AH 150 Critical Issues in Visual Culture

This discussion-style course will introduce students to the following: critical theories and methods of analysis for interpreting modern and contemporary visual art and culture; major themes in visual culture, including trends and issues specific to design. 3 credits.

AH 237 Media Studies: Culture, Technologies, + Communication

An introduction to the interdisciplinary field of media studies. How do streaming platforms shape the ways in which we listen to music? How does social media change how we see? This course considers what forms of media do—from the digital to the cinematic, from photography to performance. Emphases include the nature of mediated communication, the function of media technologies, the history of media use, and the effects of media industries. Students will gain an understanding of how media affects society and culture, while developing fundamental skills for analyzing media. Topics may include artificial intelligence and virtual realities, Latino cultural production, media theory, performance studies, sound studies, and environmental media. Prerequisite: AH 150 and AH 250. Corequisite: AH 250. 3 credits.

AH 250 Themes and Movements in Art and Design History

This course examines significant developments and themes in art and design history from the pre-modern through modern periods. While selected movements, chronologies, and works from standard surveys of art history will be touched upon where pertinent, the course will take varied approaches to overarching debates, narratives, and theories: e.g., the persistence of classicism and its continued symbolic meaning in art, architecture, and the city; and the representation of the body since antiquity; and social and political identity and visual expression. 3 credits.

AH 316 Issues in Design: Theory + Culture

What exactly is the “culture” of design? We will explore the interdisciplinary aspects of contemporary design practice and theory in relationship to the complexities of culture and society, especially with respect to urban environments. We will move from conventional considerations of the history of modern and postmodern art and design, to a broader contemporary understanding of design with respect to globalization, consumerism, technological change, sustainability, infrastructure, city planning, urban design and alternative trends. Prerequisites: AH 150 and AH 250 or Corequisite: AH 250. 3 credits.

AH 328 Theories of Gender and Race in Contemporary Art

This seminar-style course pairs the study of significant contemporary artists with the reading of major texts from feminist theory, queer theory, critical race studies, disability studies, and related fields. We will explore how art and theory have framed gender and race as both socially constructed categories and intensely individual experiences. At the same time, we will consider artistic strategies for analyzing and expressing identity, including abstraction, figuration, conceptualism, documentary, and performance. An ongoing theme will be that art and theory are never reducible to one another but that there can be a mutually enriching dialogue between the two. Assignments will include readings, reading responses, and a research paper. Prerequisites: AH 150 and AH 250 or Corequisite of AH 250. 3 credits.

AH 332 Global Abstractions in the 20th Century

This seminar examines the development of abstraction globally between the 1940s and 1980s with a particular focus on artists in Asia, Africa, and South America, along with Black, immigrant, indigenous, and minority artists in the West. It considers why abstraction became so attractive to artists at this time, connections between abstraction and indigenous traditions, and the impact of decolonization, authoritarianism, and the Cold War. Seminar discussions will emphasize close looking and readings on abstraction along with key terms including concretism, the grid, medium-specificity, minimalism, flatness, and facture. The course considers artists working across painting, sculpture, performance, design, craft, animation and the moving image. Prerequisites: AH 150 and AH 250 or Corequisite of AH 250. 3 credits.

AH 334 African American Art

This course covers African American art from the late 1700s to the present emphasizing the formal qualities of art as well as the social and cultural contexts within which it was created. Lectures and assigned readings are drawn from the scholarship of art history, literature, anthropology and history. We examine works by U.S. Artists of African descent and others who engage aspects of African American life and culture. Prerequisites: AC150 and AC250 or Corequisite: AC250. 3 credits.

AH 338 Curatorial Practice: History and Theory (1850 to Now)

From realist painter Gustave Courbet's daring act of self-representation during the 1855 Paris World’s Fair, to the Impressionist Salon des Refusés, to contemporary art fairs and global biennale culture today, curatorial strategies continue to evolve alongside art’s history and the museum/gallery ecosystem. Through readings, class discussions, individual projects, and visits to area art institutions, we'll examine and analyze the histories and theories of curatorial work across the past 175 years, from modernism to postmodernism to now. Tracing such concepts as the artist-as-curator and curator-as-author, as well as the role and function of “the artist’s studio,” we'll consider exhibition spaces as unique and individual worlds unto themselves. Looking briefly at the birth of art museums in Western Europe and the United States, we'll consider galleries and museums as social, political, and performative spaces. Focusing also on the ethics of curatorial work both historically and today, we'll investigate exhibition-making tactics as distinct forms of expression and activism. Final projects for this course will require students to curate “an exhibition on paper,” composed of both works of art from area collections and/or the work of their student peers. Prerequisites: AH 150 and AH 250 or Corequisite: AH 250. 3 credits.

AH 343 Modernism in Latin America

Whether one considers constructivist sculpture, architectural design, photography, painting, printmaking or decorative arts, much of the 20th century art production in Latin America countries is best understood in terms of the struggle to assimilate, redefine and/or resist styles and concepts of “modernism.” In this course, we will consider how 20th century Latin American art and artists have been interpreted vis-a-vis trends in Europe and the United States, paying particular attention to how issues of cultural and economic exploitation created unique types of personal and national identity. In addition to analyzing the works of such well-known artists as Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Jose Clemente Orozco, Wifredo Lam and Oscar Niemeyer, classes will be arranged thematically to better explore developments in various media and to draw distinctions among the arts of various countries, especially Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba and Brazil. Prerequisites: AH 150 and AH 250 or Corequisite: AH 250 3 credits.

AH 355 Pop and Popular Culture

Pop art is most commonly described as the merger of high and low, as in the appropriation of pop-culture imagery by “fine art” painters and sculptors. This description downplays the aims of early Pop artists—particularly their participation in pre-Stonewall queer counter publics—while also reducing the complexity of popular culture itself. This seminar-style course will discuss multiple generations of Pop artists (broadly defined) while also reading widely about different pop-culture formats (comics, movies, craft, etc.) and subcultural formations (folk culture, fan culture, working-class culture, etc.). Course activities include readings and reading responses, class presentations, and a research paper. 3 credits.

AH 362 Design + Craft in Modern Culture

This course is an introduction to design and craft between the nineteenth century and the present. It considers examples from craft, art, and design disciplines including finely crafted furniture and other objects designed for public and private spaces; decorative objects such as ceramics, metalwork, and glass; objects of mass production and consumer culture; architecture; and two-dimensional graphic forms. Considering key movements in modern craft and design history from Arts and Crafts to the Bauhaus and Postmodernism, the class examines these histories from local, national, and international perspectives. Special consideration is given to the social and cultural meanings of objects in the context of colonialism, trade, and migration, along with theories of ornament, design, craft, and art as they pertain to identity, pedagogy, ecology, sustainability, and global social change. Prerequisites: AH 150 and AH 250 or Corequisite: AH 250. 3 credits.

AH 365 Art of China

The primary goal of this course is to explore the art and culture of China (including mainland China and Taiwan). Political, religious, social, and visual aspects of the art will be stressed in class. In order to understand Chinese art and civilization, we will look at art objects from terra-cotta pottery of the Neolithic period, bronze vessels, Buddhist murals and sculptures of the Tang era, literati paintings and imperial tastes of medieval China up to contemporary art. Subjects such as women artists and performing arts will be also discussed in this course. As the semester progresses, some additional readings may be assigned. Prerequisites: AH 150 and AH 250 or Corequisite: AH 250. 3 credits.

AH 366 Research in Media: Applied Methods

This course focuses on how our experiences of media can shape critical research. In turn, it asks how research can help us understand our experiences. Students will gain familiarity with media criticism and its methods of interpretation, with attention to content, structure, production, and context. They'll advance their analysis through applied projects in image editing, visualization, and web-based technologies, with emphases in textual analysis, political economy, history, and ethnography. Throughout, they'll explore how media criticism and their own experiences can offer evidence for critical research. Course activities and methods can contribute toward students' senior project research and in areas across art, media, and design. Pre-requisites: AH 150, AH 250. Co-requisite: AH 250. 3 credits.

AH 372 Asian Art Survey

This course serves as a “survey” or a window for the art of multiple cultures. This lecture/exercise/discussion-style course explores the art and visual culture of Asia, focusing on India, Japan and China. Political, religious, social, and visual aspects of the art will be stressed in class. In order to understand the art and civilization of these three countries, we will look at art objects ranging from ancient archeological finds, medieval architecture to modern and contemporary art. Subjects such as women artists, performing arts and animation will also be discussed in this course. The content of this course will be generally divided into pre-Modern, Modern & Contemporary eras in which art and visual culture will be discussed with geographic perspectives. As the semester progresses, some additional readings and films may be assigned. Each student is encouraged to find examples learned in this course and apply them to their intellectual development. Prerequisites: AH 150 and AH 250 or Corequisite: AH 250. 3 credits.

AH 380 Issues in 20th and 21st Century Art and Design

This special topic course explores global trends in 20th and 21st century art, craft, and design. It focuses on critical issues and artistic practices that are central to contemporary art and allied fields. Each section will have a distinct emphasis, such as art, design, and environmental perspectives, performance art, socially-engaged practices, interactive media, digital photography and video, conceptual approaches to craft, and theories and practices that are emerging in the field. Course activities will include readings and discussion, presentations, and research assignments. Prerequisites: AH 150 and AH 250 or Corequisite: AH 250. 3 credits.

AH 425 Issues in Art, Craft, and Design

This special topic course explores trends in the history and theory of art, craft, and design, with substantial consideration of practices and perspectives from before 1960. The course may be completed for credit up to three times under distinct topics. Course activities will include readings and discussions, presentations, and research assignments. Prerequisites: AH 150 and AH 250 or Corequisite: AH 250. 3 credits.

AHHC 310 CMA Collections Now

This course is a hands-on, object-based exploration of the collections at the Cleveland Museum of Art. It will include regular visits to the CMA and meetings with its curators and conservators. Students will gain an understanding of the history and making of art through close examination of materials, techniques, and technologies. The course emphasizes current exhibitions, the social contexts and cultural ideas of artworks across time periods and media, and questions of tradition and innovation. It also underscores critical thinking as part of the creative and productive processes in art and design. May contribute toward the minor in Visual Culture. Pre-requisite: AH 150. Pre-requisite or co-requisite: AH 250. 3 credits.

AHHC 323 Histories of Photography, Film, and Video

There is no single history of photography, film, and video, but rather multiple intersecting histories. Lens-based media shown in the white cubes and black boxes of museums might also appear in the pages of newspapers, the darkened auditoriums of cineplexes, the public-access channels of cable television, the social-media platforms of the internet, etc. This discussion-based course will examine the lens-based media of significant modern and contemporary artists while also considering media’s varied applications in journalism, policing, science, entertainment, and other fields. Course activities include readings and reading responses, short writing assignments, and class presentations. Prerequisites: AH 150 and AH 250 or Corequisite: AH 250. 3 credits.

AHHC 326 Latinx America: Art + Visual Culture

This course examines how art and visual cultures in South America, the Caribbean, and the United States have been part of ongoing decolonial efforts and resistance. We will pay special attention to the relationship between Latin American and U.S. Latinx art and to the linkages between histories, industries, and creative practices. We will study the legacies of coloniality through the analysis of media including pictorial manuscripts, photography, visual art, comics, telenovelas, performance, and digital video. With sub-themes including power, knowledge production, representation, racialization, popular culture, and identity, the goal of this course is to understand how global visual cultures have shaped contemporary U.S. Latinx art worlds. Prerequisite: AH 150 and AH 250. Corequisite: AH 250. 3 credits.

AHHC 359 The Body: From the Historic to the Contemporary

This course explores one of the most important themes of art: the body. Discussions will center on a complex range of ideas and values associated with the body as depicted in painting; sculpture; photography; installation; performance; video; etc. We will examine shifting presentations with a consideration of what such work tells us about the views and circumstances they may reflect. These investigations will be undertaken through a variety of lenses: formal; political; social; personal, etc. We will consider the role of authorship and cultural context in shaping a work. While the historical evolution and foundations of art work centering on the body will be reviewed, the focus of the course is on work made since 1945 to the present. Additional topics: the traditional nude; conceptions of beauty; power relationships; conceptions of gender, race, class; gaze theory; identity and performance; etc. Prerequisites: AH 150 and AH 250 or Corequisite: AH 250. 3 credits.

AHHC 373 Art of East Asia

This lecture/discussion-style course is to explore the art and visual culture of East Asia, focusing on Japan and China. Political, religious, social, and visual aspects of the art will be stressed in class. In order to understand the art and civilization of these two countries, we will look at art objects from ancient archeological objects, medieval architecture to modern and contemporary art. Subjects such as women artists, performing arts and animation will also be discussed in this course. Prerequisites: AH 150 and AH 250 or Corequisite: AH 250. 3 credits.

AHSS 305 Architecture of Sacred Space

Since the prehistoric past, humans have pondered the mysterious and declared certain places to be “sacred.” From the earliest cave shrines to modern monuments and landscapes, these spaces typically share design elements that contribute to a space’s ability to facilitate rituals. Through case studies that focus on sacred spaces and their environs, students will explore principles of architecture and design, gain knowledge of the possibilities for creating sacred space, and explore architecture as orientation, commemoration, a context for ritual, and more. The course also considers questions of human behavior, culture, religion, and meaning across time periods and places. Pre-requisite: AH 150. Pre-requisite or co-requisite: AH 250. 3 credits.

AHSS 360 Ancient Worlds of the Americas: Maya, Aztec, and Beyond

This course explores the history, archaeology, and anthropological significance of major state-level and imperial cultures of Central and South America, with a focus on the Maya and Aztec. Students will examine the origins, development, transformations, and legacies of these societies, paying special attention to their cultural institutions, such as art and material culture, religion, politics, economics, and social organization. The course also considers contemporary topics in Latin America related to Indigenous peoples, including identity, cultural heritage, social issues, and global contributions. Course activities will include readings, lectures, videos, interactive exercises, and visits to the Cleveland Museum of Art. Prerequisites: AH 150 and AH 250 or Corequisite: AH 250. 3 credits.

AHSS 370 History of the Art School

This course charts the global history of the art school from the eighteenth century to the present. From the academy model to the rise of industrial craft colleges and “alternative” art schools, we examine vital moments in the development of art school education globally. Case studies include the Royal Academy and the South Kensington schools in London, the Bauhaus and Ulm schools in Germany, the Vkhutemas workshop in Russia, along with Black Mountain College and the Cleveland Institute of Art in the US. Global sites of comparison include art schools and workshops in India, Nigeria, China, Japan, and Brazil. Special consideration will be given to legacies of colonialism, modernization, and globalization on art education globally. Prerequisite: AH 150 and AH 250. Corequisite: AH 250. 3 credits.

AHSS 380 India: Culture & Society

Once the jewel in the crown of the British Empire, India has some 5,000 years of artistic tradition and architectural heritage. This course focuses on the essential role of the visual in India’s ancient and modern cultural and religious traditions. The creation and nature of visual imagery are explored in sculpture, temples, palaces, persons, symbols, times and places. From bustling cities to remote villages and pilgrimage sites, from beggar to Brahmin to Hindu gods and goddesses, the course explores the “divine image” in India. Prerequisites: AH 150 and AH 250 or Corequisite: AH 250. 3 credits.