Final Paper - The Studio Visit...

Imagined Studio Visit with Three Authors...

This is a creative academic paper to imagine a studio visit with three of the authors whom we have read over the course of this semester.  Choose three writers to whom you would desire to have a critique and conversation – imagine this meeting taking place in your studio or work space in consideration of your creative practice.  You may choose to have them dialogue with you regarding one work, a series, or group of works.  Choose carefully to gather a group of writers/artists who will potentially present you with the greatest challenge in terms of how they might speak about your work, engage in disagreements with you or each other, provide useful critique of your creative practice, support your ideas, etc. 

Create speculative dialogue and use direct quotes where sensible (that said, please try not to use whole paragraphs of quotations to fill space!).  This type of speculative exercise provides you with great challenges in how to both represent your understanding of the chosen author's words and ideas while at the same time effectively describing and contextualizing your own creative practice.

Structure:
Be creative!  2500-3000 words.  Use citations where appropriate.  Please post this to your BLOG when complete - use illustrations please!  (photographs of your works, videos, photos of the authors, photos of other artist's works the writers might reference in discussion your work, etc).  Have fun with this one yet be very serious at the same time! 

Criteria:
You will be graded on the following:
* organization
* focus
* creativity
* critical thinking
* original thinking
* use of readings
* logic
* appropriate mode of structure and analysis (e.g., comparison, argument)
* format

Please use the MLA or Chicago Manual Style for citations. 

Due Date is Monday, December 9^th, 5pm in Print and Posted to your blog!

Reading/Book List:  MFA Seminar, DeLappe, Fall 2013

August 28^th (Please read this PRIOR to attending our first class meeting on this date!)

-The Flame Throwers – A Novel, 2013, Rachel Kushner, Scribner

http://www.amazon.com/The-Flamethrowers-Novel-Rachel-Kushner/dp/1469287099

September 4^th

-The Railway Journey: The Industrialization and Perception of Time and Space, 1987, by Wolfgang Schivelbusch

http://www.amazon.com/Railway-Journey-Industrialization-Perception-Space/dp/0520059298/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1312413820&sr=1-1

September 11^th

-Wanderlust: A History of Walking, 2001, 

by Rebecca Solnit

http://www.amazon.com/Wanderlust-History-Walking-Rebecca-Solnit/dp/0140286012/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1312413846&sr=1-3

September 18^th

-The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, Walter Benjamin (online)

http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/ge/benjamin.htm

September 25^th

-The Allegory of the Cave, Plato (online)

http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/allegory.html

-Simulations, 1983, Jean Bauldrillard 

http://www.amazon.com/Simulations-Foreign-Agents-Jean-Baudrillard/dp/0936756020/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1312413005&sr=1-1

October 2^nd

-The Society of the Spectacle, 2000, Guy Debord

http://www.amazon.com/Society-Spectacle-Guy-DEBORD/dp/0934868077/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1312414142&sr=1-1

October 9^th

-Essays on the Blurring of Art and Life, 2003, Allan Kaprow

http://www.amazon.com/Essays-Blurring-Art-Life-Expanded/dp/0520240790/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1312414170&sr=1-1

October 16^th

-Inside the White Cube: The Ideology of the Gallery Space, 1986, Brian O'Doherty

http://www.amazon.com/Inside-White-Cube-Ideology-Gallery/dp/0520220404/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1312414194&sr=1-1

October 23^rd

-Why Are There No Famous Women Artists? (Xeroxed excerpt from the book Women, Art and Power), 1971, Linda Nochlin, watch “Women, Art, Revolution” on reserve at the KC.

http://womenartrevolution.com/

October 30^th

-Seven Days in the Art World, Sarah Thorton, 2009, W. W. Norton & Company

http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Days-World-Sarah-Thornton/dp/039333712X

November 6^th

Screen Three Films on Artists on reserve in the KC (TBD).  Reading handout (TBD) for class discussion

November 13^th

The Reenchantment of Art, 1995, Suzi Gablik, Thames and Hudson

http://www.amazon.com/Reenchantment-Art-Suzi-Gablik/dp/0500276897/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375122041&sr=1-3&keywords=suzi+gablik

November 20^th

-Relational Aesthetics, 1998, Nicolas Bourriaud

http://www.amazon.com/Relational-Aesthetics-Nicolas-Bourriaud/dp/2840660601/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1312414362&sr=1-1

November 21^st

-Regarding the Pain of Others, 2004. Susan Sontag

http://www.amazon.com/Regarding-Pain-Others-Susan-Sontag/dp/B0057D930I/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1312516341&sr=1-1

For some helpful advice on writing about art - I did a google search on "how to write about art" and found numerous sources that I would encourage you to explore!  You will find some great resources from Hunter College, NY, the University of Iowa, etc.  Please do your own google search and explore!  Also, don't forget, we have the Writing Center on campus here at UNR - this is a resource available to you, use it!  
 http://www.unr.edu/writing-center

I stumbled upon this earlier today, take a look:  http://thestudiovisit.com/

Art 698 Seminar in Visual Arts Syllabus 2013

Art 698 Seminar in Visual Arts

Wednesdays 1-3:45pm Location CFA207 and beyond…
Professor Joseph DeLappe

Office CFA 208A, 784-6624

Office hours: Mondays 1-4pm Wednesdays 11am-1pm
delappe@unr.edu

775-784-6624

Seminar in Visual Arts - Art 698 (3 credits)

Critical dialogue dealing with the relationship of the student's artwork to contemporary issues. Prerequisites: graduate standing in art.

Course Description/Goals/Objectives:

This offering of the Seminar in Visual Arts will focus upon reading, discussion and writing about a variety of material related to the exploration of the position of art and artists in contemporary and historical contexts.  The goal of the class is to facilitate a collaborative process of discovery and dialogue through the engagement of an eclectic series of reading assignments, film screenings and field trips.  Readings will serve as the jumping off point for what will be wide ranging dialogues that will allow for a broad and diverse level of critical engagement.  The objective is to provide for an active, questioning learning environment that encourages MFA candidates to further situate themselves in regard to critical theory and a variety of cultural persectives.  MFA candidates will be challenged to investigate and develop a deeper understand of the complex role of the artist in contemporary culture and society while perhaps further enhancing their understanding of their own work and the context in which they function. 

Attendance:

Mandatory attendance is required of all students. Unexcused absences will affect your final grade.  If you are ill, please do not attend class – in such circumstances please send Professor DeLappe an email prior to the start of class time.

Assignments: 

Students are required to complete and be prepared to discuss all reading assignments for any particular week.

•Each student is required to keep a class blog that will serve as a combined journal and annotated bibliography – this will be graded at the end of the term.  The blog is a way for students to further enhance their understanding, to reflect upon course content, share ideas with other students and to prepare for class discussions.  Please use Blogger!

http://www.blogger.com

•What is an “annotated bibliography”?  Take a look and explore online, many useful sources you will find!  
http://olinuris.library.cornell.edu/ref/research/skill28.htm

•A creative research paper will be the cumulative project assignment for the class.  We will go over the requirements for this paper at a later date.

•Each student is REQUIRED to attend two approved lectures and one exhibition or film screening, that are regularly announced in class. I will provide you with a list of approved lectures/screenings/exhibitions both on campus and off. You are required to write a short, 350 word critical summary of the event and two questions to ask the speaker (extra credit will be given to those who actually ask their question at the event!).

Grading:

50% class participation and discussions

20% blog/journal/annotated bibliography

20% final paper

10% lecture/exhibition reviews

The “+” and “-“ system will be used for grading. 

http://www.unr.edu/provost/curriculum-central/curricula-forms-and-guidelines/syllabus-guidelines/nshe-grading-policy

Grades are awarded based on the students ability to complete all reading, screening and writing assignments on time.  Late work will not be accepted.  Students are assessed according to their active and throughtful participation in all discussions, their ability to effectively reflect upon the course material through their journal writing, annotated bibliography and final writing assignment.  Students are graded according to how well they express a critical understanding of the complex materials covered in the course. 

Outcomes:

This course will provide the MFA Interdisciplinary with a strong foundation for the critical understanding of the context of their work in contemporary culture and society and the ability to express said understanding using the written word.  The intent is to prepare the MFA Interdisiciplinary student to effectively engage in creative research and writing towards eventually completing the required MFA Thesis writing component.

Policy on Academic Dishonesty:

"Cheating, plagiarism or otherwise obtaining grades under false pretenses" constitute academic dishonesty according to the code of this university. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and penalties can include canceling a student's enrollment without a grade, giving an F for the course or for the assignment.
For more details, see the University General Catalog.

Policy on Disability:

If you have a disability and will be requiring assistance, please contact me or the Disability Resource Center (Thompson Building Suite 100) as soon as possible to arrange for appropriate accommodations.