ART 100

Introduction to Art

Spring 2007

Course Instructor:

Dr. Heather Holian email: hlholian@uncg.edu

Office: Cone 229, phone: 334-5884

Office Hours: M 9:30-10:30, 2:00-3:00

and by appointment

Required Textbook:

Mark Getlein, Gilbert’s Living with Art (new 8^th edition), New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007. ISBN#(978)0073190761

This text is available at the UNCG Bookstore, and one copy will also be located on closed reserve at Jackson Library later in the semester. The assigned readings will come from this text, as will most of the exam images, therefore access to this book is crucial for success in the course.

**Please note that you may, if you choose, use the 7^th edition of this text, but be aware that Chapter 9: Camera and Computer Arts is almost completely different in the new edition, and some of the images in the 8^th edition are not in the 7^th edition, however, much of the text of both of these books is the same. If you decide to use the 7^th edition, you should also be aware that the page numbers for the reading assignments in this syllabus will only correspond to 8^th edition, as will the study guides and class assignments.

Course Description:

This course will examine the visual arts through the study of materials and techniques, while also addressing pertinent and timely contemporary art issues, such as restoration, censorship, forgery and destruction of art, and the cultural “ownership” of art. In addition, fundamental visual and analytical skills necessary for an educated understanding of the visual arts, its materials, techniques and creators, will be developed by first providing an introduction to crucial vocabulary and concepts, before addressing the various artistic processes.

Learning Outcomes:

At the conclusion of this course a successful student will be capable of—

· discussing the major and minor artistic media used by artists both past and present

· comparing and contrasting works of art verbally and through written words

· thinking critically about art

· defining and using important art historical terms

Course Requirements:

1. Attend lectures. Some of the material discussed in class can not be found in the textbook, yet it will be included on the exams, therefore, regular attendance in lecture is essential to success in the course.

2. Read assigned readings and come prepared to contribute to any class discussions.

3. Complete one museum “scavenger hunt.”

4. Take all four exams.

5. Complete two homework assignments and one in-class assignment.

Classroom Etiquette:

Remember to turn off all cell phones and pagers before lectures begin as a courtesy to those around you, as well as the instructor. CD players and tape recorders are also not allowed. Please also note, food and drink are not permitted in Cone 103

Please be punctual for class and remain seated for the duration of the class time. Class will begin promptly at 11:00 and will end no later than 11:50. Latecomers are asked not to enter the classroom after 11:05, as tardy students distract others as well as the instructor. In addition, as a courtesy to your colleagues and Dr. Holian, please do not get up in the middle of lecture to use the restroom, etc. These personal needs should be taken care of before our short 50 minute lecture. Please also refrain from packing up early and preparing to leave, as this is also distracting to others.

Given the size of the class, there will unfortunately be limited opportunities for class participation. You are encouraged to respond when the instructor poses a question, but you are asked not to talk among yourselves during lectures. If you have a question, raise your hand and Dr. Holian will be happy to answer your question.

Course Materials on Blackboard:

Information for this course will be posted on Blackboard, including lists of terms given in lecture, the paper assignment, exam study guides, a copy of the syllabus, and all required images not reproduced in the textbook. The site will be updated as the semester progresses to correspond with lecture. Obviously the site should not be considered a substitute for attending class, but you will find that printing out the terms, or copying them down before lecture, and bringing them with you, will make note-taking easier.

Address to access Blackboard: http:blackboard.uncg.edu

Items to keep in mind when accessing Blackboard—

1. You will need to know your Novell password. This is the password used to log into campus computer labs. You do not have to access Blackboard only from a campus lab, but you will need the Novell password to get onto the page, regardless of your computer’s location.

2. Use Internet Explorer when accessing Blackboard. Problems occur with Netscape.

3. You will need Microsoft Word on your computer to view items posted on Blackboard. If your computer does not have Word, you may download a free viewer for Word on the Blackboard page. Go under “Student Resources,” and then click on “hardware and software.”

4. Any e-communication you may want to do within the Blackboard system can only be sent to UNCG email addresses.

Grades:

Final grades will be composed of the following components:

Museum “scavenger hunt” 75 points

Four exams 400 points (100 points each)

Two homework assignments 40 points (20 points each)

One-in class assignment 25 points

______________

Grand Total: 540 points

Course grades will be assigned according to the following grading system:

100-99=A+, 98-93=A, 92-90=A-, 89-87=B+, 86-83=B, 82-80=B-, 79-77=C+, 76-73=C, 72-70=C-,

69-67=D+, 66-63=D, 62-60=D-, 59 and below is an F.

Grades may be calculated at any time during the course of the semester by simply adding the points earned to that date, and then dividing that number by the total points possible. This will produce the student’s percentage, which may then be matched with the grading system above. This is the same mathematical system that will be used for calculating final grades.

Museum “Scavenger Hunt”:

On April 2, the Museum “Scavenger Hunt” will be posted on Blackboard. This assignment will require each student to visit the Weatherspoon Art Museum and locate works of art containing specific formal qualities discussed in class, and listed on the assignment sheet. The completed assignment will be due at the beginning of class on April 23.

Homework Assignments:

The two homework assignments will require each student to read an article relevant to a current art-related topic scheduled for discussion in class, and then to answer questions related to that reading. The assignments will be posted on Blackboard during the week they are due. The finished homework must be your own work. Copied homework will result in a grade of zero for each of the guilty parties. Homework #1 is due at the beginning of class on March 26, and Homework #2 is due at the beginning of class on April 16.

Test Format:

All exams are “closed book.” Each exam will be a combination of fill-in-the-blank, definitions, and multiple choice questions. Some of these questions will be illustrated by slides.

Material for all four exams will be taken from lecture (including classes which address a current topic in art), assigned readings, and in-class videos. Review sheets will be available on the web site one week before each exam. A few points of extra credit will appear on all 4 exams.

PLEASE NOTE: The final exam (our EXAM #4) is not cumulative. It will be the same format and test approximately the same amount of material covered by the previous three exams.

Academic Honor Code:

Students are required to sign the Academic Integrity Policy on each examination. Please refer to the UNCG Undergraduate Bulletin.

Make-up Exam Policy:

Make-up exams will not be given. Should you miss Exam 1, 2 or 3 due to illness or a grave family emergency you must notify the professor within 24 hours of the missed exam, and produce documentation of your illness or personal emergency. If you must miss an exam for one of these documented reasons, your grade will be averaged minus the points of the missed exam. Should you miss more than one exam you will receive a grade of zero for the second, and any subsequent, missed exams. The fourth exam (our “final”) is required of all students (see the Undergraduate Bulletin under “Grading Policies and Grades”). If you miss the fourth exam, and you absence is excusable, your only opportunity to retake it will be at the end of the fall term, in December 2007. The same policy of notification and documentation of illness or emergency outlined above also applies to missing the fourth exam. Out of fairness to all students in the course, no exceptions can be made to this policy.

Policy on Late Assignments:

Late assignments will be deducted the number of points equaling half of a letter grade for each day they are late. As with exams, documented illness or family emergencies will be acceptable excuses for late assignments. Late assignments may be turned into the instructor’s mailbox in Room 139 of the Gatewood Studio Art Building, or slid under Dr. Holian’s office door.

Attendance Policy:

Although attendance will not be recorded you will find that there is a direct correlation between coming to lectures well-prepared (with reading assignments completed) and engaging in the material through note-taking, AND your success in the course, as measured by what you learn (your grade for the course).

ART100 Introduction to Art

Lecture Topics and Schedule of Required Readings

PLEASE NOTE: Readings should be completed PRIOR to class meetings.

All readings come from your text unless otherwise noted.

WEEK 1 Jan. 8 Introduction to Course

Reading: Chapter 1, pp. 3-17

Jan. 10 What is art?

Reading: Chapter 2, pp. 18-top of 28, and p. 559

Jan. 12 The Essential Vocabulary of Art

Reading: Chapter 2, bottom of p. 28- p. 49

WEEK 2 Jan. 15 NO CLASS—Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Jan. 17 Visual Elements

Reading: Chapter 4, p. 81-top of 93

Jan. 19 Visual Elements Continued

Reading: Chapter 4, pp. 93-115

WEEK 3 Jan. 22 Time and Motion and The Principles of Design

Reading: Chapter 4, pp. 115-120, Chapter 5, pp.121-147

Jan. 24 Finish Principles of Design

Reading: Review Monday’s reading assignment

Jan. 26 Drawing: Materials

Reading: Chapter 6, pp. 149- top of 162

WEEK 4 Jan. 29 EXAM 1

Jan. 31 Drawing: Function, New Directions

Reading: Chapter 6, pp. 162-167

Feb. 2 Painting: Encaustic, Fresco

Reading: Chapter 7, pp. 168- top of p. 171

WEEK 5 Feb. 5 Painting: Tempera, Oil

Reading: Chapter 7, pp. 171-top of 177

Feb.7 Painting: Watercolor, Gouache, Acrylic and

Related Techniques

Reading: Chapter 7, pp. bottom of 177-186

Feb. 9 In-Class Video Assignment: “Saving the Sistine Chapel”

*Remember: print out assignment from Blackboard to bring to class*

WEEK 6 Feb. 12 Current Topics #1: Art Restoration in Italy

Reading: Re-read pp. 15, 111 and 402, and New York Times article

from May, 27, 1999 by A. Stanley, entitled “After a 20-Year Cleanup, a Brighter, Clearer ‘Last Supper’ Emerges. This can be found through the “Databases” link on the Jackson Library website. Click on “New York Times Historical,” put “Last Supper” in the search field and add the date.

Feb. 14 Prints and Printmaking: Relief

Reading: Chapter 8, pp. 187-top of 194 and p. 78

Feb. 16 Prints and Printmaking: Intaglio

Reading: Chapter 8, bottom of p. 194-top 199

WEEK 7 Feb. 19 Prints and Printmaking: Lithography,

Screenprinting and New Directions

Reading: Chapter 8, bottom of p. 199-208

Feb. 21 Camera Arts: Photography

Reading: Chapter 9, p. 209-top p. 216

Feb. 23 Photography as Art and Document

Reading: Chapter 9, pp. 216-227

WEEK 8 Feb. 26 EXAM 2

Feb. 28 Camera Arts: Film

Reading: Chapter 9, pp. 228-229, 232-top of 240

Mar. 2 NO CLASS

WEEK 9 March 5-9 NO CLASS—SPRING BREAK

WEEK 10 Mar. 12 Camera Arts: Film Continued

Reading: Review Wednesday’s reading assignment

Mar. 14 Camera Arts: Special Effects and the Pre-Production

Art of Film

Reading: Chapter 9, p. 240

Mar. 16 Camera Arts: Animation

Reading: Chapter 9, bottom p. 229-top 232, 241-242

WEEK 11 Mar. 19 Camera Arts: Animation Continued

Mar. 21 Animation Viewing, Video Art and the Internet

Reading: Chapter 9, bottom of p. 242-249

Mar. 23 NO CLASS—Dr. Holian away at an art history conference

WEEK 12 Mar. 26 Current Topics #2: Censorship in Art

Reading: Re-read pp. 224-225, “Art Issues” and handout

*Homework #1 is due at the beginning of class

Mar. 28 Graphic Design

Reading: Chapter 10, pp. 250-263

Mar. 30 Graphic Design Continued

Reading: Review reading from Wednesday

WEEK 13 April 2 EXAM 3

**Museum “Scavenger Hunt” posted on Blackboard**

April 4 Sculpture: Additive Processes and Casting

Reading: Chapter 11, pp. 265-269, 272-top 274

April 6 NO CLASS—Spring Holiday

WEEK 14 April 9 Sculpture: Subtractive Processes, Earth Art and

Site-specific Installations

Reading: Chapter 11, pp. 270-71, 274-79, 282-291

April 11 Finish Sculpture, begin Crafts: Clay and Glass

Reading: Chapter 12, pp. 292-297

April 13 Crafts continued

Reading: Chapter 12, pp. 298-309

WEEK 15 April 16 Current Topics #3: The Destruction of Art

Reading: p. 55, 283 in text, and article posted on Blackboard for

homework assignment

*Homework #2 is due at the beginning of class

April 18 Architecture: Structural Systems

Reading: Chapter 13, pp. 310-318

April 20 Architecture: Structural Systems Continued

Reading: Chapter 13, pp. 318-top of 332

WEEK 16 April 23 Architecture and its Purposes

Reading: Chapter 13, pp. 332-341

**Scavenger Hunt is due at the beginning of class

April 25 Architecture and its Purposes Continued

Reading: Review reading from Monday

April 27 Green Architecture

Reading: Chapter 13, pp. 343-347

WEEK 17 April 30 Current Topics #4: The Forgery and Theft of Art

Reading: In preparation for lecture go onto the Lexis-Nexus database

through the Jackson Library home page under “databases.” Type in the words “art theft” in the search field and look to see how many works of art have been returned or stolen in the last 3-6 months. Read a couple of the postings of your choosing.

May 1 Current Topics #5: Art “Ownership”

Reading: p. 369

EXAM 4—Monday, May 7th from 9:00-11:00 a.m. in our classroom

Although the exam will not take two hours you MUST be in your seat, taking the exam at 9:00. Out of fairness to the rest of the class students will not be allowed to begin the exam after 12:10.

NO exceptions.