This course introduces students to the medium of drawing as an essential means of visual communication. A variety of methods and materials are used for both in-class studies as well as for larger and more comprehensive projects. Challenging and complex drawings will be produced with a sharp focus on both formal and conceptual issues. Technical aspects of drawing will be balanced with imaginative and experimental approaches throughout the semester. Presentations and class discussions will supplement assignments to aid in expansion of the understanding of project goals. No prerequisites. This course will be offered each semester.

This course introduces students to the medium of drawing as an essential means of visual communication. A variety of methods and materials are used for both in-class studies as well as for larger and more comprehensive projects. Challenging and complex drawings will be produced with a sharp focus on both formal and conceptual issues. Technical aspects of drawing will be balanced with imaginative and experimental approaches throughout the semester. Presentations and class discussions will supplement assignments to aid in expansion of the understanding of project goals. No prerequisites. This course will be offered each semester.

This course presents an introduction to three-dimensional art through exploration of its basic elements (line, plane, mass, and color) and its basic ordering principles (unity, balance, rhythm, and dominance). Individual projects will be of two types: one-day projects allowing quick, spontaneous explorations; and longer, more elaborate projects allowing careful execution of individual ideas. This course assumes little or no previous sculptural experience. However, for those who wish to move on to more elaborate materials and techniques, instruction and encouragement will be given. The course format will include slide lectures, group critiques, and individual instruction. Material purchases are the responsibility of each student. No prerequisites. This course will be offered each semester.

This course is an introduction to the fundamental technical and aesthetic issues of black-and-white photography, with emphasis on using the medium for personal expression. Students will work through a series of problems designed to increase understanding of basic camera operation, black-and-white darkroom techniques, and art-making strategies. Regular critiques are scheduled to increase understanding of communicating with an audience and sharpen the ability to analyze and discuss works of art. No prior photographic experience is needed, but a personal manual film camera is required. No prerequisites. This course will be offered each semester.

This course is an introduction to the fundamental technical and aesthetic issues of black-and-white photography, with emphasis on using the medium for personal expression. Students will work through a series of problems designed to increase understanding of basic camera operation, black-and-white darkroom techniques, and art-making strategies. Regular critiques are scheduled to increase understanding of communicating with an audience and sharpen the ability to analyze and discuss works of art. No prior photographic experience is needed, but a personal manual film camera is required. No prerequisites. This course will be offered each semester.

This introductory course will enable students to explore digital media while engaging in aesthetic and conceptual practices in contemporary art. They will come to understand the fundamentals of composition and to develop technical skills with a variety of camera and computer tools, including still-image and video editing programs. Personal studio projects will cover a variety of subjects, such as the relationship of the arts to popular culture and the liberal arts, the historic role of technology in the arts, and the role of gender, class, and race in the creation and interpretation of artwork. Through theory and practice, students will enhance their art-criticism skills, allowing for creative group interactions and the defining of personal aesthetic vision. Presentations and demonstrations by the professor will be supplemented by student research and response to contemporary artists and issues. This course requires at least twelve hours of work per week outside of class. No prerequisites. This course will be offered each semester.

This course explores the language of type and its relevance to our own written and visual creations. We will examine the intersection of text, form and visual art in contemporary art and design and creative writing practices. Studying typographic history and tracing the relationship between language and art from early experiments with pictorial poetry, Futurist typography and Cubist collage will provide a context for critical analysis of contemporary trends in visual poetics and legibility. Students will learn a wide variety of printmaking and mark-making processes including transfer, monoprint and collagraph and traditional techniques like letterpress for translating their words and images into prints and multiples that can be made on and off the press. The class will make frequent visits to Special Collections in Olin Library to study its extensive holdings of broadsides and books on typography.

The central theme in this intermediate-level course is the inventive use of photography to construct works of art. Students will use photography in creative, non-traditional ways, including mixing photography with other media and using alternative photographic processes, such as cyanotype and palladium printing. The emphasis will be on pictures that are made, not taken. Throughout the course students will be concerned with the relationship of content to process -- how does one influence the other? The course will stress creative thinking, experimentation, conceptual coherency, and technical mastery. Prerequisite: ARTS 106 or permission of the instructor.

This class provides an overview of some of the most direct and fundamental forms of mechanical reproduction. A balance between technical mastery and imaginative visual exploration is the goal throughout this intermediate-level course. The processes employed during the semester combine aspects of drawing, painting, photographic reproduction, and a sculptural physicality, giving students an opportunity to explore and experiment with various combinations of visual processes. You will be challenged to synthesize and internalize diverse aesthetic approaches, while working to formulate a personal vision. Presentations on modern and contemporary artists are given by all students. Techniques include monotype, woodcut, linoleum print, dry point, intaglio, and photo etching. Prerequisite: ARTS 102, 103, 106, or 107.

This course is an introduction to the fundamental principles of painting. The course will begin with an investigation into painting materials and how they influence ideas. Students will explore color, composition, and surface development on board, panel, and canvas, while focusing on a wide range of basic approaches to oil painting. We will utilize traditional and nontraditional contemporary methods to address the historically established genres of still life, landscape, and portraiture. Visual literacy and conceptual growth are essential. Teacher presentations, group critiques, student reports, and readings along with individual instruction will help the student to develop original concepts. Prerequisite: ARTS 102, 106, or 245.

This course will explore the use of found and secondhand materials in the sculptural process. Students will utilize a variety of techniques, such as: assemblage, mold making, casting, and metal fabrication, and varied materials, such as metal, plaster, and wood. They will investigate how to join unlikely materials, methods for re-making objects, and ways of using the inherent meaning of a found object to produce personal and meaningful three-dimensional works of art. Project materials are the responsibility of each student. Readings, digital slide presentations, visiting artist lectures, along with individual and group critiques will help students develop their visual and conceptual goals. Prerequisite: ARTS 103 (preferred) or ARTS 102, 106, or 107.

This course is intended to develop an understanding of color photography as a medium for contemporary art, and as a ubiquitous messaging system doubly bound to veracity and deception. Students will produce digital photographs and then utilize various procedures for image editing, manipulation, and color digital printing. Students will create and maintain a web portfolio of their coursework. Theory and workflow, digital camera operation, and use of color as an element in photographic design will be covered. Prerequisite: ARTS 106 or ARTS 107 or permission of the instructor.

This course is required for art majors and is designed to enable students to develop their personal artistic vision based on the foundation of introductory-level and intermediate studio courses. Students will be expected to produce a self-generated body of creative work based on a concentrated investigation of materials, methods, and ideas. Critiques, discussions, presentations, and field trips will provide context and feedback for this process. There will be a focus on developing the elements necessary for professional exhibition of a cohesive body of work, including: developing ideas, writing an artist's statement and resume, and perfecting presentation skills. Majors are expected to take this class and the sequel, ARTS 481, with two different faculty members. Prerequisite: senior art major or permission of instructor.

This course is required for art majors and is designed to enable students to develop their personal artistic vision based on the foundation of introductory-level and intermediate studio courses. Students will be expected to produce a self-generated body of creative work based on a concentrated investigation of materials, methods, and ideas. Critiques, discussions, presentations, and field trips will provide context and feedback for this process. There will be a focus on developing the elements necessary for professional exhibition of a cohesive body of work, including: developing ideas, writing an artist's statement and resume, and perfecting presentation skills. Majors are expected to take this class and the sequel, ARTS 481, with two different faculty members. Prerequisite: senior art major or permission of instructor.