Class Description

What is sculpture? This class will take an inclusive, open-ended approach towards defining what artistic practices might be categorized as sculpture. The focus of this class will be the creation of projects that employ a diverse range of processes and methods including but not limited to: systems, instructions, play, audience-participation, interventions in public, collaboration, multiples, absence, translation, failure, and site/place-specificity. An emphasis will be placed on the student's conceptual and thematic intentions, how they take physical form in three-dimensional space, and how they might be translated to (or from) two-dimensional or four-dimensional forms.

In the first half of the semester students will engage a multitude of exercises that take place in and out of the classroom. In the second half of the semester students will elaborate on one of the earlier exercises and create an exhibition-ready project. In addition, readings, videos and subsequent discussions will highlight works from contemporary artists whose methods question the boundaries between sculpture and other media, and whose ideas merge our notions of art and life.

1/14: Introduction / Review class objectives, schedule and requirements

QUESTION: What rules do you create for yourself as an artist?

DISCUSSION: Personal definitions of Sculpture / Woman of Willendorf / Whitney Biennial 2008

FILM/VIDEO: How Things Go - Fischli and Weiss & Honda Commercial & Honda Spoof & Incredible Machine

VIDEO: Synaesthesia & If You Can Do X, Why Can’t You Do Y – Amanda Baggs

EXERCISE: Object associations

HOMEWORK: Objects Exercise, choice by association

READING: I’m Sorry Wilson: Sculpture Down the Ages – Hartwig Fischer

1/21: Instructions / Systems / Play

QUESTION: Is making art work?

DISCUSSION: Documentation practices

ARTISTS: Nina Katchadourian, Sara Sze, C.J. Huang,
David Shrigley, Sophie Calle, Oyvind Falstrom

FILM: Roman Signer
VIDEO: Semiotics of the Kitchen - Martha Rosler

EXERCISE: Mapping where our clothes are made

HOMEWORK: DO IT exercises / Objects Exercise, instructor’s choice

READING: Sculpture in the Expanded Field – Rosalind Krauss

1/28: Value

QUESTION: How do we determine value?

DISCUSSION: Fake designer bags

ARTISTS: Peter Simensky

AUDIO: The Peoples Choice Music - Komar and Melemud

EXERCISE: 10 things more important then art
Museum admission costs / Price equivlencies

HOMEWORK: Objects Exercise, students choose

READING: Selection from Embodied Meanings - Athur C. Danto

1/31: Trip #1

TBA: Unofficial Saturday trip to museum, gallery, etc.
This trip is not required but highly suggested.

2/4: Translation / Language

QUESTION: Is something always lost in translation?

ARTISTS: Werner Reitier, Gary Hill
Translation Piece -Johnathan Monk

VIDEOS: I Am Making Art – John Baldesari &
I Am Making Art Too - Jill Miller
Early Videos -William Wegman
In My Own Language - Amanda Baggs

HOMEWORK: Little Black Dot Exercise: Due 2/18
Artist Identity Assignment: Due 2/18

2/11: White Dots

White dot exercises due

Video: More William Wegman Videos

HOMEWORK:
Continue to work on Artist Identity Assignment: Due 2/18



2/18: Aritsts Identity and Roles

QUESTION: What roles can artists play in society?

ARTISTS: Artist Identity Assignments

ARTFORUM: Scene and Herd

INTERVIEW: David Hammons

VIDEO: Excerpts from The Fundamental Gilbert and George

HOMEWORK: No-Object Exercise

READING: Common Work - Jeff Kelly

2/25: NO CLASS!

NO CLASS TODAY

HOMEWORK: Continue No-Object Exercise

3/4: COLLABORATION

QUESTION: Whose project is this? What happened to artistic genius?
DISCUSSION: Styles of collaboration.
VIDEO: Excerpts from The Fundamental Gilbert and George
HOMEWORK: Snow Collaboration or Impossibility Collaboration
READING: Out of Order: The Public Art Machine – Patricia C. Phillips, Art for Art’s Sake, or Art for Society’s Sake – Suzi Gablik

HOMEWORK: Spring Break Exercise due 3/18

3/11: Spring Break

You all get funnels for your next exercise...

3/18: Public space / Questions of Audience

QUESTION: Where is public art? Who is your audience?

DISCUSSION: Methods for interaction / Artists' Responsibilities

ARTISTS: Alexsandra Mir, Christian Jankowski, Leopold Kessler, Gordon Matta Clark

EXERCISE: Class will travel to the Carousel Mall to discuss notions of public space

HOMEWORK: TBA

READING: Debated Territory: Toward a Critical Language for Public Art – Suzanne Lacy

3/25: Catch-up Day

CLASS: This entire class will be dedicated to looking at and discussing the results of all of the previous exercises. The Final project will then be explained in detail.

HOMEWORK: Preliminary Planning for Final Project
READING: Selections from Why Art Cannot be Taught – James Elkins

4/1: Visting Artist Lecture

Tentative: Andrew Deutsch & Stephen Vitiello will speak about their installation at the Warehouse Gallery

4/4: Trip #2

MASS MoCA - Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art

This Saturday trip is not required but highly suggested.

4/8 - 4/29 Final Project

FINAL PROJECT:
The final project will culminate in an exhibition at the Warehouse Gallery. All projects will be installed on April 23rd during class time.

4/29: Exhibition Opens

STILL BLURRY
April 29 - May 30, 2008
Reception: April 29, 6-8pm

The Warehouse Gallery
350 West Fayette Street
Tue-Sat 12-6pm
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