Bard College Catalogue 2009-2010
2009-2010

Studio Arts

In an era when much contemporary art cannot be contained within the traditional categories of painting and sculpture, and when technology is transforming the production of visual images, the Studio Arts Program at Bard has expanded the breadth of its offerings while retaining a strong core of courses that provide a firm grounding in basic techniques and principles.

The Studio Arts Program is available to both the student who wishes to major in the program as well as the student who wishes to experience the visual arts and apply that experience to other disciplines.

The student who wishes to moderate into the program and graduate with a degree in studio arts must complete the following course components:

• Junior Seminar
• Senior Seminar
• Two art history courses (one to be completed by the time of Moderation; it is also recommended that one be based in contemporary, post-1945 art)
• And three studio courses from among the following:
  • Drawing I, II, III
  • Painting I, II, III
  • Printmaking I, II, III
  • Sculpture I, II, III
  • Cybergraphics I, II, III

Students moderate by the end of their sophomore year and after having completed at least 40 credits. A successful Moderation is necessary to major in the Studio Arts Program.

Moderating in the Studio Arts Program

At the end of their fourth semester, students are asked to present a body of work to a group of three faculty members—determined by the department and including the student’s adviser— for approximately 30 minutes. The objectives of this meeting are to assess the student’s work to date, clarify strengths and weaknesses, and discuss curricular and academic goals for the rest of the student’s Bard career.

Before the board takes place, three papers are written for each board member.

An evaluation of work to date

Plans for future study at Bard

Critical analysis of one work of art of own selection

Finally, the student must participate in a group exhibition of the artwork of prospective majors.

Moderated, qualified studio arts majors are eligible for the final workshop component of the Studio Arts Program, which consists of Level III studio classes in a variety of painting, drawing, sculpture, cybergraphics, and printmaking options. The content of each studio class and the degree of structure are up to the individual instructor. Admission is by portfolio. In order to receive maximum exposure to the studio arts faculty, studio arts majors are encouraged to take classes with a different professor each semester.

The intention of the studios is to reinforce the skills and perceptions honed in the basic courses; to offer experience in specific areas, such as printmaking and installation; and to develop students’ abilities to execute their own projects and thus prepare them for work on their Senior Projects.

The Junior Seminar, offered each fall, is required of all art majors in their third year and consists of presentations and projects designed primarily by individual students in order for the whole group to focus on specific issues. The Senior Seminar provides a weekly forum for Senior Project critiques and discussions of student work in which the preparation of exhibitions is strongly stressed.

The newly renovated exhibition space in the Fisher Studio Arts Building permits an ambitious schedule of exhibitions, which are an integral component of the program. In addition to open student exhibitions, Senior Project shows, and Moderation exhibitions, student work on particular themes is exhibited at student-curated and faculty-curated shows. Exhibitions of work by outside artists, selected by independent curators, are also presented each year. Bard’s Center for Curatorial Studies is another on-campus site for exhibitions of contemporary art. The Bard College Exhibition Center, a 16,000-square-foot gallery and studio space in the village of Red Hook, gives graduating seniors the opportunity to present their Senior Projects in a professional space dedicated solely to the exhibition of student work.

Visits to museums and galleries in New York City are a requirement of many courses and seminars and are otherwise encouraged.

Core faculty: Arthur Gibbons and Judy Pfaff (directors), Laura Battle, Ken Buhler, Daniella Dooling, Nicole Eisenman, Kenji Fujita, Bernard Greenwald, Nicola Lopez, Kristin Lucas, Medrie MacPhee, Lothar Osterburg, Sigrid Sandström, Joseph Santore, Julianne Swartz, Hap Tivey

Colorama

Art 001  

Color influences all aspects of our experience—perceptual, emotional, psychological, physiological, even spiritual. The goal of this class is to develop a working knowledge of color as it may be applied to any visual medium. The nature of assignments ranges from vigorous color studies to train the eye to forms of expression more personal and expressive in nature.

Cybergraphics I

Art 100   Integrated Arts

An introduction to graphic creation using the computer as a compositional tool. The imaging potentials of a variety of graphic applications are discussed and demonstrated during the first half of the course; the second half focuses on individual projects. Basic computer skills are required; minimal ability in Adobe Photoshop or a comparable application is recommended.

Painting I

Art 101-102

An introduction to the fundamentals of painting, with an emphasis on working from still life, landscape, and the figure. Students explore composition, color, gesture, surface, shape, space, and volume, as well as new approaches to creating images. Work is done in oil paints, on small to very large canvases. A background in drawing is helpful.

Sculpture I

Art 105-106

Through an exploration of materials, process, and site, this course addresses several ideas relevant to contemporary art. What is the relationship between form and content? When does the process of making become more important than the “object” produced? What is the relationship of craft to art production? How and when does installation become just another material? How can one’s body become both subject and site for a work of art? These ideas are explored through a series of projects and through readings, slides, and class discussion. Technical demonstrations include woodshop, mold making, casting, and welding.

Drawing I

Art 107-108

Drawing is the basis of visual intelligence. It enables us to envision and manipulate masses in space as light reveals them. This course examines perception, drawing from objects, the human figure, masterworks, and interior and exterior spaces. Students learn to critique each other’s work orally and in written form. Some drawings are made collaboratively and some explore scale, as assignments include drawings that are both very small and mural-sized.

Printmaking I

Art 109-110

An in-depth introduction to all the basic—and some advanced—processes of intaglio, from drypoint and etching to aquatint, wiping, and printing. The class looks at classic and contemporary uses of intaglio by artists, and students apply the learned skills to projects of their own choosing. Basic knowledge of visual language and drawing skills are required.

Level II Studios

Thematic and technique-based studio classes in painting, drawing, printmaking, cybergraphics, and sculpture. Examples of 200-level courses follow.

Cybergraphics II

Art 200   Integrated Arts

This class addresses advanced strategies for image creation and enhancement in graphics applications, using Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, Maya, and Final Cut. Emphasis is placed on how the programs work together and support one another. Students create prints, text, and animation in the context of contemporary art issues, ranging from digital prints and process presentations to documentation. Prerequisite: Art 100, an equivalent introductory digital-imaging class, or permission of the instructor.

Painting II: Painterly Print

Art 201  

A monotype (a.k.a. the painterly print) is essentially a printed painting. While it is technically the simplest form of printmaking, it is also the one that strives “to honor the individuality of the hand’s painterly impulse.” For this reason, the monotype is a wonderful tool for a painter to quickly develop ideas of color, light, shape, and composition that are both informative to the painting process and an end in themselves. Students explore the process of the monotype in relation to painting, using traditional and experimental techniques. Prerequisite: Painting I.

Painting II

Art 202

While this course extends the perceptual articulation and essential painting skills learned in Painting I, class projects also develop approaches to painting based in abstraction and in the imagination. Particular attention is given to understanding the various roles that color can play in creating structure and meaning in a painting. Self-motivation, extensive work outside of class, and a commitment to acquiring the necessary physical materials are required.

Sculpture II: Compulsive Process

Art 205  

Chewing, welding, washing, licking, sewing, casting, baking, eating. This course focuses on how an artist’s process and the qualities inherent in specific materials can combine to create works of art. Through a series of projects, students investigate the notion of “process,” as it was defined in the late 1960s and as it has evolved into its current manifestation in the practice of contemporary art making.

Sculpture II: Sculpture/Animation Workshop

Art 206

This workshop is for students concentrating in the film/electronic arts and studio arts programs.  Students must complete a series of short films/ videos that explore movement in cinematic time of sculptural objects constructed in the studio for the purpose of analytical motion studies. The work of Yves Tinguely, Hans Richter, Red Grooms, Robert Breer, Michel Gondry, and Peter Fischli and David Weiss, among others, is viewed and discussed. The class is limited to 14 students with permission of the instructor.

Drawing II: Drawing from Nature

Art 207

The term “drawing from nature” is used both literally and figuratively. Part of this course is analytical in nature and utilizes perceptual work (including observation through microscopes) to acquire visual information about basic structures in nature, growth patterns, and other phenomena less than immediately apparent to the eye. This visual data is adopted for continued exploration on drawing projects. Prerequisite: Art 107-108.

Drawing II: Mixed Media

Art 208

An exploration of drawing materials, ranging from traditional media to collage and transfers. The class works from memory, dreams, and texts, rather than from perception. Color theory is examined and emphasized.

Printmaking II: Intaglio for the Draughtsman

Art 209

This course covers the basics of intaglio printmaking, etching, drypoint, engraving, aquatint, and mezzotint and emphasizes subject matter drawn from observation of the natural world. Students should have had a formal basic drawing course or be able to demonstrate competence in drawing. The class examines master prints in a museum setting and learns the principles of archival conservation of works on paper.

Printmaking II: Book Projects,

Text, and Prints

Art 210

Offered in conjunction with Cybergraphics II, this examination of the book as an art object includes traditional handmade plate-making processes for illustration and imagery. Building on the layout and image software programs introduced in Cybergraphics II, students explore the translation of relevant output methods of digital media into photographic printing processes, including letterpress, silkscreen, photo etching, lithography or cyanotype for text and photographic imagery, and intaglio or relief printing for handmade imagery. Prior printmaking experience is strongly advised. Permission of the instructor is required.

Additional examples of Level II studios:

Cybergraphics II: Strategies for Digital Painting

Drawing II: The Figure

Drawing II: Collage

Painting II: Abstr-ACT-ion

Painting II: Painting as Place

Printmaking II: Multiple-Plate Color

Printmaking II: Silkscreen and The Artist’s Book

Sculpture II: In Between Painting and Sculpture

Creating the Comic-Strip Novel

Art 228   Integrated Arts

What was once dismissed as “comic book” art has emerged as a genre capable of expressing a full range of profound human emotion. Art Spiegelman (Maus) and Ben Katchor (Cheap Novelties) have given new credibility to the notion of serious fiction in which serial drawings are as essential as text. In this course students use the “strip” format to produce two short pieces and one longer piece of original picture fiction or reportage—developing a story line and dialogue, executing the drawings and text, and making the finished art. Prerequisite: some demonstrated competence in drawing.

The Practice of Sculpture

Art 235   Art History

This course investigates the practical aspects of making sculpture together with a detailed study of the history of modern sculpture in Europe and North America. Weekly lectures focus on the work of an individual sculptor or group of sculptors, and a workshop illustrates some aspect of studio practice. Students learn firsthand how technical processes and the character of materials affect the development of modern sculpture—in clay, wax, and plaster modeling, and in different methods of casting, carving, welded construction, and fabrication. Students undertake significant critical reading and writing assignments while also developing independent studio projects based on course work.

Level III Studios

Upper-level studio classes in painting, drawing, printmaking, cybergraphics, and sculpture. Studios in painting and drawing may have two levels, corresponding to intermediate and advanced. Admission is by portfolio, though students seeking to enroll are expected to have completed at least one basic course in the chosen discipline. In order to achieve full circulation through this structure, students are strongly encouraged not to repeat courses taught by the same faculty.

Cybergraphics III: Digital Graphics/ Text

Art 300   Integrated Arts

This class addresses the theories, tools, and techniques employed in the digital creation of graphic/ text artwork. Using computer software and digital printers, students examine various approaches to creating image/text combinations in the traditions of graphic novels, manga, and contemporary painting. A basic understanding of Photoshop is required. Software instruction includes more complex strategies in Photoshop as well as introductions to Illustrator, Manga Studio, Poser, and Zaxwerks ProAnimator. Although animations are a potential area of expression, the primary focus is on printed images, alone and in sequence.

Painting III

Art 301

Intended for juniors and seniors who are concentrating in the studio arts, as well as anyone who has completed Painting II, this course simultaneously expands students’ vocabulary for painting and helps them find their voice. Students explore alternative formats—e.g., shaped and multipaneled paintings—as well as alternative strategies to the static image and the juxtaposition of different styles and techniques. Students work independently to develop a personal train of thought in their work and ultimately produce a series of related works.

Art in Conversation

Art 303

The class consists of two alternating parts. The first part takes place in New York City, where students visit galleries, museums, and studios. The second part is a seminar on campus in which students learn how to present and document their work and develop portfolios. They also become familiarized with the ins and outs of computer presentations, grant research, etc. Open to 10 students by permission of the instructor.

Sculpture III

Art 305

An advanced-level sculpture course that deals with all aspects of construction in a wide variety of materials, especially metals and plastics. Students address actual and illusionary movement, the dynamics of scale in relation to the body, light as transparency and reflection, and the communication of energy through the articulation of space. Open to eight qualified students.

Drawing III

Art 307

This advanced studio course explores the range of drawing in its traditional and experimental forms, from the observed to the imagined. Particular attention is given to expanding the sources of visual information upon which a student may draw for personal imagery. The goal is to help students locate ideas essential to their art and to develop those ideas in the process of drawing. In addition to assignments, students are expected to develop independent drawing projects in consultation with the professor. Prerequisites: Art 107–108 and Art 207.

Printmaking III: Photogravure

Art 310

Photogravure, popularized in the 19th century, is a continuous-tone photographic intaglio process. A copper plate is etched gradually from the deepest shadows to the brightest highlights, producing a much wider range of tones than any other photographic process. As beautiful as photogravure can be, it is a difficult process to understand and master; this course, therefore, requires a great commitment in time and independent planning. Prerequisite: prior photo experience or a solid printmaking background.

Additional examples of Level III studios:

Painting III: The Big Kahuna

Painting III: Large Scale

Sculpture III: After the Monument

Sculpture III: Drawing and Sculpture

Drawing III: Drawing Sources

Drawing III: Extreme Process

Cybergraphics III: Virtual Sculpture

Art and the Uses of Photography

Art 316 / Photography 316

See Photography 316 for a course description.

Fine Art Photography / Photographic Fine Art

Art 323   Photography

This course provides conceptual and technical solutions for the continuously increasing role that photography plays in the fine arts. Directed primarily at studio arts majors, it involves no darkroom work. Students use slides, Polaroid prints, found images, or digital output to make artworks employing photography. For the first several weeks, assignments are given; after that, students pursue individual projects.

Seminars

Sophomore Seminar

Art 230

Designed for sophomore studio arts majors, this course serves to familiarize students with the basic social, historical, critical, and conceptual themes of 20th-century art. Close readings of art works and primary and interpretive texts form the basis of class work. The course includes trips to area museums and galleries.

Junior Seminar

Art 330

Students examine the history of modern and contemporary art and explore the place of their own art making within that history. They read and discuss essays by artists and critics, view slides of the work of historically significant artists, and participate in lectures by visiting artists. Students also show and critique their own artwork, present a personal art chronology, write an artist’s manifesto, and participate in an end-of-semester group project. Required of all studio arts majors; open to other Arts Division majors as space allows.

Senior Seminar

Art 405-406

All studio arts majors (and interested photography majors) engaged in Senior Projects meet for a weekly seminar/critique/discussion. The aim is to create a forum for a continual exchange of views and ideas among senior students and to encourage and develop skills in articulating ideas in speech and writing. The seminar’s form and subject change from week to week but include writing assignments, group critiques of student work, discussions of exhibitions on campus, and conversations with guest speakers.