SYLLABUS
ART AND SOCIAL PROTEST
Fall 2006

SYLLABUS
ART AND SOCIAL PROTEST
Fall 2006

BARBARA RESNIK
EXT 411

OFFICE: DANIEL ARTS CENTER  D129
OFFICE HOURS: TUES 10:30-12 AND WED. 10:00-11:30 preference for advisees and thesis and BY APPT.

OUR UNDERTAKING IS TO EXPLORE TOGETHER SOME OF THE THEORETICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL UNDERPINNINGS WHICH STRUCTURE BOTH THINKING AND PRACTICE IN THE ART OF SOCIAL CONSCIENCE. TOPICS WILL INCLUDE SUCH SUBJECTS AS: THE 'MEANING' OF POLITICAL ART IN A POST-MODERN DISCOURSE; THE RELATIONSHIP OF POLITICS TO THE CREATIVE PROCESS; THE ROLE OF ARCHITECTURE AS "POLITICAL" "SOCIAL" PRACTICE; THE IMPACT OF INSTITUTIONS (CORPORATIONS, MUSEUMS, MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION, TECHNOLOGY) ON THE DEMOCRATIC AND RADICAL POTENTIAL OF PROTEST ART.
REQUIRED TEXTS:
AGEE AND EVANS, LET US NOW PRAISE FAMOUS MEN
FRIED, ALBERT, COMMUNISM IN AMERICA
ART AND POLITICS E-RESERVE

ON RESERVE:
BERGER
ART AND REVOLUTION
THE SUCCESS AND FAILURE OF PICASSO

MCKENZIE, THE NEW DEAL FOR ARTISTS
MELOSH, ENGENDERING CULTURE
MILLER, VOICES AGAINST TYRANNY
STOTT, DOCUMENTARY EXPRESSION IN THIRTIES AMERICAWILLETT, ART AND POLITICS IN THE WEIMAR PERIOD
VON BLUM: THE ART OF SOCIAL CONSCIENCE

FILMS:
THE GOOD FIGHT
SALT OF THE EARTH
NATIVE LAND
HARLAN COUNTY
MEMORIES OF UNDERDEVELOPMENT
I AM CUBA
GUANTANAMERA
STRAWBERRIES AND CHOCOLATE
DEATH OF A BUREAUCRAT
ROSIE THE RIVETER
HIROSHIMA NON PIKA
SEEING RED

 

WEEK 1 ART AND SOCIAL CONSCIENCE
Aug.29 AN INTRODUCTION
SEE IN CLASS: "HIROSHIMA" THE MURAL WORK OF OF THE MARUKI'S
E-RESERVE:
VON BLUM: ART OF SOCIAL CONSCIENCE,
INTRO AND CHAPTER 1, "ART AND SOCIAL CONSCIENCE", (PGS. XI-34)
THE EXAMPLES OF DAUMIER AND GOYA

WEEK 2 POVERTY, POLITICS AND WAR I

Sept. 5 ROUALT, MUNCH AND KOLLWITZ
STUDIO: COLLOGRAPH/ A DISCUSSION OF MEDIUM AND THE SPECIAL ROLE OF GRAPHICS
Select a topic, or work of art, literature, film or other media which addresses or evokes an issue which has particular resonance for you and bring it to class. Give some thought of how the essence of this idea might be presented in graphic terms. Keep in mind that the collograph is a medium which creates an embossiing and , in its simplist form has no color and that lines are more difficult to execute. This means that your designs hould be conceived in form.rather than line. Don't worry if you get stuck developing a "form" for your ideas ...just bring your ideas to class and we will work on them together.

E-RESERVE:
VON BLUM, CHAPTER 3 PIVOTAL ROLE OF GERMAN SOCIAL ART ( 58-83)

WEEK 3 POVERTY, POLITICS, AND WAR II
STUDIO: INTRO TO LINO CUT/ WOODCUTS
PROBLEM 1 DUE PERSONAL ISSUES OF CONSCIENCE AND CONCERN
Sept.12  LECTURE: WORLD WAR I TO WEIMAR:
ART AND POLITICS GROSZ, HEARTFIELD HOCH AND PHOTOMONTAGE

E-RESERVE:
KAHN: JOHN HEARTFIELD:ART AND MASS MEDIA,
INTRODUCTION AND CHAPTER 1, WWI TO LATE WEIMAR ( 1-73 )
ON HARDCOPY RESERVE:
MESKIMMON: INTRO AND CHAPTER 1 THE PROSTITUTE (ON HARDCOPY RESERVE)
WILLETT: ART AND POLITICS IN THE WEIMAR PERIOD (ON HARDCOPY RESERVE)
INDIVIDUAL REACTION PAPERS AND GROUP PRESENTATIONS ON SELECTED READINGS DUE

 

WEEK 4 POLITICS AND WAR III
STUDIO/MIMIKRY AND PHOTOMONTAGE
PROBLEM 2 DUE ART AS INTERVENTION (BOXES FOR THE FRONT AND ANALYSIS)
Sept. 19 THE TIGER MONTAGE
E-RESERVE:
DADA AND THE COMMUNIST REVOLUTION
KAHN: CHAPTER 2, " THE TIGER MONTAGE" (72- 104)
KAHN: CHAPTER 3 "MONTAGE, MIMIKRY (105-142)

WEEK 5 SPANISH CIVIL WAR I
REPRISE WEEK 4 BOXES AND WEIMAR    DISCUSSION OF PROJECT
STUDIO:  FINISH COLLOGRAPHS AND WOODCUT AND ETCHING  INTRO

SEE BEFORE CLASS, FILM, THE GOOD FIGHT ( ON RESERVE IN LIBRARY)
Sept. 26   THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR AND THE GUERNICA
LECTURE: "AND I REMEMBER SPAIN AS RIPE AS AN EASTER EGG FOR REVOLT AND RUIN"..LOUIS MACNIECE
SCREENING: HEART OF SPAIN, PAUL STRAND OR TO DIE IN MADRID

E-RESERVE:
!NO PASARAN 50TH ANNIVERSARY PROGRAM OF THE ABRAHAM LINCOLN BRIGADE., P157
MAIN GOVERNMENTS, P172
GLOSSARY OF POLITICAL TERMS (SOURCE UNKNOWN), P.173
PAYNE, ROBERT, ED., THE CIVIL WAR IN SPAIN .
BATES; BRUNETTE
MIRAVITLLES/FERNSWORTH/MIRAVITLES, THE BATTLE FOR BARCELONA
ONAINDIA/YOLDI , GUERNIKA
BAHAMONDE/PORTILO, LONG LIVE DEATH

WEEK 6 SPANISH CIVIL WAR II
Oct. 3 GUERNICA

E-RESERVES:
PICASSO'S GUERNICA, ED. PATRICIA OPPLER, P.175
DREAM AND THE LIE OF FRANCO: PICASSO'S "CRIES OF CHILDREN ...CRIES OF STONES"- (1977)*,PATRICIA FAILING...
PABLO PICASSO "DREAM AND THE LIE OF FRANCO" (1937)
PAUL ELAURD, VICTORY OF GUERNICA--(1937) (IN FRENCH WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATION)
VON BLUM,
CHAPTER 4 SOCIAL DIMENSIONS IN THE ART OF PICASSO
INDIVIDUAL REACTION PAPERS ON CIVIL WAR POSTERS DUE

  STUDIO: BLOCKPRINTS  AND ETCHING             

                                                EXAM: WEEKS 1-6

                            Midterm grades due to Registrar Monday October 16

WEEK 7 AMERICAN EXPERIENCE I "NATIVE LAND" 20'S AND 30'S
PROBLEM 4 DUE (PHOTOGRAPHIC ESSAY)
0CTOBER 17
FRIED, ALBERT, COMMUNISM IN AMERICA, pgs. 1-25
E-RESERVES:
VON BLUM,
  "THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE"
" PHOTOGRAPHY AND SOCIAL CONTENT" (PG. 185-210)
STOTT, DOCUMENTARY EXPRESSION IN THIRTIES AMERICA
WHAT IS DOCUMENTARY
LET US NOW PRAISE FAMOUS MEN


WEEK 8 REPRISE DOCUMENTARY  and THE NEW MASSES AND THE LEFT SHAHN, EVERGOOD, LEVINE AND LAWRENCE AND BEN SHAHN  (choose a work by one of the artists above from our cd to discuss in class

OCTOBER 24  PRINTMAKING STUDIO DEMONSTRATION AND GALLERY TALK BARBARA
E-RESERVE CD:
READ:
FRIED, ALBERT, COMMUNISM IN AMERICA, pgs. 83-88, 158-220, 227-241, 276-305
CHOOSE 1 FOR REVIEW in Class and in short essay (1pg.)
   SHAPIRO DAVID, SOCIAL REALISM ART AS WEAPON
   SOCIAL REALISM RECONSIDERED, DAVID SHAPIRO
   REVOLUTION IN ART, ANITA
   THE REVOLUTIONARY SPIRIT IN MODERN ART, DIEGO RIVERA,
   THE SOCIAL BASES OF ART, MEYER SHAPIRO
   ART AND PROPAGANDA, THOMAS CRAVEN
   ANSWERS TO 10 QUESTIONS, THOMAS BENTON
   REJOINDER TO THOMAS BENTON, STUART DAVIS
   BEN SHAHN, JAMES THRALL SOBY

 

WEEK 9 THE MEXICAN REVOLUTION (1910)THE MEXICAN  MURALISTS :  SEQUIEROS  RIVEIRA AND ORAZC0
All Read...
ERESERVE CD:
VON BLUM.MEXICAN MURALISTS
MEXICAN and AMERICAN POLITICS AND PRINTMAKERS
El Taller de Grafica Popular , parts 1,2,3, 4,  Ricker, Graphic Witness
OCTOBER 31 PRINTMAKING STUDIO DEMONSTRATION AND GALLERY TALK BARBARA

 

WEEK 10: MEXICAN and AMERICAN POLITICS AND PRINTMAKERS
NOVEMBER 7 SEE BEFORE CLASS: SALT OF THE EARTH
STUDIO: INTRO TO SOLAR PLATES AND PHOTOPOLYMER
All Read...

ERESERVE CD
FRANCES POHL, BEN SHAHN, NEW DEAL ARTIST IN A COLD WAR CLIMATE 1947-1954
CHAPTER 4 AN AMERICAN IN VENICE "THE SLAYING OF THE DRAGON........"

WEEK 11: CUBA Before and After
VIEW BEFORE CLASS: MEMORIES OF UNDERDEVELOPMENT
NOVEMBER 14 BEFORE and AFTER   ART AND REVOLUTION
E-RESERVE CD:
REVOLUTION OF FORMS,.JOHN A. LOOMIS AND GERADO MASQUERA
THE ART OF REVOLUTION, STERMER AND SONTAG:
BREAD AND THE ROSE", DUGALD STERMER
POSTERS advertisement, art, political artifact, commodity", SUSAN SONTAG

THANKSGIVING BREAK

WEEK 12 CUBA NOW
NOVEMBER 26
4 SEE BEFORE CLASS: Choose one for written review
I AM CUBA
GUANTANAMERA
STRAWBERRIES AND CHOCOLATE
DEATH OF A BUREAUCRAT

E-RESERVE CD:
ENGLISH IS BROKEN HERE, NOTES ON CULTURAL FUSION IN THE AMERICAS, COCO FUSCO
EL DIARIO DE MIRANDA/MIRANDA'S DIARY

EXAM II WEEKS 8-12
DECEMBER THESIS SELF-EVALUATIONS DUE TO MARY MARCY

WEEK 13:ARTISTS' WORK, ARTISTS' LIVES, ARTISTS' CONSCIENCE
DATE TBA PRACTICUM EXAM SLOT OUR CONSCIENCES OUR ACTS
DECEMBER 5
STUDIO: TBA

PRESENTATION OF FINAL PROJECTS/PAPERS
FINAL PROJECT DUE DEC. 6 (COMPLETED AND PREPARED FOR EXHIBITION )

WEEK 14 IN OUR TIME:
DECEMBER  17-20   TBA

 

GRAPHIC ART AND SOCIAL PROTEST
Fall 2006

STUDIO PROBLEMS AND PROJECTS

PROBLEM 1 PERSONAL ISSUES OF CONSCIENCE AND CONCERN.
INDIVIDUAL: COLLOGRAPH

PROBLEM 2 ART AS INTERVENTION
GROUP PROBLEM: BOXES FOR THE FRONT WITH ANALYSIS

PROBLEM 3 ART AS PROMOTION AND ADVERTISING
GROUP PROBLEM: MIMICRY AND PHOTO-MONTAGE
POSTERS OR ADVERTISMENT TBA

PROBLEM 4 ART AS DOCUMENT
INDIVIDUAL PROBLEM: PHOTOGRAPHY
POVERTY, ENVIRONMENTAL , OTHER SOCIAL COMMENTARY ( WITH ANALYSIS)

PROBLEM 5 ART AND ACTIVISM/EDUCATION
INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP: SILKSCREEN/ WITH ANALYSIS

PROBLEM 6 ART CRITICISM/ART AND POLITICS
INDIVIDUAL: NEW YORK TRIP, AN ESSAY/INCLUDED MIDTERM III ?????


FINAL PROJECT
FUNCTION: OPEN
MEDIUM: OPEN
COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS AND INTERDISCIPLINARY PROJECTS ACCEPTABLE BUT: SEE ME FIRST.
MAY BE COMBINED WITH FINAL PAPER