ART 306: 20th Century Art before 1945
Term: Fall
Course Description
GEP. Major, minor. Elective credit. Writing Intensive for Studio Art and Art Education Majors. This survey of twentieth-century artists and movements spans the 1890s to World War II, a period of dynamic technological, political, and social transformation that propelled the emergence of artistic modernism. We will analyze the ways in which art inspired and responded to broad cultural changes across the globe, with predominate focus on Europe and America.
GEP. Major, minor. Elective credit. Writing Intensive for Studio Art and Art Education Majors. This survey of twentieth-century artists and movements spans the 1890s to World War II, a period of dynamic technological, political, and social transformation that propelled the emergence of artistic modernism. We will analyze the ways in which art inspired and responded to broad cultural changes across the globe, with predominate focus on Europe and America.
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Course Objectives
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To analyze major artists, artworks, and movements of the early twentieth century
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To discuss how art of the period relates to concrete political, cultural, and intellectual conditions
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To develop skills in visual analysis, historical interpretation, and research-based writing
Course Outcomes
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Students will analyze major artists, artworks, and movements of the early twentieth century
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Students will learn how art of the period relates to concrete political, cultural, and intellectual conditions
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Students will develop skills in visual analysis, historical interpretation, and research-based writing
Project 1: Journal Entries
Students will be responsible for keeping a descriptive journal throughout the semester. This is practice for the kind of visual analysis required for the course projects. Each week, students will choose to focus on one work from 3-5 options. The journal entry requires no research; rather the point is to try to capture in language what is going on in the artwork. This requires you to look closely and to puzzle out how the image is constructed. Plan to spend 20-30 minutes on looking and writing for these entries. You will want to think about elements of composition, line, and color. Reflect on the effect these elements have. We will return to each of these artworks during lecture, and students are encouraged to share their insights in class discussion. Journal entries will be due each week over the course of the semester, indicated by “*Journal entry” on the syllabus.
Project 2: Discussion Days
This course will include frequent discussions based on the readings and artworks introduced in class. On the designated days, indicated by *Discussion Days on the syllabus, students will be responsible for posting a reading response to spur class discussion. Students are required to post responses to three (out of 6) readings over the course of the semester.
These responses are an opportunity for you to pose questions, examine a theme in greater depth, or raise difficulties that may have come up in the readings. Responses may be short (under 300 words), but they should demonstrate that you have completed the required assignments and thought deeply about the issues and topics addressed by the texts. The format should include: a short summary of the text (3-5 sentences max), comments on passages that you found intriguing and/or confusing, and at least ONE question for the group (some questions will be compiled to be answered in class).
Grading for Discussion Posts:
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1-2 pts. Does not meet requirements
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3 pts. Meets basic requirements. Adequate summary of text accompanied by a question that evidences some aspect of the author’s argument.
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4 pts. Summary demonstrates an understanding of the author’s main points and poses a question that expands or challenges the author’s argument.
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5 pts. Summary shows an excellent understanding of the text, accompanied by a thoughtful question that connects the text to the larger themes of the course
Project 3: Visual Analysis Paper
In this first paper, no research is required! You will choose one artwork to focus on: an artwork of any media, created between 1890 and 1940. To find a work that interests you, I suggest perusing the textbook and the collections at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Fine Arts Boston, the Philadelphia Art Museum; locally, check out the Johnson Collection, the Mint (in Charlotte), and the High Museum in Atlanta.
A visual analysis (sometimes called a formal analysis) describes and evaluates the forms appearing in the work you have chosen. These forms give the work its expression, message, or meaning. This type of analysis assumes a work of art is a constructed object that has been created with meaning and that this meaning can be understood by studying the elements of the work and their relationships. Yet the analysis is not a random flow of ideas about the work (i.e. stream of consciousness writing). Rather, it should have a sense of order, moving purposefully through your description with regard to specific elements (such as composition, color, subject matter) that build towards some argument you want to make about the artwork: your thesis.
Project 4: Scrollytelling Final Project
Scrollytelling is a form of visual story-telling designed for the user to, literally, scroll through on a digital device. The topic of this research-based presentation will be the same work of art you have chosen for your visual analysis paper. Combining research and description, you will produce a “scrollytelling” presentation that examines the historical context and significance of the artwork you have chosen. In class, will have an opportunity to practice with the Microsoft Sway technology that you will use to create this project (I suggest the “Portfolio” or the “Presentation” platforms). During these tutorials, we will also discuss the successful strategies that you may use in creating a visually engaging presentation.
Find examples here: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/arts/close-read.html
Remember: this project is a variation on a traditional art historical research paper and is designed to introduce you to the methods of research in the visual arts. The aim is to weave together visual evidence with the historical context of the work’s production or its reception, considering its relation to specific social, cultural, economic, or political phenomena. To that end, you will also be submitting a bibliography that must include at least four scholarly sources related to your artwork or artist. Examples of scholarly sources include peer-review academic journals (such as the Art Bulletin), chapters of an academic book, and articles in exhibition catalogues. For citations, include consecutive numbers that refer to footnotes (at the foot of each page) or endnotes (at the end of the entire document). Your notes must be consistently formatted according to Chicago Manual of Style handbook: www.chicagomanualofstyle.org
