Contemporary Art

This introductory course explores art produced between 1960 and the present. We will take a transnational approach, from the emergence of Pop art as an  international phenomenon in the 1960s to the mushrooming cloud of biennials in the twenty-first century. The course will sometimes look at art’s intersection with architecture, film, and visual culture more broadly. We will keep in mind the following questions: How have new technologies, civil rights movements, emergent subjectivities, new forms of theoretical inquiry, and processes of globalization shaped the work of art?

Intro to Arts of Asia

(Offered as ASLC 140 and ARHA 140) The multicultural course introduces students to the visual arts of Asia. In an active learning environment, we will study architecture, sculpture, painting and other material objects found in countries such as India, China and Japan from the earliest times to the present. Illustrated class lectures, group discussions, and regular writing exercises will exercise our skills in visual analysis, critical thinking, and art historical interpretation.

Intro to Drawing

An introductory course in the fundamentals of drawing. This course will be based in experience and observation, exploring various techniques and media in order to understand the basic formal vocabularies and conceptual issues in drawing; subject matter will include still life, landscape, interior, and figure. Weekly assignments, weekly critiques, final portfolio.

Limited to 14 students with 4 seats reserved for first-year students. Fall and Spring semesters. Fall and Spring: Visiting Assistant Professor Flanagan.

Practice of Art

An introduction to two- and three-dimensional studio disciplines through hands-on engagement with materials supplemented by lectures, demonstrations and readings. Students will work through a variety of projects exploring drawing, sculpture, painting and hybrid forms. Work will be developed based on direct observation, memory, imagination and improvisation. Formal and conceptual concerns will be an integral aspect of the development of studio work.

Urban Africa

(Offered as ARHA 125, ARCH 125, and BLST 125) This introductory course is a survey of the spaces and places that have defined urban Africa over time. From the ancient pyramids of Giza to modern metropolises like Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Dakar, Senegal, Africa has long incubated some of the world's most diverse urban centers.  This course introduces students to African urban environments while also engaging the social, political, economic, and cultural phenomena that have shaped the lives of these locales.

Urban Sketching

(Offered as ARCH 122 and ARHA 122) The proliferation of photo-realistic rendering software has brought a sense of fatigue with digital imagery in the architectural design discipline. This fatigue is bringing a renewed interest in hand-drawn representations of architectural and urban environments. In this course, students will learn and develop abilities to hand-sketch buildings and urban spaces, doing it onsite and in a relatively quick manner. Students will learn the basics of three techniques appropriate for the task: pencil, ink, and watercolor.

Space and Design

(Offered as ARCH 105 and ARHA 105) This hands-on design studio will foster innovation as it guides students through the development of conceptual architecture. Through a series of experimental projects that build on each other, students will develop their own design language and experiment with architecture at several scales - from a space for sitting to a dynamic built structure and its integration into a site.

Language of ARCH

(Offered as ARCH 101 and ARHA 101) This introductory course focuses on the tools used to communicate and discuss ideas in architectural practice and theory. We study both the practical, from sketching to parallel drawing, to the theoretical, from historical to critical perspectives. Connecting both, we cover the formal analysis elements necessary to “read” and critique built works. Class activities include field trips, guest presentations, sketching and drawing, small design exercises, discussion of readings, and short written responses.

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