ART 204 Contemporary Art (3 credit hours)
SPRING 2000 #40311 ART 204 Section 02
Professor E. Brady Robinson
meets Tues./Thurs. 10:00-11:50 am in Room A11 in the CAC
(304) 876.5224 leave message
Course Description: An in-depth investigation of the visual arts, modern through contemporary of the late19th and 20th century. A study is made of the history and philosophy of the various movements, their origins and growth, and the relationship of their development to contemporary thought and culture.

Prerequisite: ART 203

Required text: Art Across Time, volume II, by Laurie Schneider Adams. copyright 1999.
Artspeak: A Guide to Contemporary Ideas, Movements & Buzzwords 1945-Present, by Robert Atkins, copyright 1997.

Required Monthy Readings @ Library:
(Specific articles and special topics from these sources will be addressed in class.)
History of Modern Art, 4th edition, H.H. Arnason, Harry Abrams, Inc. copyright 1998
Periodicals: Art in America, FlashArt, and Art Forum
*You are required to read the monthly editions of these art periodicals. This will enable you to intelligently participate in group discussions, and know “what’s going on” in the contemporary art world. You will be tested on these readings.

Course Goals and Objectives: The goal of this course is for students to view contemporary works of arts as artists, and gain the ability to critique and verbalize the formal elements of the art work, content and subject matter. In viewing contemporary works of art, it is necessary to suspend personal beliefs and be able to objectively look at the work in regards to the social/political climate of which it was produced. Students must come to realize context forms meaning. Students will also develop research and public speaking skills as they analyse the work of a contemporay artist in the form of a final presentation at the end of the semester. Most importantly it is expected that each student understands the manner in which modern, post-modern and contemporary art informs contemporary culture and thought.

Course Policies:
Attendance Policy: Beyond three unexcused absences constitutes a whole letter grade lower for the semester. Full participation in class discussion and lectures is necessary and can not be made up. Additional absences will result in an automatic “F” for the semester. Excused absences in the event of an incapacitating illness/injury, or death in the immediate family must be documented and verified.
Missed Exams: Make-up exams will not be given. Exams dates are posted on this syllabus. Do not schedule doctors appointments or any other meetings on exam dates, as you will not be given the opportunity to make up the exam.
Group Participation: Full participation in weekly group forum, and class discussion is mandatory.The extent of your participation will be documented and will influence your final grade. In addition, it is expected that each student actively participate in as many departmental lecture series, artists talks, and gallery openings.


Field Trips: Pittsburgh Field Trip is required for this class. Pittsburgh dates are Thur.,Feb. 10 and Friday, Feb. 11, 2000. In addition, you are required to go to DC/ Baltimore to view contemporary work in the museums and galleries. A one page, typed, reaction paper will be due for both field trips. Transportation to DC/Baltimore may be arranged via Gateway Bus Service.

Formal Presentations: Each student is required to give a 10 minute presentation with good slides of a chosen post-modern or contemporary artist. (no artist earlier than 1980!) This presentation shall reflect a thorough investigation of a chosen body of work which will include but is not limited to a brief bio, the artist’s philosophy and approach, discussion of “style”, formal qualities, and subject matter, and the artists realtionship to the art world, and social/political environment of which the art work was produced. Proposals will be given in class on Tuesday, Feb. 1. At this time proposals will be approved or re-directed for another submission.(Heads or Tails will determine/resolve any conflict in the event of students choosing the same artist.) Final presentations will be given on the last two weeks of class. Students must turn in a typed outline of their presentation at this time. This presentation is going to require a lot of research time. Most artist chosen will not be found in the library. This means you will need inter-library loans for hard to find texts, and access to current art periodicals. This takes time. Start your research early. Do not come to me a few weeks before your presentation to tell me you are having difficulty finding information on your artist. If you have not brought this to my attention by mid-semester I will assume you have scheduled time to order inter-library loans, and complete the research. Your instructor and peers will evaluate your presentation.

Academic Integrity: Students guilty of academic dishonestly on exams will receive a grade of “F” in this course. The same applies to plagiarism, which is cheating. Refer to your student handbook for Shepherd’s policy on this issue.

Exams: All tests and exams will cover material covered in weekly lectures and class discussion, and mandatory outside readings which include montly art periodicals and reading material on reservere for you in the library. The format of the exams will be in two parts. The first part of the exam will be slide indentification. of the artist, title of work, time period/style and origin. Students are required to identify images outside of the text book which will be shown in class. Slides are on view in the light cabinet next to the slide libray in the CAC. The second part of the exam will be mutiple choice. You will need a scan-tron and a #2 pencil for each exam. Each exam will be cumulative. All tests will be given in room A14 in the CAC. Listed below are dates for each exam:

Percentage Breakdown of Final Semester Grade: 75% Exam + 25% Presentation

Methods of Instruction: The method of instruction for this class will be in the form of weekly slide lectures, group forum and class discussions based on required readings.Special topic films and videos will take place throughout the semester.
It is advised that cooperative learning take place through study groups outside of class. Tutoring is available through the Student Learning Center in Knutti. This is the responsiblity for the student to decide and initiate. Take advantage of the library, field trips and guest lectures.








Course Calander/Spring 2000
Contemporary Art Sec. 01
Professor Brady Robinson

First Day of Class: Thurs. Jan. 13th Syllabus Handout/Explanation of Course Policies
Reading Assignment: Adams Chp. 25, Arnason, Chp. 7&8

Week 1 (Tuesday, Jan. 18 and Thursday, Jan. 20)
T Turn of The Century: Early Picasso, Fauvism, Expressionsim and Matisse
Readings: Adams, Chp. 26 and Arnason, Chp. 9-11
TR Cubism, Futurism, & Related 20th c. Styles
Readings: Arnason, Chp. 12

Week 2 (Tuesday Jan. 25 and Thursday, Jan 27)
T Russian Constructivism, De Stijl & 20thc. architecture
Readings: Adams Chp.27 and Arnason, Chp. 13-16
TR Dada, Surrealism, Fantasy
Readings: Arnason, Chp. 17-18

Week 3 (Tuesday, Feb. 1 and Thursday, Feb. 3)
T Paris between the Wars, US between the Wars.
*Proposals for final presentation due at this time.
TR REVIEW

Week 4 (Tuesday, Feb. 8 and Thursday, Feb. 10)
T EXAM #1
Readings: Adams, Chp. 28, Arnason, Chp. 19-20
TR NO CLASS. Pittsburgh Field Trip.
(If you did not get a seat to Pittsburgh, you must go to DC/Baltimore before class on Tuesday.)

Week 5 (Tuesday, Feb. 15 and Thursday, Feb. 17)
T Abstract Expressionism & Color Field Painting, Postwar European Art
Readings: Adams, Chp. 29 and Arnason, Chp. 21-23
TR The 1960’s Pop Art, Op Art and Minimalism
Readings: Adams, Chp. 30 and Arnason Chp. 24

Week 6 (Tuesday, Feb 22 and Thursday, Feb. 24)
T Conceptual Art, Video/Film & Performance, Earthworks
TR No Class. Brady in NY for CAA.

Week 7 (Tuesday, Feb. 29 and Thursday, March 2)
T The Pluralistic 1970’s: Art & Feminism, Realism, Photo-Realism, New Image Painting, Public Site
TR REVIEW

Week 8 (Tuesday, March 7 and Thursday, March 9) MID-TERM EXAM WEEK
T Exam #2.
TR No Class. Study Time for Mid-Terms

Week 9 (Tuesday, March 14 and Thursday, March 16)
T Neo-Expressionism
TR Post-Modernism.


Week 10 (Tuesday, March 21 and Thursday, March 23)
T NO CLASS. SPRING BREAK.
TR NO CLASS. SPRING BREAK.

Week 11 (Tuesday, March 28 and Thursday, March 30)
T Sculpture of the 1980’s.
TR Simulationism

Week 12 (Tuesday, April 4 and Thursday, April 6)
T Appropriation
TR Culture and Media

Week 13 (Tuesday, April 11 and Thursday, April 13)
T Body Art and Performance
TR Installation Art

Week 14 (Tuesday, April18 and Thursday, April 20)
T Public Art, Political Art, Artists Working in the Community
TR NO CLASS. Spring Weekend Recess. (if no snow days used)

Week 15 (Tuesday, April 25 and Thursday, April 27)
T Final Individual Presentations
TR Final Individual Presentations

Week 16 (Tuesday, May 2 and Thursday, May 4)
T Final Individual Presentations
TR Final Individual Presentations

Week 17 Final Exam Week
Final Exam #3 Tuesday, May 9th, 9:00-11:00 am