ARTH 110- College Scholars

ARTH 110

College Scholars Section

Fall, 2003

Classes: Tuesday and Thursday: 12:00- 1:15, Fine Arts 224.

Dr. Allen S. Farber

303 Fine Arts Center (436-2558); E-Mail: farberas@oneonta.edu

Course Web Page:http://employees.oneonta.edu/farberas/arth/ARTH110_scholars/syllabus.html

Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday, 1:15-3:00, or by appointment. Notes can be left in my mailbox in 222 FAC, or messages can be left through Voice-Mail at 6-2558. I would also encourage you to communicate with me over E-Mail.

Catalog Description:

Discussion of the major trends in art style and history from c. 1300 through the 20th century, with emphasis on development of visual acuity and ability to recognize and discuss major trends in the history of art.

I regularly teach this course as a standard survey of art, but since this is a College Scholars class I want to take the opportunity to teach this course in a different way. I plan to take a different approach to the content of the course, to conduct the class in a different way, and to evaluate you in a different way.

Rather than approach this course as a survey of the major periods of art from the Renaissance to the Modern era, I want to focus the class on a specific topic. My intention is to explore the concept of the artist. I understand that there is no one universal definition of the nature of the artist, but rather the conception of the artist is defined within particular social and cultural contexts. Our modern ideology places a heavy emphasis on the idea of individuality and the notion of the self as an autonomous and independent being. As a prime example of this ideology is the emphasis placed in western art since the Renaissance on the idea of the artist as an independent, and original creator. This way of looking at art is the product of particular social and cultural factors that developed within western culture since the Renaissance. By exploring the different conceptions of the artist from the Renaissance to the present we will also be exploring how we conceive of ourselves and our relationship to the world around us.

Instead of the traditional lecture format, I want to take advantage of the small class size to teach this course more in a seminar format. This will mean that you will have more of a responsibility to do the assignments and come prepared to respond to and discuss the material. To help you prepare for the classes, I want you to keep a journal. In this journal I expect you to respond to the material presented in the assignment for the particular class. You will be asked to submit your journal at the end of the semester.

Instead of using the traditional quiz and exam format, your assigned work in this course will be in the form of three short papers (3-5 pages in length) assigned during the semester. In these papers you will demonstrate your understanding of the material we have been discussing during the course of the semester.

Class participation and journal - 25%
Grades on three papers- 75%

Texts:

The text for this course is Gardner's Art Through the Ages, 11th edition, vol 2. It is available at Damascene. You are advised to spend as much time looking at the illustrations as reading the text. Remember that what Gardner or I have to say about a work should be considered as a secondary source; the illustrations are the primary source.

The readings in Gardner will be supplemented by materials posted on the World Wide Web.

Assignments for this class will be posted on the Assignments page on the Web. Its URL is:

http://employees.oneonta.edu/farberas/arth/ARTH110_scholars/assignments.html

If you should miss a class you are expected to consult the Assignments page to find out what is expected for the next class.