• Berger, Ways of Seeing
• Dissanayake, What is Art For?
• Pollitt, Art and Experience in Classical Greece
• D'Ambra, Roman Art in Context

Pierce, From Abacus to Zeus; Barnet, A Short Guide to Writing About Art; and Taylor, Learning to Look are useful general resource books and can be found in the reference section in the Art Library.

Please consult me if you wish to pursue further reading on any subject matter covered or if you have any questions concerning this course.

OFFICE HOURS

Wed and Fri 10:00-11:30 am or by appointment. My office is in the 1937 Addition in the Art Complex. Telephone: x8672.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

All work must be completed in order to pass this course.

Projects:

I. What is a Work of Art: due 06 Sept
II. How Images Work: due 11 Sept
III. Ways of Telling Stories: due 18 Sept
IV. Ways of Representation: due 20 Sept
V. Portrait: due 25 Sept and 02 Oct
VI. Sculpture Reconstruction: due 11 Oct
VII. Architectural Analysis: due 08 Nov

Exam and Final Project:

TAKE-HOME MIDTERM: due 30 Oct
FINAL TEAM PROJECT: due 04, 06, 11, 13 Dec

READING ASSIGNMENTS

Project I: "Work of Art" Essay

Due: 06 Sept 1996

What is a "work of art"?

This assignment has two parts:

1. Go into the Allen Memorial Art Museum*, select a "work of art" and write a short (250 words or less) justification for your choice.

2. Select one "work of art" outside of any museum or gallery and write a short (250 words or less) justification for your choice.

*Museum hours:
Tu - Sat - 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sun - 1:00 - 5:00 pm
Closed Mondays and Holidays

Project II: How Images Work

Due: 11 Sept 1996

Useful reading:

Berger, Ways of Seeing
Taylor, Learning to Look, ch. 1

Write a concise (three page) analysis of an advertisement, preferably a colored one, taken from a magazine or a newspaper. How does it communicate its message? Note everything contributing to its design. Consider such factors as the choice and placement of images, the use of scale and color, the style of the typeface, and the quality of the paper. What visual elements are important in its design?

In addition to a formal analysis of the advertisement's graphic layout, consider the symbolic relationship between the words and images used. You probably already know what this advertisement means, therefore, it may be difficult for you to separate your "subjective" responses from your "objective" analysis. Imagine that you are explaining this advertisement to someone who has no understanding of American culture.

Turn in the advertisement used with your analysis.

Project III: Ways of Telling Stories

Due: 18 Sept 1996

Useful Reading:

Dowden, The Uses of Greek Mythology, chs. 1, 2, conclusion
Julian Barnes, A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters
Lorenz Eitner, Gericault's Raft of the Medusa
S. J. Gould, "The Hottentot Venus" in The Flamingo's Smile
Essays on Willie Cole and Renee Green in "Social Studies: 4 + 4 Young Americans" in the Allen Memorial Art Bulletin, XLIV (1990).

This assignment has two parts:

1. Go into the Allen Memorial Art Museum and find one object dated before 1900 A.D. that depicts a myth or story.* Write a short synopsis of that myth or story. Next, make a comparison of how the story is told in its visual and written forms-do you think it is best told via one means rather than the other?

2. Choose either a. or b.:

a. Find a contemporary (twentieth century) equivalent to the myth or story that you have chosen in part 1.

b. Find a contemporary (twentieth century) object in the Allen Memorial Art Museum that depicts a myth or story and write a short synopsis of its story.

*The reference sections in Mudd and the Art Library both have mythological handbooks and dictionaries which you can consult.

Project IV: Ways of Representation

Due: 20 Sept 1996

Useful Reading:

R. Solso, Cognition and the Visual Arts chs. 7 - 9
J. Willats, "The draughtsman's contract: how an artist creates an image" 235 - 254 in H. Barlow, C. Blakemore, M. Weston-Smith, Images and Understanding

Find six works of art (both 2-D and 3-D) from varying cultures that show different ways of representation as defined in Willats' "drawing systems" and "denotation systems" and Solso's "depth cues." Try to find as wide a range of ways of representation in as wide a range of works as possible.

Project V: Portrait

Due: 25 Sept and 02 Oct 1996

This assignment has two parts:

1. DUE 25 SEPT: make a portrait of yourself or someone else you know personally and bring it to class. You may use any format as long as it is portable. You will exchange portraits with a classmate.

2. DUE 02 OCT: write a brief analysis (1-2 pages) of why the work you have been given is a portrait. What do you think the intentions of the artist were? Be prepared to discuss your analysis in class.

Project VI: Sculpture Reconstruction

Due: 11 Oct 1996

Reconstruct the original appearance and pose of the fragmentary statue, "Pothos" (inv. no. 41.43), now on display in the Sculpture Court of the Allen Memorial Art Museum. You may provide your restoration in either a prose* or drawn format.

*If using prose, please specify whether you are using the viewer's left and right or the figure's proper left and right in your description.

Project VII: Architectural Analysis

Due: 08 Nov 1996

Useful Reading:

J. Summerson, The Classical Language of Architecture
M. Johnson, "Ordering Houses, Creating Narratives" 170 - 177 in M. Pearson and C. Richards, eds., Architecture and Order: Approaches to Social Space
G. Blodgett, Oberlin Architecture

This assignment has two parts:

1. Choose a building on the Oberlin campus and make a sketch plan of it.

2. Write a five page paper analysing a building on campus. Provide a brief functional analysis of the building as well as a critique of its architectural symbolism. How does this building serve the Oberlin campus both as a living or working space and as a vehicle for Oberlin's institutional self-representation?