Drawing Under the Influence: Remixing Tradition

Joseph Wardwellwardwell@brandeis.edu781-736-2656Goldman Schwartz 107Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays from 1pm – 2 pm and by appointment

Course Overview

Great art has always borrowed from its forbearers, building on tradition and re-contextualizing those traditions for a contemporary lens. This studio based course looks at Art Historical movements through practice of techniques and ideas with the goal of using the work of masters for students’ self-expression.

Drawing Under the Influence is a course that introduces students to various processes and concepts in drawing, printmaking, and painting. This course is ideal for beginning students to experiment with the foundations of art making but also ideal for intermediate students to gain greater depth in specific studio processes. Furthermore,

the course will be ideal for art history students to gain a hands on understanding of seminal historic works of art. Students will be introduced to the work of artists from across art movements, studying technique, recreating works of art in their own interpretations and thus learning greater depth from master works of art through the process of creation.

Drawing Under the Influence is a course that explores various historical and contemporary ideas and techniques. Through differing art practices, students create unique works of art that integrate genres and time periods in the service of self-expression. Students will examine, study and recreate facsimiles from the Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassic eras as well as from Pop, Photorealist, Abstract Expressionist, and Minimalist movements.

Learning Outcomes:

Using the process of art making, students should come away from this course with a clear understanding of the differences in art movements and be able to clearly articulate in either artwork or discourse the nuances of each genre studied. In addition, students should be able to combine or interlace these genres within unique works of art with the goal of self-expression.

Week 1 and 2: DrawingProject 1: The Art of the Renaissance Revealed

August 29th: Introduction to course explanation of syllabus and beginning assignmentSeptember 5th: Focusing on the Italian and Germanic Renaissance students will learn about and discuss the works of Duccio, Botticelli, Piero Della Francesca, Durer and their unique contributions to the canon of art history. September 6th: Students choose an artist and begin a copy from a master work, studying techniques used in original. Materials to used are graphite or conte crayon and paper.

Out of Class work: Additional copy of Renaissance masterpiece

Week 3 and 4: DrawingProject 1: The Art of the Renaissance Revealed

September 12th: Students will continue with the interpretation of the master work from the Renaissance September 17th: Finish Project 1 and critique results

Out of Class work: Student do their own version of Renaissance portrait

Week 5: Painting/Printmaking Project 2: The Power of Pop

September 25th: Introduce concepts and ideas of the Pop Art movement. Students are introduced to the work of Andy Warhol, James Rosenquist, Roy Lichtenstein, Strurtevant, Sister Mary Corita Kent and Roslyn Drexler

September 26th: Students being their own version of a pop art piece. Exploring ideas and techniques utilized by the Pop artists.

Out of Class work: Students complete additional Pop Art project utilizing different technique from the in class assignment

Week 6: Painting/Printmaking Project 2: The Power of Pop

October 3rd: Continue with the Pop art project. Finish Pop art project out of class.

Out of Class work: Students combine outside of class portrait with outside of class Pop Art Assignment

Week 7: CollageProject 3: Assemblage!

October 8th: Discuss the work of Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns and through the art of collage, students will deconstruct Pop art project and Renaissance project and begin to reassemble into new work of art.

October 10th: Continue with assemblage/collage project. Out of Class work: One additional collage focusing on composition

Week 8: Painting/DrawingProject 4: Photo Realism

October 15th: Discussion of concepts and process of Photorealist movement. Artist discussed include: Audrey Flack, Janet Fish, Vija Celmins, Chuck Close, Robert Bechtle and Richard Estes.

October 17th: Begin Photorealism project from own imagery. Students may work in in drawing or painting on paper

Out of Class work: Additional Photorealist drawing. Subject matter must differ greatly from in class project. i.e. if in class work is figurative, out of class should be still life or landscape.

Week 9: Painting/DrawingProject 4: Photo Realism

October 22nd: Students continue to develop Photorealist projectOctober 24th: Finish Photorealist project and discuss.

Out of Class work: Continue second photorealist project

Week 10: Painting/DrawingProject 5: Abstract Expressionism

October 29th: Students are introduced to the concepts and processes of Abstract Expressionism. Artist discussed include: Jackson Pollack, Willem

De Kooning, Arshile Gorky, Lee Krasner, Mark Rothko, and Helen Frankenthaler

October 31st: Students begin project using process of Abstract Expressionists. Work is done with paint on paper.

Out of Class work: Additional drawing outside of class should be a different approach than in class project. i.e. in class abstract expressionist out of class color field.

Week 11: Painting/DrawingProject 5: Abstract Expressionism

November 5th: Students continue and finish Abstract Expressionist painting project.

November 7th: Students deconstruct both Photorealist project and Abstract Expressionist project and reassemble

Out of Class work: Students complete reassembled Photorealist and Abstract Expressionist project for in class presentation the following week.

Week 12: Painting/DrawingProject 7: The Mighty Baroque

November 12th: Students learn about artists and art making processes that are associated with Baroque painters such as Caravaggio, Artemisia Gentileschi, Velazquez, Rembrandt and Ruebens.

November 14th: Working from a model and still life, students will create a large scale drawing using compositional styles and chiaroscuro in the vein of Baroque painters

Out of Class work: Additional drawing to compliment Baroque style drawing. Influenced from a different artist than in class project.

Week 13: Painting/DrawingProject 7: The Mighty Baroque

November 19th: Students continue with Baroque style figure with still life drawingFinish Baroque style drawing and discuss

Out of Class work: Minimalist or geometric abstract assignment in preparation fo the following week’s in class project

Week 14: PaintingProject 6: Minimalism, OP Art, and Geometric Abstraction

November 26th: In class presentation of finished Project 4 and Project 5. The ideas and processes of Minimalism, OP Art and Geometric Abstraction are discussed. Students are introduced to the art of Bridget Riley, Robert Ryman, Gene Davis, November 28th: Students create compositional design and then implement this design on a larger work.

Out of Class work: Using tape and stencils students mask off areas of week 11 Baroque drawing and begin to apply geometric abstraction on top.

Week 15: PaintingProject 6: Minimalism, OP Art, and Geometric Abstraction

December 3rd: Students continue with abstract work on larger paperDecember 5th: Completion of abstract work and critique discussion

Out of Class work: Continue final projectWeek 14Final Projects, Critiques and presentation

December 10th: Final project in class work day and presentationFinal Exam: Critique of all projects

Readings:Will include but are not limited to:The Anxiety of InfluenceJack Goldstein and the CalArts MafiaAir Guitar

General Student Requirements and responsibilities

On time arrival to class, with appropriate materials. Active, respectful participation in discussions and critiques. No cell phone use in class Expect to spend 8 hours per week working on out of class assignments.

Grading

50% - Attendance and active class participationBe on time and prepared; lateness of more than 15 minutes will count as ½ absence. Students with more than two unexcused absences will not be considered for an ‘A’ grade. In addition to showing up on time, students are expected to complete all in class assignments and out of class assignments on time and to actively participate in discussions and critiques. Cell phone use and other distracted behavior will be noted and factored into final grade assessment. 35% Weekly Assignments out of classAssignments will be given on a weekly basis. Most assignments will be based on deepening the understanding of in class assignments. All outside assignments will be turned in the week after they are assigned and graded individually.

15% Presentation of Final ProjectAt the end of the semester, all students will be required to present their final project along with all “combined” assignments.

Disabilities

If you are a student with a documented disability on record at Brandeis University and wish to have a reasonable accommodation made for you in this class, please see me immediately.

Academic Integrity

You are expected to be familiar with and to follow the University’s policies on academic integrity (see http://www.brandeis.edu/studentlife/sdc/ai). Faculty may refer any suspected instances of alleged dishonesty to the Office of Student Development and Conduct. Instances of academic dishonesty may result in sanctions including but not limited to, failing grades being issued, educational programs, and other consequences.