ART 104: ARTISTS AND DESIGNERS IN REAL TIME
FALL 2013
INSTRUCTOR: DR. ALLYSON WILLIAMS
LECTURES: Tues. Thurs., 9:30-10:45 Music 245
OFFICE: (Art Building) A-559
OFFICE PHONE: 619-594-5918 (during office hours)
OFFICE HOURS: Wednesday 2:45-3:45 or by appointment.
E-MAIL: allyson@mail.sdsu.edu (Please use Art 104 in the subject line, and
remember to sign your name!) I try to answer all e-mails sent on weekdays within
24 hours. If I somehow miss your e-mail and have not responded after 24 hours,
feel free to send the e-mail again. I reserve the right not to answer e-mails on the
weekend, but if possible I will probably check in.
TEXTBOOK: DeWitte, Larmann, and Shields, Gateways to Art. We will use mostly
Parts 1 and 2. Other readings will be posted on Blackboard.
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES:
This is an introductory course designed for freshmen and sophomores. In this
course, students will explore the myriad forms that the visual arts take today, and
learn how various contemporary artists approach the creative process in their
particular disciplines. Students will gain insight into art, design and craft fields such
as painting, sculpture, graphic design, interior design, furniture, fibers, ceramics,
metalwork and multimedia. They will also be introduced to the ways in which visual
culture is contextualized, theorized and displayed through art historical and
curatorial studies. Students will hear practicing artists discuss their work and their
approaches, as well as improving their visual repertoires and critical skills by
visiting museums and art galleries.
EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES
1- Students will be able to compare and contrast the many forms in which artists,
designers, and related scholars are working today and acknowledge the
interdisciplinary nature of the visual arts and design
2-Students will be able to identify, analyze, and discuss the practice of art and
concepts of artists, designers, and related scholars through both written and verbal
means.
3- Students will express insight into the historical and contemporary contextual
influences in the development of a variety of contemporary art/ design practices
and related scholarship
4-Students will be encouraged to read, write and think critically about art. Students
will learn the appropriate vocabulary for discussing art
5-Verbalize the interrelationship of history, theory, and practice of contemporary
art, craft, design, and related scholarship.
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COURSE FORMAT:
This course will generally alternate between introductory/contextualizing lectures
and/or films which introduce a topic, and guest lectures by practicing faculty or
visiting artists or gallery/museum exhibition visits. Occasionally different thematic
material than the guest speaker will be discussed in lectures. Students will be
assigned readings and will be encouraged to write and reflect on these readings as
well as upon the guest lectures. Attending class is mandatory and essential.
CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE: Please turn off and stow all cellphones before the lecture
begins. Please do your very best to contribute to class discussions and not chat to
each other while the professor, fellow students, or guest lecturers are speaking. Out
of courtesy to guest speakers, who are taking time out their busy lives to share their
work with us, there will be no laptops allowed during their talks. You may use your
laptops in airline mode only (no websurfing, mail, etc.) for taking notes during my
lectures.
ASSIGNMENTS AND EXAMS:
1. There will be reading assignments (from the textbook, short articles, book
excerpts) for each topic.
1. Students will write a reflection journal entry (submitted via Blackboard) about
the weekly readings (although usually not the Gateways textbook readings), each inclass guest speaker or film—25% (graded approx every 5 weeks)
2. Two mid-term exams (multiple choice questions/essays) 15% each (Oct 3; Nov.
14)
3. One museum/gallery report 15 % each (Oct. 17)
4. One research paper on issues for contemporary artists, craftspersons, or
designers (Nov. 26) 15%
5. Final Exam with course reflection assignment 15% (Dec. 12, 8:00)
Grading Scale:
A
93%
A90%
B+
87%
B
83%
B80%
C+
77%
C
CD+
D
DF
73%
70%
67%
63%
60%
59% or below
Note on Plagiarism and Cheating:
These will not be tolerated in class and will result in failure of the course and
reporting to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. As stated in the SDSU
Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities “Examples of cheating include
unauthorized sharing of answers during an exam, use of unauthorized notes or
study materials during an exam, altering an exam and resubmitting it for regrading,
having another student take an exam for you or submit assignments in your name,
participating in unauthorized collaboration on coursework to be graded, providing
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false data for a research paper, or creating/citing false or fictitious references for a
term paper. (Submitting the same paper for multiple classes may also be considered
cheating if not authorized by the instructors involved). Examples of plagiarism
include any attempt to take credit for work that is not your own, such as using direct
quotes from an author without using quotation marks or indentation in a paper,
paraphrasing work that is not your own without giving credit to the original source
of the idea, or failing to properly cite all sources in the body of your work.”
CLASS SCHEDULE (Subject to change) Note: guest speakers and topics may change
due to availability.
Week 1. August 27, 29
Lecture 1: Introduction to the course
Lecture 2: What is an artist?
Week 2. Sept 3, 5
Lecture 3
Painters and painting
Lecture 4
Guest lecture: Professor Gail Roberts-Field
Week 3. Sept. 10, 12
Lecture 5
Graphic Design
Lecture 6
Sept. 12: Guest lecture: Professor Arzu Ozkal
Week 4. Sept 17, 19
Lecture 7
Sculpture
Lecture 8
Guest lecture: Professor Richard Keely
Week 5. Sept. 24, 26
Lecture 9
Multimedia
Lecture 10 Guest lecture: Professor Mark Siprut
Week 6. October 1, 3
Lecture 11: TBA, Review
Lecture 12: Thurs October 3. Mid-Term Exam #1
Week 7. October 8, 10
Lecture 13. Ceramics
Lecture 14 Guest lecture: Professor Joanne Hayakawa
Week 8. October 15, 17
Lecture 15 Guest lecture: Interior Design Professor Kotaro Nakamura
Lecture 16: Issues in Architecture Gallery Report Due
Week 9. October 22, 24
Lecture 17 Woodworking/Furniture design
Lecture 18 Guest lecture: SDSU Lecturer David Fobes
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Week 10. October 29, 31
Lecture 19 Jewelry and Metalwork
Lecture 20 Guest lecture: Professor Sondra Sherman
Week 11. Nov. 5, 7.
Lecture 21 Art and the Environment/Themes in Contemporary Art
Lecture 22 Guest lecture: Professor Kim Stringfellow
Week 12. Nov 12, 14
Lecture 23 Themes in Contemporary Art and Review
Lecture 24 Thurs. Nov. 14, Mid-term Exam #2
Week 13. Nov. 19, 21
Lecture 25 Curatorial and Museum Studies
Lecture 26 Guest lecture: Professor Arthur Ollman
Week 14. Nov. 26,
Lecture 27 Fiber/Textiles; Research Paper Due Nov. 26
November 28, No Class, Happy Thanksgiving
Week 15. Dec. 3, 5
Lecture 26 Art History
Lecture 27 Guest lecture: Hector Perez, Director of Graduate Studies, Woodbury
School of Architecture
Week 16. Dec. 10
Lecture 28 Last class: Summary and Review
Final Exam: Thursday December 12, 8:00-10:00 a.m.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:
Students who need accommodation of their disabilities should contact me privately
to discuss specific accommodations for which they have received authorization. If
you have a disability, but have not contacted Student Disability Services at 619-5946473 (Calpulli Center, Suite 3101), please do so before making an appointment to
see me. The web site for Student Disability Services is:
http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/sds/index.html
MAKE UP EXAMS:
MAKE-UP EXAMINATIONS (FOR THE MID-TERM) AND EXTENSIONS FOR PAPERS
WILL ONLY BE GIVEN IF YOU HAVE HAD A SERIOUS ILLNESS OR IF THERE HAS
BEEN A DEATH IN YOUR IMMEDIATE FAMILY (DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED). The
make-up mid-term examination must be taken during my office hours as soon as
possible. Students on official athletic teams need to keep me informed of
travel/exam conflicts.
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PAPER SUBMISSION:
Your museum papers will be submitted in hard copy in class and electronically
through a component of Blackboard called Turnitin, which also checks text for
plagiarism.
Students agree that by taking this course all required papers may be subject to
submission for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection of
plagiarism. All submitted papers will be included as source documents in the
Turnitin.com reference database solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of
such papers. You may submit your papers in such a way that no identifying
information about you is included. Another option is that you may request, in
writing, that your papers not be submitted to Turnitin.com. However, if you choose
this option you will be required to provide documentation to substantiate that the
papers are your original work and do not include any plagiarized material.
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