Dr. Jo-Anne Berelowitz, SDSU, Fall 2013
Art History 559: Art Since 1945
Room 412, T.,Th. 12:30-1:45
Office: A 510, ext. 4995; phone: 594-4995; email: jberelow@mail.sdsu.edu
Office hours: Tues.,Thu. 11-12:00 or by appt. (Please note that I sometimes have a meeting at the
11-12 time. It is best to email me to establish and confirm an appointment.)
Post 1945 Art Issues: Modernism, Postmodernism: Readings in Contemporary Art History
General overview of course:
Beginning in 1945 and continuing through the 1980s, this course examines the late modern and
postmodern periods. We will also consider the theories and arguments that support and justify
each of these major periodizations. We will examine art by women, by people of color,
performance art, art in urban spaces, street art, and public art.
Prior requirements:
Students enrolling in this course are required to have taken 258 and 259 or their equivalents. If
you have not met these requirements, you will struggle in this class! You are STRONGLY
advised NOT to take this class until you have the pre-requisites.
Class format:
Slide-illustrated lectures, discussion of readings, films.
Review procedure:
Independent frequent review of notes, readings, and visual material is necessary for success in
this class. Good note taking is essential.
Requirements:
All assigned readings, attendance in class, three midterms, and a cumulative, optional, final
examination.
Please note that you must attend all classes and must do all the reading. You cannot afford
to neglect any of this. Information will be given in lectures that is not contained in the
readings. On occasion you will be held responsible for knowing about an artist about whom
there is not an assigned reading. You are responsible for this and will be examined on it. So
- COME TO CLASS.
Examinations:
Examination questions will be in the form of multiple choice questions and slide identifications.
Questions will be based on assigned readings and on material presented during the lectures.
Some of the material you are responsible for is not in your textbook and requires your
attendance and attention in all classes. Some of the slide identifications will be images that are
not in your textbook. However, they are available via blackboard. There are no make-ups for
missed exams and no extra credits. Please do not ask for special dispensation unless you
have a documentable emergency.
There will be four examinations: three examinations during the semester and a final. Only the
final is cumulative. The course grade will be computed by combining three examination grades.
A student who has taken three examinations may use the comprehensive final to better a grade.
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(In other words, if you take four exams, your grade will be computed from your three best exam
grades.) A student who has missed an examination should take the comprehensive final.
Your final grade will be computed from a possible total of 300 points as follows:
A
283-300
A272-282
B+
266-271
B
254-265
B248-253
C+
242-247
C
235-241
C226-234
D+
219-225
D
212-218
D205-211
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
First midterm:
100 points
Second midterm
100 points
Third midterm
100 points
Final exam:
100 points
Th. Oct. 3
Tues. Nov. 1w
Th. Dec. 5
Important dates:
NO CLASS: Tuesday, Sept. 5 (Rosh Hashanah)
Graduate student papers due:
Th. Dec. 5.
(Graduate students will take 2 midterms only - each worth 100 points and will also write a
research paper, 15 – 20 pages, on a topic to be established after consultation with the
instructor, worth 100 points .
Policy for missed exams:
A missed exam will count as an F grade unless the student has an authorized excuse. Illness must
be substantiated by a physician’s letter, work-related absence by a letter from your employer.
Other reasons for absence will need to be cleared with the professor. There will be no make-ups
under any circumstances. Students who miss an exam for whatever reason may take the
optional final. Early exams are not an option. If, for some reason, you are unable to take the
final and have already missed one of the other midterms, you may request taking an Incomplete.
You will not be permitted to take a make-up final.
Student responsibility:
It is your responsibility to attend class regularly, to make up missed information if absence is
unavoidable, to stay current in terms of course material, to participate in the field trip, and to
prepare for examinations. If you experience difficulties with course material it is your
responsibility to schedule conferences with the professor.
COMPUTER AND PRINTER FAILURES/CRASHES ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE
EXCUSES FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO ACCESS MATERIAL.
Blackboard:
Check Blackboard regularly for information.
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Readings:
Two books have been ordered for you and are available for purchase at the Aztec bookstore and
at K.B. Books:
Art Since 1940: Strategies of Being, Jonathan Fineberg
Art in Theory: 1900-2000: an anthology of changing ideas, edited by Charles Harrison
and Paul Wood.
These books are also on reserve and available in the library.
Almost everything you are required to read for this course is in these two books. Supplemental
reading may be listed on blackboard. These readings will be marked with an asterisk (*). Given
that the library provides computer access virtually round the clock, do not offer excuses
concerning your own computer for not accessing any material required for this class. It is
your responsibility to note due dates and to make appropriate plans to have work
completed on time.
Office hours:
Tuesdays 11-12:00 or by appointment. (Please note that I often have a meeting at the 11-12 time
slot). I encourage you to take advantage of office hours and to use this time to discuss the
readings, difficulties you might be having with the course, writing skills, or any other matters
pertaining to the course. It's best to catch problems early!
I strongly advise you to use email to schedule appointments with me and to confirm your
appointments.
More administrative details:
An Incomplete may be issued under appropriate circumstances, in which case a contract must be
signed by both student and professor. The contract form is available in the School of Art Office,
located in A-505. An Incomplete is not a substitute for an “F.” If no arrangements have been
made and assignments are missing, a “U” will be automatically issued. It is all but impossible to
withdraw from a course after the official drop date so please do so before that date, should you
want or need to drop this course. University restrictions on issuing Incompletes and granting
course withdrawals after the official drop deadline are very stringent. Even if you have submitted
a petition to withdraw from a course, continue to attend until permission has been officially
granted and confirmed in writing by the University. Students who are completing Incompletes
from previous semesters must meet this semester’s deadlines and follow this semester’s
assignments. They are expected to attend all classes.
If you are taking this course Credit/No Credit, Credit is a cumulative “C” according to the
University regulations. All assignments must be completed with a cumulative grade of “C” (not
“C-“) in order for Credit to be earned.
Keep all returned exams until after you have received your final grade report from the
Registrar’s office. Grad. students, make a copy of your term paper before handing it in. If
you anticipate needing to ask for a letter of recommendation to graduate school, keep all
graded assignments for me to review before I write the letter.
“Graduating Seniors” who earn an F in this class will receive an F. Any student who receives
an F on an examination should see me immediately during office hours. If your grade is
lower than a C-, I strongly advise that you consult with me.
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Cheating and plagiarism
The penalty for cheating (defined as ANY form of misrepresentation, lying, plagiarism, copying
the work of others, claiming work that is not entirely your own as your own without crediting
others, use of any unauthorized aide during examinations – including other students’ work – and
any form of dishonesty whatsoever), on ANY assignment will result in a non-debatable, nonnegotiable F in this class. You will also have a hearing before the university judicial officer. The
university takes cheating very seriously. See the section in the SDSU General Catalog on
Plagiarism for university sanctions. There are no acceptable excuses for choosing to compromise
your integrity by cheating. Drop this course if you feel you may not be able to resist the
temptation to cheat. Reports of plagiarism and cheating appear on your record and may delay
your graduation.
Love Library and help with writing:
The Love Library offers useful library tours and Term Paper Clinics. The Dept. of Rhetoric and
Writing also offers help in writing skills and term paper preparation through workshops and
weekly drop-in clinics. If you find yourself receiving Ds or Fs, you should consider signing up
for tutoring services through the Student Affairs Office of the Study Skills Center.
Graduate students:
Graduate students are required to produce a paper of approximately 15 pages. Please see me
ASAP to discuss a topic. Your paper is due Tues., Dec. 15. You MUST paginate your paper. Do
not rely on me to count your pages. Graduate research papers are worth 100 points. Graduate
students will write only 2 of the 3 midterms.
Learning outcomes objectives for this course:
In examinations, essay questions, and the term paper, students shall demonstrate that they
understand the stylistic characteristics and social issues of art movements covered in this course
(eg, Abstract Expressionism, Pop, Minimalism, Modernism, Postmodernism.) They must be able
to define these and to cite major proponents of each, and artworks typical of each. They must
also demonstrate that they understand the theoretical positions that subtend each of the art
movements and periods covered in this course. They must also demonstrate familiarity with the
time frame of different movements.
SCHEDULE OF CLASSES AND READINGS:
(Please note that this is an approximate schedule and may be modified at the instructor’s
discretion. Your edition of the textbooks may differ from mine. The page numbers may therefore
differ. You are responsible for readings on the artists covered in class, whether or not the page
numbers are given.)
Week 1:
Tues. August 27
PLEASE NOTE THAT CLASS WILL START ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 29. THERE
WILL NOT BE CLASS 8/27.
Thu. August 29
Introduction - Modernism, High Modernism
THE 30s AND 40s
--American traditions, 291, the Armory Show and European modernism, the Regionalist
Retreat, Alfred Barr and MOMA
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The New York School - the art world's new "center"; American "High Modernism"
THE 40s AND 50s
--USA vs. Europe: historical and cultural context, WWII
--Abstract Expressionism: Introduction: Hofmann, Gorky
REQUIRED READING
Fineberg. 20-38 (NY in the 40s), 52-58 (Hofmann), 59-66 (Gorky)
Art in Theory (Henceforth, Art in Theory shall be referred to as AiT) Introduction 557-561;
Raymond Williams 1085-1087
------------------------------------------------------------Week 2
Tues. Sept. 3
The New York School continued
--Pollock
--Kline, De Kooning, Krasner, Motherwell
Thurs. Sept. 5
NO CLASS BECAUSE OF JEWISH NEW YEAR
REQUIRED READING
Fineberg. 86-98 (Pollock)
Art in Theory AiT. Harold Rosenberg (The Fall of Paris) 549-553; Pollock 569-70, 570-571.
------------------------------------------------------------Week 3
Tuesday, Sept. 10
The New York School continued
--Rothko, Newman, Still
Thursday, Sept. 12
Phase II of the New York School- Post-painterly Abstraction and Hard Edge; Japanese art
after WWII
--Frankenthaler, Louis
--Gutai
REQUIRED READING
Fineberg. 39 (Kline), 74-85 (De Kooning), 67-73 (Motherwell), 106-114 (Rothko), 98-106
(Newman), 38-39 (Still); 176-177 (Gutai), 154-156 (Frankenthaler, Louis).
AiT. Pollock 569-570; 583-586; Rothko 571-573; Barnett Newman 573-577; Newman and
Rothko 568-569; Still 588-589.
-----------------------------------------------------------Week 4
Tuesday, Sept. 17
Critical discourse on Abstract Expressionism
--Harold Rosenberg, Clement Greenberg
Thu. Sept. 19
The Proto-Pop challenge to Abstract Expressionism
--Duchamp, Cage, Johns, Rauschenberg
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REQUIRED READING:
Fineberg. 153-158 (theorists, Greenberg, formalism), 175-183 (Cage, Rauschenberg), 205-214
(Johns) 244- 246, (Pop: Intro)
AiT. . Rosenberg 589-592; Greenberg 539-549, 773-779
AiT. Cage on Rauschenberg 734-736; Johns 737-742; Steinberg on Rauschenberg 971-976,
Johns on Duchamp 760-761; Warhol 747-749
----------------------------------------------------
Week 5
Tuesday, Sept. 24
High Pop in New York
THE 60s AND 70s
--Pop Art and consumer culture
--Andy Warhol
Thursday, Sept. 26
U.S. Pop, contd.
--Oldenburg, Lichtenstein, Wesselman, Rosenquist
REQUIRED READING:
Fineberg. 250-259 (Warhol) 246-250 (Wesselman) 196-203 (Oldenburg), 259- 261 (Lichtenstein),
261-266 (Rosenquist), 268; 283
A.iT. Oldenburg 743-74
----------------------------------------------------------Week 6
Tues. Oct. 1
--Warhol movie
Thursday, Oct. 3
First midterm
You are responsible for all material covered up to this point.
Bring a large red scantron sheet to class.
If graduate students have not met with me by this date to discuss their term paper, they
need to do so immediately!
REQUIRED READING
All assigned readings to this point
------------------------------------------------------------Week 7
Tues. Oct. 8
The 50s in Los Angeles: an art scene slowly emerges
--Ferus, Hopps, Kienholz
--Kienholz on exhibit
The marginalized west coast forges its own aesthetic
--California Assemblage: Berman
--The Cool School
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Thurs. Oct. 10
THE 50s AND 60s
Out of Actions
--Happenings, Fluxus, Performance: Alan Kaprow, Yoko Ono, George Maciunas, Nam June Paik
--New Realism: Yves Klein, Yves Tinguely
--Joseph Beuys: the artist as shaman
REQUIRED READING
(Kienholz – note that Fineberg gives little information on Kienholz or Berman, but you are
responsible for material presented in lectures)
Fineberg. 188-191 (Happenings, Kaprow), 193 (Fluxus), 220-230 (New Realists, Klein), 231-236
(Beuys), 294-299; 297-298 (Stella)
AiT. Introduction 813-818, Kaprow 717-722; Klein 818-820; Beuys 902-904;
-------------------------------------------------------------Week 8
Tues, Oct. 15
THE 60s AND 70S
Minimalism: Late Modernism's turning moment. The critical discourse/new thoughts and
definitions for art:
--Stella
--Ryman, Judd, Flavin, Andre, Morris, LeWitt, Serra
Thursday, Oct. 17
Minimalism: the critical discourse: 1967
--Michael Fried, critic
The reaction against Minimalism: Eccentric Abstraction/Process Art
-- Morris, Serra, Benglis, Hesse, Nauman
REQUIRED READING
Fineberg: Stella 820-821; 294-299 (Judd), 303 (Flavin), 304-306 (Morris), 318-323 (Serra), 310
(Ryman), 301-303 (Andre), 306-307 (LeWitt), 311-315, (Hesse), 316-318 (Nauman) 311315
AiT.; Judd 824-828; Fried 835-846
------------------------------------------------------------Week 9
Tuesday, Oct. 22
THE 60s AND 70s contd
Conceptual Art: visuality at stake; deskilling
Kosuth, LeWitt, Baldessari, Buren
Thurs. Oct. 24
THE 60s AND 70s contd
Institutional critiques
Broodthaers Buren, Haacke
REQUIRED READING
Fineberg: 341 (Kosuth), 374 (Baldessari); 349 (Buren), 342 (Burden); Haacke, 349
AiT, Introduction 813-818; Kosuth 852-861 (difficult, but persevere!) LeWitt 846-849,
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-----------------------------------------------------------Week 10
Tues, Oct. 29
THE 70s AND 80s
Artists working in the landscape: Sculpture’s expanded field
--Earth and Site works: Smithson, Heizer, Long, De Maria, Christo
Thu. Oct. 31
THE 60s AND 70s
Identity Politics: the ‘marginalized’ find a voice
Gender – Feminism
--Feminist interventions/Early Feminist body art: Schneemann, Wilke, Mendiata, Antin, etc
--Womanhouse, the Dinner Party
REQUIRED READING:
Fineberg (Heizer); 326-327 (De Maria), 327-331 (Smithson), 336-337 (Long), 356-364
(Christo); Fineberg: 368-374 (art and feminism). Note that Fineberg is VERY thin on
Feminist art, but you are responsible for the material covered in class.
Rosalind Krauss, “Sculpture in the Expanded Field,” October, Vol. 8, Spring 1979, pp. 30-44,
http://infodome.sdsu.edu/research/ejournals/ssoulutions/ssolutions.shtml
-----------------------------------------------------------Week 11
Tuesday, Nov. 5
The 70s and 80s
Postmodernism
--second generation feminist voices: Sherman, Kruger, Levine, Holzer
Thu. Nov. 7
THE 60s TO THE PRESENT
Identity Politics continued: Ethnicity - The Chicano Movement
--marginalization, resistance, affirmation
--Chicano Park
--Border art
REQUIRED READING:
Fineberg. (Sherman), 470 (Kruger), 467 (Levine), 475 (Holzer)
AiT, Introduction 1013-1018; Krauss 1032-1037; Levine 1038-1039, Mulvey 982-989.
-------------------------------------------------Week 12
Tues. Nov. 12
THE 1980s
Second midterm
You are responsible for all material covered since the last midterm.
Bring a small red scantron sheet to class.
Thurs. Nov. 14
THE 1980s
The resurgence of painting
--Neo-Expressionism: Kiefer, Schnabel, Fischl, Golub
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--Conceptual painting: Salle, Tansey, Richter
REQUIRED READING
Fineberg. 49-424 (Kiefer), 448-449 (Schnabel), 450-452 (Fischl), 371-374 (Richter), 466-468
(Appropriation, Salle),
AiT. Introduction (1013-1017)
------------------------------------------------------------Week 13
Tues. Nov. 19
THE 80s and 90s
Identity Politics: Race (“the stereotypical grotesque)
--David Hammons, Adrian Piper, Lorna Simpson, Kara Walker
Thursday, Nov. 21
Appropriation, simulation
--Koons, Steinbach, McCollum, Bidlo, Tansey
REQUIRED READING
Fineberg. 469, (Hammons) 473-4 (Koons), 471-2 (Steinbach), 467 (Bidlo), 365 (Postmodernism)
AiT. Introduction (1013-1017)
-----------------------------------------------------------Week 14
Tues. Nov. 26
Review for 3rd midterm
Thurs. Nov. 28
THANKSGIVING
-----------------------------------------------------------Week 15
Tues. Dec. 3
The 90s: a quick survey
The ethnographic turn (Fred Wilson); rejection, abjection (Kiki Smith, Robert Gober, Paul
McCarthy), digital photography (Andreas Gursky)
Thu. Dec. 5
Third Midterm
You are responsible for all material covered since the last midterm.
Bring a small red scantron sheet to class
-------------------------------------------------------------Week 16
Tuesday, Dec 10
Return of midterms and cumulative grade to date, further discussion of issues.
Exam Week: FINAL CUMULATIVE EXAM
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