1 History of Art 245 Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century Art Diana Bullen Presciutti Contact: [email protected] Class Meetings: MWF 10:00-10:50am Location: Art Building 210 Office Hours: MWF 3-4:30pm and by appointment Location: Art Building 406 Course Description: This course explores the work of major European and American artists from 1850 until today. We will begin by investigating the relationship between Modernism, Modernity, and the Avant-Garde and then examine, more or less chronologically, the artists and objects that make up the historical avant-garde and the post-war response to its forms and politics. Two fundamental issues will dominate the survey: The first concerns the way in which avant-garde artists have repeatedly interrogated the nature of signification itself (in other words, how form produces meaning). The second issue, which relates closely to the first, is the avant-garde’s ambitious but highly controversial relationship to revolutionary politics. The course is designed so as to help you develop the vocabulary and the analytical and visual tools that are necessary to negotiate the great diversity of works and critical debates that constitute the history of modern art. Course Objectives: During the course of this class, you will develop the tools you need to ask questions of a work of art, and then use historical analysis and careful looking to answer them. You will learn to look attentively, to formally analyze what you see, and to use terms and concepts that will assist you2 in speaking and writing about visual imagery with precision, clarity, and confidence. Through this process, you will learn how images signify by charting the relationships among the works of art, their producers and patrons, and the historical periods and cultural contexts in which they were created. In your reading assignments and in class discussion, you will hone your critical reading skills, of both primary and secondary texts, and you will learn to recognize key methods art historians use to analyze art works. You will put these skills to use in your assignments for this class. Required Texts: There are four required textbooks for this course. They are all available new and used at the Berea College Bookstore. • Francis Frascina et al. Modernity and Modernism: French Painting in the Nineteenth Century. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1993 ($38 new/ $28.50 used) • Charles Harrison et al. Primitivism, Cubism, Abstraction: The Early Twentieth Century. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1993 ($38 new/ $28.50 used) • Briony Fer et al. Realism, Rationalism, Surrealism: Art Between the Wars. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1993 ($35 new/ $26.25 used) • David Hopkins. After Modern Art: 1945-2000. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000 ($27.95 new/ $21 used) Readings: Additional readings (TBA) will be available in PDF format on Moodle, where they will be organized by class meeting number. All readings are listed on the syllabus for the day they will be discussed in class. Assessments: Class attendance and participation: 15% Three in-class quizzes: 45% (15% each) Two short papers: 40% (20% each) Grade Scale: 94-100: A 87-89: B+ 77-79: C+ 67-69: D+ 90-93: A- 84-86: B 74-76: C 64-66: D 80-83: B- 70-73: C- 60-63: D- 59 and below: F Attendance and Participation: You are expected to attend every class and to participate regularly. These are considered minimum requirements and fulfilling them will earn you a B for attendance and participation. Thoughtful participation, reflecting strong engagement with the course materials, will result in a higher grade, whereas poor performance in class will bring your grade down. You will receive an evaluation of your attendance and participation in the middle of the semester, along with suggestions for improvement. Failure to complete ungraded assignments, such as reading responses or brief presentations, will impact your attendance and participation grade.3 I will apply the Art Department Attendance policy strictly. You are allowed three unexcused absences. The fourth will bring your final grade down one-third of a letter grade, i.e. from a B+ to a B. With six absences you will automatically fail the course. Excused absences require official documentation. Three tardies of 10 minutes or more constitute an unexcused absence. Quizzes: The three quizzes will test knowledge of images, readings, and material covered in class. You will be informed of the structure of the quizzes and the possible images in advance. Make-up quizzes will only be granted in extenuating circumstances, with proper documentation required. The quizzes are not cumulative. Short Papers: These papers (5-7 pages, double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, 1-inch margins) will combine critical analyses of textbook and primary and secondary source readings with material from lecture. The papers should be submitted electronically to the Moodle website. Late papers will be marked down. Moodle: The course website is on Moodle (moodle.berea.edu). I will post announcements about due dates and assignments regularly, so check the site frequently. You can access all course documents, including this syllabus, readings, images, handouts, and assignments on the site. PowerPoint files with the images shown in class will also be available. All documents are organized according to class meeting number. The class meeting number is indicated next to the date on the syllabus, i.e. Friday, August 26th is Class 1. You are expected to have completed the required readings in the folder assigned to a particular class meeting BEFORE that class. PowerPoints of lectures will be posted to the class folder AFTER the class. The Learning Center: The Learning Center (106 Draper) supports research, writing, and public speaking across the curriculum, valuing writing in all disciplines. The staff (faculty and student) provides support for academic and creative writers at all levels. Please consider visiting the Center (you can make an appointment or just walk in), especially during your preparations for the papers. Academic Integrity: Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be dealt with according to the guidelines set out in the Students Rights and Responsibilities Handbook. Be aware the minimum penalty is a zero on the assignment and could lead to suspension from the College.