Art Studio 392RD - Five College Advanced Studio Seminar: 'Representation and its Discontents'

Beginning with cultural theorist Stuart Hall's premise that representation is the process whereby language is used to generate meaning, this course examines the possibilities and limitations of representational strategies employed by artists today. How do artists represent their ideas in material, visual, and discursive languages? This central question will guide explorations in the uses of narrative figuration, research-based practice, and abstraction towards producing cultural and political discourses. We will engage in weekly readings, discussions, brief writing assignments, group critiques, and develop independent projects for exhibition.