Graduate: FA 650, Critical Practice



Critical Practice,FA 650
 Spring 2015, WSU Fine Arts Department
1:25-3:50

Professor Io Palmer                            
Office: Fine Arts 7021
Email: iopalmer@wsu.edu
Office Hours: Tuesday/Thursday: 12-1pm. or by appointment

Professor Dennis DeHart
Office: FA 7025, Phone #: 5-4981
Email: dennis.dehart@wsu.edu
Office Hours: Tuesday/Thursday, 12-1pm, or by Appointment


Course Locations
Various spaces including the photo classroom, the digital lab, individual studios, and Palouse environs (wherever necessary).

Course Description
As a Graduate course in the fine arts, our primary course objective is to facilitate a critical discourse, centered on studio production, through individual and group critiques, in addition to readings and discussions pertaining to contemporary art theory and films. The critique is the cornerstone of studio arts pedagogy, and will function as the primary tool to question, challenge, and ultimately help you develop your abilities as artists. Discussions on required readings are also an important tool in understanding ones personal creative practice as it pertains to contemporary culture. As a collaborative learning community, everyone’s voice will be both honored and required. Self-knowledge, critical examination, rigor, and grace are all important tools in this process.

Participants will be evaluated in three primary ways, which includes producing art, doing research, and class participation/ discussions. Cultural production is at the core of studio art practices. A significant emphasis will be placed on cross-disciplinary production, which may take form through physical objects, text, research, experimentation, etc. Research and studio production function in tandem, hence emphasis will be placed not only on the production of objects, but also on the process and how you came to these decisions. Hence you will be asked to cite sources, document influences, and critically discuss your process as well as your product.

Class participation will include engaging in all aspects of the course including critiques and seminars. The seminar will serve as an opportunity to engage with assigned critical readings and films, representative of a diversity of contemporary topics in the visual arts including, for example, race, class, identity, and globalism. The course will require each student to be visually and verbally articulate as well as inviting you to contextualize the conversation in a broader cultural discourse.

Expectations/Requirements/ Attendance
Consistent and engaged attendance and participation in all aspect of the class is required. Please discuss absences in advance with the instructor. Repeated absences will result in the lowering of your grade. Two unexcused absences are allowed. Additional unexcused absences will reduce your final grade by one-half a letter grade. Eight (8) or more unexcused absences will result in an “F”. Not coming to class, arriving late, or leaving early, is not acceptable. Each occurrence will reduce your final grade by one-half a letter grade. Each instance of being unprepared to work will reduce your grade by one-half a letter grade. You are expected to complete all assignments on time.

Evaluation
Students will be evaluated (graded) through a combination of production, research, and participation. Full participation in all aspects of the class including critiques will be graded. Additionally, because this is an art class, students will be evaluated on creativity and their ability to produce work. This means that if you make a considerable effort, the instructor will take your labor into account, though this does not guarantee an "A." For maximum success, concern yourself less with your grade, and focus on investing yourself into the process of art making. The percentage breakdown for this course is approximately: Studio Production 60%, Research, 20%, Participation, 20%.

Academic Honesty
WSU is committed to principles of truth and academic honesty. Academic dishonesty includes cheating, plagiarism, and fabrication in the process of academic work, and can result in suspension or dismissal from the university. In this class, academic dishonesty will result in failure of this course and will be reported to the Office of Student Conduct

Disability Accommodations
Reasonable accommodations are available for students who have a documented disability. Please notify the professor during the first week of class regarding accommodations needed for the course. Late notification may cause the requested accommodations to be unavailable. Students needing accommodations must first have them approved through the Associate Director of Student Services, VSSB203a.

Cell Phones/Hand Held Media
WSU is committed to providing a quality- learning environment. All cell phones/ smart phones etc. need to be placed in a non-audible mode while in classrooms, computer labs, the library, the learning center, and testing areas. Cell phones must be used outside these facilities.

Bibliography/Readings/Resources

Critical Theory
Hickey, Dave, Air Guitar, Essays on Art and Democracy, Art Issues, Press, LA, 1997

Bouriaud, Nicolas, The Radicant, Lukas and Sternberg, NY, 2009
­
Bouriaud, Nicolas, Relational Aesthetics, Les Presses du Reel, 2002

Davis, Ben, 9.5 Theses on Art and Class, Haymarket Books, 2013

Harris, Jonathan, Globalization and Contemporary Art, Wiley-Blackwell, 2011

Jacobs, Mary Jane, The Studio Reader: On the Spaces of Artists, University of Chicago Press, 2010

Pedagogy/Curriculum
Madoff, Steven, ed., Art School: Propositions for the 21st Century, MIT, 2009

Critique
Buster, Kendall, The Critique Handbook, The Art Student’s Sourcebook and Survival Guide, 2nd Edition, Pearson, 2010

Practical/Self Help
Bayles, David, Art and Fear, Observation On the Perils (and Rewards) of Art Making, Image Continuum Press, 1993


On-Line scheduled readings:
Interview with Catherine Opie
http://transatlantica.revues.org/6430

Audio Program:
http://toe.prx.org/2014/05/a-better-tomorrow/



Calendar


WEEK 1
Tuesday, January 13

Syllabus orientation
Readings handed out
1 hour relaxing and getting to know each other
Reading: Air Guitar: David Hickey: A Rinestone as Big as the Ritz



THURSDAY, January 15

Discussion: Air Guitar: David Hickey: A Rhinestone as Big as the Ritz


Individual critique:  Sam and Noelle


WEEK 2
TUESDAY, January 20
Individual critique:  Jade and Phil

Reading: The Studio Reader: The Studio as Lived in Space

THURSDAY, January 22
Film Viewing: TBD
No Io-
WEEK 3
TUESDAY, January 27
Individual critique:  Anna and Kayleigh

Discussion: The Studio Reader: The Studio as Lived in Space

THURSDAY, January 29
Individual critique:  Kayla and Dylan

Discussion on Film:
WEEK 4
TUESDAY, February 3
Individual critique:  Dani and Nicolle and Alx

Reading: Creating a New Iconocity- Catherine Opie

THURSDAY, February 5
Individual critique:  Zack and Kevin


Discussion: Creating a New Iconocity- Catherine Opie
WEEK 5
TUESDAY, February 10
First group critique: 40 minutes each-Alx,  Phil and Sam

Reading: Thesis of Art and Class: Ch. 1 and 2 Art and Class

THURSDAY, February 12
Second group critique: Kayla , Kevin and Zack

WEEK 6
TUESDAY, February 17
Third  group critique: Dawn, Anna and Jade

Discussion: Thesis of Art and Class: Ch. 1 and 2 Art and Class

THURSDAY, February 19
Fourth group critique: Noelle, Nicole, and Dylan

Discussion: Thesis of Art and Class: Ch. 1 and 2 Art and Class
WEEK 7
TUESDAY, February 24
Fifth group critique: Dani and Kayleigh

Reading: Thesis of Art and Class: Ch 3 Art and Its Audience


THURSDAY, February 26
Mid Term Evaluations: Course Evaluation and Assessment- Individual meetings with grads
WEEK 8
TUESDAY, March 3
Mid Term Evaluations: Course Evaluation and Assessment- Individual meetings with grads

THURSDAY, March 5
Dawn, Individual Critique

Discussion: Thesis of Art and Class: Ch 3 Art and Its Audience

WEEK 9
TUESDAY, March 10
Individual critique with Anna, Noelle, Sam

THURSDAY, March 12
Individual Critiques: Dylan, Dani and Alx


WEEK 10
TUESDAY, March 17- THURSDAY, March 19
No Class- Spring Break


TUESDAY, March 17- THURSDAY, March 19
No Class- Spring Break
WEEK 11
TUESDAY, March 24
Individual Critique: Nicolle, Kayla and Kayleigh

Reading: Globalization and Contemporary Art, Ch. 4, Museums in the Colonial Horizon of Modernity: Fred Wilson



THURSDAY, March 26

Viewing of Film: TBA
WEEK 12
Tuesday, March 31

Discussion: Globalization and Contemporary Art, Ch. 4, Museums in the Colonial Horizon of Modernity: Fred Wilson

THURSDAY, April 2

Discussion on Film
Group Critiques with Dani, Dylan, and Kayleigh
WEEK 13
TUESDAY, April 7

Group Critique: Kayla, Alx, and Nicole

THURSDAY, April 9

Discussion of Film:
Reading: Bourriaud, Nicolas: The Radicant


MFA Opening on April 10
WEEK 14
Tuesday, April 14

Discussion: Bourriaud, Nicolas: The Radicant

Group Critique: Kevin, Sam and Anna

Thursday, April 16
Tentative: Road Trip- Seattle

WEEK 15
TUESDAY, April 21
Group Critique: Phil and Noelle

Discussion: Bourriaud, Nicolas: The Radicant

THURSDAY, April 23
Group critique: Jade and Zack

Viewing of Film: TBA­­­
WEEK 16
TUESDAY, April 28
Individual critique, Dawn
Discussion of Film:

THURSDAY, April 30

Class Assessment



Weekly Schedule of readings/film assignments


Weekly Schedule

Week 1-5

Week 1: Jan   13-15
Week 2: Jan   20- 22
Week 3: Jan   27-29
Week 4: Feb   3-5
Week 5: Feb  10-12




Week 6- 11

Week 6:   Feb 17-19
Week 7:   Feb 24-26- Midterm
Week 8:  March 3-5
Week 9:  March  10-12
Week 10: March 17- 19
Spring Break- No Class
Week 11: March 24-26

Week 12 – 16

Week 12:  March 31-April 2
Week 13:  April 7-9
Week 14:  April 14-16
Week 15:  April 21-23
Week 16:  April 28-30

Themes

Identity

Class Structure

Globalization

Readings:

1 Air Guitar: David Hickey: A Rinestone as Big as the Ritz

2. The Studio Reader: The Studio as Lived in Space

3 Creating a New Iconocity- Catherine Opie

1 Thesis of Art and Class: Ch. 1 and 2 Art and Class

2 Thesis of Art and Class: Ch 3 Art and Its Audience



1 Globalization and Contemporary Art, Ch. 4, Museums in the Colonial Horizon of Modernity: Fred Wilson

2 Bourriaud, Nicolas: The Radicant




“Every minute of every hour of every day you are making the world, just as you are making yourself, and you might as well do it with generosity and kindness and style. “

― Rebecca Solnit


“Bad taste is real taste, of course, and good taste is the residue of someone else's privilege.”― Dave Hickey

Seattle Field Trip, 4.17-19, 2015
FA 650 Critical Practices

Friday 4/17
           
            9:00am- WSU, Green lot south of French Admin Building, North of Vet Med

            3:00am-Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington Campus
            4100 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105
            (206) 543-2280

            Optional: Jacob Lawrence Gallery, UW Art Department
            Burke Natural History Museum, UW Campus
            Sound Garden Sculpture Park, Magnuson Park


Saturday 4/18

            11:00am MadArt
            325 Westlake Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109
            (206) 623-1180

            1:00pm- Seattle Art Museum
            Seattle Library

            3:00-5:00pm, Pioneer Square Art Galleries


Sunday 4/19
            10:00am, Sculpture Garden, downtown Seattle, WA

            Leave Seattle after lunch
Optional:
Center of Contemporary Art, 5701 6th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98108
Photographic Center Northwest, 900 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122
Fry Art Museum, 704 Terry Ave, Seattle, WA 98104



Resources:

Galleries:

Co-ops/collective galleries:

Museums

Cultural Museums/Organizations  








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