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 for Steinhardt students.

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.

This lecture course examines the evolution of global art movements with a focus on ecology, feminism, and decolonial practices. Students explore how these frameworks have reshaped artistic production, challenging traditional narratives and providing alternative perspectives on art, culture, and identity. Through critical discussions and readings, students develop a deeper understanding of how contemporary art reflects and responds to the socio-political realities of the post-1945 world.

This seminar course explores strategies for building a resilient and sustainable artistic practice in today's rapidly changing social, political, cultural, and technological landscape. Students develop tools to advance their work as emerging artists, focusing on portfolio preparation, exhibition opportunities, residencies, and grant applications. Emphasizing how contemporary art is experienced across various contexts, the class features meetings with artists, curators, directors, and other professionals working in the New York art world.

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 for Steinhardt students.

Designed for art students, this lecture course spans a range of histories from across the globe and challenges how we view, understand, and approach concepts of time, globality, and history. We examine canons, works, and phenomena traditionally excluded from art history focusing on key concepts like image, space, material, text, and ritual in artistic practice. Weekly studies of diverse objects and practices explore cultural, historical, and social contexts that shape art. Draws on multiple disciplines, aiming to connect historical periods with contemporary art.

This seminar expands and refines students' skills in reading and writing about art in relation to their practice, ideas, and experiences. The course is structured around group discussions and in-class writing, beginning with an exploration of artist writings and personal essays, focusing on voice, description, structure, and research. Students learn to distinguish between an essay and an academic paper, examining how personal experience can inform critical discussions around art, culture, society, and politics. Students draft and revise their thesis essays.

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.

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?