Humanities Arts Cultural Stu 0301 - Stuff, Materiality, Things

How do objects speak to us, and act on us? How is an encounter with an object different from reading a text? Why do we collect things? In recent years there has been a turn from texts to visual studies, and then to material culture and thing theory. In this course, we will explore some of the ways that contemporary writers and artists approach things, artifacts, the natural world, discarded objects, "vibrant matter." We will also visit museums and collections. Students will be encouraged to engage with objects--to write about, produce, curate, transform, find, display, and contemplate objects of their choosing. This course is also designed to support students doing Division III work in the arts, humanities, and cultural studies. The course will be balanced between exploring "stuff, materiality, and things," and helping students develop and work on their projects. There will be ample opportunities for students to discuss, present, and workshop their projects, and these projects need not be at all directly connected to the topic of the course. This course is limited to Div III students and advanced Div II students

Independent Work Writing and Research In this course, students can expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and preparation outside of class time.