Art History (ARTH-UH)

This course provides in-depth engagements with key works of art - masterpieces and material culture across various media from different times and places - aimed at developing the critical framework of visual analysis. It introduces the methods and fundamental concepts of art history by taking one work of art and constructing around it a web of diverse objects and practices that help us explore the meanings of art and its histories within global and trans-historical perspectives. Throughout the course, we pose several questions: What is art? What is art history? What institutions shape the practice and dissemination of art? How does art interact with histories of cultural exchange? What is the nature of tradition? The course will involve lectures, discussions, and practical exercises. Evaluation will consist of written assignments, PowerPoint presentations, and active class participation. No prior knowledge of art history is necessary.

These courses offer detailed engagements with key works of art masterpieces to material culture across a range of media from different times and places to develop the critical apparatus of visual analysis. They introduce the methods and fundamental concepts of art history by taking one work of art and constructing around it a web of diverse objects and practices that allow us to grapple with the meanings of art and its histories within global and trans-historical perspectives. Among the questions we ask throughout the course are: What is art? What is art history? What are the institutions that shape the practice and dissemination of art? How is art affected by histories of cultural exchange? What is the nature of tradition? The course will be conducted through both lecture and discussion. Evaluation will be through written assignments, PowerPoint presentations, and active class participation. No previous knowledge of art history is required.

The Buddha seated in deep meditation having renounced all desires; Shiva performing his cosmic dance in a ring of fire or a Mughal emperor seated in his court in all his regal splendor are some of the most reverberating and paradoxical motifs of South Asian art. The course offers a survey and analysis of the aesthetic diversity of art from South Asia within a historical and socio-cultural perspective. Much of what we understand as art today are relics of the past, icons of devotion or objects of decorative and everyday use. Through the medium of sculpture, paintings, illustrated manuscripts, calligraphy and architecture the course will help to cultivate an art historical vocabulary, explain the visual symbolism, discover the language of sacred and ritual representations, and underscore the power of myths and narratives which give life to these motifs. Covering a broad time period- from the pre-historic to the 19th century the course will focus upon select themes of South Asian art. In the process, the course will address questions of representations of body, landscapes, image making, patronage, individual artists and their styles, materials, techniques and aesthetic turns.

Focusing on the art, architecture, and cultural exchanges that occurred across the Gulf and Indian Ocean networks, this course explores the history of artistic production in the Islamic world. Presenting a select group of materials within a chronological and dynastic framework, the course will investigate the art and architecture produced in regions including the Swahili coast, the Red Sea, the Arabian Peninsula, the Gulf and South Asia, and the relationships between them. We will consider important and representative works of architecture, ceramics, metalwork, textiles and the arts of the book. These selections will highlight important internal developments as well as 'points of contact' between cultural entities. This approach - at once global and local - speaks to the dynamic and fluid qualities of many of the arts produced in the regions under scrutiny. Class meetings will combine both lectures and seminar discussions of visual presentations and assigned readings.

This interdisciplinary course places artistic production in conversation with various forms of scientific concern - including mathematics, natural sciences, and technology. Organized in a roughly chronological fashion, the materials cover the early modern period up to the present day and represent a range of geographies. While works created throughout the globe will be considered, the products of Muslim artists will be a main focus of the course. Topics to be considered include the intersections of art and mathematics - including structures of Islamic geometric patterning, and the incorporation of linear perspective in Renaissance art. The course also explores the relationship of artistic expression with the natural world, including discussions of arts that utilize the natural world both as inspiration and as a medium for creation. Finally, the course examines not only how emerging technologies are used to create modern and contemporary art forms, but also how technological advances have impacted art making and art historical study. Class meetings will be supplemented by a wide range of guest speakers, relevant films, and visits to museums collections and laboratories.

This course offers an introduction to the visual arts and cultures of East Asia, spanning from prehistoric times to the present day. Focusing primarily on China, Japan, and Korea, students will explore a diverse range of artistic media, including sculpture, painting, ceramics, and architecture. Through case studies and paradigmatic examples, we will examine important art historical concepts, such as stylistic transmission, cross-cultural exchanges, influence and appropriation, materiality, artistic processes, agency, and artistic identity. We will also study the fundamental principles of Buddhism and Confucianism to better understand their impact on artistic expression, symbolism, and patronage. By engaging with historical contexts and theoretical approaches, students will develop a deeper understanding of the dynamic visual traditions that have shaped East Asian art over the centuries.

This course introduces students to the history, theory, and practice of photography. Students will learn foundational image-making techniques with a focus on Black and White analog photography. A range of studio and darkroom tools and approaches will be explored. Students will be introduced to key artists, themes, and developments in photography and will consider the impact of photographic media on the development of art and society.

It can be said that drawing is to the visual arts what mathematics is to the sciences. Like mathematics drawing is a universal language. Basic visual cues function the same for all people. Notwithstanding our increased dependence on technology, marking on paper continues to be the most expedient means to express ideas for painting, sculpture, or simple things like quickly making a map for someone. The paradox is that learning to see 2-dimensionally increases one's ability to see and project ideas that also take place in 3-dimensional space and time. Inventing 2-dimensional shapes to express multi-dimensional ideas or feelings requires a high degree of abstract thinking. With this course we use drawing as a tool for understanding 2-dimensional visual perception. The drawings we make in class document the degree of our ability to see 2-dimensionally.

This course explores the medium of sculpture and other 3D forms through the principles of three-dimensional design and the concepts that drive developments in contemporary art. Projects may include mold making, ceramics, and the use of wood working tools, as well as the use of sculpture as costume, performance, environment, or kinetic form. Students use a variety of materials from wood and cardboard to metal, plaster, paper, cloth and found objects to expand their understanding of form and space.

Type Design is the art and craft of designing typefaces. From calligraphy and stone carving to digital type, the history of type recounts the discoveries and technological progress made through human inventions. While some typefaces are insignificant and forgotten, others will survive mankind, such as Futura engraved on the Apollo 11 plaque, left on the Moon. Some typefaces were revolutionary, others reactionary. But behind each of them there was an inventor. Students will follow the 'traces' and the stories of the type masters who shaped our visual typographical landscapes. Western and Arabic versions of typefaces will be examined and students will learn to identify and combine fonts on real visual design layouts. We will see how typefaces can become visual metaphors of towns and nations - Johnston Underground is London - or marketing tools for the advertising industry. Typography and type design in the digital age will be investigated via practical exercises and printing workshops. The course will include calligraphy classes with the UAE State Calligrapher Mohammed Mandi at the National Theater Art Workshop, Abu Dhabi.

This immersive studio course combines practice and reflection through a project-based approach to graphic design. Lectures and readings address Western graphic design history and visual communication in the 20th and 21st century, and contemporary Arabic graphic design. Students are exposed to the multiple facets of visual communication and understand its importance in cross-cultural contexts. The theoretical component of the class will focus on the role of the graphic designer today, in his/her constantly shifting role as artist/problem solver/skilled executant, with readings from Munari, Shaughnessy, Spiekermann. Students will receive first-hand experience grappling with the practical issues faced by design professionals worldwide. Exercises in visual communication, creative methodologies, cross-cultural design, and branding will allow them to develop creative and collaborative design skills for problem solving. Students will develop key design skills in research, gathering, analysis, decision making, brainstorming and teamwork.

This immersive studio course in graphic design combines practice and reflection through a project-based approach to branding. Logos are graphic marks or emblems used by commercial enterprises, organizations and individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition. How are Logos doing today? How designers are coping with new emerging standards? How do we deal with a brand when a Favicon or screen buttons become more important than header paper? We will see how some of the most successful logos only seem to be set in stone, while in reality they constantly mutate and adapt. We also examine how and why certain logos in the last two decades have become metaphors for the worst outcomes of corporate cultures and the targets of anti-globalization activists everywhere. We investigate how and why in our Age of Brands, logos ended in the spotlight for reasons opposite to the ones they were created for. Particular emphasis will be placed on the challenges faced by contemporary designers when handling assignments outside their own cultural backgrounds: do we have what it takes to make a logo function at its best in Abu Dhabi, New York or Shanghai?

The course will initially address the invention of cinema in the late 19th century and the development of its narrative language in the early 20th century. As Europe witnessed innovations in all of the arts, especially during and after WWI, photography and cinema opened up to visual experiments while both media also underwent significant technical improvements. We will discuss the work of major artists such as Man Ray, László Moholy-Nagy, Alexander Rodchenko as well as the Bauhaus and New Vision movements in pre-Nazi Germany. We will look into some of the ground-breaking experimental films from the American post-WWII avant garde. As a conclusion to the course, we will examine how photography and film merged into a different form of narrative exemplified by works such as Chris Marker's iconic "La Jetée".

In the short span of thirty years, art of the Arab World moved from the periphery of international art to the center of global visual art production. This course examines the conditions that prompted this change and the theoretical framework that currently situates Arab art within the global discourse on visual art. Focusing on selected artists from key periods of art production, the course will explore the impact of political, social and market forces on the region's art. Examining art production in relation to state formation, identity, gender politics, representation and reception, globalization, and activism. The course will also explore the recent discourse on Islamic art and its links to modern and contemporary art of the region.

The course offers an introduction to the theoretical and practical knowledge on the curatorial process, exploring new alternative curatorial strategies that re-examine the role of the curator and the art institution. Using case studies, the course will look at current models in curatorial practice and the relationship of the curator with artists, the art market, and the public, both inside and outside traditional art institutions. Students will work on a collaborative project curating an art exhibition that may be realized virtually or inside a gallery space. Working in teams, students will become familiar with the different aspects of exhibition production from research to writing wall texts, to designing the exhibition, and its educational program.

Countries in Western Asia, Southeast Asia and China are witnessing a significant rise in the number of art museums as part of their urban regeneration. Focusing on examples from these regions, the course will examine the changing role and function of art museums in the 21st century offering a theoretical and practical understanding of the current discourse on contemporary art, social practice and the community. Students will meet with curators and administrators at art museums, galleries and alternative art spaces to analyze how art exhibitions and museum acquisitions are shaping art history and the relationships between the art institution and society. Class will gain an understanding of the forces that are shaping the UAE art history and its nascent art ecosystem.

The 1960s experienced the emergence of new approaches to the making of art, while the art world became international to an unprecedented degree. Pop art and Minimal art used painting and sculpture as a means to confront contemporary culture with itself. In Fluxus, Video art and Performance artists found ways to involve the viewer. Earth art and Conceptual art were stretching the traditional boundaries of art in order to find a new grounding, while other artists experimented with sound, light, and movement in a way that led to a crossing of boundaries between dance, sculpture, music, and theater. All this happened in many places at the same time. The course will consider in detail many individual works of art while at the same time pursuing a comparative approach to the various outcomes of the new aesthetics. It will make it clear that the art of the 1960s is foundational for almost all further developments of art.

The 1970s and 80s saw a number of significant shifts in the art world and new approaches to art making. Some of the most radical outcomes of art movements of the 1960s only emerged in the 1970s and 1980s with so-called "institutional critique", whereas a strong resistance to exactly this genealogy made itself felt in a wave of neo-expressionist painting (Arte Cifra, Neue Wilde, figuration libre, Transavantguardia, New Image Painting). This was countered by the "picture generation" whose image production was based on photography and related to discussions of "postmodernism" and of "appropriation". Female artists gained in stature to a previously unprecedented degree (especially in video and photography) and made gender-issues and relations of power a major theme in art. It became clear at the same time that the phase of the dominance of American art after World War II was over. This lead to a more widespread and diverse circulation of ideas. The course is based on a comparative approach, highlighting commonalities as well as differences between various artistic endeavors.

The surrealist movement began in early-twentieth century France as a revolutionary proposal to discard the rational foundations of Western knowledge and unleash humanity's fullest capabilities through the unconscious and dreams. In dynamic networks, surrealism expanded beyond Western Europe to other regions including Africa, the Americas, and Asia. Around the world, it was viewed as an aesthetic and political tool to combat colonialism and position indigenous forms of knowledge as counterpoints to Eurocentric ways of thinking. This course will examine these cultural intersections and creative crosscurrents in visual art, writing, and film from the 1920s-present. It will place special emphasis on surrealism's experimental practices - ludic activities often meant to encourage collaboration - and its innovative exhibition strategies. Students will explore the history of the movement and also practice its art techniques through hands-on workshops. Artists, writers, and filmmakers that will be considered include André Breton, Leonora Carrington, Aimé and Suzanne Césaire, Salvador Dalí, Frida Kahlo, Harue Koga, Ted Joans, Maria Martins, Jan Švankmajer, and Ramsès Younan.

This course will explore the dynamics of artistic production along the exchange routes often referred to as the Silk Roads and related Sea Routes, stretching from China to the Mediterranean, and beyond. Through the examination of key case studies, this course will investigate exchanges ranging from the 1st to the 18th century within Asia and Europe, as well as the Americas. A special focus will be on the role of artists, traders and travelers in the Islamic world as dynamic innovators and active intermediaries within these exchanges. We will discuss the transmission of new technologies along these routes, and witness the resulting shifts in artistic production in areas such as painting, papermaking, weaving and ceramics. We will make use of textual, archaeological, and art historical sources from across this vast region to illuminate the effects of these long histories of contact.

The word “Zen” today often evokes romanticized associations—calmness, harmony with nature, aesthetic simplicity, and the advice to “be present” in the here and now. This course examines how such ideas emerged historically and shaped understandings of Zen art. Focusing on the visual and material culture of Zen Buddhism, we will trace the formation of Zen traditions in premodern China and Japan and the development of artistic practices within monastic, social, and political contexts. Topics include: the myths surrounding the founder Bodhidharma; the institutionalization of medieval Zen monasteries; and architecture, gardens, ink painting, calligraphy, portraiture, and chanoyu, popularly known as the Japanese tea ceremony. We will also explore the modern reception of Zen in twentieth-century Europe and America, when it was introduced by figures such as D. T. Suzuki and embraced by artists and intellectuals associated with modernism and the counterculture. Throughout the course, students will critically consider how “Zen art” has been variously defined, imagined, and contested across time and place.

What does it mean to make Renaissance art history global? This interdisciplinary seminar will study the masterpieces and material culture produced during Europe's first sustained overseas contact with the rest of the world in the early modern period (16th-18th centuries). Looking closely at the new categories and new geographies of objects fostered by the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and British maritime trade routes, this course will reconsider traditional approaches to art history and weigh the new methods and revisions these curious images suggest. Objects will be studied from the perspectives of how they conceptualized "world," how histories of exploration and collecting intersected, how personal and communal identities were manufactured, and how political diplomacy and subversion impacted them and in turn were affected. Serious attention will be devoted to honing the craft of researching and writing a major research paper, step by step, in preparation for a capstone thesis in the humanities.

The making of abstract visual forms is a near-universal human activity across time and cultures. These rich traditions have inspired modern and contemporary artists who in turn have shaped abstraction into a significant art movement. In this studio course students will develop an understanding of abstract painting through practice, process, conceptual rigor and art history. They will be introduced to traditional and contemporary painting techniques, painting mediums, surface preparation, color mixing, and styles of visual expression. Beginning by dismantling visual subjects into abstract shapes, followed by composing images with line, pattern, geometry and calligraphy, and finally advancing to the non-representational by focusing on surface, texture, and pigment, this course will journey through varied approaches to abstraction. Simultaneously, a study of select artists from Western, Arab, Asian and other major canons will reveal to students the foundational themes of abstraction such as deconstruction, the transcendental, and the political. Class critiques and critical readings will empower students to examine their artworks and develop their ability to articulate their concepts.

We will study the new NYUAD campus and use these public or semipublic spaces as a site to develop temporary sculptural interventions. We will begin by coming to terms with conceptualizations of sculpture since the 1960s that have led to the need to distinguish between site-dominating, site-adapted, site-specific, and site-determined approaches. We will ask how the interventions developed in class relate to the architectural, institutional, social, and cultural circumstances of the campus. What sort of public should a sculptural intervention take into account and how does this public differ from the audience at an art gallery? What qualities does public space have that are distinct from those of private space and what characterizes a semi-public space? The students will develop their proposals for interventions with the aid of photographic documentation, models, and a project description before realizing the interventions in coordination with the university administration and presenting them to the public for a limited time.

Printmaking at its most basic level involves the creation of a matrix (wood block, litho stone, etching plate, etc.), inking that matrix, and then transferring the ink onto paper. Essential to printmaking is the production of multiples and repetition. This class will introduce several printmaking media and techniques including, but not limited to: drypoint, woodcut, linocut, screenprinting and monotype. The focus will be on fine art printmaking. The technical aspects of each technique will be presented and then investigated through in-class demonstrations, readings, and slide lectures, all designed to tie the history of printmaking with hands-on learning. Success in this course depends on combining technique with strong concepts, the development of an aesthetic, and a willingness to take risks to challenge your abilities and ideas. Through group critiques you will learn to speak effectively about and to analyze your work and the work of others, questioning the decisions made in the development of the image, and assessing how successfully the technical and conceptual work together to communicate ideas.

What is it about an "artistic approach" that proves to be especially useful to exploring and reimagining the city? This course takes such an approach to the existing landscape of Abu Dhabi. Students will visit public parks, streetscapes, markets, super-blocks, the port, shopping malls, and industrial districts. We will document our observations through field notes, drawings, photography, video, and sound recordings. This research will be a foundation for creating objects, sculptures, and installations. Students will learn to develop forms of artistic and architectural presentation and representation that reflect the urban design and development of the city. This research and artistic production will be accompanied by selected readings that address theoretical, historical, and contemporary perspectives from authors and artists such as Atelier, Bow Wow, Denise Scott Brown, Homi Baba, Dan Graham, Kevin Mitchell, and Robert Venturi, Andrea Zittel.

This course focuses on the theory and practice of constructed and staged photography. The class will be structured as a semester-long investigation in which students develop projects and make commentaries on issues of personal and/or greater social significance. Students will study and experiment with several visual communication techniques and processes with the goal of developing and refining a portfolio of work.

Whether planning images, sculptures, movements, maps, or more, drawing allows for the quick transposition of ideas. It is the foundational language of the artistic mind. Foundations in 2D explores the diverse practice of drawing across media and form, from charcoal to pencil to pastel to wet media; from figure to object to abstraction. This investigation is for novices and advanced drafters alike. The first part of the course focuses on practicing traditional drawing approaches in class, while homework assignments allow for greater subjectivity in applying the technique. Midway through the course, concept development takes center stage, with students learning about artists who have expanded upon traditional notions of drawing and/or subverted them. We study postmodern principles and use them to analyze works of art and to guide original pieces. For beginners, the class will help confront expectations about what drawing entails, allowing them to develop an emboldened drawing practice free from previous conceptions. Advanced artists' practices will be challenged and interrupted in order to invite creative risks and new conceptual approaches, expanding their practice.

This course offers engagements with the problems and methods of Art History at an advanced level. It examines in detail works of art that reflect upon tradition, aesthetic experience and art practice in complex ways and does so by situating these examinations in rich historical and theoretical frameworks. The course is open to anyone who has completed either Foundations of Art History I or II and at least one Art History elective but it is designed especially with Art History juniors in mind because the course is, in part, a useful preparation for Capstone work in the senior year. The course is a requirement for all students pursuing the Art History track.

This seminar is designed for practicing artists eager to refine their artistic voices and develop a capstone thesis and proposal that reflects their unique perspectives. It offers an immersive environment to deepen understanding of art and visual culture by exploring significant art movements, key artists, and foundational theories that influence contemporary practice. Participants will gain insights that help situate their art projects within broader cultural and historical contexts. The course emphasizes experimentation with materials and hands-on techniques, encouraging artists to translate ideas into practical outcomes. Projects can include creative art pieces, theoretical essays, curatorial projects, or historical research, allowing for flexibility based on individual interests—whether challenging traditional notions of art or researching underrepresented movements. The seminar also includes group critiques and one-on-one mentoring for constructive feedback and proposal refinement. Guest speakers, including established artists and scholars, will share their insights, further enriching the experience. By the end of the seminar, participants will have a well-developed thesis and proposal, as well as a deeper connection to the art world and the theoretical frameworks that support their practice, making it an essential steppingstone for elevating their work in the Capstone Seminar.

Projects in Painting introduces students to traditional and contemporary techniques in both acrylic and oil painting. Although previous painting experience is not a requirement, this course will build upon concepts taught in the prerequisite class, Foundations of 2D (such as image transposition, basic color theory and compositional knowledge, observational drawing techniques, perspective drawing). Students will learn classical realism and its methods, like underpainting and figure/ground relationships, alongside contemporary expressive approaches featuring various painting mediums. The class will take inspiration from diverse artists and study their practices within the greater context of art and social movements. Class critiques will empower students to examine their own impulses towards style and content and develop their ability to articulate the ideas driving their artworks.

The capstone experience in Art History provides seniors with the opportunity to work closely with a faculty mentor and to conduct extensive research on a topic of their choice. The program consists of a capstone seminar, taken in the first semester of the senior year, and a year-long individualized thesis tutorial. During the capstone seminar, Art History students will refine a thesis topic of their choice, develop a bibliography, read broadly in background works, and undertake research and/or creative work. In the tutorial, students will work on a one-on-one basis with a faculty mentor to hone their research and produce successive drafts of a capstone project. The capstone experience will culminate in the public presentation of the work and defense before a faculty panel.

During the spring semester, Art History students will work on a one-on-one basis with a faculty mentor to hone their research and produce successive drafts of a capstone project. The capstone experience will culminate in the public presentation of the work and defense before a faculty panel.