Topic Three: Rhinoceros, Part Two

Topic Three Research Assignment #2, DUE Monday, October 1 at 10 PM:

Today in class, you were given a reading, Photographing the Past During the Present (Chapter 6), A People's Art History of the United States; Nicolas Lampert, 2013.

The form for this reading is found here, and is due Monday, October 1 at 10 PM.

Topic Three Assignment (Creature/Other) #1, DUE Tuesday, October 2, at 10 AM:

The last page of the Clarke reading (The First Lisbon, or Durer, Rhinoceros) contains the texts from which you will depict what was described.

Creature/Other-- using source texts from a) scientific observation (biology) [Creature] and b) colonial 'exploration' [Other] as source material to visually depict what is described.  Students are limited to using their imagination, and are discouraged from researching the text online.  The idea is to understand the role of early artists and illustrators as important interpreter/creators of visual culture, as well as scientific and anthropological 'fact'.  Choose one of each for the two types of text options.  Work may be created in any medium; 2D work should be no smaller than 8.5" x 11".

Topic Three: Rhinoceros, Part One

Topic Three: Rhinoceros--Communication, Illustration, Propaganda, and Interpretation

There is no ‘pure’ image—images always carry an embedded bias of their creator or of the era in which the image was made; the bias can be unintentional, contextually historical, or intentional.  Images can serve different purposes, too: consider the different contexts and functions of scientific illustration, individual portraiture, or religious, political, or other propaganda.

The overall goal of this Topic is to cause students to first see representation, then trace the influence of representation into the intentional creation of meaning (communication, illustration, propaganda)

Research Assignment #1: 

Reading: The First Lisbon or Durer Rhinoceros of 1515 (Chapter 1), The Rhinoceros from Durer to Stubbs; 1515 - 1799; T. H. Clarke, 1986; pages 16 - 27.  Digital copy here.  Physical copy available for pickup in the mailbox on Don's door (5601-19).  You will have a form due for this reading on Wednesday, Sept. 26. We highly recommend that you get the physical copy of the reading.

The last two pages of the physical copy of the reading are information for the first art assignment.

Information about the first artwork assignment will be added to this post after we explain it in class.

Topic Two: Pattern and Ornament, Part 3

The presentation that we were unable to continue in class today can be found here.  This presentation gives you further context for the CAM Raleigh reading, as well as contextual information regarding Modernism, Kitsch and Postmodernism.  Please review it; it will help your overall understanding of the topic.

Information Regarding Critique, Tuesday, September 25:

You now have 4 full working days to create an ambitious artwork that is derived from the processes we modeled to you throughout the duration of this topic. 

Critique will be broken up into two groups, one with Don (groups A & B) and the other with Kathleen (groups C & D).  Meet in our regular room; Don's group will set up for critique in 5208.  Don's group should not set up work in 5219.

Topic Two: Pattern and Ornament

Critique ‘Rubric’

1)      Relevance to Topic Two: Can the viewer understand how individual and/or cultural experience has shaped or influenced the design and execution of the artwork? 

2)      Ambition: Is the work ambitious? Did you invest significant time in the process, and does it show?

3)      Execution: Does the work successfully convey what you intended?  Consider this through: your craftsmanship, your communicative goals, your use of design, your compositional decisions, your technical choices, and your skills.

4)      Professionalism: Is the work presented in a professional manner?  Understand that “professional” doesn’t automatically mean “framed”, “matted”, or “on a pedestal”.  Presentation that is not professional is most obvious because it distracts from the presence and communicative goals of the artwork by an intrusion of unintentional context.

Topic Two: Pattern and Ornament, Part 2 of 2

Research Assignment #2, DUE Sept. 17 at 10 PM (on your blog, as a post):

Using a digital camera, take images of examples of pattern and ornament that you see in your daily life.


Assignment #2 DUE Sept. 18 at 10 AM:

Select a chair pattern from one of the four options provided below.  You will use this pattern to interpret, build on, or 'arrange' (reconfigure), taking your own interests, experience, strengths and skills into account.  Find a way to make something from the pattern that is 'your own', but that is still a chair.  Create (draw/paint/digitally make) three views of this chair: Top view, Side View, Front View.  Each image should be 8" x 10".  You will have a week to create these drawings.

1. Eames

2. Hepplewhite

3. Renaissance Folding 

4. Sheraton

Assignment #3 DUE Sept 18 at 10 AM:

Greyscale Repeat Pattern--you will be given a demonstration in how to create a repeat pattern on Thursday, September  13.  Create a greyscale repeat using the method instructed, on an 8.5" x 11" looseleaf sheet of paper.  You will turn this in to the professors; it cannot exist in your sketchbook.

Research Assignment #3, DUE Sept. 19 at 10 PM:
Reading- here is the online reading and form.  This post will be updated by the 13th with that info.

Assignment #4  DUE Sept 25 at 10 AM [CRIT]:

Quadrant Abstraction--we will assign you a quadrant that you will use to abstract one of your chair views.  From this, you will create an artwork in any medium of your choice that will be ambitious, and which fulfills one of the purposes or goals you have personally established for your body of work.  We will assign you the quadrant on Sept. 18; you will have a week to create this artwork.

Topic Two: Pattern and Ornament, Part 1 of 2

Topic Overview

This next topic will be a consideration of both design and fabrication through the focusing concepts of pattern and ornament in art, craft and architecture.  Some questions that we will consider are: In what ways are design and execution related as a cohesive process?  How are design ideas and concepts transmitted?  What are the steps necessary to take a design from idea to actuality?  What is the relationship between design and decoration?  What ideas does decoration transmit?

This topic will consider a historical and global viewpoint.  The reading will be challenging for most of you, as will be many of the concepts which underpin this topic.  Our goal is to dig deep, rather than to remain at a level of popular understanding.  We will be examining both design and making as integral, essential thought processes.

Required Outside Visit--Deadline Sept. 17

There will be a required Outside Visit for this topic; this is part of your research grade for the course.  You will be required to go to the Wolfsonian-FIU Museum on Miami Beach.  You must use the following exhibition for your visit for this topic, but we encourage you to see them all:

Art and Design in the Modern Age: Selections from the Wolfsonian Permanent Collection

You will be given a form response for this Outside Visit--your form response is DUE Monday, September 17 at 10 PM.  Additionally, you are required to take a selfie while in the exhibit to post on your blog.  You may also post any other information regarding the visit on your blog, if you like. The Google Form is HERE <-- hint: this is a link; you can click on it.

On Friday, September 7, and Friday, September 14, the Wolfsonian will be offering a free, 45-minute long guided tour that begins at 6 PM.  Fridays allow free entry between 6 - 9 PM.

The Wolfsonian is located at:

1001 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139
At the corner of 10th Street & Washington Avenue 

These are the museum's hours:

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday | 10am–6pm
Wednesday | closed
Friday | 10am–9pm (free 6–9pm)
Sunday | noon–6pm

Assignments--Deadlines: Various

You will have brought materials in to class on Thursday, September 6.

In-class Exercises, Thursday, September 6:

• Directed Drawings (three)
• 2D-to-3D translation

These exercises need to be documented on your blog.

Research Assignment #1, READING (DUE September 10, 10 PM):

You will be given a printed copy of the reading, as well as a form questionnaire for your response.  The Google Form is here. We will have a discussion about this reading in class on September 11.  Your form response will be due September 10 at 10 PM.

Ivins, William M. ""Ornament" and the Sources of Design in the Decorative Arts." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 13, no. 2 (1918): 35-41. Available on JSTOR through the MDC Library.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/3254155

Assignment One: Kit & Instructions (DUE Tuesday, September 11):

Create a set of instructions that inform how to recreate the 3D form you built in class on Thursday. These instructions will accompany a kit of all materials required to build it. Bring both the instructions and the kit into class on Tuesday, September 11.



More assignments to follow.  [Post will be updated.]

Forms for Topic One: Questions, Reminder for Topic Two: Pattern and Ornament

You have two forms due for our first topic of the semester, Topic One: Questions.

The original deadline for those forms was today, September 5.  We have extended the deadline for the second form, WARP-The Tough Questions, until Friday, September 7, at 10 PM.  Your form responses count as part of your Research grade.

The WARP-First Day form is located here. 

The WARP-The Tough Questions form is located here.

You were asked to bring materials to Thursday's class, which will be the start of our second topic, Pattern and Ornament.  These materials will be for your use only, and will be for the purposes of both drawing and building a form.  You will be instructed in class as to the specifics.  If you do not bring materials, you will not be able to work in class, and will be graded accordingly.  Thursday's class work will be graded, in-class exercises.  These exercises will also need to be documented on your blogs.

You will also have an assignment due on September 10th for Topic Two: Pattern and Ornament, which begins Thursday, September 6.  That assignment will be announced in class.  You're being informed now so that you can better budget your time.

Your blog should be set-up by today.  See the previous post for more details.