As I mentioned in class, there are a wealth of resources about avant-garde and influential film and video on the internet. The trick is, of course, finding the stuff that is important.
Here are some resources:
UBUWEB - a large web-based educational resource for avant-garde material available on the internet, founded in 1996 by poet Kenneth Goldsmith. It offers visual, concrete and sound poetry, expanding to include film and sound artmp3 archives. http://www.ubu.com/
From UBUWEB there are links to film and also print resources - see http://www.ubu.com/aspen/
For film see http://www.ubu.com/film/
The film we watched was Un Chien Andalou (1929) by Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali. It is no longer available on UBU but you can search for it on google.com. Things are often available once you know to look for them. UBU is a good starting point for making a list for your self-guided tour.
Thank you for a great semester. I really enjoyed exploring art history with you. I hope that you all have a great summer and take some occasions to look at art wherever you go.
Here are some good exhibitions on view in South Florida:
Two good collections are on view at the Museum of Art, Fort Lauderdale: Gordon Locksley + George T. Shea Collection and Francie Bishop Good + David Horvitz Collection. See http://moaflnsu.org/
Miami Art Museum: Neo Hoo Doo: Art for a Forgotten Faith & Recent Acquisitions. miamiartmuseum.org
Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami: Abstract Cinema and Technology (through 5-10-09). Convention - begins 5-21-09. http://www.mocanomi.org/schedule.htm
***Museum of Contemporary Art Annex at Goldman Warehouse in Wynwood: Luis Gispert through June 27th. This artist's work is very exciting and sensationalist. I believe many of you will enjoy it. http://www.mocanomi.org/schedule.htm
I also highly recommend the Wolfsonian on Miami Beach - the cafe there is also excellent. The collection and exhibitions there are relevant to what we discussed in the last couple of classes.
The Rubell Collection and the Margulies Collection have continuing exhibitions.
Finally the Frost Museum at FIU has a show of Dennis and Debra Scholl's Collection, in addition to BFA exhibitions.
Of course, there are gallery exhibitions as well. At Dorsch Gallery there will be a 2-D design and printmaking show inspired by the Schongauer and Durer prints we studied together. This opens May 9th. On June 13th, we'll host a new painting show. I hope to see you around!
I wish you all the best of luck in your endeavors and that appreciating art helps you enjoy- or be aware -during your journey.
Option 1: Please write 800-1000 words, typed and double-spaced, to write an essay, with art historical & historical examples, of how art manifests the big ideas of the time. Choose one big idea as your thesis – such as (but not limited to) decorum, romanticism, positivism, orientalism.
Option 2: Write an essay of the same length describing how you would orchestrate a social statement with your art, using examples and comparisons from Chapters 24 and 25.
There will be 3 questions on the final exam. While I encourage you to study in groups leading up to the announcement of the questions on the exam on April 23, you should answer the questions after the studying period on your own, in your own words. You will be asked to write a statement to the effect on the cover page of the responses you hand in. The responses are due, typed and double-spaced, April 28 by 11:15am. Late papers are unacceptable.
1. Argue for or against the following statement, using at least 6 specific art historical examples and demonstrating an understanding of the relation to historical ideas:
The differences between color and design camps, defenders of Rubens and Poussin’s work respectively, set into play a battle of sorts for dominance in painting – a battle design eventually won.
600 words.
2. Argue for or against the following statement, using at least 4 specific art historical examples and demonstrating an understanding of the relation to historical ideas:
Political and social statements made in art began in the 19th century, since the artists were in touch with the class struggles of the time.
500 words.
3. Discuss the development of landscape as subject matter in the history of art. Did its importance increase from the art in the Renaissance to the art of the 19th century? How did its fluctuating importance reflect the world views of each historical period? Give at least 5 examples of artworks from at least 5 different chapters in Janson’s 7th ed., vol. 2. 600 words.
4. Why does Realism and Impressionism signal the arrival of Modernism in art? What are the characteristics of Modernism? How do these movements in art mark a shift from the art of the 17th and 18th centuries? How does art in the 20th century seem influenced by the art of this period? Give at least 5 examples of artworks. 500 words.
5. How do world views manifest in art? Does it cause an artist to depict a certain subject in certain way? Does it predicate the statements made in artworks? When do artworks have a role in changing the world view? In what instances do they try to do so and fail? Finally, how do you think our 2009 worldview affects the way this Janson’s explanation of art history is written? Give at least 4 examples of artworks in at least 600 words.
6. Discuss how portraiture can be a barometer of the role of an individual in society. Does the commissioning party or the portraitist ever challenge conventional depictions of the individual, women, people of non-European descent? Give at least 4 examples of artworks in 500 words.
7. In what instances has art and architecture been used as propaganda? How was it used, for instance, in building civic and national identities of Venice, London, Paris, England, USA, France, Spain, the Vatican or Germany? Who were the players in making art have a role in this way? Compare and contrast specific examples of artworks and people in at least one city and two countries. 600 words.
Tues Mar 17 - Louis XIV (733-49) and Rococo (757-73). Thur Mar 19 - Chap. 23 - Art in the Age of Enlightenment 1750-1789 (789-821)
Tues Mar 24 - Chap. 24 - Art in the Age of Romanticism 1789-1848 (823-859) Thur Mar 26 - Chap. 25 - The Age of Positivism: Realism, Impressionism, and the Pre-Raphealites 1848-1885 (861-880)
Tues Mar 31 - Chap. 25 cont'd (881-901) and start Chap. 26 (903-915) Thur Apr 2 - Chap. 26- Progress and it Discontents: Post-Impressionism, Symbolism and Art Nouveau, 1880-1905 (916-943)
Tues Apr 7 - Chap. 27 - The Modernist Revolution 1904-14 (945-962) Thur Apr 9 - Chap 27 cont'd (963-981). Final Exam Review 20 minutes
Tues Apr 14 - Chap. 28 - Art Between the Wars (983-1035) Thur Apr 16 FINAL EXAM REVIEW
"In thinking about the importance of primary sources and how they help place an artist or their work into context, I remembered a wonderful biography that I read several years ago by the historian Sarah Bradford entitled *Cesare Borgia, His Life and Times*. The author used countless primary sources in writing the biography, but one event concerning two sculptures by Michelangelo always stuck in my mind.
The setting: Cesare Borgia (the son of Pope Alexander VI) has expelled Guidobaldo Montefeltro, the Duke of Urbino, from his palace and "systematically" looted his valuable possessions - everything from art to furniture. The Duke's sister-in-law, Isabella d'Este Gonzaga, (showing more concern for the art objects than her own exiled relative) writes to Cesare politely inquiring about two 'antique' statues of Venus and Cupid that she had admired in her brother-in-law's home. Knowing that "His Excellency" [Cesare] is not fond of antiques, she wonders if he could possibly send them to her in Mantua. Cesare replies that they are not antiques but the work of a new Florentine artist, Michelangelo, and that in fact, they had been a gift from Cesare to the duke. Isabella writes to her husband after learning these facts, "The Cupid, for a modern work, has no equal.""
There will be an in-class review on Tuesday, March 10th. The quiz will take the whole class period (1h 15m) on Thursday, March 12th.
Quiz format
2 comparisons
Review in class on Tuesday March 10th
Study guide will be posted on the blog
Each comparison should:
Identify the works being compared. (artist, title, year, medium, location if applicable)
demonstrate observational skills
Relate relevant visual elements to historical and geographic context in each work
Relate relevant visual elements to art historical developments, using examples of other artworks
Use vocabulary correctly in context
Possible comparisons for quiz March 10th
Albrecht Durer. Self-Portrait. 1500. Oil on panel, 26 x 19”. (p638) vs. Judith Leyster. Self Portrait, ca 1633. Oil on canvas. 30 x 26”. (p714)
Michelangelo. The Creation of Adam. 1508-12. Portion of Sistine Chapel ceiling, The Vatican, Rome. (572) Vs. Giulio Romano. Fall of the Giants from MountOlympus, from the Sala dei Giganti, ca. 1530-1532. Palazzo del Te, Mantua. (604)
Andrea del Verrocchio. Bust of Lorenzo de’ Medici. Ca 1480. Painted terra cotta. Vs. Rembrandt van Rijn. Self-Portrait. 1658. Oil on canvas. 53 x 41”. (721)
El Greco, The Burial of Count Orgaz. 1586. Oil on canvas. 16’ x 12’. (630) vs. Peter Paul Rubens. Marie de’ Medici, Queen of France, Landing in Marseilles(3 November 1600), 1622-25. Oil on canvas. 13 x 10 feet. (703)
Study tips
Prepare an outline of each comparison answer by March 10th. Use the review class to ask questions and adjust your outlines.
Office hours
Please come to office hours between 10 and 11am on Tuesday March 3 & Tuesday March 10. I will in the adjunct office in the Department of Art and Philosophy on the 6th floor of building 3. If you need to meet with me another time, please arrange for an appointment at the gallery. (Dorsch Gallery, 151 NW 24 St, Miami 33127, 305-576-1278)
Reading for Thursday: Chapter 18: 621-623, 629-657
1. How did the Reformation affect artistic visions in Northern Europe during the sixteenth century?
2. Why do you think that the Italian Renaissance aesthetic had less of an impact on Northern European architecture and sculpture in the sixteenth century?
3. How does Dürer’s approach to the human figure following his Italian trip differ from that of Grünewald?
4. How would you compare and contrast the Renaissance in Northern Europe during the sixteenth century with that in Italy during the same period?
5. In what ways did Elizabeth I control her iconography? What iconography did she adopt?
10 minutes per presentation. Contextualize the artist in the turbulent times and talk about their artistic achievements. Do this by presenting a timeline, or only one work, or by presenting supplementary information to what’s in the text book. You can be creative. Extra credit will be awarded, but it will be small. The real incentive is that the best presentation gets a “free pass” on the next assignment.
Giving further thought to your library assignment, some of you may not be able to locate primary sources for your chosen work, only references to that source. Another good place to look for primary source texts is in Google books, where books whose copyrights have expired are available for full view and download. For instance, see http://books.google.com/books?id=VKYCAAAAYAAJ.
And, to reiterate, a good source for articles is JSTOR, which is available through MDC library. Ask the librarian to help you with access on campus and off.
Thursday, February 19th will be a lecture class on the way the "Early Renaissance in 15th century Italy" or chapter 15, leads into the "High Renaissance" or chapter 16.
To prepare for this lecture, please read through the end of Chapter 16, paying closest attention to p585, which outlines the sections of the chapter. Be sure to have one artwork example of each of the section headings. Think about how that example relates to the big ideas in the summary of the section.
The Rubell Collection visit has been delayed. We will wait until we get a chance to learn more about contemporary art before we visit.
I am leaning towards a take-home exam. Technically, the exam should take place on Thursday, April 30th during class time. If we choose to do a take-home exam, then I will give you a list of points and questions to study on April 14th. On Tues, April 28th, I will distribute the take home exam, which will consist of a selection of the questions in the review. There will be no surprises. You will be required to turn in your final exam (I prefer typed) by 12:30pm on Thurs, April 30.
For those students who are making travel plans, notify me and we can adjust the plan for your schedule.
Please read the rest of chapter 15 in Janson's and begin Chapter 16.
Choose a work in the Janson's (any work in chapters 15-17) that you would like to research. Starting in class at the Miami Dade Public Library on Tues., Feb 17th, you will gather a bibliography of at least one primary source, one reference source, and one scholarly article relating to this work of art.
Identify the work of art first, then list the source, in proper bibliographic form (see below for an example). Beneath each bibliographic listing, write a paragraph about how the book or article cited relates to the artwork you chose to research. The completed document is an annotated bibliography.
1. Stokstad, Marilyn and others. Art History. Vol. 2. (New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1995), 736. This book is a reference source, written by experts in the field of art history after consulting many primary sources and other experts. Stokstad's paragraph on Grien reveals that he was a close friend to Albrecht Durer. The two men influenced each other. This leads me to some next steps: compare other Durer woodcuts to Grien's to establish the extent of this influence and/or rivalry. Also, primary sources cited as related to Durer may also relate to Grien.
You will turn in this annotated bibliography, typed, by Tues., Mar 3. It should be between 2-3 pages, single spaced.
How is economic value defined and determined? Does it correspond to an object's intrinsic qualities or is it purely a social construction? Fundamentally, what do we say about our culture and our society - about our selves - through the objects that we have chosen to value? This exhibition centers on the rich cultural history of traditionally valuable materials such as silver, diamonds, gold, etc., as well as the nearly visceral desires that these substances are capable of evoking. The exhibition also focuses on the important immaterial factors that underlie the determination of value: from a given object's emotional or religious significance to aspects of its life on the market, as well as the crucial if silent role played by human labor and the human body.
- exhibition description, from MiamiArt Museum’s website, miamiartmuseum.org.
Assignment:
Using you resources – your own knowledge and observations, the exhibition’s wall text, Rene Morales’ essay in the exhibition brochure, Janson’s text, Barnet’s Short Guide to Writing about Art, and the Baxandall reading – complete the questions below. You will be able to complete some of these today, but some questions will demand your attention over the week. The complete assignment is due Thursday, Feb 19.
Since you have one week to complete this assignment, I would like you to type your responses to the questions in paragraph form. Edit them to avoid spelling and grammatical errors. Cite the source of any quote or fact you reference.
Refer to the handout given in class for the questions. If you do not have a handout, please email me requesting a copy.
Go to the following introduction to January's Artforum. Artforum's editor, Tim Griffin, reflects on the relevance of Michael Baxandall's approach to art history. http://artforum.com/inprint/id=21708
Announcements: - Thurs, Feb 12, 11:15-12:30 pm meet at Miami Art Museum (MAM) at 101 W Flagler St.
- Tues, Feb 17th, 11:15. Meet at Miami Dade Public Library in the plaza in front of the library at 101 W Flagler St. This is the same plaza where MAM is located.
- Homework: Read Jansons 983-989, 1037, 1046-48, 1077-78, 1105. Due for Thur, Feb 12. Note Dada, Duchamp, Hoch and Rauschenberg and John Cage.
I also posted some word documents: one about primary sources and another about strategies for studying and writing about art. In one of these documents is a list of links to resources available to you online. Use the same website to download these documents: http://dorschgallery.com/private/ARH2051.
Also, regarding a question about emailed questions: go ahead and email questions to me this week (for next Tuesday); write the question in the form of a really good paragraph, meant to inspire commentary from your classmates. I'll post the best two on the blog (let me know if you'd like your name on it or not). You'll get kudos for your responses to this post.
Finally, note that the make-up quiz below can be an extra credit assignment, as stated in class.
All those needing to make up the exam, here is your assignment: Using readings from Chapters 13-15 in Janson's as your source, write a 1000 word essay on social, historical, economic and art historical changes demonstrated by architecture. Remember to use a thesis statement to guide your writing. Use comparisons as a way to link (and contrast) at least 4 examples, with at least 1 from each chapter. If you choose to closely paraphrase or quote a section of the text or any other source, be sure to name this source precisely. You can use the following formats: (Name of source, page number) as in (Janson's, 530) or footnote it. This is due by Thursday, Feb 5th.
This is a better format for sharing ideas, questions and reading than exchanging emails. This way, your classmates can respond to and/or benefit from others' questions and comments. I can also post an up-to-date list of assignments here.
List links here related to class discussions and readings, as well as comments and questions.
I hope this will be a useful and economical tool for us all.
