Courses & Requirements 2009-2010
Art History
Requirements for the Major:
Twelve courses including two of the three Western art history survey courses and one of the Asian art history survey courses, five other art history courses (which must cover at least three historical periods, cultures, or geographic regions), a minimum of one studio arts course, and three additional advanced art history courses. One of these advanced courses must be AAH 400, a seminar on methodology, which should be taken the winter term of a student’s junior year. Majors concentrating in art history are encouraged to continue the study of at least one foreign language at Union. Seniors should fulfill the WS requirement in an art history seminar or through the senior thesis.
Requirements for the Art History/Studio Arts Dual Concentration:
Students who wish to major in a combined dual concentration of studio art and art history must take seven courses in each area.
In studio: Students take one course in three of the disciplines of the studio arts offered by the department (drawing and painting; photography; printmaking and two-dimensional design; sculpture and three-dimensional design; digital arts). Students may not exceed four introductory courses. Two intermediate-level courses are required in at least two studio art disciplines (AVA 210-262 or 345). Two advanced courses are required in a single discipline (300 or above). For honors requirements, see below.
In art history: Students take two of the three Western art history survey courses and one of the Asian art history survey courses. Additionally, students must take four additional courses that cover at least three historical periods or geographic regions; three of these four must be advanced courses. The WS requirement for combined dual concentration must be fulfilled by an art history seminar taken in the senior year. For honors requirements see below.
Requirements for the Interdepartmental Major:
A minimum of eight courses in the Visual Arts Department, of which seven must be in art history (and include three art history surveys divided between Asian and Western and one in studio art). All proposals for interdepartmental majors including art history must be approved by the art history faculty.
Requirements for the Minor:
Six courses including at least two terms of the introductory art history survey. Three of the remaining art history courses should be in areas related culturally or chronologically.
Requirements for Senior Thesis and Departmental Honors:
To pursue a senior thesis, art history concentrators or interdepartmental majors must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.3 overall and 3.3 in their art history concentration. The student must have successfully completed a junior qualifying paper (“B plus” or above) in the context of an upper-level art history course with the approval of the faculty advisor, and have completed AAH 400. The senior thesis topic must be approved by the faculty advisor in the third term of the junior year. All of these criteria must be met by the end of the junior year.
To qualify for departmental honors, a student must fulfill the following requirements: (1) cumulative grade point average of 3.3; (2) a grade point average of 3.3 in the art history concentration; (3) successful completion of a two-term senior thesis (“A” or “A-minus”); (4) approval by a second faculty reader; (5) an oral presentation at The Steinmetz Symposium in the spring term of senior year and (6) a copy of the thesis must be left with the department’s collection and archives. Having fulfilled the above, the student must then be nominated by the department for honors. Further guidelines for the senior thesis and departmental honors are available from the art history faculty.
Requirements for Departmental Honors for Art History/Studio Combined Dual Concentration:
Honors for the combined concentration requires a cumulative grade point average of 3.3; a 3.3 grade point average for all courses counting toward the combined concentration; and one of three project options. 1) Successful completion of a two-term art history thesis (“A” or “A minus”), which also requires successful completion of a paper by the end of the junior year (“B plus” or above), a proposal approved by the advisor, approval of the final product by a second faculty reader, and an oral presentation at The Steinmetz Symposium in the spring term of the senior year or 2) A two-term independent study project focusing on the student’s particular area of interest in the studio arts, culminating in an exhibition (“A” or “A minus”) or 3) a two-term project that combines art history and studio arts, which must be planned in consultation with an advisor from each discipline, and which must be proposed by the end of the junior year. For those doing a written work, a copy must be left with the department’s collection and archives, for those completing a studio project, visual documentation (usually slide reproductions) of the project, a one-page abstract, and one original work must be left with the department. These requirements for project option #3 will be negotiated with the advisors on a case-by-case basis. All students must complete the WS requirement or an equivalent during the senior year.
AAH101. Introduction to Art History, Part I (Fall; Ogawa). Major works of art and artistic traditions from prehistory through the 10th century in western Europe; Islamic art also is considered. The vocabulary and techniques of painting, sculpture, the decorative arts, and architecture. Emphasis on the institutions of art and historical context as well. Visual analysis, verbal and written interpretation of art. GenEd: LCC
AAH102. Introduction to Art History, Part II (Winter; Matthew). Major works of art and artistic traditions from the Romanesque to the end of the 16th century in western Europe. The vocabulary and techniques of painting, sculpture, architecture, the decorative arts, and printmaking. Emphasis on the institutions of art and historical context as well. Visual analysis, verbal and written interpretation of art. GenEd: LCC
AAH103. Introduction to Art History, Part III (Spring; Cox). Major works of art and artistic traditions from the 17th century to the end of the 20th century, primarily in western Europe. The vocabulary and techniques of painting, sculpture, architecture, the decorative arts, and printmaking; the emergence of modernism, abstraction, new materials, and non-objective art. Emphasis on the institutions of art and historical context as well. Visual analysis, verbal and written interpretation of art. GenEd: LCC
AAH104. Arts of China (Spring, Staff). This survey covers works of art and artistic traditions in China from the Neolithic period to the early 20th century. Lectures will focus on representative works in various media – calligraphy, painting, sculpture, architecture, and decorative arts – within the contexts of the tomb, court production, literati culture, Buddhist and Daoist temples, and interactions with other cultures. GenEd: LCC
AAH105. Arts of Japan (Not offered 2009-2010). This introduction to the arts of Japan from the Neolithic period to the 20th century will focus on key monuments of sculpture, architecture, painting, calligraphy, gardens, printing, and other arts within their historical and cultural contexts. Themes discussed include: materials and technologies, sacred and profane spaces, patrons and viewers, tradition and modernity, and the creation of a distinctly “Japanese” aesthetic. GenEd: LCC
AAH200. Classical Art and Architecture (Identical to Classics 134) (Not offered 2009-2010). An introductory survey of the arts of Greece and Rome, including painting, sculpture, architecture, and decorative arts. Emphasis will be placed upon learning art historical and archaeological terminology and methods, the place of art and architecture in ancient society and culture, and contacts with other cultures, in addition to becoming familiar with the most important monuments, artists, and patrons. GenEd: LCC
AAH203. Medieval Art and Architecture of Northern Europe (Not offered 2009-2010). An introductory survey of sculpture and decorative arts, manuscripts, painting and architecture from the seventh through fourteenth centuries north of the Alps. Examines the emergence of western medieval culture and attitudes toward the arts, as well as western European views of its Byzantine and Muslim neighbors. In addition to introducing major monuments and patrons, students will be introduced to the materials and techniques used to produce the art and architecture of the Middle Ages. The art of medieval Italy is covered in a separate course, AAH 300. GenEd: LCC
AAH206. Introduction to History of Architecture: The Renaissance Tradition, 15th-18th Centuries (Fall; Matthew). An historical survey that examines the language and functions of architecture and its roles in Western European culture. The course begins with the revival of interest in classical antiquity in the 1400s in Italy and its effect on the practice and theory of architecture. We then examine the transmission of these ideas to northern Europe during the subsequent centuries, and the evolution of architectural ideas and practices both north and south of the Alps. GenEd: LCC
AAH207. Artists, Art and Entrepreneurship in Western Europe, 1300-1700 (Not offered 2009-2010). This course examines the artist as entrepreneur in Western Europe during a crucial period of change, from the Middle Ages to the Early Modern era. We will investigate workshop practices and the production of art, artists’ education and training, markets and the emergence of art dealers and auctions, new techniques and technologies, and artists’ relationships with their customers and patrons. This is an interdisciplinary course that surveys the intersections between art history, economic and social history, and the history of technology. We will also have the opportunity to examine similarities and differences between two different sectors of the arts: the visual and the musical. No previous experience in art history is required.
AAH209. The Art of the Book (Not offered 2009-2010). The evolution of the book as an object and a historical phenomenon beginning with the printed book and the invention of printing in the early modern period. The course will examine the subsequent development of printing technologies, the revival of craft traditions, and the creation of “artist’s books” in the 20th and 21st centuries. Themes will include the social and religious functions of books, literacy, censorship, book collectors and collecting, and the relationship of texts and images. Students will make use of the extensive collection of rare and artists’ books in Special Collections at Schaffer Library. GenEd: LCC
AAH212. The Way of St. James: An Interdisciplinary Study (Identical to MLT270) (Not offered 2009-2010). Prerequisite to the course “Hiking the Trail in Spain.” Teaches the history, literature, art, and architecture of the route to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain. Readings include selections from Berceo, the Songs of Mary, and various texts on Romanesque history, art and architecture. GenEd: LCC
AAH213T. Hiking the Trail in Spain (Identical to MLT271T) (Not offered 2009-2010). Students who take this “mini-term” abroad must have taken AAH 212 on campus. The course takes place in Spain, where students will walk a portion of the actual route to Santiago de Compostela. GenEd: LCC
AAH222. History of Photography (Winter; Ogawa). An introductory survey of the history of Photography from its pre-history to the present. We will explore the evolution of photographic expression in the period, and focus on relationships between photography and fine art, photography and popular culture, and photography and theory. We will spend time studying first-hand the original photographic works housed in Special Collections, Schaffer Library and in the Union College Permanent Collection.
AAH223. The Nude (Not offered 2009-2010). The nude in its art historical and social contexts. Traditionally considered shorthand for abstract concepts such as “truth” or “beauty,” the nude is in fact a powerful index to ideas about gender, power, and sexuality in any of the historical periods which produced it. Drawing on recent scholarship, we will examine works produced in Ancient Greece, the Renaissance, and the Modern Period in social and historical context, and consider ways in which the human body has been both a stylistic vehicle for artistic expression and a social tool for constructing ideas of masculinity and femininity. GenEd: LCC
AAH250T. The Architecture of the Federal Capital. The architecture and symbolism of the federal capital. Open to political science students enrolled in the program in Washington, D.C. Contact the Political Science Department for more information.
AAH 260. Art of the United States (Not offered 2009-2010). An introductory survey of the visual culture of the United States from colonial times through the present including painting, sculpture, architectural structures, photography, folk traditions and objects more recently defined as “material culture.” Artists and media are situated and studied within the context of broader cultural, political and social themes. Emphasis on visual and textual analysis.
AAH263. Latin American & Caribbean Art: A Cultural Survey of the Modern Era (Winter; Cox). An examination of the major aspects of Latin American and Caribbean art from the early 19th through the 20th century. Emphasis is placed on integrating the social and political background of the various cultures with the key artists, artistic issues and movements of particular countries and periods. Topics to be covered include: the influence of the major art academies in Mexico, Brazil and Ecuador, the strong links between art and politics, Indigenism, woman as artist and subject, and the on-going dialogue with the art of Europe and later the United States. GenEd: LCC
AAH280. Buddhist Art (Not offered 2009-2010). This survey covers major monuments of Buddhist art, from its Indic roots to its representational forms under the teachings of Theravada. Figural and narrative imagery in architecture, sculpture, painting, as well as ritual implements in bronze, wood, textiles, and other ephemeral materials will be studied in the context of Buddhist doctrine, state ideology, and popular culture. Course readings include select Buddhist texts (e.g., sutras, philosophical treatises, poems) in translation. GenEd: LCC
AAH283. Ceramic Traditions of East Asia (Not offered 2009-2010). In East Asia, ceramic production achieves the status of high art, transcending its Eurocentric designation as a “decorative” or “applied” art. This course explores the interplay of form, glaze, and design among pottery traditions – from rustic earthenware to high-fired porcelain – in China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. Lectures and visits to museum collections will also consider the historical role of ceramics in cross-cultural exchanges within Asia and beyond, to the Mediterranean, the Middle East, Western Europe, and the Americas. GenEd; LCC
AAH286. Art and Religion of the Silk Road (Not offered 2009-2010). Central Asia – broadly defined as the area occupied, from East to West, by present-day western China, Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, northern India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Iran – has been characterized as both harsh wasteland and cultural crossroads. This course concerns the visual culture of the Silk Road of Central Asia, focusing on the roles visual culture played in establishing modes of religious imagination in medieval culture. GenEd: LCC
AAH287: Tibetan Art. (Not offered 2009-2010). This course is intended as a comprehensive survey of Tibetan art. It will analyze representative works from major periods in Tibetan history, including architecture, painting, and sculpture. In addition to the styles and iconographies employed in their creation, an emphasis will be placed on understanding the cultural, political, and religious significance of the works. The course will begin with an introduction of a variety of fanciful and subjective “representations” of Tibet and its art in the West. It will then familiarize students—following the historical chronology—with scholarly achievements of the last two decades in Tibetan studies, which have radically changed our understanding of Tibetan art. GenEd: LCC
AAH290. Chinese Painting (Not offered 2009-2010). The development of painting in China from its Neolithic origins through the 21st century. Major trends and major masters of each period will be studied in historical context, along with an exploration of Chinese ways of looking and connoisseurship. All Chinese texts will be read in translation, with no prior knowledge of Chinese art history expected. GenEd: LCC
AAH293. Monuments and Monumentality in China (Not offered 2009-2010). A thematic map of monuments in China, this course covers not only self-evident monuments, e.g., the tomb complex of the first emperor and the Forbidden City, but also objects and sites of a more conceptual monumentality from varied perspectives of technology, aesthetics, labor, religion, ethnicity, and politics. Why and how were these monuments made? How have the function and perception of these monuments evolved over time? And, more fundamentally, how does the idea of monumentality take form in the arts of China? The monuments discussed range from portable objects such as sculpture, scrolls, and ceramics, to immovable objects such as architecture, rock cliffs, and even large tracts of geographical terrain. Comparisons will be made to relevant monuments in Japan, India, Eurasia, and the Americas. GenEd: LCC
AAH294. Visual Culture of Communist China, 1919 to Present (Not offered 2009-2010). This course explores the relationship between ideology and visual culture in China, from the founding of the Communist Party in 1919, to Mao Zedong’s prescriptions at the 1942 Yan’an Conference of Literature and Art, to art policy after the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. Readings and discussion will cover the range of adherence and resistance to the official party line by art workers. Topics include expressionism, socialist realism, peasant art, “wound art,” cynical realism, political pop, and the avant-garde, as seen in painting, sculpture, architecture, posters, advertising, video, performance, and the material culture of quotidian life. GenEd: LCC
AAH300. Italian Art and Architecture of the Late Middle Ages (Not offered 2009-2010). A study of art and architecture in Italy from 1100 to 1400 emphasizing religious, political, and cultural contexts and the role of the Byzantine tradition. Examination of paintings, sculpture, architecture, and the decorative arts in the major urban centers of the Italian peninsula, including Florence, Siena, Pisa, Rome and Milan, as well as the courts of northern Italy. Venetian topics are covered separately in AAH206 and AAH305. Prerequisite: One art history course or permission of the instructor.
AAH303. Renaissance Art in Italy: The 15th Century (Not offered 2009-2010). A study of the visual arts that emphasizes painting, prints, sculpture, and the decorative arts. The origins of the Renaissance in the Middle Ages, the role of patronage, the education of the artist, and the functions of works of art will be important themes. The importance of the materials and techniques of art will be stressed. Prerequisite: One art history course or permission of the instructor.
AAH304. Renaissance Art in Italy: The 16th Century (Not offered 2009-2010). A study of the visual arts that emphasizes painting, prints, sculpture, and the decorative arts. Particular attention to the growth of secular art, the role of court patronage, definitions of Mannerism, the cult of the artistic genius, and the emergence of a history of art in this period. Prerequisite: One art history course or permission of the instructor.
AAH305. Venetian Painting in the Italian Renaissance (Not offered 2009-2010). Examines painting in Venice and its sphere of influence from the origins of a distinct tradition in the fourteenth century until the end of its “Golden Age” in the late 16th century. Prerequisite: One art history course or permission of the instructor.
AAH306. Color, Pigments, and Paintings (Not offered 2009-2010). This course examines the materials and techniques used by Western European painters during the period ca. 1200 to ca. 1600. We will also examine theories concerning color and light as articulated by intellectuals and practitioners of the period. This course is also intended to provide an introduction to the role of scientific examination, analysis, and treatment of paintings, and what these processes do (or do not) tell us about materials, techniques, and the taste for colors and coloristic effects in the periods we are covering.
AAH309. The History of Gardens and Landscape Architecture (Spring; Matthew). European gardens and landscape architecture from the 15th-18th centuries. Persian and Islamic traditions will be considered, but the main emphasis will be on Italy, France, Holland and Britain. The focus of the course is interdisciplinary, and will include consideration of literature, politics, commerce, and social practices in addition to issues of architectural design and theory. Prerequisites: one of the following: AAH101, 102, 206, or permission of the instructor. GenEd; LCC
AAH320. 17th- and 18th-Century European Art (Not offered 2009-2010). This course will cover the major European art movements of the 17th and 18th centuries. It will be structured chronologically and treat the art of the Catholic Counter-reformation, the “Golden Age” in the Netherlands, the art under the absolute monarchy in France, the Rococo period, and the rise of Neo-classicism during the Enlightenment. We will examine the stylistic characteristics of these major movements, and explore the relationships between art and religious, political, and cultural history.
AAH322. 19th-Century European Art (Not offered 2009-2010). An advanced course examining major artistic movements and developments from David to Seurat (1784-1886). The relationship between the visual arts and arts institutions will be an organizing theme. Prerequisite: AAH102 or permission of the instructor.
AAH340. European Modern Art, 1880-1940 (Not offered 2009-2010). Major developments in modernism primarily in Europe. Traces the emergence of modernist visual vocabularies in painting, graphic arts, photography, sculpture, architecture, and “decorative arts” ranging from Seurat’s Neo-Impressionism to Mondrian’s “Neo-Plasticism.” Topics include the transformations of traditional modes of art making, the proliferation of movements and “-isms,” the political functions of art and exhibitions, film as an art, and the rise of abstraction. Visual and textual analysis. Prerequisites: one of the folowing: AAH102, 103, 322, 366, or permission of the instructor.
AAH363. Early American Modernism, 1900-1945 (Winter; Cox). A study of modern art in the United States from 1900-1945. Topics to be covered reflect the divergent styles, movements and influences that gave shape to the art of this period, including the rise of the avant-garde in New York City, important patrons, social realism, the WPA and the Harlem Renaissance to name a few. Art works are studied in relation to the cultural and political context of the period. Verbal and written interpretation of art; emphasis on visual and textual analysis. Prerequisite: one of the following: AAH102, 103 or permission of the instructor.
AAH366. Contemporary Art and Theory (Not offered 2009-2010). Art of the United States and Europe since World War II in critical and historical perspective, emphasizing the influence of social movements on artistic thought and expression. Topics include the impact of technology and popular culture, the subversion of the traditional boundaries between arts, the rejection of the object, and the rise of pluralism. Prerequisite: AAH 103, 340, 363 or permission of the instructor. GenEd; LCC
AAH380. The Floating World: Edo Prints and Printmaking (Identical to AVA 380) (Not offered 2009-2010). Students will produce a portfolio of woodblock prints based on an exploration of the history of Japanese prints during the Edo period (1603-1867). Ukiyô-e, or “floating-world pictures,” depicted to the urban pleasures offered in the imperial capital Edo (modern-day Tokyo). The themes and individual artistic styles, first studied, then interpreted by the students in their prints, include: cityscapes and landscapes; representations of beautiful men and women in bijinga; the exotic encounter with the west; and explicit erotic imagery. GenEd: LCC
AAH390: The Art Museum: History, Theory, and Practice (Not offered 2009-2010). This upper-level course takes the art museum as its subject. It will examine the history of the art museum and its roots in late 18th century ideas about knowledge, display, and democratic politics, and trace the growth of the art museum over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries in the context of changing cultural notions of “the public,” philanthropy, and modernist and avant-garde art practice. The course will be supplemented by visits to local art museums. This course also serves as a prerequisite to TAB336: Three Weeks in the Louvre.
AAH400. Seminar: The Methods of Art History (Winter; Ogawa). The methodology and historiography of art history. A discussion-oriented course that entails extensive reading and written work. Prerequisite: At least one upper-level art history course or permission of the instructor. Required for all art history majors.
AAH440. Seminar: Special Topics in Art History (Not offered 2009-2010). A seminar focusing primarily on a major artistic movement, artist, patron, or site to allow for an in-depth investigation of an art historical issue or problem. Topics in the past have included: the nude, Leonardo, the French Revolution, Manet and Impressionism, and Gender and Race in Contemporary Visual Culture. Prerequisite: At least one upper-level art history course or permission of the instructor.
AAH460. Seminar: Visual Culture, Race & Gender. (Spring; Cox). A lecture and discussion-based course concerned with how constructions of race and sexual differentiation are played out across art history and visual culture, focusing on the visual arts of Western Europe and the United States. The first half of the course investigates the constructs of gender and race from antiquity to the middle of the 20th century as expressed in art and visual culture. The second half of the course is a close study of female artists of color living and working in the United States, grouped as African-American, Latina/Chicana, Asian and Middle Eastern and Multi-ethnic.
AAH480. Seminar: Asian Garden Design (Not offered 2009-2010). This seminar explores the history and theory of public and private garden design in China and Japan, as well as the reception and reimagining of Asian gardens in the Euro-American context. In addition to reading and writing assignments, the course involves the communal construction of an Asian garden over the ten-week period. Enrollment is limited to 10, with instructor’s permission only. There are no prerequisites, though some knowledge of or background in one or more of the following is desirable: architecture, art history, carpentry/woodworking, computer-aided design, engineering, project management, studio/applied arts. GenEd: LCC
Internships, Independent Studies & Thesis:
AAH295H-296H . Honors Independent Study Courses
AAH490-493. Independent Study Courses
AAH495-496. Museum Internship. Students who have largely fulfilled the requirements for a concentration in art history may be able to intern at the Albany Institute of History and Art, the Hyde Collection, the Schenectady Museum, other regional museums, or the National Buildings Museum in Washington, D.C. The latter is offered in conjunction with Union’s spring term in Washington, D.C. Permission of the chair required.
AAH498-499. Senior Thesis. Two term credits when completed.
Studio Fine Arts
Requirements for the Major:
At least twelve courses in the department. Five introductory level courses (AVA 100-160 or 345), one from each of the following areas: design fundamentals or drawing (AVA 100, AVA 110 or 345); photography (AVA 120); sculpture or three-dimensional design (AVA 130, AVA 140); printmaking (AVA 150, AVA 151); digital arts (AVA 160). Two intermediate studio courses (AVA 210-262, or 345); two advanced studio courses (AVA 300 or above); one art history course; and two other visual arts studio courses chosen in consultation with a visual arts faculty advisor.
Requirements for the Art History/Studio Arts Dual Concentration:
Students who wish to major in a combined dual concentration of studio art and art history must take seven courses in each area.
In studio: Students take one course in three of the disciplines of the studio arts offered by the department (drawing and painting; photography; printmaking and two-dimensional design; sculpture and three-dimensional design; digital arts). Students may not exceed four introductory courses. Two intermediate-level courses are required in at least two studio art disciplines (AVA 210-262 or 345). Two advanced courses are required in a single discipline (300 or above). For honors requirements, see below.
In art history: Students take two of the three Western art history survey courses and one of the Asian art history survey courses. Additionally, students must take four additional courses that cover at least three historical periods or geographic regions; three of these four must be advanced courses. The WS requirement for combined dual concentration must be fulfilled by an art history seminar taken in the senior year.
Requirements for the Interdepartmental Major:
Eight courses with at least one course in three of the five general disciplines of studio visual arts (drawing/painting; photography; printmaking/two-dimensional design; sculpture/three-dimensional design; digital arts). No more than three introductory courses (AVA100-160 or 345); no more than two intermediate courses (AVA200-262 or 345); at least two advanced level courses (AVA300 or above); at least one art history course; senior/honors sequence optional.
A studio art interdepartmental major with a digital arts focus requires four digital art courses, three studio courses in at least two of the four studio disciplines, and one art history course. Those interested should consult Professor Duncan, Professor Orellana or Professor Barr for specific details.
Requirements for the Minor:
Seven courses, including three introductory (AVA 100-160 or 345); two intermediate (AVA 200-262 or 345); and one advanced course (AVA 300 or above). One art history course is required.
Requirement for Senior Thesis, Senior Honors Project (AVA498-499):
Most majors will do either a two-term senior honors project or a one-term independent senior studio project. These comprise in-depth study in a studio discipline in the senior year, leading to a solo exhibition during spring term. A senior honors project takes the form of a two-term independent study focusing on the student’s particular area of interest in the visual arts, usually during winter and spring terms (first term, 498, pass/fail; second term, 499, with an overall grade for both terms). Candidates must meet College qualifications for honors and secure approval from a visual arts faculty sponsor for the two-term project with culminating exhibit. There are additional requirements for honors in studio fine arts and they should be obtained from your visual arts advisor. Students pursuing a one-term senior project must also secure approval from a studio visual arts faculty sponsor.
WS Requirement (Senior Writing Experience):
Each honors student keeps a written journal during the two-term project, reflecting on his/her work. There is regular verbal and written input from the faculty sponsor. This journal forms the basis for a final paper of at least 15 pages, which satisfies the College’s senior writing (WS) requirement. Visual arts majors who do not pursue a senior honors project may satisfy the WS requirement either through an art history senior seminar designated WS (for studio concentrators who have the necessary prerequisites in art history) or by obtaining a faculty sponsor for a one-term independent senior studio project with a journal and final paper.
Requirements for Departmental Honors for Art History/Studio Combined Dual Concentration:
Honors for the combined concentration requires a cumulative grade point average of 3.3; a 3.3 grade point average for all courses counting toward the combined concentration; and one of three project options. 1) Successful completion of a two-term art history thesis (“A” or “A minus”), which also requires successful completion of a paper by the end of the junior year (“B plus” or above), a proposal approved by the advisor, approval of the final product by a second faculty reader, and an oral presentation at Steinmetz in the spring term of the senior year or 2) A two-term independent study project focusing on the student’s particular area of interest in the studio arts, culminating in an exhibition (“A” or “A minus”) or 3) a two-term project that combines art history and studio arts, which must be planned in consultation with an advisor from each discipline and proposed by the end of the junior year. For those doing a written work, a copy must be left with the department’s collection and archives; for those completing a studio project, visual documentation of the project (slide or digital), a one-page abstract and one original work must be left with the department. These requirements for project option #3 will be negotiated with the advisors on a case-by-case basis. All students must complete the WS requirement or an equivalent during the senior year.
Architecture Track:
Union offers a studio fine arts concentration with a recommended sequence of courses for students wanting graduate school preparation in architecture as well as related fields of historic preservation, landscape architecture, and urban planning. While graduate schools in these areas don’t require a specific major, a thorough visual arts portfolio is essential and greatly enhanced by specific course work in engineering, art history, math, and science. Those interested should consult any of the studio advisors as early as possible for specific details. Advisors: Professors Benjamin, Duncan, Hatke, Orellana; Senior Lecturer Wimer
Note: Due to demand and limited enrollments, Visual Arts majors and minors are given priority in registration for all studio visual arts, unless otherwise noted in the winter and spring course listing schedule. Most introductory courses reserve some openings for incoming fall term freshman.
AVA100. Design Fundamentals I (Fall; Wimer). Introduction to the basic design elements of line, shape, texture, value and color and the organizing principles of composition, unity/harmony, focus, direction, rhythm and contrast, space, intent/content. Problem-solving exercises, studio projects, slide talks, class critiques.
AVA101. Engineering Graphics (Identical to MER101). Engineering graphics with emphasis on engineering drawings, introduction to solid modeling, and manufacturing. Topics include sketching, descriptive geometry, tolerances, sectioning, auxiliary views, assembly drawings, CAD, and manufacturing techniques.
AVA110. Drawing I (Fall; Hatke). Drawing problems that explore different ways of responding to and recording perception, using a variety of drawing media. Work in and outside class; daily critiques.
AVA120. Photography I (Fall, Winter, Spring; Staff). An introduction to photographic techniques with some history. Individual development through projects along with the study of fundamental art ideas. A 35mm film camera with a light meter and adjustable focus is required. Limited enrollment, by permission of instructor.
AVA130. Sculpture I (Fall, Winter; Duncan). A beginning course that introduces basic sculptural vocabularies and techniques, with an emphasis on the individual student’s development. Each project is linked to particular materials, methods and approaches to making sculpture. These include modeling in clay, making life molds and plaster casts, wood construction, and stone carving. Informal slide talks cover important developments in twentieth-century sculpture. We’ll take a field trip to New York City, Mass MOCA or Storm King Art Center to see contemporary work up close. Regular work in and outside of class is required. No previous experience necessary.
AVA140. Three Dimensional Design I (Fall, Winter; Duncan). An introduction to the essential elements of form, space, structure and materials, with an emphasis on individual creative solutions. Class discussions involve the nature and design of useful or functional objects. Projects for each student include constructing a chair of found materials, and designing and building a proposal model for an imaginary “monument” on campus. We’ll use various materials including clay, wood, plaster, and mixed media. Work in and outside class is required; slide talks, field trips to museums or other resources, and class critiques are part of the class. No previous experience necessary.
AVA150. Printmaking: Relief (Winter; Wimer). Introductory course in relief printing (linocut, collograph, monotype, and woodcut). Introduction to materials and process of printmaking. Outside work required and critiques.
AVA151. Printmaking: Etching (Spring; Wimer). Introduction to intaglio printing. Includes dry point, etching with hard and soft grounds, aquatint, lift ground, white ground. Outside work required, critiques.
AVA160. Digital Art (Fall; Orellana; Winter, Spring; Staff). This introductory course focuses on the fundamentals of using the computer as an art tool in the production of two-dimensional content. Topics covered include essentials of digital imaging, digital printing, and posting information to world-wide-web. Class lectures and hands-on studio will incorporate technique demonstrations, discussions, technical exploration, aesthetic inquiry and historical information relevant to computer multimedia, hypermedia and telecommunications. Students are encouraged to pursue areas of interest and explore new ideas throughout the course. No previous experience necessary. Outside work required.
AVA200. Design Fundamentals II (Not offered 2009-2010). A continuation of two-dimensional design investigation with a focus on color. Weekly assignments, problem-solving exercises, studio projects; slide talks; critiques. Prerequisite: AVA100 or AVA 110 (recommended), or portfolio review and permission of the instructor.
AVA210. Drawing II (Winter; Wimer). Drawing problems involving both representational methods and alternatives, with a focus on drawing as a flexible structure. Projects include architectural, figure, and abstract work. Further exploration of drawing media, including charcoal, pencil, ink, and collage. Work in class and significant outside work. Prerequisite: Drawing I (recommended), any other studio art course, or permission of the instructor.
AVA220. Photography II (Winter; Staff). Intermediate photography, with an emphasis on refinement of technique and development of personal imagery. Lectures, studio practice, presentation of photographers’ works, and critiques provide a basis for creative evaluation and understanding of tradition in photography. Prerequisite: Photography I. Limited enrollment, by permission of the instructor.
AVA230. Sculpture II (Spring; Duncan) A complementary experience to Sculpture I or Three-Dimensional Design I. Includes welded steel, more advanced techniques in wood, and other media. Specific class projects aim to develop fluency with materials and concepts. Individual work expected and encouraged. Prerequisite: AVA130, AVA140, or permission of the instructor.
AVA240. Three-Dimensional Design II (Offered as independent study 2009-10). A continuation of Three-Dimensional Design I, with emphasis on design and construction of chairs. The chair as structure; necessity; aesthetic object. Function, decoration, metaphor. Relationship of design to the human body. Each class member will construct three functioning chairs. Prerequisite AVA 130 or 140, or permission of the instructor.
AVA260. Painting: Oil (Fall, Spring; Hatke). An introduction to oil painting technique, color, and pictorial composition. Initial development of an individual visual vocabulary. Prerequisite: A college-level introductory studio art course, two-dimensional or three-dimensional media, or portfolio review and permission of the instructor
AVA261. Painting: Watercolor (Winter; Hatke). Painting that explores aqueous painting media, emphasizing watercolor techniques. Discussions centering on issues of composition, content, and expression. Prerequisite: Same as AVA 260. Recommended: AVA 100 or 110. Outside work is required.
AVA262. Real and Recorded Time (Winter; Staff). An introduction to the basic concepts of time-based artwork, using a variety of processes and media. Students explore concepts in sequencing, performance, motion, video and audio production, editing, interactivity, stop-motion animation, installation, and documentation. Class lectures and hands-on studio time will incorporate technique demonstrations, screenings, readings, discussions, technical exploration, aesthetic inquiry and historical information relevant to the course. Outside work is required. Prerequisites: AVA160 or permission of instructor.
AVA270. The Processed Pixel (Not offered 2009-2010). Utilizing basic aspects of computer programming, this course will explore how artists can use computer code to communicate a variety of ideas and content. By means of the programming environment Processing, students will investigate issues in animation, computational design, physical computing, data visualization, interactivity, and other relevant topics. Class lectures and hands-on studio time will incorporate technique demonstrations, discussions, technical exploration, aesthetic inquiry and historical information relevant to the course. Outside work required. Prerequisite: AVA160 or permission of instructor.
AVA280. Web Aesthetics (Not offered 2009-2010). Focusing primarily on design, this course will cover multimedia arts within the realm of the world wide web. Students will explore the Internet as a medium for art and communication, while utilizing the artistic and design possibilities of Dreamweaver, Adobe Photoshop, and Flash. Class lectures and hands-on studio time will incorporate technique demonstrations, discussions, technical exploration, aesthetic inquiry and historical information relevant to the course. Outside work required. Prerequisite: AVA 160 or permission of instructor.
AVA320. Photography III (Not offered 2009-2010). Advanced photography, with an emphasis on the attainment of individual style. The creation of a cohesive body of work, along with research of the history and art of photography. Students work in digital color photography. Prerequisite: Photography II or permission of instructor. Limited enrollment. Digital camera required.
AVA330. Sculpture III (Spring; Duncan). Advanced exploration of techniques, materials, and concepts of sculpture. Emphasis on development of individual student’s work. Prerequisite: AVA230 (Sculpture II), AVA240 (Three-Dimensional Design II), or permission of the instructor.
AVA345. The Illustrated Organism (Identical to Biology 345) (Not offered 2009-2010). Descriptive graphic and written analysis of plants and animals; direct observation in field, studio and laboratory integrating biology and visual arts. Culminates with annotated portfolios illustrating organisms studied. Taught jointly by visual arts and biological sciences faculty using combined facilities. Apply through either participating department. Credits visual arts and biology majors. GenEd: SCLB
AVA350. Advanced Printmaking (Winter, Spring; Wimer). Continuation of Relief Printmaking during winter term, and Intaglio Printmaking during spring term. Exploration of advanced technique in both intaglio and relief printmaking including multiple plate and color printing process. Outside work required, critiques. Prerequisite: AVA 150-151 or permission of instructor.
AVA360. Advanced Painting (Fall, Winter, Spring; Hatke). Emphasis on refining individual direction with respect to ideas of composition, content, and media. Stylistic development is stressed. Outside work required, critiques. Prerequisites: AVA260, AVA261; Recommended: AVA210 and AVA130 or AVA 140.
AVA363. 3D Computer Modeling (Fall; Orellana) This course will introduce students into the world of three-dimensional computer graphics. Through this hands-on-course, students will learn how to use 3D software to realize ideas in sculpture, virtual environments, 3D modeling, installation, and rapid prototyping. Class lectures and hands-on studio time will incorporate technique demonstrations, discussions, technical exploration, aesthetic inquiry and historical information relevant to the course. Software covered: Cinema 4D and Adobe After Effects. Outside work required. Prerequisite: AVA160 or permission of instructor.
AVA370. Physical Computing (Not offered 2009-2010). Through the application of basic electronic techniques and the use of the programmable micro-controllers the Basic Stamp II and the Arduino, this course will explore and control interactive artworks, kinetic sculpture, robotic art, sound works, light art, and performance environments. Class lectures and hands-on studio time will incorporate technique demonstrations, discussions, technical exploration, aesthetic inquiry and historical information relevant to the course. Outside work required. Prerequisite: AVA160 or AVA130 or permission of instructor.
AVA380. The Floating World: Edo Prints and Printmaking (Identical to AAH 380) (Not offered 2009-2010). Students will produce a portfolio of woodblock prints based on an exploration of the history of Japanese prints during the Edo period (1603-1867). Ukiyô-e, or “floating-world pictures,” depicted to the urban pleasures offered in the imperial capital Edo (modern-day Tokyo). The themes and individual artistic styles, first studied, then interpreted by the students in their prints, include: cityscapes and landscapes; representations beautiful men and women in bijinga; the exotic encounter with the west; and explicit erotic imagery.
AVA400. Special Projects in Photography (not offered 2009-2010) Utilizing previous expertise about the art of photography and PhotoShop software, this course will explore learning about significant contemporary photographers and their most important personal projects while students conceptualize their own “special” projects to be made over an entire term. There are class critiques and visiting artists; each student completes a portfolio project. Work can be in color digital or traditional black and white film [with chemical processing] photography. Digital or film camera required. Prerequisite: AVA 320 or permission of instructor.
Internships, Independent Studies & Thesis:
AVA295H-296H. Sophomore Honors Independent Study Courses
AVA410-419. Drawing Independent Study
AVA420-429. Photography Independent Study. (Spring; Staff) A student who has demonstrated they can work independently and who proposes a specific project may do an independent course of study in photography [either black & white or digital color]. A journal, written assignments, weekly meetings and final portfolio are required. A student needs to submit a written proposal well in advance of pre-registration to be considered. By permission of instructor only.
AVA430-439. Sculpture Independent Study
AVA450-459. Printmaking Independent Study
AVA460-469. Painting Independent Study
AVA470-471. Studio Internship 1 & 2. A student who has largely fulfilled the requirements for a concentration in studio visual arts may apply to the department to pursue an internship with a studio visual arts related professional business, art center, gallery or artist’s studio. This is a student-initiated experience where the student proposes the internship, seeks faculty sponsorship, and obtains the chair’s approval. An internship application is required to be completed by the student and approved by the department prior to preregistration for the term of the intern opportunity.
AVA480. Digital Art Independent Study
AVA497. Senior Studio Project . A one-term project requiring sponsorship by a studio faculty member. A project carried out in the student’s area of studio concentration with WAC:WS credit possible with completion of an additional written research paper.
AVA498-499. Senior Thesis 1 & 2. A two-term studio project requiring faculty sponsorship. (See preceding information on Departmental Honors and WS requirement.)
Visual Arts Practicum
The Visual Arts Department offers a practicum in ceramics. Students who receive three terms of practicum credit in ceramics can receive a single course credit towards graduation. Please bear in mind that college-wide, no more than two course credits received for practica can be counted towards graduation. Permission of the Visual Arts chair is required if you wish to count course credits gained in ceramics practica towards the major. Requests to register for transcript recognition after the drop/add period will not be honored.
Ceramics Practicum. Clay as a medium for pottery and sculpture. Materials fee $50.
AVA010. Ceramics I (Fall, Winter, Spring; Niefield). An introduction to clay, including hand-building, wheel-throwing, glazing and firing techniques. The studio is available for practice and completion of assignments.
AVA020. Ceramics II (Fall, Winter, Spring; Niefield). Students will learn more advanced forming and decorating techniques. In addition to studio assignments, a short research presentation will be required.
AVA030. Ceramics III (Fall, Winter, Spring; Niefield). In addition to classroom assignments students will learn kiln firing and glaze preparation.