ART 428: 20 Century Art History - Radford University

ART 428: 20th Century Art History Spring 2011, 208 Porterfield: T Th 2 - 3:15 Instructor: Prof. Roann Barris Office: 213 Port.; 831-6001

OFF. HRS: MW 2 - 4:45, T Th 8:30 - 10:45, OBA email: [email protected] class web site: www.radford.edu/rbarris

This class is required for most art majors or fulfills an art history elective. You are expected to have already taken the second survey class (ART216) – if you haven’t, please see me. Description: This course is an examination of the many exciting changes which have taken place in art in the 20th century and an attempt to correlate these changes with social and historical developments. In contrast to a survey course, rather than taking a movement by movement or artist by artist approach, I plan to focus on major themes. These will be art themes (as opposed to social or psychological themes). Methods: The format of this class is based on active participation. You will be required to prepare power-point presentations (or comparable image/text formats) for every unit we cover; your primary learning will occur in the preparation of these. These may be done individually or in a group of no more than three. If you choose to work in a group, I strongly recommend that you form your group not on the basis of friendship but on the ability to find common free time. Although five will be required, only four will contribute to your final grade. Reading logs, class discussion, and the final project will be the other major activities. I hope to lecture as infrequently as possible – in many cases, I will place lecture material on the web site and expect you to read it before class. Textbook: Charles Harrison and Paul Wood, eds. Art in Theory: 1900 - 2000. 2nd ed. (Blackwell Publ., 2005). Goals and Objectives: • to develop and demonstrate visual and analytic familiarity with significant movements, artists, and ideas of the 20th century • to recognize the roles of gender, economic systems, and politics in both the creation and reception of art • to develop your ability to pursue independent research related to 20th century art, share your findings in a group context, and provide feedback to others engaged in a similar process Assignments and Grading: As indicated above, one of your major activities will the creation of image/text projects (usually called power-points). The goal is not presentation, although some may be presented to the class. However, the power point format allows you to combine text and image and emphasizes the fact that the text is subordinate to the image. For each major topic during the semester, I will assign a question that you will answer with an ITP. In some cases, I may specify which images should be included; in other cases, I will indicate -1-

constraints rather than specific images. Each presentation will be graded with a rubric. In general terms, the rubric will be based on the completeness of your presentation with respect to the number of artworks and artists, relevance of selections, and organization and communication of ideas. We will develop it in class and test it for consistency. Because the topics we will cover do not have arbitrary right or wrong answers, the argument you make via image selection and text will often be as important as the position you take. (25 points each X 4 = 100) The second major contribution to your grade will come from the Reading Log with its critical reading analyses. In general terms, each reading log entry is a summary, with particular attention given to the author’s thesis, methods, and supporting evidence. Specific guidelines will be provided and these will also be graded with a rubric. Each analysis will be due prior to a discussion of the reading in class – the primary goal is to facilitate class discussion; the second goal is to refine your ability to summarize and critique arguments made by other people. The third assignment is optional but recommended: a museum visit and an exhibition analysis (the VMFA will be showing an exhibition of Picasso works on loan from the Picasso Museum in Paris). If done, this may take the place of one reading log entry. The complete reading log is worth 100 points. The final project, worth 200 points, will involve the exploration of technique, style and subject matter associated with an artist of your choice OR an investigation into a new paradigm shift associated with contemporary art. One suggestion for choosing an artist to study is to find a recent artist who makes use of the work of an earlier artists (without copying), and to substantiate this connection through analysis of both artists’ work and in the case of the recent artist, his or her statements or writings. Zaha Hadid and Malevich is one pair; James Condo and the “old masters” is another. These individual projects will be displayed or presented (format and place to be determined) and they will count as your final exam. The project will be completed in parts and each part will receive points. Part 1 is the initial selection of an artist, tentative decision about key works to focus on, a list of preliminary questions, and evidence of bibliographic search. (50 pts). Part 2 is the most substantive part of the project. This should be presentation ready, either as a paper to post on the class web site or an image/text presentation. In either case, you will present a short form of your work, enough to raise questions and indicate your key arguments. (100 pts). Part 3 will be participation in the exhibition format agreed to by the class, final revisions, and submission of the project. (50 pts). Image/Text “Presentations” (ITPs): 4 graded at 25 points each = 100; due dates tba but approx. 1 every other week, beginning with the second week Reading Log: 100 points; complete log due April 13, by 2 pm. I will be happy to provide feedback to ongoing logs at your request. I will also ask to have them turned in periodically. Final project: 200 points, in three stages; final submission due at on the day of the final exam. Class participation: 20 extra credit points (based on regular attendance, participation in discussions, facilitation of class activities, feedback and questions on class presentations, and fashion). An excellent way to receive these points will be to volunteer to facilitate a discussion on one of the topics on the syllabus. Total = 400 points [A = 355; B = 315; C = 270; D = 240; F = forbidden] -2-

Web Sources: class web site: www.radford.edu/rbarris (Link to the page for ART428). This will be an important source of material and will take the place of lectures. I will post material for discussion before I introduce a new topic and expect you to read it prior to the relevant class. If we stay on track with this system, the web site will be your second textbook and you will have the option of using some of that material, along with assigned readings from the theory text, in your reading log. ARTSTOR: www.artstor.org [class folder: ART428SPR2011; password: art428spring11]. I may create image groups to accompany reading material and planned discussions. These groups will often contain some of the images you should use in your power points. You will also have work folders in your own name under the class folder. You can copy the image groups into another group which you keep in your work folder and add to it or change it. You can also download the images from your groups into power point. Because the quality of ARTstor images is generally quite high, your first source for images for your assignments should be ARTstor.

Course Behavioral Expectations Abide by the Radford University Honor Code: I shall uphold the values and ideals of Radford University by engaging in responsible behavior and striving always to be accountable for my actions while holding myself and others to the highest moral and ethical standards of academic integrity and good citizenship as defined in the Standards of Student Conduct. Specific prohibitions listed in the Handbook of Student Conduct and related to academic behavior include the following: lying, the use of unauthorized material, cheating, fabrication and falsification, multiple submissions of one piece of work, abuse of academic material, knowingly helping someone else to commit an act of dishonesty, and plagiarism. If you believe that you have a learning or other disability, you should go to the Disabled Student Services Office. They will give you paperwork to bring to me so that we can work out an approach to compensate for your disability. If you have other problems which do not fall into the domain of the DSSO but which are affecting your course work, you should come and speak to me. Attend all classes — if for some reason you need to miss a class, I expect you to consult with me. I do not want doctors’ notes but I do want to be informed about unusual and extended absences. No cell phones may be used in class. This includes texting, vibrating messages, and anything else related to the word “on.” You will be forgiven once for forgetting but more than once and you will be asked to drop the class. If you have a family emergency and you must leave it on, please speak to me before class begins.

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Sample ITP and grading rubric: Sculpture in the 20th century The theme for this power point is the redefinition of sculpture in the 20th century. You must use at least 4 artists included in Image Group 6, not including Rodin, and two artists who were not included in IG 6. Choose your images to answer these questions: what is represented in sculpture and how does this change? How do the materials of sculpture change? What, in fact, is sculpture by the end of the 20th century? Do not use a definition from Websters or any other dictionary or from a textbook! Your answer should come from two sources: your visual examination of sculptural work AND readings in the course textbook. Do not limit yourself to the assigned readings. You should be looking through the table of contents, finding selections by artists we’ve discussed, theorists I’ve mentioned, critics and artists we haven’t discussed but who worked at the same time as some of those we have, and so on. Looking through the table of contents, I noticed writing by Henry Moore (one of the sculptors in IG6), Claes Oldenburg, Donald Judd and Robert Morris (all sculptors who are not included in IG6), Allen Kaprow (whom I’ve referred to with respect to the happenings), and many, many others. Rubric 9-10 Sufficient number of images used (meets or exceeds the minimum specified in directions). All the images are analyzed and analysis is complete with respect to the questions. It may raise questions about the theme or argue against the theme but does so in a welldeveloped argument. • Must include 6 artists, 2 of whom were not in the assigned image group • answers all 3 questions: how does the subject change? How do materials change? Overall change in sculpture? • An outstanding answer (10) makes specific references to reading materials and explains their relevance • a lower score (9) indicates some slight imbalance in the discussion although all questions are addressed. 7-8: Either everything has been addressed but overall the work is less complete, or one part of the question has been ignored (in this case, 1 of the 3 questions was not answered). • Discussion is weak because sources are questionable but images are good • images do not meet specifications (image group, non- im group, numbers) 5-6: Inconsistencies are evident in terms of missing parts of the question or weaker analyses of some of the images chosen. A rating of 6 indicates the omission of something significant and required by the question; a rating of 5 indicates both the omission of essential content and the omission of at least one relevant image. 3-4: the project gives the impression of careless work, expressed through hasty writing, incorrect assumptions, and an inadequate number of examples. 1-2: the work is incomplete in terms of number of images selected and in terms of answering the questions. The higher number indicates that a genuine attempt was made; the lower number indicates that only a minimal attempt was made. 0: not done

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SCHEDULE Although there is some chronological order to this structure, my goal is not to teach this as a class in sequential styles or movements or a series of great artists. Obviously, movements and important artists will come up, but I hope we can track the implications of particular changes across the century rather than across movements. I’ve used the word paradigm to indicate these significant shifts in the ways artists approached and thought about art.

Week

Topics and Events

readings

1

20th Century Paradigm Shifts in Art

“Radical Changes”

2

the cubist paradigm

II-B (all); II-A (futurism) cubisms; futurism

3

nihilism (the dadaist paradigm)

III-B (all); II-A (Simmel)

4

the technical paradigm: photomontage and constructivism

III-C (Shklovsky); III-D (all); IV-C (Brik, Klutsis); Barris book review

Feb. 10

no class; watch Kentridge dvd (several screening times will be arranged) – may be included in reading log part 1 of final project due by email

IV-A (Barr); IV-C (Breton) The 4th dimension; Kandinsky, Malevich and Mondrian

5-6

non-objectivity and abstraction (the 4th paradigm)

I-B (Kandinsky); II-A (Malevich; Bergson); III-C (De Stijl; Doesburg or Mondrian; Ortega y Gasset)

7-9

against gravity: from easel to floor to space

V-A (all); VII-A (all) abstract expressionism

March 6 - 13: spring break – good time to visit a museum! [wk 7 is before break; week 8 is after] 10 - 11

the return of narrative? [begin presentations - part 2 of final project]

IV-B (all); IV-D (Schapiro)

12 - 13

contemporary media [continue presentations]; reading log due Apr 13

IV-D (Benjamin); VI-A (all); T. Smith

14

complete presentations and plan exhibition [part 3 of final project - no later than May 3, noon]

Readings in italics are on the web site. Roman numerals correspond to the textbook sections indicated on the bibliography. “All” refers to the specific readings I’ve selected from each section but you should consider reading more than the ones I’ve chosen.

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Required Readings from Art in Theory, 1900 - 2000 Feel free to read much more than the selected readings. They are listed here in the order of the book’s table of contents; we will not be reading them in that order. Check the schedule for the week’s assigned readings. Your reading log should be a mixture of the required readings and recommended or suggested readings. Section I-B: Expression and the Primitive Kandinsky, from Concerning the Spiritual in Art; and the Cologne lecture recommended: Worringer, from Abstraction and Empathy OR 2 additional readings of your choice

82-93 66-69

II-A: Modernity Marinetti and Boccioni, futurist manifestoes Simmel, “The Metropolis...” Bergson, Creative Evolution Malevich: From cubism to suprematism...

146-152 132-136 141-144 173-183

II-B: Cubism Kahnweiler, from The rise of cubism Apollinaire, from The Cubist Painters Riviere: “Present tendencies...” plus one artist of your choice

208-214 188-190 190-194

III-B: Dissent and Disorder Ball through Huelsenbeck: the dada manifestoes

250-263

III-C: Abstraction and Form Shklovsky: “Art as Technique” De Stijl: Manifesto I Ortega y Gasset, from Dehumanization Doesburg or Mondrian or Doesburg, el Lissitsky, and Richer: “Declaration of the International Faction of Constructivists”

277 -281 281 323-332

III-D: Utility and Construction Gan, exc. from Constructivism

343-344

IV-A: The Modern as Ideal Barr, from Cubism and Abstract Art one other of your choice

381-383

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IV-B: Realism as Figuration Wood, Revolt against the City any 2 of your choice

435-436

IV-C: Realism as Critique Breton: from the 1st Surrealist manifesto 2nd Surrealist manifesto Brik, “Photography versus Painting” Klutsis: “Photomontage as a new problem”

447-453 463-467 470-473 489-491

IV-D: Modernism as Critique Benjamin, “Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” Schapiro, “The Social Bases of Art” suggested: Greenberg and Rosenberg

520-527 514-518

V-A: The American Avant-Garde Gottlieb, Rothko and Newman, “Statement” Rosenberg, from the American Action Painters something by Newman, Pollock or Rothko

568-569 589-592

VI-A: Art and Modern Life read 3 of your choice VII-A: Objecthood and Reductivism Klein, “Evolution of Art...” Judd, “Specific Objects” Fried, “Art and Objecthood”

818-820 824-828 835-846

Terry Smith, “The State of Art History: Contemporary Art,” Art Bulletin 92 (Dec.) 2010, 366383. I will put this online.

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