ART 309/509: Issues in Contemporary Art/Visual Art Seminar: |
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| Course Description | Prerequisites | Requirements & Assignments | Semester at a Glance | Class Schedule & Assignments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Syllabus - Fall 2007 Instructor: Max Yela Course Description Through lectures, readings, discussions, guest presenters, and the use of materials from Special Collections in the UWM Libraries, this course will offer an introduction to the theory and practice of the book arts, i.e., the use of the book form as an expressive medium. While the class includes studio visits and hands-on assignments, this is not a studio course. For Visual Art majors, this course is intended to expose students to concepts in the book arts that they will encounter in graphic design, printmaking, 2D and 3D concepts, digital design, and photography. It will also offer a fundamental curatorial foundation for understanding the place of book arts expression within the context of libraries and museums. Book Arts Survey will demonstrate how contemporary book expression is firmly rooted in tradition, and how it has been energized and transformed during this period of digital incunabula. Prerequisites Junior standing, or permission of the instructor. CLASS LIMIT: 25 Online Syllabus: http://www.uwm.edu/Library/special/currentevents/class/art309.htm Electronic Reserve Readings: http://www.uwm.edu/Library/ERES/yela/ART309.html Requirements and Assignments Required Text: Bright, Betty. No Longer Innocent: Book Art in America: 1960-1980. New York: Granary Books, 2005. Drucker, Johanna. The Century of Artists' Books. Revised edition. New York: Granary Books, 2004. LaPlantz, Shereen. Cover to Cover: Creative Techniques for Making Beautiful Books, Journals & Albums. Asheville, N.C.: Lark Books, 1995. Smith, Keith A. Structure of the Visual Book. Expanded edition. Rochester, N.Y.: K. Smith Books, 2003. Assignments & Projects:
Semester at a Glance
Class Schedule and Assignments Note: Readings preceded by two asterisks (**) are on Electronic Reserve under Yela; readings preceded by a cross (†) are in the Reserve Department, UWM Library, under Yela, Book Arts Survey. Readings with Internet links may be found directly on the Web. All other readings can be found and used in Special Collections. Besides readings, all students must review the book works reserved for the class in Special Collections each week. Week 1 (Sept. 6) Assignment: Write a 3-5 page critical response paper to the following reading: Drucker, The Century of Artist’s Books, pp. 1-19 (“The Artist’s Book as Idea and Form”), and pp. 357-364 (“Metaphor and Form: The Artist’s Book in the 20th Century”); Due Sept. 13. Week 2 (Sept. 13) Due: Response paper to Drucker readings. Readings:
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Week 3 (Sept. 20) In-class exercise: The Maze Book and The Flexagon. Readings:
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Week 4 (Sept 27) In-class exercise: Reading for textual form as expression. Assignment: Visit and critically review at least one of the artists-book exhibits at UWM or elsewhere and write a 3-5 pp. response; Due October 11. Readings:
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Graduate Discussion #1: What are the book arts? What constitutes an artists book? Are there parameters? Suggested Readings:
Week 5 (Oct. 4) Guest Lecturer: Sharon Van Ruiswyk, independent professional bookbinder. Assignment: Begin reviewing books for 5-10-page Artists Book Response Paper; Due October 18. Readings: Review the following manuals, especially the first one.
Week 6 (Oct. 11) Due: Exhibition response papers. Assignment: Attend Maria Pisano’s workshops and/or Ettinger Series lecture (Tuesday, October 16, 7 pm in Special Collections) and write a 3-5 pp. critical response paper covering all events attended; Due October 25. Graduate Discussion #2: Artists books in search of an audience. Who reads them? Who collects them? What are the most appropriate venues? Suggested Readings:
Week 7 (Oct. 18) Guest Lecturer: Lisa Moline, Associate Professor, Graphic Design, UWM Department of Visual Art. Due: Artists Book Response Paper. Assignment: Begin Experimental Book Project; Due November 1. Readings: Review the following manuals, especially the first one.
Week 8 (Oct. 25) Due: Pisano response paper. Readings:
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Due: Experimental Books Readings: Early Printing:
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Week 10 (Nov 8) In-Class Video: A Thief Among the Angels: Barry Moser and the Making of the Pennyroyal Caxton Bible [55 min.]. Readings:
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Graduate Discussion #3: Marketing and collecting artists books. How does the artist reach her audience? What strategies are used and which are most effective? Why should an institution collect artists books? What are the criteria for collecting artists books in an institutional setting? Readings:
Week 11 (Nov. 15) Guest Lecturer: Sharon Van Ruiswyk, letterpress printer and independent professional bookbinder. Assignment: Take-Home Mid-Term Test; Due Nov. 29. Readings:
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Week 12 (Nov 20?) In-Class Videos: Beyond Words: The Marriage of Art & Literature in Bookmaking [28 min.], and Sasowsky, 99 Monotypes, Images and Reflections [11 min.]. Assignment: Begin Final Project/Paper Readings:
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Week 13 (Nov. 29) Guest Lecturer: Lane Hall, book and digital artist, and Professor, UWM Department of English DUE: Mid-Term exams. Readings:
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Graduate Discussion #4: Artists books as social and political action. Readings:
The Book Arts in a Digital Age Guest Lecturer: Anne Wysocki, Associate Professor, UWM Department of English Readings:
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Digital communication and the future of the book arts; Course assessment Due: Final projects/papers Readings:
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Graduate Discussion #5: Book Arts futures; Graduate discussion decompression Readings:
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