Bachelor of Arts in ArtSchool of Arts and Sciences

This course offers an introduction to the lives and work of modern artists and designers in Europe and North America from the mid-nineteenth century through the 1970s. Organized as a chronological survey, this course focuses on the history of modern painting and design with some attention to sculpture, architecture, and modernist experiments in other media, and will emphasize the historical and cultural contexts in which this variety of art has been produced. We will also consider themes of international significance, including ways in which Japanese, Tahitian, African, and other non-Western sources various cultures and countries is shaped by cross-cultural influences and artistic conversations.

This course looks at the history of photography as a global phenomenon. From its origins in the 19th century, photography has flourished as a means of fixing a visual record of land, built structures, and people; creating beautiful images; visualizing modernity; communicating globally as well as locally; documenting injustice; and urging action. This course is organized around themes that have been central to the history of photography across cultures; portraiture, images of landscapes, documentation, and artistic expression. Class discussion will emphasize the development of thoughtful and critical approaches to the study of the history of photography and photography as a medium of expression so that the knowledge gained here can be applied to consideration of photographers and their work beyond what is studied in this course.

For two thousand years, humankind has created paper by hand. Whatever region in the world, and whatever the intention behind the paper, be it to represent wealth, to carry spirituality, or to convey messages, every fiber that goes into the making of paper has a story. Utilizing an age-old technique of making paper by hand (from old garments and/or cloth, and plant fibers), participants use both traditional and contemporary applications of the paper arts globally, with emphasis on three distinctly different regions of the world: Western Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Once their paper is made, it becomes the foundation for expressive content in the form of hand drawn images, text, photographs, and/or prints – as a means of telling their individual stories. Through hand papermaking, writing, book, and printmaking activities, we will work together to transform significant articles of clothing and plant fibers into works of art that broadcast personal stories, mutual understanding, and healing.