Syllabus 12 Fall

Syllabus 12 Fall

csulb student at venice beach legal art walls

Art 110: Introduction to the Visual Arts

Fall 2012

■ Section 2: Class No.5967 – TuTh 11-12:15, Room UT-108
Instructor: Glenn Zucman
Electronic Contact – Best: Please ask questions right here on the course website. Every “Blog Post” has a “Comment” section at the bottom, just put your question there and I’ll respond, usually within 24 hours. Whenever possible these “public” questions are better so that everyone in the course community can share in, and contribute to, the information.
Electronic Contact – Private: If you have a personal or private matter that you’d prefer not to share with everyone, you’re always welcome to email me. I’ll respond to these as quickly as I can, but if you can ask on the website you’ll probably get a faster answer. glenn.zucman@csulb.edu
Office Hours: Tu & Th 10:30 – 11am on the benches right in front of our classroom. Also after class, 12:30 – 1:30. On Tuesdays we meet at the “Genius Bar” behind the glass wall in the back half of AS-120, and on Thursdays at the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in the Student Union. If it’s nice we’ll probably at the tables outside. If it’s stormy, then the tables inside. Look for us, or just walk down with us after class.

ART110 – VISION
In 1439 Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press. In 1991 Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web. 40 years ago Marshall McLuhan said that our classrooms were (I’m paraphrasing a bit) too Gutenberg and not enough Berners-Lee. Yes! McLuhan, media genius of the 20th century, said that 20 years before Berners-Lee invented The Web! So, for the Fall Semester 2012, Art110 will try to be a little less Gutenberg and a little more Berners-Lee.

This course will cover 3 million years of Art History: from a proto-human moment in a distant South African cave, to the autonomous, post-human, Images That Think out somewhere in cyber-space. Along this journey we will consider the constantly evolving nature of human consciousness and how our consciousness is revealed & redefined through art. Among many other times and places, we will consider the art, life, culture, and consciousness of: 14,000 years ago, 1660, 1994, and 2012.

students from csulb film and electronic arts program

PREREQUISITES
• None: This course requires no previous experience studying Studio Art or Art History.

OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this course is to familiarize the student with the practice, appreciation, and cultural interactions of art across the ages and across the globe. This course will survey the entire sweep of history from ancient art to the contemporary moment. Students will be introduced to the terms, principles, methods, theories and practices of art.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
• Describe some of the styles, ideas, and issues found in the Western canon.
• Understand and articulate some of the ways that art functions vis-a-vis human culture
• Build upon their direct, introductory experiences, in Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, Photography, Animation, and Data Visualization in both Physical and Virtual worlds
• Articulate their understanding of the relationship between art and: culture, speech, creativity, expression.
• Describe the role of the artist in culture / society.

FORMAT OF COURSE
This course includes lectures, readings, daily “clicker” questions and a variety of art projects. Students will post their work on their own individual blogs.

csulb students at venice beach legal art walls

GRADES
You will have many choices of “Challenges” (Projects) this semester. Each will be worth a number of Experience Points. If you have 100 total points in the last week, well that sucks, because you just got a “D” in the course, but if you have 100 points in the first 2 or 3 weeks, well then that rocks, because you already hit “Level 1” and you’re totally on a roll!

A+ – Level 5 – 500 points – the same as Level 4 on your transcript, but you’ll be a star, and I’ll write you the greatest letter of recommendation ever.
A – Level 4 – 400 points
B – Level 3 – 300 points
C – Level 2 – 200 points
D – Level 1 – 100 points
F – Level 0 – 99 points

There has never been a semester where students do not earn grades at every level in the grading alphabet. There have always been “A’s,” there have always been “F’s.” You can absolutely do well in this course; you can absolutely do poorly in this course.

CHALLENGES
The heart of the course are the Challenges you give yourself. We’ll have a bunch to choose from and you’ll be able to DIY write some challenges of your own.
• Do a bunch of Challenges.
• Collect lots of Experience Points.
• Reach Level 4.
• Live a better life.

See the Challenges page for full details.

CLICKERS
In addition to Experience Points for completing Challenges, you can also earn Experience Points for answering daily “clicker questions” with an iClicker. Actually, you can even earn Experience Points for writing the clicker questions that you and your classmates can answer.

See the Clickers page for full details.

EXTRA CREDIT
“Extra Credit” does not compute. Give yourself lots of great Challenges, and rock them!

photo of Ai Weiwei and friends naked, with facebook logos covering their genitals

MATERIALS (Put your name on stuff!)
(1) TEXTBOOK: The Internet
(2) iCLICKER: iClicker1 or iClicker2 are both fine. Used is cheaper. We are NOT using Web>Clicker:

Register Your iClicker

(3) ART-110 KIT: (in CSULB Art Store) – Optional!
FOR SKETCHING:
• 7×7 spiral bound sketch book,
• Draughting Pencil,
• Copic Ciao Marker
FOR PLASTER CASTING:
• Box of plaster of Paris,
• Stir Stick,
• Cleaning Brush
FOR (legal) GRAFFITI WRITING:
• Montana Gold spray paint – 1 can
• Montana Level Cap System – set of 6
NOT IN YOUR KIT:
• Glue Stick (to collage in your sketchbook)
• Shovel & Bucket (digging holes, carrying sand, mixing plaster)

photo of iclickr 1 and iclickr 2

photo of art110 art kit

COURSE DETAILS
Due Dates
None.
Well, except that the final time to turn stuff in is midnight Nov 29 (Thursday of Week 14)

Attendance
Attendance is required. We cover a lot of material every day and award a number of clicker points every day. The course is an interactive conversation and you need to be part of the conversation.

Final
Thursday, December 13 – 10:15AM – 12:15PM
The Final will be worth 40 experience points. However, no matter how many XP’s you have, ATTENDING THE FINAL IS MANDATORY! THE UNIVERSITY REQUIRES ME TO GIVE A FINAL AND THE UNIVERSITY REQUIRES YOU TO ATTEND IT. Failure to attend The Final will result in your Final Course Grade being reduced by one letter. Yes I know Thursday is late in Finals week and your family wants to start that vacation. But please be sure your plans include attending the final!

poster image from the film inception

OTHER DETAILS
Univ. Withdrawal Policy
It is the student’s responsibility to withdraw from classes. The Drop deadlines for Fall Semester 2012 are:
• 10 September 2012 before 10pm – using MyCSULB – without a “W” on your transcript
• 16 November 2012 – with the signature of the Art Department Undergraduate Advisor
• 7 December 2012 – with the signature of the Dean of the College of the Arts
For the first 2 weeks, withdrawal is your choice and done through MyCSULB. After that it requires at least the signature of the Art Department Undergraduate Advisor and is very likely to be denied. The CSULB Art Department is “impacted” and therefore maintains a strict drop policy. The official Art Department Drop Policy is no drops after the second week except for serious and compelling reasons. Severe or extensive medical problems would be a reason to drop late, but fear of receiving a final grade lower than desired, or change in your work schedule, are not considered serious and compelling reasons. If allowed, a “W” will appear on your transcript.

Incompletes
The Art Department grants “incompletes” rarely and only for the most extreme conditions.

Accommodation
CSULB will make reasonable accommodations for any student who has a disability. It is the student’s responsibility to notify me in advance of the need for special accommodations. I want this class to be as friendly to all who seek knowledge as possible, but with the large number of students in Art110 this semester it will be difficult for me to know what your situation is if you don’t tell me. Never be embarrassed. Always let me know where you’re at and what’s going on with you.

FUN!
In addition to all the stuff you have to do to get a grade in this course… don’t forget to have fun! Art is a fun, interesting, exciting, and enjoyable subject. Art offers pleasure to the viewer, consolation to the distraught, and wisdom to the seeker. Art will enrich your leisure time, resonate with your life, and offer surprising relevance to almost any career field you choose!

photo of many academy award oscar statues

Comments? Questions? What great art did you see, make, or experience today?

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