Art & Art History Courses

Courses in Design Studies

Introduction to Design Studies

In this studio course, students will learn how to control shape, value, space, form, and visual relationship to create effective design and communication. Projects focus on design and problem solving process and result in a portfolio of studies and completed works. This course introduces students to histories and theories of design, and positions students to develop as designers in various fields.

Intro Design Studies Topics

Introductory level design studies courses in a specific topic.

Intermediate Design Studies Topics

Intermediate level design studies courses in a specific topic.

Intermediate Design Studies: Emerging Technologies

This studio course centers the technologies that shape the practice of today's designers. Through hands-on study of hardware, software, algorithms, and other technologies, students learn how to create effective visual communication and experiences. The class examines entrepreneurship and branding within a larger context of emerging and alternative frameworks of social and ethical design inquiry.

Intermediate Design Studies: Material and Message

This studio course teaches students how to use typography, print design, and illustration to create meaning and messaging. Through hands-on experience with physical material, students create digitized and analog workflows resulting in a portfolio of design projects. This course will demonstrate how effective design has impacted/influenced social and political movements, and help students' design practice from a place of individual meaning as well as communities of shared values.

Advanced Design Studies Topics

Advanced level design studies courses in a specific topic.

Advanced Design Studies: Emerging Technologies

This studio course centers the technologies that shape the practice of today's designers. Through hands-on study of hardware, software, algorithms, and other technologies, students learn how to create effective visual communication and experiences. The class examines entrepreneurship and branding within a larger context of emerging and alternative frameworks of social and ethical design inquiry. Prerequisite: either ARTS 152 or ARTD 120.

Advanced Design Studies: Material and Message

This studio course teaches students how to use typography, print design, and illustration to create meaning and messaging. Through hands-on experience with physical material, students create digitized and analog workflows resulting in a portfolio of design projects. This course will demonstrate how effective design has impacted/influenced social and political movements, and help students' design practice from a place of individual meaning as well as communities of shared values. Prerequisite: either ARTS 152 or ARTD 120.

Design Studies Senior Project

This course is the capstone experience for Design Studies majors. During this semester students will produce a cohesive, conceptually focused body of work. Students will be expected to demonstrate active independent research and studio management, while participating in art and design related events. Submission of a final design portfolio, including statement of intent, resume, documentation of work, and slide list, will be required of all students. As part of this course's requirement, each student must also prepare and present a formal talk.

Courses in Art History

Early Art Histories: Before 1400 C.E.

A global survey of the histories of art before 1400 C.E. Selected works of art will be studied thematically and/or chronologically with an emphasis on their role in both localized and global socio-cultural developments. Thus, students will practice and discuss the analysis of visual forms and materiality within the context of political, social, economic, philosophical, and religious concerns. Basic approaches to art historical inquiry that are most effectively applied to art before 1400 C.E. will also be introduced.

Later Art Histories: After 1400 C.E.

A global survey of the histories of art after 1400 C.E. Selected works of art will be studied thematically and/or chronologically with an emphasis on their role in both localized and global socio-cultural developments. Thus, students will practice and discuss the analysis of visual forms and materiality within the context of political, social, economic, philosophical, and religious concerns. Basic approaches to art historical inquiry that are most effectively applied to art after 1400 C.E. will also be introduced.

East Asian Art, Bronze to the Mongols

A survey of the arts of East Asia from 1500 B.C.E to the 14th century, analyzing the major developments in the art and architecture of China, Japan, Korea, and the Ryūkyūs over a range of media. We will study some of the various methodologies that can be applied to East Asian Art as well as key themes in the chronological and historical development of visual cultures against the background of religious, political and social contexts. May count toward Asian Studies.

Developments in East Asian Art, Modernity

A survey of the arts of East Asia from the 14th century to the present, analyzing modernity, as well as the march towards modernity, in the art and architecture of China, Japan, Korea, and the Ryūkyūs over a range of media. We will study some of the various methodologies that can be applied to East Asian Art as well as key themes in the chronological and historical development of visual cultures against the background of political, social, and cultural contexts. May count toward Asian Studies.

Histories of American Art

This course surveys U.S. American art and visual culture from 1619 (the year enslaved Africans first arrived in British North American colonies), to the present. It explores the dynamic transnational circulations of people, objects, and images that fundamentally have shaped art in the United States. Taking a broad definition of "art," the course examines fine art production such as painting and sculpture, as well as a wide range of vernacular expression including murals, quilts, and protest materials. It investigates how these diverse artistic practices have emerged from the border-crossing trajectories of trade, travel, migration, war, diaspora, and colonialism. Throughout the semester, we will consider how the terms "American" and "art" each have been used to justify exclusions along lines of class, race, gender, sexuality, and citizenship. A motivating goal of the course is to enable lively analysis of how artists and artisans have wrestled with the multiplicity and hybridity of American identity. There are no prerequisites for this course.

Introductory Art History Topics

Introductory level art history courses in a specific topic. No prerequisite. Not offered Pass/Fail.

First-Year Seminar

A seminar focused on a theme related to the study of art history. Open only to first-year students.

Cathedral and Court: Gothic Art

This course explores the spectacular visual culture of European society during the High and Late Middle Ages (roughly 12th-15th centuries). In this period the tremendous growth of cities and urban culture, along with economic expansion and social differentiation, created dynamic new forms of interaction between audiences and emerging genres of art.Through selected case studies of architecture, monumental sculpture, stained glass, reliquaries and altar pieces, illuminated manuscripts, luxury ivory carvings and other devotional images (including early graphic arts), students encounter medieval culture and society in all its dazzling diversity.Issues for investigation include: the rise of devotional art and lay spirituality; the impact of miracle tales, relic cults, pilgrimage and other forms of associational worship; the rise of the cult of the Virgin, Mary's role as heavenly intercessor, bridal mysticism and devotion to the Rosary; the culture of chivalry, the impact of the crusades and epic poetry; new forms of social violence, crime and punishment, as well as new models of sexuality and love.

Prints & Print Culture of Early Modern & Modern Japan

This course explores the spectacle and complexity of Japanese urban life in the early modern and modern periods through a study of the eras' visual arts, particularly woodblock prints, paintings, and print culture. Investigation of pre-modern woodblock prints or ukiyo-e yields a rich tapestry of issues and topics relevant to "early modernity." The study of sōsaku hanga or creative prints, which developed in reaction to ukiyo-e in the early 20th century, expands our understanding of Japanese modernity, as well as of the global impact of Japanese art. We will consider the economic currents of the times, the wealth of the commoner class as well as the concomitant blurring of social boundaries in pre-modern Japan, government attempts at control, the powerful entertainment industries of theatre & sex, the visualization of urban literature, concepts of beauty, the "burden" of history, and the demands of modernity. Our interdisciplinary approach will allow us to engage with not only art-historical issues, but also literary, sociological, historical, and religious concerns.

Warrior Art of Japan and the Ryūkyūs

This course explores the arts produced for and by the warrior elite of Japan and the Ryūkyū islands (now Japan's Okinawa prefecture) from 1185 until 1868. From the tragic tale of Minamoto Yoshitsune to the mythical, warrior origins of Ryūkyū royalty, the class will concentrate on the arts produced for the men who led these nations through both treacherous and prosperous times. We will study arms & armor, castles & retreat pavilions, various ceremonial performances, including Ryūkyūan investiture and the Japanese tea ceremonies, paintings, Noh theatre, Ryūkyūan dance, and film. Through a careful consideration of translated documents, slide reproductions of art objects, movies, and selected treasures from the DePauw University Art Collection, students will learn about what motivated these powerful men to produce art, how they embraced the arts to better themselves culturally, and what these monuments and artworks conveyed about the culture of Japan's and the Ryūkyūs's medieval and early modern eras.

Monumental Art of Japan, 1550-1900: Splendor & Angst

This course explores large-scale art and architecture produced in Japan from 1550 to 1900. These years encompass the last turbulent decades of warfare and the first two centuries of an era of peace, witnessing the construction (and destruction) of resplendent castles, villas, religious complexes, and their accompanying interior decoration. Powerful and pervasive artistic ateliers, which were responsible for the decoration of these structures, also left an indelible artistic stamp on the nation during this period. What role did such resplendent monuments play in the struggle for power, both politically and culturally? For whose eyes was such splendor intended and what hidden, underlying angst pervades these efforts? What aesthetic values are expressed and did they extend beyond the elite, ruling class? Students will consider these questions and more, ultimately investigating the larger role of "art" in society.

East West Encounters

This course examines cross-cultural artistic encounters between the Western world (Europe and the United States) and Asia (India, China, and Japan) from ca. 1500 to the mid-twentieth century, concentrating on the role of art objects and visual culture, broadly speaking, in the cultural exchange between East and West over the past five hundred years. Topics include the impact of Western realism on traditional Asian art forms; the role of commodities and empire in artistic production; Japonisme and Chinoiserie in 19th century Europe and America; early photography; collections of Asian art objects in the West; issues of cultural identity in Asian modernism; and post-World War II abstract art.

Eccentrics & the Exotic in 17th & 18th c. China & Japan

This course explores two major artistic currents arising in both China and Japan in the 17th and 18th centuries. Dubbed "eccentric" by their contemporaries, a number of innovative painters broke the rules, constructed "bohemian" personas, and yet also paid homage to their art historical heritage. Alongside the (re)emerging figure of the eccentric artist, 17th and 18th century China and Japan also encountered Europeans. As a result, both countries grappled with its sense of identity, as a nation and as a people. Contact with Europeans, direct and indirect, led to the representation of "other" and experimentation with unfamiliar artistic techniques. Thus, through this focused study of a specific time period in China and Japan, students examine "diversity" and "inclusion" in a pre-modern, East Asian context. With paintings as our point of departure, we will think deeply about the meanings of terms such as "eccentric" and "exotic," as well as how the associated concerns of artistic freedom and negotiation with "other" still resonate in contemporary society. This class will nurture critical thinking about art and its active role in international relations today, challenging students to approach the subjects of diversity and inclusion from different points of view and to express opinions articulately in verbal, as well as in written, form.

Histories of Performance Art

This course explores the captivating history of performance art in the Americas. Since the early twentieth century, artists have turned to performance as an experimental mode of artistic production. They have used bodily movement, music and sound, costumes, and props to reimagine the forms, institutions, and audiences for art. What does it mean to "perform" art rather than to make an art object? We will take a hemispheric approach to this question, investigating how artists working in diverse contexts in Latin America and North America have used performance as an expressive and political form. For instance, we will analyze performance works made under dictatorial regimes in Argentina and Chile, amid the transnational feminist movement of the 1970s, and during the HIV/AIDS crisis in the United States. Among other topics, we will consider debates around performance documentation, the ethics of audience participation, and the critical use of the body by artists of color and queer and feminist artists. There are no prerequisites for this course.

Art + Liberation

This course will examine the dynamic relationship between art and social liberation movements in the United States from 1960 to the present. We will analyze a broad range of artmaking practices including abstraction, photography, and street interventions, looking at work undertaken in the contexts of the civil rights, feminist, and Chicanx movements, the HIV/AIDS crisis, and current social movements around police brutality, climate justice, and sexual harassment and assault. Rather than focusing solely on activist art, we will consider the varied ways artists have addressed ideas about liberation. Special attention will be paid to artists who have expressed ambivalence about the fraught intersection of aesthetics and politics. A motivating goal of this course is to enable lively analysis of the multiple strategies that artists have used to negotiate systems of exclusion. There are no prerequisites for this course.

Topics in The History of Art

An in-depth study of a particular topic in the history of art. It may be an examination of a specific artist, group or movement or an exploration of a particular theme or issue in art.

Kyoto: A Cultural Metropolis

This course examines the rich visual culture of Kyoto, the imperial capital of Japan from 794 until 1868. During its long history, the city witnessed astounding growth, cultural flowering first under the emperors and then under various warlords, devastation by wars, fires, and famine, and multiple rebirths. Kyoto presided over some of the nation's greatest artistic achievements including the construction of sumptuous palaces, get-away villas, grand temples, and the production of the paintings and decorative flourishes within these structures. In the early modern period, Kyoto silk weavers, lacquer-ware specialists, book illustrators, calligraphers, and especially, painters commanded the respect of consumers throughout Japan, spreading Kyoto's artistic "style" to other urban centers and to the villages at the peripheries of power. The class will proceed chronologically, beginning with the founding of the city in 794 and ending with the city's role in the restoration of imperial power in 1868. Each week we will focus on specific case studies, monuments, art objects, illustrated works of literature, and maps, as well as translated primary sources and pertinent studies by art historians of Japan. Besides gaining a familiarity with Kyoto's pre-modern visual culture, the class aims to impart an awareness of Kyoto's role in the formation of Japanese 'nationhood' and national identity.

Representation in Japanese Visual Culture

This course examines the concept of "representation" in Japanese visual culture, engaging with subject matter from contemporary times, as well as from Japan's modern and pre-modern periods (12th through the early 20th centuries). We will proceed along thematic lines. Balancing theoretical readings with scholarly articles and a sprinkling of translated primary sources, the class will address issues relating to the representation (or re-presentation) of landscape and the environment, the body and gender roles, canonical narratives as performance, and national identity at three crucial periods in Japan's history. At times we will reference Japanese monuments and works of art produced prior to the early modern era, as well as the Chinese sources that influenced some of the Japanese topics at the locus of our investigation. What lies at the heart of representation--subjectivity, political aims, societal concerns, emotional responses--and the complexity this question reveals are the central concerns of this course.

The Supernatural in Japanese Art

This course explores the theme of the supernatural in Japanese visual culture from the 12th century to the present. With origins in religion, folklore, and literature, otherworldly creatures and their powers have captured the imagination of the Japanese and consequently inspired creative visualizations of them. Students will not only analyze works ranging from traditional painting mediums to contemporary manga, as well as anime, but also will engage with texts that have supernatural worlds and beings as a central element. Moreover, this course will ask students to place these exhilarating and cautionary tales in context: what do these narratives say about the societies that created them, believed in them, and produced visualizations of the supernatural creatures featured within them?

Women and East Asian Art

This course examines the role of women in the arts in pre-modern East Asia and the negotiation of women's concerns, by female artists, in modern and contemporary East Asian art. Did women have no sense of empowerment at all in pre-modern China, Korea, and Japan? What about Chinese, Korean, and Japanese women artists today? What are their interests and agendas? Students will engage with historical works of art and artists, while concurrently gaining an understanding of gendered female roles as determined by religious, philosophical, and societal conceptualizations of the past. Then, students will study feminist discourses originating from the West in their analysis of modern and contemporary East Asian art by and about women. Ultimately, the aim of this course is to demystify and to complicate understandings about women as the subject of art, as well as women as the producers of art, in East Asia. This course counts towards the WIM (Writing in the Major) requirement for art history majors.

Advanced Topics in the History of Art

An independent directed study centered on a specific topic arranged with the instructor.

Art History Seminar

Students will research and write a major paper on a topic in art history, and present their work in a public forum. In addition, issues in the current practice of art history will be explored.

Courses in Studio Art

Drawing: Learning to See

Drawing is one of the most immediate and responsive forms of art-making. This class will introduce concepts that will carry over into other visual practices and develop our ability to recognize and create good drawings.

Introduction to Painting

What is a painting (if not just a rectangle with paint on it)? What makes a good painting (if not just technique)? This class introduces you to the questions and techniques of painting from multiple points of view. While designed for students with little or no experience in painting, this class prepares students for advanced painting classes and independently driven work. We will sharpen our awareness of the ways paintings suggest meaning through form, context, narrative, and its relationship to the viewer.

Introduction to Digital Art

This course investigates software as artistic material and cultural form. Using different platforms and technologies students will gain a tool set of different approaches to begin an art practice in new media/digital art. Students will learn to conceptualize and design their own projects, as well as learn to utilize a variety of software-based art-making strategies in order to resolve these ideas as artworks.

Introduction to Photography

This survey class is an introduction to photography as an art form. This course provides opportunities for learning personal expression, critical thinking, and the aesthetics of photography through studio assignments, critiques, demonstrations, lectures and discussions. Students will use both digital and non-digital cameras, print in the darkroom, and learn the magic of chemical photography, while also outputting digitally. By learning the history of the medium students will come to know that photography does not have to be tied to the camera industry. A Digital SLR camera, with full manual capabilities, is required.

Introduction to Video Art

An introduction to digital video art production through camera and editing assignments. This course includes readings and screenings on contemporary and historical issues surrounding the medium of video art.

Introduction to Sculpture

An introduction to the concepts and technical skills associated with three dimensional media. The class explores the principles of 3D design, such as structure, organic/inorganic forms and spatial relationships. The curriculum introduces these concepts through a series of projects which develop basic technical skills with a through a variety of materials including clay, plaster, steel, paper and wood.

Introduction to Ceramics

This survey class is an introduction to contemporary ceramic art practice. Through demonstrations, studio work, readings, and critiques, students will build a strong understanding of ceramic concepts, methods, and materials. Course content will explore both handmade pottery and sculptural forms through a range of techniques including hand building, wheel forming and surface development.

Introductory Studio Arts Topics

Introductory level studio courses in specific media. Areas of study may include: A. Drawing, B. Painting, C. Ceramics, D. Sculpture, E. Photography, F. Video, G. Digital, H. Interdisciplinary Study. No prerequisite. Not offered Pass/Fail

Intermediate Painting: The Contemporary Figure

We will explore the ever-evolving presence of the figure in painting and how we can use it to learn about who we are, individually and collectively. The class will engage in an intersectional study of how the figure has been represented throughout history in different cultural expressions. Students will develop the ability to create paintings and articulate ideas. Readings, films, and critiques will prepare each student to pursue studio practice and research. Prerequisite: Introduction to Painting or consent of instructor.

Intermediate Painting: Every Painter is a Thief

There's no way around it: you got your ideas from somewhere else. In this class we will explore the lineage of our ideas and be deliberate in their context, function, framing, and form. It matters where our ideas and studio practice come from, but the question is: what do we do with them now that they're ours? Students will develop the ability to create paintings and articulate ideas through comparing what is original, reproduced, and appropriated. Readings, films, and critiques will prepare each student to pursue studio practice and research. Prerequisite: Introduction to Painting

Intermediate Photography: Studio Lighting

This course explores the lighting studio, digital editing software and digital color printing. Using the lighting studio as a basis for the course, students will explore assignments such as the constructed still life, studio portraiture and the photo tableau with digital cameras. Notions of the real and the ability to create rather than document the world will be central themes of discovery. We will also interrogate concepts of beauty and the historical role of the lighting studio in reinforcing stereotypes about gender and race. Ultimately students will conceptualize how the lighting studio can transform their means of creative production. Emphasis will be placed on independent problem solving, critical thinking, visual literacy and student initiated research. Prerequisite: Introduction to Photography and Intermediate Photography: Digital Photography

Intermediate Photography: Darkroom Experiments

An introduction to experimental cameras and darkroom photographic techniques, this course will explore alternative methods for creating photography. Technical processes will explore pinhole and Diana cameras, sandwiched negatives, hand-applied emulsions and non-silver alternative processes such as Cyanotype. Students will simultaneously learn the history of photography as they push the boundaries of the medium. Emphasis will be placed on independent problem solving, critical thinking, visual literacy and student initiated research. Prerequisite: Introduction to Photography.

Intermediate Photography: Digital Photography

This course will train students in digital photography including image acquisition, workflow management, digital printing and the software programs such as, Lightroom and Photoshop. We will use this technical training to make conceptually centered images and projects within a studio art environment. The technical training will merely be a foundation for students to develop their own ideas and concepts. The course will consist of completing a series of tutorials in Lightroom as well as demonstrations with cameras, scanners and printers. In addition, we will explore image editing/organizing workflow strategies and advanced image correction. Student's will also be introduced to the history of digital imaging within the field of photography, as well as the early origins of montage and negative compilation from the late 1800's. Like any field, and photography is no exception, technical advancements do not happen in a vacuum. These discussion invariably raise questions about photography's contested relationship to the "truth." Through demonstrations, tutorials, class exercises, projects, readings, and slide lectures students will learn to navigate the field of digital photography. Prerequisite: Introduction to Photography

Sculpture in Public Places

This course explores the methods and theories of contemporary public sculpture. Emphasis will be placed on the acquisition of skills and techniques relating to materials suitable for outdoor display, including woodworking, welding, sewing, and fiberglass resin. Discussions and slide lectures delve deeply into both the practical issues of public art-- model-making, site selection, and presenting ideas for approval--but also the theoretical considerations--how and why art in the public sphere is so distinct from more traditional gallery art. Issues of permanence, site-specificity, community engagement, and environmental concerns will be explored through a series of project such as inflatable art, ambient art, earthworks, and construction of a large-scale sculpture for exhibition on campus.

Kinetic Sculpture

This course explores contemporary time-based art through basic techniques of movement and kinetics. Various methods of motion are explored, including mechanical devices and motors, natural sources such as wind, and manual or man-driven operations. Demonstrations provide the technical and material expertise necessary to complete related projects such as automaton, flying machines, and a Rube Goldberg machine. Discussions, readings and slide lectures will focus on examples of kinetic and time-based art through recent art history, with emphasis on conceptual and visual concerns of moving objects; not just how they function physically, but how they are interpreted in the context of our fast-paced, post-industrial culture. Prerequisite: Introduction to Sculpture or consent of instructor

Sculpture and Sustainability

This course explores sustainable art practices related to contemporary environmental and economic concerns. Various approaches to sustainability will be discussed and explored while developing artwork that addresses issues of sustainability in both its construction and its content. Demonstrations provide the technical and material expertise necessary to complete related sculptural projects such as building an earthwork from natural materials, making a sculpture for $1.00, and altering/reclaiming found or salvaged objects. Discussions, readings and slide lectures will focus on examples of sustainable art practices through recent art history, with emphasis on conceptual, practical and visual concerns of making sculpture that is environmentally and economically responsible.

Sculpture and Community-Based Art

This course explores experimental art forms used to create socially engaged art. Social practice art often utilizes participatory, community-centered approaches to address pressing political and social concerns, both locally and globally. Demonstrations provide the technical and material expertise necessary to complete related sculptural projects such as building a miniature golf course for charity, designing a project for the Occupy House at Peeler, and creating an independent social practice project. Discussions, readings and slide lectures will focus on examples of social practice art through recent art history, with emphasis on conceptual, practical and visual concerns of researching controversial topics, collaborating with a diverse group of peers and local community members, and creating artwork that maintains high artistic standards while addressing social or political concerns.

Ceramics: Food and Community

This studio art class focuses on the various relationships between ceramics and food, specifically the ways that food and objects are produced, consumed and valued in our contemporary culture. Course content includes explorations of production methods of food, food and identity, food shortages and geophagy (eating clay for nourishment) and mealtime culture. Students will use information from readings and discussions as a foundation to explore food-related issues through ceramic art projects, as well as collaborative and social practice. Demonstrations will cover functional pots, large scale works, customized ceramic surfaces and more. Students will advance their personal art practice by identifying relevant questions, exploring methods of inquiry, engaging audiences, refining concepts and techniques, and applying critical thinking to individual and group work.

Ceramics: Material Explorations

This studio art class focuses on both conventional and alternative ceramic materials and processes. Course content explores the relationship between process and product, the implicit meaning of materials, personalized clay and glaze formulation, custom production methods, and more. Students will test materials in the studio and research other artists' work to develop art projects that demonstrate a sophisticated and practiced use of clay, glaze, firing methods and more. Demonstrations will include raw materials tests, glaze composition, large scale construction methods and more. Students will advance their personal art practice by identifying relevant questions, exploring methods of inquiry, engaging audiences, refining concepts and techniques, and applying critical thinking to individual and group work.

Ceramics: Making Meaning

This studio art class focuses on the continually evolving cultural significance of ceramic objects, ranging from historical artifacts, to limited production artworks, to mass produced commercial items. Course content explores the ways that various cultural influences, production methods and marketing strategies affect the way we perceive the value and meaning of the things around us. Students will use information from readings and discussions to consider issues such as originality, authorship, production, consumption, and recontextualization. Demonstrations will include mold making, slip casting, ceramic decals, repetition in service of refinement, and wheel and handbuilding techniques. Students will advance their personal art practice by identifying relevant questions, exploring methods of inquiry, engaging audiences, refining concepts and techniques, and applying critical thinking to individual and group work.

Ceramics: The Body

This studio art class focuses on the human figure as related to historical and contemporary ceramics. Course content includes representations of identity, the individual versus the collective, and the performative nature of functional objects in collaboration with the body. Students will use information from readings and discussions as a foundation to explore issues of the body through ceramic art projects. Demonstrations will include rendering the human figure, functional pots, large scale works, customized ceramic surfaces and more. Students will advance their studio art practice by identifying relevant questions, exploring methods of inquiry, engaging audiences, refining concepts and techniques, and applying critical thinking to individual and group work.

Intermediate Studio Art Topics

Intermediate level studio art courses in specific media. Areas of study may include: A. Drawing, B. Painting, C. Ceramics, D. Sculpture, E. Photography, F. Video, G. Digital, H. Interdisciplinary Study. Prerequisite will vary. Not offered Pass/Fail

Advanced Painting: The Contemporary Figure

We will explore the ever-evolving presence of the figure in painting and how we can use it to learn about who we are, individually and collectively. The class will engage in an intersectional study of how the figure has been represented throughout history in different cultural expressions. Students will develop the ability to create paintings and articulate ideas. Readings, films, and critiques will prepare each student to pursue studio practice and research. In addition to completed projects, advanced students will be expected to lead an in-class demonstration on a material or technique they have mastered, complete a research paper on a public artist, and present their research in an oral presentation. Prerequisite: Introduction to Painting and a 200-level Painting course.

Advanced Painting: Every Painter is a Thief

There's no way around it: you got your ideas from somewhere else. In this class we will explore the lineage of our ideas and be deliberate in their context, function, framing, and form. It matters where our ideas and studio practice come from, but the question is: what do we do with them now that they're ours? Students will develop the ability to create paintings and articulate ideas through comparing what is original, reproduced, and appropriated. Readings, films, and critiques will prepare each student to pursue studio practice and research. In addition to completed projects, advanced students will be expected to lead an in-class demonstration on a material or technique they have mastered, complete a research paper on a public artist, and present their research in an oral presentation. Prerequisite: Introduction to Painting and a 200-level Painting course.

Advanced Photography: Studio Lighting

This course explores the lighting studio, digital editing software and digital color printing. Using the lighting studio as a basis for the course students will explore assignments such as the constructed still life, studio portraiture and the photo tableau with digital cameras. Notions of the real and the ability to create rather than document the world will be central themes of discovery. We will also interrogate concepts of beauty and the historical role of the lighting studio in reinforcing stereotypes about gender and race. Ultimately, students will conceptualize how the lighting studio can transform their means of creative production. Emphasis will be placed on independent problem solving, critical thinking, visual literacy and student initiated research. In addition to completed projects, advanced students will be expected to lead an in-class demonstration on a material or technique they have mastered, complete a research paper on a photographic artist, and present their research in an oral presentation. Prerequisite: Introduction to Photography and Intermediate Photography: Digital Photography.

Advanced Photography: Darkroom Experiments

An introduction to experimental cameras and darkroom photographic techniques, this course will explore alternative methods for creating photography. Technical processes will explore pinhole and Diana cameras, sandwiched negatives, hand-applied emulsions, and non-silver alternative processes such as Cyanotype. Students will simultaneously learn the history of photography as they push the boundaries of the medium. Emphasis will be placed on independent problem solving, critical thinking, visual literacy and student initiated research. In addition to completed projects, advanced students will be expected to lead an in-class demonstration on a material or technique they have mastered, complete a research paper on a photographic artist, and present their research in an oral presentation. Prerequisite: Introduction to Photography and any 200-level photography course.

Advanced Photography: Digital Photography

This course will train students in digital photography including image acquisition, workflow management, digital printing and the software programs such as, Lightroom and Photoshop. We will use this technical training to make conceptually centered images and projects within a studio art environment. The technical training will merely be a foundation for students to develop their own ideas and concepts. The course will consist of completing a series of tutorials in Lightroom as well as demonstrations with cameras, scanners and printers. In addition, we will explore image editing/organizing workflow strategies and advanced image correction. Student's will also be introduced to the history of digital imaging within the field of photography, as well as the early origins of montage and negative compilation from the late 1800's. Like any field, and photography is no exception, technical advancements do not happen in a vacuum. These discussion invariably raise questions about photography's contested relationship to the 'truth.' Through demonstrations, tutorials, class exercises, projects, readings, and slide lectures students will learn to navigate the field of digital photography. In addition to completed projects, advanced students will be expected to lead an in-class demonstration on a material or technique they have mastered, complete a research paper on a photographic artist, and present their research in an oral presentation. Advanced students will also design their own project mid-semester. Prerequisite: Introduction to Photography and Intermediate Photography: Digital Photography

Advanced Sculpture in Public Places

This course explores the methods and theories of contemporary public sculpture. Emphasis will be placed on the mastery of skills and techniques relating to materials suitable for outdoor display, including woodworking, welding, sewing, and fiberglass resin. Discussions, readings and slide lectures delve deeply into both the practical issues of public art- model-making, site selection, and presenting ideas for approval- but also the theoretical considerations- how and why art in the public sphere is so distinct from more traditional gallery art. Issues of permanence, site-specificity, community engagement, and environmental concerns will be explored through a series of projects such as inflatable art, ambient art, and construction of a large-scale sculpture for exhibition on campus. In addition to completed projects, advanced students will be expected to lead an in-class demonstration on a material or technique they have mastered, complete a research paper on a public artist, and present their research in an oral presentation. Prerequisite: Introduction to Sculpture and any 200-level studio art course

Advanced Kinetic Sculpture

This course explores contemporary time-based art through basic techniques of movement and kinetics. Various methods of motion are explored, including mechanical devices and motors, natural sources such as wind, and manual or man-driven operations. Demonstrations provide the technical and material expertise necessary to complete related projects such as automaton, flying devices, and Rube Goldberg machines. Advanced students will demonstrate mastery of techniques and materials related to time-based construction. Discussions, readings and slide lectures will focus on examples of kinetic art and time-based art through recent art history, with emphasis on conceptual and visual concerns of moving objects; not just how they function physically, but how they are interpreted in the context of our fast-paced, post-industrial culture. In addition to completed projects, advanced students will be expected to lead an in-class demonstration on a material or technique they have mastered, complete a research paper on a public artist, and present their research in an oral presentation. Prerequisite: Introduction to Sculpture and any 200-level studio art course

Advanced Sculpture and Sustainability

This course explores sustainable art practices related to contemporary environmental and economic concerns. Various approaches to sustainability will be discussed and explored while developing artwork that addresses sustainability in both its construction and its content. Demonstrations provide the technical and material expertise necessary to complete related sculptural projects such as building an earthwork from natural materials, making a sculpture for $1.00, and altering/reclaiming found or salvaged objects. Discussions, readings and slide lectures will focus on examples of sustainable art practices through recent art history, with emphasis on conceptual, practical and visual concerns of making sculpture that is environmentally and economically responsible. In addition to completed projects, advanced students will be expected to lead an in-class demonstration on a material or technique they have mastered, complete a research paper on an environmental artist, and present their research in an oral presentation. Prerequisite: Introduction to Sculpture

Advanced Sculpture and Community-Based Art

This course explores experimental art forms used to create socially engaged art. Social practice art often utilizes participatory, community-centered approaches to address pressing political and social concerns, both locally and globally. Demonstrations provide the technical and material expertise necessary to complete related sculptural projects such as building a miniature golf course for charity, designing a project for the Occupy House at Peeler, and creating an independent social practice project. Discussions, readings and slide lectures will focus on examples of social practice art through recent art history, with emphasis on conceptual, practical and visual concerns of researching controversial topics, collaborating with a diverse group of peers and local community members, and creating artwork that maintains high artistic standards while addressing social or political concerns. In addition to completed projects, advanced students will be expected to lead an in-class demonstration on a material or technique they have mastered, complete a research paper on a social practice artist, and present their research in an oral presentation. Prerequisite: Introduction to Sculpture

Advanced Ceramics: Food and Community

This studio art class focuses on the various relationships between ceramics and food, specifically the ways that food and objects are produced, consumed and valued in our contemporary culture. Course content includes explorations of production methods of food, food and identity, food shortages and geophagy (eating clay for nourishment) and mealtime culture. Students will use information from readings and discussions as a foundation to explore food-related issues through ceramic art projects, as well as collaborative and social practice. Additionally, students will lead an in-class demonstration on a material or technique they have mastered and generate a written artist statement that outlines their conceptual and technical approach to their research. Demonstrations will cover functional pots, large scale works, customized ceramic surfaces and more. Students will advance their personal art practice by identifying relevant questions, exploring methods of inquiry, engaging audiences, refining concepts and techniques, and applying critical thinking to individual and group work. Prerequisite: Introduction to Ceramics and any 200-level studio art course or consent of instructor.

Advanced Ceramics: Material Explorations

This studio art class focuses on both conventional and alternative ceramic materials and processes. Course content explores the relationship between process and product, the implicit meaning of materials, personalized clay and glaze formulation, custom production methods, and more. Students will test materials in the studio and research other artists' work to develop art projects that demonstrate a sophisticated and practiced use of clay, glaze, firing methods and more. Additionally, students will lead an in-class demonstration on a material or technique they have mastered and generate a written artist statement that outlines their conceptual and technical approach to their research. Demonstrations will include raw materials tests, glaze composition, large scale construction methods and more. Students will advance their personal art practice by identifying relevant questions, exploring methods of inquiry, engaging audiences, refining concepts and techniques, and applying critical thinking to individual and group work. Prerequisite: Introduction to Ceramics and any 200-level studio art course or consent of instructor.

Advanced Ceramics: Making Meaning

This studio art class focuses on the continually evolving cultural significance of ceramic objects, ranging from historical artifacts, to limited production artworks, to mass produced commercial items. Course content explores the ways that various cultural influences, production methods and marketing strategies affect the way we perceive the value and meaning of the things around us. Students will use information from readings and discussions to consider issues such as originality, authorship, production, consumption, and recontextualization. Additionally, students will lead an in-class demonstration on a material or technique they have mastered and generate a written artist statement that outlines their conceptual and technical approach to their research. Demonstrations will include mold making, slip casting, ceramic decals, repetition in service of refinement, and wheel and handbuilding techniques. Students will advance their personal art practice by identifying relevant questions, exploring methods of inquiry, engaging audiences, refining concepts and techniques, and applying critical thinking to individual and group work. Prerequisite: Introduction to Ceramics and any 200-level studio art course or consent of instructor.

Advanced Ceramics: The Body

This studio art class focuses on the human figure as related to historical and contemporary ceramics. Course content includes representations of identity, the individual versus the collective, and the performative nature of functional objects in collaboration with the body. Students will use information from readings and discussions as a foundation to explore issues of the body through ceramic art projects. Additionally, students will lead an in-class demonstration on a material or technique they have mastered and generate a written artist statement that outlines their conceptual and technical approach to their research. Demonstrations will include rendering the human figure, functional pots, large scale works, customized ceramic surfaces and more. Students will advance their studio art practice by identifying relevant questions, exploring methods of inquiry, engaging audiences, refining concepts and techniques, and applying critical thinking to individual and group work. Prerequisite: Introduction to Ceramics and a 200-level studio art course or consent of instructor.

Advanced Studio Art Topics

Advanced level studio art courses in specific media. Areas of study may include: A. Drawing, B. Painting, C. Ceramics, D. Sculpture, E. Photography, F. Video, G. Digital, H. Interdisciplinary Study. Prerequisite will vary.

Senior Projects I

This is the first course in a two-semester series of focused studio practice for art majors in their senior year. In this course, students will produce a body of work that explores themes and concepts relevant to their own artistic research. These ideas will serve as the foundation for their exhibition in the Visual Arts Gallery in the spring semester. Through sustained exploration of ideas, continued experimentation with materials and techniques and ongoing critiques with faculty and peers, students will identify and articulate their core practice as an artist. Students will investigate examples of contemporary art practice through lectures, readings, research presentations and museum visits. In order to prepare for the professional art world, students will develop artist statements, document their work in a portfolio and seek opportunities such as exhibitions, residencies and graduate school. This course is WIM (writing in the major) course for studio art majors.

Senior Projects II

This is the second course in a two-semester series of focused studio practice for art majors in their senior year. In this course, students will produce a cohesive, conceptually focused body of work for exhibition in the Visual Arts Gallery at the end of spring semester. Students will develop contemporary studio practice through artistic research in support of their individual ideas and evidenced mastery of materials and techniques appropriate to their chosen medium. Students will be expected to demonstrate active independent research and studio management, while participating in art related events on and off campus. With the gallery staff, students will engage in all aspects of exhibition; including design of postcards and advertising material, organization and arrangement of the exhibition, and professional installation and de-installation of their art. Submission of a final artist packet, including artist statement, resume, documentation of art, and slide list, will be required of all students. As part of this course's requirement, each student must also prepare and present a formal gallery talk for the exhibition opening.

Courses in Museum Studies

Contemporary Issues in Museum Studies

This course introduces and examines the institutional practices of museums (as well as other exhibition spaces) with emphasis on the ethical dimensions of these practices. How do the creators of exhibits find ways to translate complex ideas and contextual material into accessible, compelling displays? What methods do museum professionals employ to involve and assist visitors? Why do some exhibitions become sites of public controversies and battles over representation- whose voices are heard and whose are silenced? In what manner do discussions of power, privilege, and diversity come into play in museums? How do exhibition planners negotiate ethnic, racial, class, religious, gender, and sexual difference? This course has a two-fold goal: it will introduce students to museums and their operations, and it will explore critical issues of power, privilege, and diversity in contemporary museum studies. In meeting the first goal, we will consider museum missions, practices of collection, exhibition strategies and interpretation, and audience appeal. Then, the class will situate museum strategies and practices in a larger context, examining changing museum ideologies and institutional engagements with the politics of cultural representation, as well as the ethical debates over the 'ownership' of culture and cultural artifacts. Assignments and site visits will further strengthen students' reading, writing, and critical thinking skills.

Topics in Museum Studies

An in-depth study of a particular topic in museum studies.

Advanced Topics in Museum Studies

An in-depth study of a particular topic in museum studies.

Museum Studies Capstone

This seminar course provides museum studies minors with an opportunity to synthesize material from previous museum studies courses, internships, and allied coursework by translating theory into practice. Students will first consider the history and ethics of museum practice through small-group discussions and advanced readings in museum theory, curatorial studies, and exhibition design. Then, under the collaborative guidance of art history faculty and the director and curator of galleries, students will co-curate a professional exhibition drawing from the DePauw University permanent art collection of 3,600 objects. Students will design the exhibition thesis and supporting subthemes, synthesize subject material, consider object relationships and layout, and install the final exhibition for public display. The capstone project will culminate in a public exhibition opening, complete with oral representations and tours led by students.