technical, historical, and aesthetic aspects of the medium.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 40b. Photography: Intermediate Studio Course
Catalog Number: 6256 Enrollment: Limited to 24
Chris Killip and Sage Sohier
Half course (spring term). M., W., 1–4, or Tu., Th., 1–4. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7, 8
Designed to extend the student’s understanding of the process through which meaning is produced in photography. Examines differing approaches to format, context, and presentation through a series of set projects.
Prerequisite: VES 40a or equivalent preparation (portfolio presentation).
*Visual and Environmental Studies 50. Fundamentals of Filmmaking: Studio Course
Catalog Number: 4907 Enrollment: Limited to 20
Robb Moss
Full course. M., W., 1–5; or Tu., Th., 1–5. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7, 8
Introductory exercises in live-action filmmaking culminating in the production of a nonfiction film as a group project in the spring term.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 51ar (formerly *VES 51a). Small-Format Video: Introductory Studio Course
Catalog Number: 7526 Enrollment: Limited to 10
Alfred F. Guzzetti
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 1–5, and occasional labs W., 7-10 p.m. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16, 17
A series of nonfiction projects, both individual and collaborative, designed to introduce and explore the range of expressive possibilities in small-format video.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 51br (formerly *Visual and Environmental Studies 51b). Small-Format Video: Studio Course
Catalog Number: 3838 Enrollment: Limited to 10
Richard P. Rogers
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 1–5. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16, 17
Continuation of VES 51a but may be taken separately with permission of the instructor. Each student plans, shoots, and edits a video tape of his/her design. Readings, screenings, and class exercises augment individual work.
Note: Students seeking to enroll should come to the first class meeting with an idea and a production plan for a video tape to be completed in the course.
Prerequisite: Prerequisites for admission are VES 51a, or another course in live action film or video.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 53a. Film Animation: Beginning Studio Course
Catalog Number: 1360 Enrollment: Limited to 12
Wendy Tilby
Half course (fall term). M., 7–10 p.m., W., 1–4. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7, 8
An introduction to a wide range of animation ideas and techniques through screenings, discussions, and projects. Emphasis will be on concept, aesthetics, and experimentation. Students will produce a series of short works with synchronized sound and learn ways to use frame-by-frame filmmaking as a means of creative expression and communication. Course includes presentations from visiting artists. Drawing skills not necessary.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 53b. Film Animation: Intermediate Studio Course
Catalog Number: 5284 Enrollment: Limited to 12
Wendy Tilby
Half course (spring term). M., 7–10 p.m., W., 1–4. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7, 8
Each student will complete a short animated film. Emphasis will be on concept, storyboard, projection strategy, and editing. Exploration of animation ideas and techniques through discussions and screenings will continue.
Prerequisite: VES 53a.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 80abr. Fundamentals of Installation: From Limitation to Creative Challenge. Seminar with Projects.
Catalog Number: 7202 Enrollment: Limited to 12
Elaine Sturtevant
Half course (spring term). W., 9–12, M., 6–9 p.m. EXAM GROUP: 2, 3, 4
This course questions and probes the problems, difficulties, challenges, and decisive elements of installation that painting, sculpture, video, and photography students will encounter when exhibiting in galleries, museums, and alternative spaces. Students will undertake installation projects and assignments, lecture and slide presentations, and group and individual analysis and discussion.
Visual and Environmental Studies 100abr. Between Modern and Contemporary: Re-thinking Medium
Catalog Number: 0730
Linda Norden
Half course (spring term). M., W., at 4, and sections to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 9
This course will take the idea of a contemporary art survey self-consciously. Two lectures each week: one devoted to slides aimed primarily at visual familiarization; the other organized around the changing constructions of — and challenges to — the idea of medium and medium-specificity. Slide lectures will also incorporate film and video and will alternate between chronological cross-sections of a given moment, location, or aesthetic/ideological position — to give some sense of historical specificity — and more intensive investigations of selected artists or aspects of an artist’s practice. Some classes will focus on important exhibitions and installations. Whenever possible, we will look at actual artwork, drawn from our collections, and visit other galleries or museums.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 101abr. Color and Design: Form After Formalism
Catalog Number: 3347
Libby Lumpkin
Half course (spring term). W., 6–9 p.m. EXAM GROUP: 9
In the 1960’s the terms "color" and "design" disappeared from art discourse. Yet from the Renaissance until the 1960s these terms were central to Western discussions of the ethical aspects of art: color represented the "bodily" or rhetorical aspects of art; design represented the "liberal" or intellectual aspects of art, with ethical priority given to design. Since the 1960s this ethical dichotomy has been reallegorized as a dichotomy between "practice" and "concept." In this class, we will consider the signifying properties of selected readings from antiquity to the present and discuss contemporary works of art that implicitly critique the antiquated denigration of the idea of practice. Students will be expected to participate in class discussions, pass a summary exam, and submit either a paper or a studio project.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 107. Studies of the Built North American Environment since 1580
Catalog Number: 7883 Enrollment: Limited to 40
John R. Stilgoe
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 10–11:30. EXAM GROUP: 12, 13
North America as an evolving visual environment is analyzed as a systems concatenation involving such constituent elements as farms, small towns, shopping malls, highways, suburbs, and as depicted in fiction, poetry, cartography, television, cinema, and advertising and cybernetic simulation.
Note: Offered jointly with the Graduate School of Design as 4105.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 111aar. Figure Study: Intermediate Studio Course
Catalog Number: 1265 Enrollment: Limited to 20
William P. Reimann
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 1–4. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16, 17
Emphasis on drawing with excursions into three dimensions. Reviews current and past cultural conventions bearing on figure drawing and their relationship to non-figurative modes of visual discourse. Early focus is first animal and then the human skeleton, progressing to studies from the live model. Other resources and problem sets emphasize study of the formal organization, variants, and vocabulary of osteology and gross topographic anatomy. Other determiners of form will also be examined. Criticism conducted individually and through discussion. Regular outside assignments support class exercises.
Prerequisite: VES 10a and 10b, or a second term of drawing. Students applying to the course will be asked for a portfolio of previous work.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 120aar. Still Life: Interior/Exterior. Intermediate Studio Course (Painting)
Catalog Number: 2203 Enrollment: Limited to 12
Billy Sullivan
Half course (fall term). Tu., 6–9 p.m., W., 9–12. EXAM GROUP: 2, 3, 4
This course will investigate still life as simple dramas of the everyday, emphasizing the psychological aspects as well as the formal. The class will focus on drawing, photography, and painting in the making of still life. Both contemporary and historical examples of this genre will be explored.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 120abr. Ideas in Paint: Intermediate Studio Course
Catalog Number: 8087 Enrollment: Limited to 12
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Half course (spring term). W., 6–9 p.m., Th., 8:30–11:30. EXAM GROUP: 10, 11, 12
A studio painting course that will address the issues of light, space, color, and structure in painting. Discussion and Slide presentation, trips to museums, and a few Art Historical texts will form the basis of the class. This course is geared for students beginning to develop their own studio practice.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 124or. Objects and Ideas: Intermediate Studio Course (Painting)
Catalog Number: 8253 Enrollment: Limited to 12
Nancy Mitchnick
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 1–4. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16, 17
An oil painting course that will use the conditions of Still Life Painting to work through the major art movements of the 20th century. We will work primarily from set-ups. Sources from Art and psychoanalysis will play a part as well as assemblage and photo silk screen technique. Realism precise and loosely structured, Surrealism, DaDa, Modernism, Post-Modernism, and Theory related work will inform the process of painting. Palette demonstrations, lecture, slide talks, and critique will be operational. Oil paint will be the primary medium.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 124wr. Still Life Watercolor: Intermediate Studio Course
Catalog Number: 9234 Enrollment: Limited to 12
Ellen Phelan
Half course (spring term). Th., 1–5, 6–8. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16, 17, 18
This class will investigate and develop fundamental water color techniques as well as observational and depictive skills. The genre of still life will be explored using both historical and contemporary models.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 130aar. Exploring Structure/Exposing Content: Intermediate Studio Course (Sculpture)
Catalog Number: 4186 Enrollment: Limited to 12
Carol Hepper
Half course (fall term). Tu., 1–5, 6–8. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17, 18
Students will be exposed to contemporary ideas about art through investigations of artists, slide presentations, and informal discussions. With these studies and the use of a variety of materials and techniques in the studio, students will develop individual approaches to object-making and installation.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 130abr. From Gewgaw to Monument: The Secret Life of Objects. Intermediate Studio Course (Sculpture)
Catalog Number: 4596 Enrollment: Limited to 12
Nayland W. Blake
Half course (spring term). W., 6–9, Th., 8:30–11:30. EXAM GROUP: 2, 3, 4
This course is intended to be a fuller exploration of the issues, both of content and form, that confront the working sculptor. It is expected that students will have taken VES 30a or an equivalent course, since technical problems will be addressed but will not be the primary focus of the class. Among the ideas students will deal with will be the made versus the found or purchased object, the relation of sculpture to the “transitional objects” (toys, furniture, puppets, clothing), and sculpture’s possiblities for autobiobraphy and historical investigation. While most of the class will consist of assignments, students will be expected to generate, plan, and execute one multi-week project.
Visual and Environmental Studies 131. Designing for the Stage: Studio Course
Catalog Number: 1116 Enrollment: Limited to 12
J. Michael Griggs
Half course (fall term). W., F., 1–4. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7, 8
Students prepare and present for criticism stage design projects based on play texts that suggest varying interpretive and stylistic problems. Focus is on examining ideas through research of visual material and analysis of text. Through their design projects, students also complete assignments in perspective drawing, drafting, model making, and lighting design. Students at all levels of skill are welcome.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 132. Projects in Stage Design: Studio Course
Catalog Number: 7533 Enrollment: Limited to 12
J. Michael Griggs
Half course (spring term). M., W., 1–4. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7, 8
The class will complete projects that explore the techniques of the stage designer. Projects may include large scale scene painting, drafting, and CAD, advanced model making, and working with wood and metal. Some projects will be based on interpretations of dramatic literature to examine both conceptual issues and the practical problems of designing for the stage.
Visual and Environmental Studies 143r. The Photographer as Auteur: Studio Course
Catalog Number: 2835 Enrollment: Limited to 12
Chris Killip
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 1–4. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16, 17
Explores the ways in which some photographic practitioners have questioned accepted photographic conventions and are rejecting the historical orthodoxy in favor of a more subjective statement. Each student is expected to complete a major photographic project that reveals his or her own personal photographic style and preoccupations while still retaining a direct and discernible relationship to the subject.
Prerequisite: VES 40a and 40b or portfolio presentation.
Visual and Environmental Studies 144ar. A History of Photography: The 19th Century
Catalog Number: 5385
Jim Dow
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 10–11:30. EXAM GROUP: 12, 13
A one-semester general survey of photography from its pre-history to World War I. All aspects of the medium will be covered, with an emphasis on the vernacular in content and the visual in presentation. In addition to encyclopedic coverage of the period, there will be considerable reference to recent practice (because the fall and spring courses are offered as a continuum). While all students will be expected to do visually-based projects (not necessarily photographic), as well as papers, this class is intended for a university-wide audience.
Visual and Environmental Studies 144br. A History of Photography: The 20th Century
Catalog Number: 6161
Jim Dow
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 10–11:30. EXAM GROUP: 12, 13
The second semester of a year-long survey of photographic practice from the inception of the medium through contemporary practice. While all aspects of post-World War I photography will be examined exhaustively, there will be considerable emphasis on work done as personal investigation or expression, as this is a 20th century phenomenon. Although all students will be required to do visually-based projects, in addition to papers, this class is intended for a university-wide audience.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 145br. Critical Issues in Contemporary Photographic Practice: Seminar/Workshop
Catalog Number: 0765 Enrollment: Limited to 12
Deborah Bright
Half course (spring term). M., W., 9–12. EXAM GROUP: 2, 3, 4
This course will explore a range of topics in contemporary photographic practice (using critical approaches from geography/spatial theory, cultural studies, psychoanalysis, gender, race, and post-colonial studies) to examine the complexities of a late capitalist, informationally fluid, hybridizing, technocratic world whose visible social effects are at once extremely localized and globally dispersed. The course will be structured as a seminar and will comprise an active practice component where students will present short study papers and visual projects that further illuminate the topics raised in our readings and discussions.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 150ar. Film Production: Intermediate Studio Course
Catalog Number: 4692 Enrollment: Limited to 12
Françoise Romand
Half course (fall term). M., W., 1–4. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7, 8
Cinema is an art and an industry. It is a way to express social, personal, political and philosophical ideas. During the fall term, students will complete one short 16mm film exercise in either fiction or documentary before beginning work on a longer fiction film script or the planning and research for a documentary, which will be shot and edited in the spring term. They will direct their own work. They will also be required to take a turn at shooting, sound recording, and editing, normally on other students’ films. They will be expected to engage theoretical cinematic issues as well.
Prerequisite: VES 50 or equivalent preparation, and one half course in film studies (may be taken concurrently).
*Visual and Environmental Studies 150br. Film Production: Intermediate Studio Course
Catalog Number: 3934 Enrollment: Limited to 12
Françoise Romand
Half course (spring term). M., W., 1–4. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7, 8
Spring term will be devoted to completing the fiction or documentary film started in the fall term.
Prerequisite: VES 150ar.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 151ar. Video en Valise: an Eclectronic Modus Operandi. Intermediate Studio Course
Catalog Number: 6247 Enrollment: Limited to 10
David Larcher
Half course (fall term). M., 5:30–8 p.m., Tu., 8:30–11:30. EXAM GROUP: 10, 11, 12
With the increasing sophistication of cheap and accessible image-manipulation software the video medium is fast reaching the point where high-end results are available to everybody at high street prices. With self-reference as frame we will explore its aesthetic validity as externalizing mirror-therapy of the iconic. By the end of the course each student should be able to make Hollywood lookalikes on a Powerbook in the time between the initial sensation of waking and the first spoonful of porridge. Whilst we will screen and analyze work from a variety of areas, this is expected to be a hands-on course. Bring you own angst, iconoclasm,and virtual green card.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 151br. Video Workshop: Intermediate Studio Course
Catalog Number: 7965 Enrollment: Limited to 10
Grahame Weinbren
Half course (spring term). Tu., 6–9, W., 1–5. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8, 9
How do we make a stream of image and sound material mean what we want it to mean? What part does accident and luck play in the construction of a work, and how much control does a media artist really want? Is it possible to develop structures in time that are not linear? The course will consist of two parts: a study of film, video, and computer works that are innovative or unusual in structure, combined with a series of exercises and experiments focusing on the shape of the sound-image stream. Small projects will lead to the realization of a larger individual or collaborative project, using small-format video and digital media; the techniques include video shooting and editing, and computer manipulation and authoring. Familiarity with computer authoring software is useful but not presumed.
Prerequisite: VES 51a or 51b.
[*Visual and Environmental Studies 152ar. Women and Film: Production and Criticism]
Catalog Number: 3161 Enrollment: Limited to 40
Giuliana Bruno
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
A survey of film history and aesthetics that highlights the contribution of women, from the origin of cinema to recent production. How do women make, and write about, cinema? How does this change the way we look at, and read, images? Comparative analysis of filmic texts is combined with a study of film history and theory, including feminist theory. This work questions image making in relation to film making, film viewing, and film criticism.
Note: Expected to be given in 2000–01.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 152br. Italian Cinema
Catalog Number: 8324 Enrollment: Limited to 40
Giuliana Bruno
Half course (spring term). Th., 10–11:30, with screenings W., at 6:30 p.m. and sections F., at 10 or 11. EXAM GROUP: 12, 13
Examines the creative impact of Italian cinema in relation to other national cinemas, in the context of Italian culture. What is the place of Italian cinema in film history? What defines a “national” cinema? Begins with the aesthetic and political canons of Neorealism and moves toward contemporary times. Analyzes, among others, the innovative and unconventional views of Rossellini, Fellini, Antonioni, and Visconti, and the film theory and practice of Pasolini, and contemporary independent film.
Note: Expected to be omitted in 2000–01.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 153br. Bodies That Matter: Race, Gender and Sexuality in Queer Cinema and Fine Art: Lecture/Seminar
Catalog Number: 7814 Enrollment: Limited to 40
Isaac Julien
Half course (spring term). W., 1–4., with screenings Tu., at 4:30. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7, 8
This lecture seminar explores new queer cinema, video art, photography, and fine art from the late 1980’s to the present, utilizing cultural theory to look at their construction of race, gender, and sexuality. The seminar will address issues in contemporary film theory ranging from developing perspectives in queer theory to questions of post-colonial identity and third cinema. The films selected will feature documentaries, film essays, and independent cinema from the British avant-garde (Derek Jarman), African-American (Marlon Riggs, Cheryl Dunye), Hong Kong (Wong Kar-Wei), and the video art of Sadie Benning, the photography of Della Grace and Stephen Barker, and the painting and sculpture of Glenn Ligon. Previous background in cultural theory and/or film theory recommended but not required.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 155ar. Film Architectures
Catalog Number: 6864 Enrollment: Limited to 12
Giuliana Bruno
Half course (fall term). W., 2–4, with screenings Tu., at 6:30 p.m. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
Employing cultural theory as an interpretive tool, explores the interaction of modernity, urban culture, and cinema. Rather than limiting the discussion to the use of architecture in film, approaches the theoretical relation of these two arts of space. Focusing on the cine city, considers the relation of “motion” pictures to the architectures of transit and the culture of travel. Strong emphasis on readings as well as analysis of case study to pursue research projects and make presentations to the members of the seminar.
Note: Expected to be omitted in 2000–01. Active participation in seminarial endeavors is required. Ideally followed with VES 155br.
Prerequisite: A course in film theory or the equivalent course in cultural studies.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 155br. A Cultural Study of Film: Mapping and Fashioning Space
Catalog Number: 7760 Enrollment: Limited to 12
Giuliana Bruno
Half course (spring term). W., 2–4, with screenings Tu., at 7:00 p.m. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
Looks at “motion” pictures in the moving fields of visual culture and cultural studies with emphasis on the theory and practice of mapping. Questions the space of cinema as an aesthetic, cultural, and socio-sexual space. What is the role of the moving image in the production and appropriation of space? How is the body “fashioned” in film? How does film participate in the changing “architectonics” of visuality, space, and the body? How does it function as a mapping and “fashioning” of (body) space? Strong emphasis on readings as well as analysis of case study to pursue research projects and make presentations to the members of the seminar.
Note: Expected to be omitted in 2000–01. Active participation in seminarial endeavors is required. May be taken as a continuation of VES 155ar.
Prerequisite: A course in film theory or the equivalent course in cultural studies.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 156ar (formerly *VES 156r). Film Animation Workshop: Intermediate Studio Course
Catalog Number: 5211 Enrollment: Limited to 12
Wendy Tilby
Half course (fall term). W., 6–8 p.m., and additional hours to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 9
Advanced animation ideas, techniques, and exercises which will lead to the conception and pre-production of a short film. Course includes screenings, in-depth discussion of ideas, and presentations from visiting artists.
Prerequisite: VES 53a or 53b, or equivalent preparation.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 156br. Film Animation: Intermediate Studio Course
Catalog Number: 3477
Wendy Tilby
Half course (spring term). W., 6–8 p.m., and additional hours to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 9
The production and completion of a film with ongoing class discussions and individual review.
Prerequisite: VES 156ar or equivalent preparation.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 157ar. Film Noir: German Cinema in Exile
Catalog Number: 8774 Enrollment: Limited to 40
Anton Kaes (University of California, Berkeley)
Half course (fall term). M., W., (F.), at 10, with screenings T., 4-6 p.m. EXAM GROUP: 3
Deals with classical American films noir of the 1940s made by German directors who had fled the Nazi regime. Stylistically indebted to the expressionist cinema of the 1920s, film noir mediates displaced German anxieties and issues from the disillusioned perspective of emigrants. It also becomes a vehicle with which foreigners probed the dark side of the American dream. Focus will be on the modernist formal energies and philosophical undercurrents of these films as well as their place within political and historical formations. Films to be studied include Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard, Flury, The Big Heat, Laura, Phantom Lady, and Detour.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 159ar. The Moving Image: Film and Visual Representation
Catalog Number: 2874 Enrollment: Limited to 40
Giuliana Bruno
Half course (fall term). Th., 10–11:30, with screenings: W., at 6:30 p.m. and sections F., at 10 or 11. EXAM GROUP: 12, 13
Offers a survey of issues debated in film theory/history. Focusing on the relation between aesthetics and cultural history, analyzes relevant films which make creative use of film language. Readings range from Benjamin and Eisenstein to contemporary scholars, including feminist theory. Begins with placing cinema and its invention in the realm of the visual and spatial arts. Discusses film as a product of the age of industrialization and conquest, as an element of urban culture, and as a means of imaginary transportation. Presents a variety of films, from early utopias to contemporary times, on the subject of home(land), cityscape, and voyage, providing analytic tools for interpreting the language of cinema.
Note: Expected to be omitted in 2000–01. Recommended as preparation for VES 155ar and VES 155br.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 160. Modernization in the Visual United States Environment, 1890–2035
Catalog Number: 6668 Enrollment: Limited to 40
John R. Stilgoe
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 10–11:30. EXAM GROUP: 12, 13
Modernization of the United States visual environment as directed by a nobility creating new images and perceptions of such themes as wilderness, flight, privacy, clothing, photography, feminism, status symbolism, and futurist manipulation as illustrated in print-media and other advertising enterprise.
Note: Offered jointly with the Graduate School of Design as 4303.
Prerequisite: VES 107 or permission of the instructor.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 166. North American Seacoasts and Landscapes, Discovery to Present: Seminar
Catalog Number: 5873
John R. Stilgoe
Half course (fall term). Tu., 1–3, and an additional hour to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
Selected topics in the history of the North American coastal zone, including the seashore as wilderness, as industrial site, as area of recreation, and as artistic subject; the shape of coastal landscape for conflicting uses over time; and the perception of the seashore as marginal zone in literature, photography, painting, film, television, and advertising.
Note: Offered jointly with the Graduate School of Design as 4304.
Prerequisite: VES 107 and VES 160, or permission of the instructor.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 167. Adventure and Fantasy Simulation, 1871–2036: Seminar
Catalog Number: 4902
John R. Stilgoe
Half course (spring term). Tu., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
Visual constituents of high adventure since the late Victorian era, emphasizing wandering woods, rogues, tomboys, women adventurers, faerie antecedents, halflings, crypto-cartography, Third-Path turning, martial arts, and post-1937 fantasy writing as integrated into contemporary advertising, video, computer-generated simulation, and private and public policy.
Note: Offered jointly with the Graduate School of Design as 4305.
Prerequisite: VES 107, VES 160, and VES 166, or permission of the instructor.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 175. Design Science: Studio/Seminar
Catalog Number: 6285
Arthur L. Loeb
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 10–11:30. EXAM GROUP: 12, 13
Explores inductively the arrangement of three-dimensional space. The symmetries and transformations of polyhedra are investigated by constructing and deconstructing study models. Stability, mobility, tensegrity, and dome structures are evaluated, and students are encouraged to apply the principles learned to architectural and sculptural designs. Students experiment with pencils, paper, compasses, straight edges, scissors, exacto-knives, sticks, and joints, to discover concepts before they are named. Rote memorization of definitions is thereby discouraged and seemingly disparate concepts become unified into fundamental principles. Stress on method, experiments, and risk taking. VES 175 and 176 together constitute the fundamental grammar of two- and three-dimensional space.
Note: VES 175 and 176 may be taken independently, and in either order. Offered jointly with the Graduate School of Education as T-126.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 176. Visual Mathematics: Studio/Seminar
Catalog Number: 5793
Arthur L. Loeb
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 10–11:30. EXAM GROUP: 12, 13
Concentrates on the fundamental parameters of structure, primarily in two dimensions. Symmetry theory (e.g., designs by M.C. Escher), dynamic symmetry, the golden section, the Fibonacci series, and spirals are presented visually rather than verbally, but nevertheless rigorously. Students experiment with pencils, paper, compasses, straight edges, scissors, exacto-knives, sticks, joints, and computer graphics, to discover concepts before they are named. Rote memorization of definitions is thereby discouraged and seemingly disparate concepts become unified into fundamental principles. Stress on method, experiments, and risk taking. Students are expected to create a portfolio of their own visual exercises. VES 175 and 176 together constitute the fundamental grammar of two- and three-dimensional space.
Note: VES 175 and 176 may be taken independently and in either order. Offered jointly with the Graduate School of Education as T-127.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 98r. Tutorial — Junior Year
Catalog Number: 1411
Nancy Mitchnick and members of the Department
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). To be arranged.
Note: Optional for junior concentrators. Letter-graded. Concentrators in studio art will be required to attend a weekly seminar with Peter Schjeldahl in addition to working with the advisor.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 99. Thesis/Senior Projects -- Senior Year
Catalog Number: 7531
Nancy Mitchnick, Peter Schjeldahl and members of the Department
Full course. .
Note: STUDIO concentrators enrolled in VES 99 are required to attend a weekly seminar with Peter Schjeldahl on Thursdays 7-9 p.m. in addition to working with the advisor. A pragmatic seminar about the world of art for prospective participants. Aims are sophistication and inspiration. Writing assignments emphasize description and style. What is an artist? What does an artist do? What good is it? Who cares? Why? Seminar is not limited to studio concentrators and may be taken for credit by non-VES students by registering for VES 190r. Projects and Research. Presumed to be a full-year course, but may be divided. Permission of Head Tutor and instructor required.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 190r. Projects and Research
Catalog Number: 8371
Nancy Mitchnick, Peter Schjeldahl and members of the Department
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Note: Open to a limited number of students who wish to carry out a special project under supervision and who obtain the signature of the Head Tutor and a member of the Department. Applications available in the department office. Letter-graded. Peter Schjeldahl’s seminar, listed above, can be taken for credit by non-VES concentrators by registering for VES 190r. Permission of Head Tutor and instructor required.