Class Sylabus Summer 2008

AH5010 Art Historical Theory & Methodology

Instructor Ms. Joleen Koehly

Course Description for AH5010 Art Historical Theory & Methodology

Students will read numerous outstanding historical and critical writings exemplifying differing approaches to the field of art, including: connoisseurship and criticism, iconography and contextual studies. Each student will develop a bibliography on a particular historical approach to the study of art. Class discussion will use historical examples to examine the standards for art historical writing and will address current issues in the field. Graduate level reading and writing skills are developed through the analysis of the historiography of art theory and methodology: skills that are of high demand in the leading animation companies as well as in academia.

Required Reading:

Course Length Eleven Weeks

Credit Hours Three

Contact Hours 4.25

Prerequisites None

Expected Course Outcomes :

• Develop the students’ aesthetic and critical sensibility regarding what good animation and design is: to the point where they may judge competitions, write reviews and critical essays.

• Develop the students’ theoretical knowledge concerning the underlying technologies of the discipline.

• Develop the students’ learning skills and strategies necessary to keep up, through self-directed study, with evolving technologies, skills, and tendencies in art and design relevant to the field.

• Develop the students’ capacity to write clearly.

• Develop the students’ ability to teach: in schools, colleges, universities, and dedicated training facilities.

Explanation of Assignments

In class participation: This course is designed to encourage dynamic and comprehensive discussion of ideas related to the history and development of fine and media arts. It is necessary that you be prepared to think about and discuss the topic in-depth. It is important to do the reading and research in advance of class to participate. We will be exploring and discussing one topic in-depth to illustrate the process of art historical research. And, of course, respect the instructor and your fellow students by participating in group discussions and not individual conversations. Oh and … don’t be late.

Blog Posts: We will be discussing and researching various art historical topics and watching films related to our research. You will be required to post 8 essays, four at midterm and four by the final day of class. Each should express your view of the media, discussions and research as it relates to your final research presentation. Our class blog is at http://www.animationtheory.blogspot.com/.

Presentation of research: Students will be expected to teach one class of half an hour to 45 minutes based on the subject of their research. They will present a lecture and present appropriate works of art and media to illustrate the point. They will turn in their media presentation as part of their final grade. The class must include a research question that is answered in the course of the lecture.

Bibliography: Students are required to research and create an in-depth annotated Bibliography on a fine art/media historical object/topic chosen in class. This is due the last day of classes.

Grading Legend

Attendance and Participation 25%

Blog Posts (half of presentation of research grade)

Presentation of research 50%

Bibliography 25%

Grading Scale:

90-100%= A

80- 89%= B

70- 79%= C

60- 69%= D

0- 59%= F

Attendance Students should be present for every class of the semester, arriving before class begins and staying until class is dismissed.

School policy states that a student who misses more than 3 classes will fail the course unless the instructor determines that there is an acceptable extenuating circumstance.

In the case of absence, students are responsible for finding out what work they have missed, or in obtaining notes from a classmate. Extensions on work due are not granted for being absent for the class that they were assigned in or due in. If an absence is unavoidable it is strongly recommended to contact the instructor before the absence and make any arrangements to turn in work early. Absenteeism can affect your grade from a participation standpoint as well as from the negative impact that it can have on your learning and work.

Tardiness

Being late to class will be recorded as a tardy, and can affect a student’s grade as it impacts participation. Tardy policy states that any student who is more than ten minutes late will be considered absent for that class. A late student is expected to join the class with a minimum of disruption to the lesson.

Late Work It is school policy that assignments must be turned in on the date identified in the syllabus at the beginning of class. Late assignments will not be accepted. The instructor may in rare cases grant a deviation from this policy if it is felt that an extenuating circumstance warrants it.

Statement on

Academic

Dishonesty Plagiarism is the act of taking words, ideas, or artwork and the presentation of them as your own work. Plagiarism can include the assistance of another student in cheating. Plagiarism is extreme academic misconduct, which defeats your objectives in attending school. Plagiarism will not be tolerated, cheating students will fail the class and discovery may lead to immediate expulsion from the college.

Saving

Work Students are responsible for saving their work securely so that it may be turned in according to the teacher’s specifications. Students should not turn in the only copy of their work as student work becomes the property of DMAC and may not be returned to them. Computers are mechanical in nature and therefore data is always at risk for erasure, corruption, or other destructive force. The teacher or the College is in no way responsible for student work saved on the hard drives of the College. Adequate infrastructure has been provided for the students to create multiple backup disks of their work to guard against loss. Improperly saved work is not the responsibility of the teacher and extensions due to data loss should not be granted. The hard drives will be erased regularly with little or no notice to keep the machines in good working order; it is therefore critical for students to keep multiple backups of their work at all times and stages.

Changes to

The Syllabus Changes to course content are at the discretion of the instructor. It is the student’s responsibility to stay informed of these changes, every attempt will be made by the instructor to inform the class of changes in a timely manner.

Class Topics and Assignments

Class 1 Lecture: History of Art History, The research question and topic.

Research as gaming theory.

Designing the class together or what are we going to do for four hours and 15 minutes?

Screening: Who the Bleep is Jackson Pollack?

Class 2 Lecture: Iconography.

Class 3 Lecture Contextual Approaches: Marxism

Class 4 Lecture Biography and Autobiography

First Four Blog Posts should be up on Blogspot

Class 5 Lecture Semiotics I: Structuralism and Post-Structuralism

Semiotics II: Deconstruction

Class 6 Lecture Psychoanalysis

Class 7 Lecture Post Humanism

Class 8 Lecture:

Class 9 Lecture: Putting it all together for professional presentations.

Class 10 Presentations

Class 11 Presentations

Bibliography due

ADA To meet the needs of our students with disabilities, Digital Media Arts College offers reasonable accommodations and access for qualified students with disabilities. Students or applicants who would like to request reasonable accommodations should contact the Office of the Dean of Academic Affairs. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the Office of the Dean of Academic Affairs in advance of the semester of study when accommodations may be needed.