Art Theory & Critical Studies (ARTCR-UE)

'Art: Practice and Ideas' examines key developments in the visual arts from modernity to the present. Focusing on the ways in which representations both create and reflect the values of a society, the course introduces students to the full range of expressive possibilities within the visual arts, covering painting and sculpture, as well as photography, film, video, conceptual art, and computer media. Topics to be covered include classical, modern, and postmodern relationships to politics, vision, the mind, the body, psychology, gender, difference, and technological innovation. Students will see and understand how artists have integrated perceptions of their historical moment, as well as physical and social space, into creative practices that have, in turn, had a significant impact on the culture of the time. Liberal Arts Core/MAP Equivalent - satisfies the requirement for Expressive Cultures

Combines a survey of artworks from antiquity through the Enlightenment with a critical exploration of the relationship of visual expression to the changing social contexts of the periods. Discussions will include the role of art within both non-Western and European cultures, as well as the influence of past cultures on contemporary issues.

Study of painting and sculpture in America in 1945 to the present with background information concerning development of styles and movements in art in the 20th century. Lectures, discussions, slides, gallery and museum visits.

New art and new definitions of art and artist are discussed. Major attention is paid to the New York scene with guest lectures by artists and visits to galleries, museums, and other major sites in the current art system.

This course examines the current developments in contemporary art over the past decade – the art of ‘now’ – from the viewpoint of an artist’s practice & working ideas, looking at current global art production in aesthetic, economic, & social contexts. The major movements in painting, photography, sculpture, installation & performance are examined. Readings will be drawn from first hand interviews & point-of-view accounts, reviews, & critique; a major emphasis on interviews & online studio visits will accompany the texts. Guest artist lectures & off-site museum & gallery viewings will complement the weekly visual presentations & theory conversations. Liberal Arts Core/CORE Equivalent - satisfies the requirement for Expressive Cultures

Designed for BFA (Studio Art) students, this course is an introduction to the global history of art, exploring the meanings associated with “art.” The class is a series of linked test cases involving specific art objects & the context of their creation. By working closely with a range of materials –– art history & theory, artist’s writings, & documentary film –– we will survey how artists have contributed to the history of art and question how this history matters for contemporary artists.

The visual arts are explored in the full context of the socioeconomic, political, and ethical forces that have shaped them with particular attention to recurring patterns and themes. Questions of context, accessibility, and the role of the creative artist in social change are explored. The course will include field trips and guest lectures to supplement the instructors lectures and class discussion.

One common trait of experimental modernist and contemporary art is the pressure it exerts on conventional ideas about what art is and what it can do. This research seminar will address some of the many forms this redefinition has taken, combining art historical methods with approaches drawn from critical aesthetics and curatorial theory. Whenever possible, we will meet directly with artists, conduct site visits, and utilize NYU’s extensive archives.

This course considers the history and possibilities of imagining and representing the Other and the Unknown. It is centered on the close study of films, texts and media, including Yermek Shinarbaev’s Revenge, on the Korean diaspora in central Asia, Susana Aikin’s The Salt Mines, Kpop, texts drawn from critical theory, fiction, and the news. Through experimentations with various media ranging from writing, storytelling, films and diagrams, students are asked to find ways to bring the unknown to the realm of the familiar, while questioning the merits of this practice.

The contemporary art world is a convoluted interplay of aesthetics & economics; ego & idealism. How can an emerging artist navigate its layers & idiosyncrasies? Through readings of theory & criticism, lectures, discussions, site visits, guest speakers, & student responses in the form of multimedia projects and art writing, this course explores contemporary art’s mechanisms & current discourse, always keeping Berlin’s local context in mind.

This course seeks to investigate what history, & particularly recent history, tells us about the role of art in contemporary culture. We will look at the concept of the avant-garde & the notion of “criticality” that dominates the current art system & how that shapes art making, education, patronage, dissemination, & canonization. Mostly, we will ask ourselves questions like, what, if any, is the artist’s (& writer’s) responsibility as a producer of culture? What role does art play in global culture? How do politics affect aesthetics?