Humanities Arts Cultural Stu 0245 - Art Questions

Investigating works of literature, art, architecture, sound, performance and film, alongside selected texts in philosophy and critical theory, this class will probe the enduring question: "What is Art?" We will debate concepts such as authenticity, appropriation, imitation, forgery, and dissidence. Is art the product of the gifted intellect, instinct and talent, or of practice and tradition? Or, does the creative process require radical thinking and an avant-garde? Is art intentional, or can it be found in the everyday or even the natural world? We will look at artworks as diverse as the earliest cave markings, agit-prop posters, abstract paintings, ritual objects, Renaissance drawings, portrait photography, illustrated books, and graffiti art. We will study artists and writers as varied as Ana Mendietta, Shakespeare, Coetzee, Joyce, Zola, Warhol, Herzog, Kandinsky, Eisenstein, Picasso, Arbus, Banksy, and Ai Wei Wei. We will consider readings on the meaning of art by Plato, Sontag, Nietzsche, Adorno, Sartre, Tolstoy and others. This is a intensive course; we will use the modes of inquiry explored in the class to help frame your Division II in any area or interdisciplinary mix, as you develop a project of your own based on Hampshire's collections of art, books, music, photography, and film. The course requires dedication: some assignments are experimental in nature; the reading is broad; there are film screenings on campus and at Amherst Cinema; there are museum visits in the Five Colleges and a field trip to New York. There will be a $20 field trip fee for this course.

Independent Work Writing and Research Multiple Cultural Perspectives In this course, students are expected to spend a minimum of 12-15 hours weekly on preparation and work outside of class time. Field Trips $20.