SYLLABUS. Art 2570 (01)
CONTEMPORARY ART

Fall 2007: MWF 11, Th 9
Dr. Elise Smith (smithel@millsaps.edu)
AC 323 - 974-1432 (o); 354-2290 (h)(not after 10:30, please)
Office Hours: M & F 10:00-10:50, T 3:00-4:00, or by appointment or happenstance

Course Description: This course will be focused on contemporary art from around 1970 to the present. We’ll try to make sense of the confusing array of styles and media by focusing our attention on certain broad categories such as The Body, Identity, Place, Language, Appropriation, and Religion and Politics. Much of the art we’ll be considering may not fit neatly into our previously existing definitions of ‘fine art’, and while we’ll often be delighted there will also certainly be times when we’re surprised, confused, shocked, even dismayed by what we see. So our collective job will be to keep open minds and vigilant eyes as we continually assess and question the nature of current art-making and its impact on the viewers.

Texts: The titles of our two texts give us a good sense of the wild ride we’re in for!
1) Linda Weintraub, Art on the Edge and Over: Searching For Art's Meaning in Contemporary Society, 1970s-1990s (Litchfield, CT: Art Insights, 1996)
2) Terry Barrett, Why Is That Art?: Aesthetics and Criticism of Contemporary Art (New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008)
I will also distribute some articles during the course of the semester.

Grades: Each of you will be evaluated on the basis of the following components of the course:
Participation in discussion 10%
Research paper 25%
Exhibition review 10%
Talking points & presentation 15%
Midterm exam 20%
Final exam 20%

Class Attendance and Participation: Regular class attendance is crucial since we'll be looking at various works of art that aren't illustrated in our texts, and we'll also be discussing points that aren't covered in them. I believe very strongly that participation is essential to the learning process in all classes, plus it makes the class more fun for all of us, so I encourage everyone to ask questions, comment, disagree, elaborate, and otherwise join in the conversation.
Absences for whatever reason after the first three will adversely affect your final grade. I will count off one point from your final grade for each absence after the first two. If you are absent for an extended excused illness or family emergency or school sports, you may be able to make up those absences by doing additional writing assignments (it will be your responsibility to consult with me about this if the need arises).

Required Attendance at one of the two Lewis Art Gallery talks this semester:
1) Friday, Oct. 26, 2:00 p.m., by Susan Maakestad: Associate Professor of Art at Memphis College of Art, about her show “Urban Abstraction” in the Lewis Art Gallery (exhibition runs Monday, Sept. 24th – Friday, Oct. 26th)
2) Friday, Nov. 30, 12:30 p.m., by Greely Myatt, Professor of Art at the University of Memphis, about his show “Seentences” in the Lewis Art Gallery (exhibition about “visual sentences” and issues of seeing runs Monday, Oct. 29 – Friday, Nov. 30)
Failure to attend one of these will count as the equivalent of two absences.

Oral Components of the Course:
In addition to regular participation in class discussion (which requires doing the reading, thinking carefully about the issues and images, and being willing to try out your reactions and ideas in the public forum of the classroom), you’ll be evaluated on the following:
1) Talking points about one of the artists listed with caps in our daily schedule. You’ll do some on-line research on the artist you choose and on the day listed on the syllabus you’ll bring up 2 or 3 interesting things you learned about that artist (not a summary of the artist’s life or work, but just a couple of cool highlights. “Lagniappe,” as they’d say in New Orleans – a little extra, an unexpected bonus or gift. Your points should be related to the art or art-making in some way (i.e., not just letting us know that the artist drives a Ferrari!), so if it’s a biographical point it should be somehow relatable to the art. In class you should have a handout for all students with your points and the bibliographical sources (in MLA format). Be prepared to talk for 5 minutes or so about your points and to field any questions that might come up. Please e-mail your talking points to me by 7:00 p.m. the night before, at the latest, so I’ll know what you’re planning and can offer suggestions if needed.

2) Oral presentation about a contemporary artist. This presentation will be related to the subject of your research paper (see lists on the last page of the syllabus of possible artists, though if you’d like to propose someone who’s not included here feel free to talk to me about it). It should be a different artist from the one you research for your talking points. The presentation should be about 10 minutes, and you should make a short handout (about 2 typed pages) that might include such information as key issues, questions, works, controversies, and/or primary quotes (i.e., the words of the artist or contemporary review or critics) associated with the artist. Cite the sources, when relevant, by giving parenthetical notes, and include a bibliography in correct MLA format at the end of your handout. You are responsible for making enough copies of your handout for everyone in the class and for getting digital images of the artist’s work (finding them on ARTstor, downloading them from the internet if you can find any that are large enough, scanning them from departmental slides, or taking them on our departmental copy-stand with our digital camera). You’ll learn how to create and present your images using the presentation format in ARTstor called the OIV (Offline Image Viewer), which is what I use every day in class. (We’ll be talking more about this process in class).

Research Paper: This should be a thesis-driven paper, about 8 typed pages in length (12-point font), centered around a narrowly focused issue or particular contemporary artist (see list of possibilities at the end of the syllabus, though feel free to propose someone else). Don’t include biographical information or a summary of the artist’s career unless it’s relevant to your thesis. Please follow MLA guidelines for your notes and Works Cited page. You should have at least two books or exhibition catalogues (not including our texts) and at least two serious, legitimate, trustworthy on-line sources. Be sure to look for exhibition reviews by searching the various databases available on the library web site (especially the Art Index). Attach black-and-white photocopied illustrations of any work that you discuss (referenced by figure numbers in the text). For more information, see the handout "Tips for Writing Art History Papers" (now available at www.millsaps.edu/art/word/PAPERS_TIPS.doc). There’s also a great site called Directory of Resources for Research in Contemporary Art: http://www.boisestate.edu/art/artinflux/intro.html.
A first draft of this paper is not required but is strongly recommended, especially for students who’ve never taken an art history class. I will be happy to give you my feedback as long as you turn in your draft before Thanksgiving. Even if you don’t take advantage of turning in a draft for my comments, you should always carefully revise and proofread any paper that you submit.

Exhibition Review: This short review (1-2 typed pages) should be an evaluative critique of one of the three exhibitions in the Lewis Art Gallery:
1) Situational Site: Sculpture and Drawings by Elizabeth Mead
Solo Exhibition by Elizabeth Mead: Assistant Professor of Art at William & Mary College.
Exhibition: Friday, August 24th – Wednesday, September 19th

2) Urban Abstraction
Solo Exhibition of oil paintings and works on paper by Susan Maakestad: Associate Professor of Art at Memphis College of Art.
Exhibition: Monday, September 24th – Friday, October 26th.
Gallery Talk by Artist: Friday, October 26th. at 2 pm.

3) Seentences
Solo Exhibition of “visual sentences” and issues of seeing by Greely Myatt: Professor of Art at The University of Memphis
Exhibition: Monday, October 29th – Friday, November 30th.
Friday Forum & Gallery Talk in gallery: Friday, November 30th. at 12:30 pm.

The review will be due within one week of the opening date, thus by Sept. 3 for “Situational Site,” by Oct. 1 for “Urban Abstraction,” and by Nov. 5 for “Seentences”. The best one or two reviews for each show will be submitted to the Purple and White for possible publication.

Late Assignments: All written work will be marked down 1/3 letter grade if it’s not turned in at the assigned time, and then an additional 1/3 letter grade for each 48 hours (including weekends) that it's late unless prior arrangements are made (a serious, legitimate, justifiable reason is needed for me to consider granting a student extra time). If you’re late with an assignment, send it to me as an e-mail attachment (Word or WordPerfect) as soon as it’s complete and then follow up within 24 hours with a hard copy.

Learning Disabilities: If you have a learning disability and need special arrangements you must discuss it with the appropriate person in Student Affairs and also with each of your instructors. In order for me to be able to accommodate your needs you must inform me within the first week of the semester and we must both sign a written contract clarifying any changes in the expectations and requirements for the course.

If you're having problems of any sort that are affecting your work in this course or as a student at Millsaps, please feel free to come talk to me about it, or write me an e-mail message. I would be happy to talk with you about any * *

PLAGIARISM - A Reminder
Always be careful about plagiarism, even in short writing exercises and take-home exams. Plagiarism, as you know from Liberal Studies and/or your other core courses, is the use of another person's ideas or words without proper acknowledgement.

Two of the most common forms of plagiarism are defined by Diana Hacker in The Bedford Handbook for Writers (Boston: St. Martin's, 1994) as
" (1) borrowing someone's ideas, information, or language without documenting the source and
(2) documenting the source but paraphrasing the source's language too closely, without using
quotation marks to indicate that language has been borrowed" (477).

When should you document a source? In addition to citing the source of a direct quote, you should give a citation when you refer to an idea, opinion, hypothesis, or conclusion from one of your sources, or when you summarize or paraphrase a section of your source, or when you rely on one of your sources for a fact that would not be considered common knowledge for the audience of your paper (Hacker 477-78). The point of all this is to help the reader (and yourself as writer) to distinguish between your own ideas and those with whom you are entering into scholarly conversation.

What is meant by paraphrasing a source too closely? This is probably the kind of plagiarism that I most often see in student papers. It has often been considered "unintentional", but is nonetheless clearly recognizable as plagiarism. With the Honor Code now in place at Millsaps, and with a concerted effort being made by faculty and students alike to clarify the boundaries of academic dishonesty, you will no longer be able to plead lack of understanding but will be turned in to the Honor Council. If you're uncertain about plagiarism, I encourage you to read Hacker, pp. 467-79, on the process of taking notes in order to properly paraphrase your sources and on constructing and writing your essay in order to maintain a strong, clear voice.

HONOR CODE: The honor pledge signed by all students upon entering the College is as follows:
As a Millsaps College student, I hereby affirm that I understand the Honor Code and am aware of its implications and of my responsibility to the Code. In the interests of expanding the atmosphere of respect and trust in the College, I promise to uphold the Honor Code and I will not tolerate dishonest behavior in myself or in others.

Please pledge all your written work for this class with the written pledge: "I hereby certify that I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this assignment [Signature]." The abbreviation "Pledged" followed by your signature has the same meaning and is acceptable on assignments other than final exams.

COURSE CALENDAR (subject to change)(readings are listed on the day they’ll be discussed)

Week 1 Realism

W, 8/29 Introduction

F, 8/31 GERHARD RICHTER
READ: Barrett 6 (bottom)-11 (top); Weintraub 242-47
Sign up for your presentation topic and your talking points artist before next Wednesday (sign-up sheet is on the door of AC 324).

Week 2 Realism and Expressionism

M, 9/3 JEFF KOONS
READ: Barrett 17-32, 49-52, 205-11; Weintraub 197-203
Review of “Situational Site” due today, if this is the exhibition you’ve chosen to review

W, 9/5 AUDREY FLACK & PHOTOREALISM
Sign up for your presentation topic and your talking points artist before today’s class (sign-up sheet is on the door of AC 324).

Th, 9/6 (4th hour, 9:00 am): ARTstor & OIV workshop

F, 9/7 FRANCIS BACON
.
Week 3 Expressionism and Formalism

M, 9/10 JOAN MITCHELL
READ: Barrett 57-76, 97-102

W, 9/12 ANSELM KIEFER

F, 9/14 AGNES MARTIN
READ: Barrett 107-108 (mid), 115 (bottom)-124

Week 4 Land and Environmental Art

M, 9/17 ROBERT SMITHSON
READ: “Survey” chapter in Kastner & Wallis, Land and Environmental Art; and handout
from Stiles and Selz

W, 9/19 CHRISTO & JEANNE-CLAUDE, & MEL CHIN
READ: Weintraub 45-50

F, 9/21 ANDY GOLDSWORTHY & WOLFGANG LAIB
READ: Barrett 130-42; Weintraub 39-44

Week 5 Monuments

M, 9/24 MAYA LIN
READ: Griswold’s “The Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Washington Mall:
Philosophical Thoughts on Political Iconography”

W, 9/26 RACHEL WHITEREAD & THE COUNTER-MONUMENT
READ: Young’s “The Counter-Monument: Memory Against Itself in Germany Today”

F, 9/28 RICHARD SERRA
READ: handouts

Week 6 Installations and Body-Related Art.

M, 10/1 ED KIENHOLZ & CHRISTIAN BOLTANSKI
READ: Weintraub 153-58
Review of “Urban Abstraction” due today, if this is the exhibition you’ve chosen

W, 10/3 JUDY CHICAGO
READ: Jones’ “The ‘Sexual Politics’ of The Dinner Party”

F, 10/5 LOUISE BOURGEOIS
READ: Barrett 77-87

Week 7 Body-Related Art, cont’d.

M, 10/8 KIKI SMITH
READ: Barrett 87-97
.
W, 10/10 JANINE ANTONI
READ: Weintraub 123-28

Th, 10/11 (4th hour, 9:00 a.m.) – MIDTERM EXAM

F, 10/12 LUCIAN FREUD & JENNY SAVILLE

Week 8 Body-Related Art, cont’d., and Performance

M, 10/15 ART OF THE DEAD (DAMIEN HIRST and others)
READ: excerpt from Mey’s “’Playing with the Dead’: The Cadaver as fascinosum”
DUE: Preliminary bibliography for research paper

W, 10/17 YVES KLEIN & JOSEPH BEUYS
READ: Weintraub 177-83

F, 10/19 CAROLEE SCHNEEMANN & ORLAN
READ: Weintraub 77-83, 165-70

Week 9 FALL BREAK; Performance, cont’d.

W, 10/24 BRUCE NAUMAN & VITO ACCONCI
READ: Weintraub 218-24

F, 10/26 REBECCA HORN & MARINA ABRAMOVIC
READ: Weintraub 59-64

Week 10 Issues of Identity

M, 10/29 CINDY SHERMAN & YASUMASA MORIMURA
READ: Barrett 147-148 (top), 150 (mid)-154 (bottom), 155 (bottom 2 paragraphs), 159-
160 (Derrida section), 162-167 (bottom), 172-180

W, 10/31 CHUCK CLOSE
READ: Weintraub 145-51
Important note: If you haven’t yet turned in your exhibition review, the last opportunity is the third show of the season that’s up in the gallery now. The deadline for the review is Monday!

F, 11/2 ON KAWARA & OTHERS
READ: Weintraub 51-58

Week 11 Issues of Identity, cont’d.

M, 11/5 FAITH RINGGOLD & BETYE SAAR
Review of “Seentences” due today, if this is the exhibition you’ve chosen to review.

W, 11/7 LORNA SIMPSON & KARA WALKER
READ: Barrett 180-86

F, 11/9 JAUNE QUICK-TO-SEE SMITH & JAMES LUNA
READ: Weintraub 97-102

Week 12 Art, Religion and Politics

M, 11/12 AMALIA MESA-BAINS & SHIRIN NESHAT
READ: Weintraub 91-96

W, 11/14 DAVID WOJNAROWICZ
Important note: If you’re turning in a draft of your research paper for me to read, it’s
due by next Wednesday’s class.

F, 11/16 FELIX GONZALEZ-TORRES
READ: Weintraub 109-116

Week 13 Art, Religion and Politics, cont’d.

M, 11/19 ANDRES SERRANO
READ: Weintraub 159-64, Barrett 38-49, and handouts

W, 11/21 DAVID HAMMONS
READ: Weintraub 84-90
DUE (optional): First draft of research paper

Week 14 Photography

M, 11/26 CHRIS OFILI & MARCUS HARVEY
READ: Dubin’s “When Elephants Fight: How Sensation Became Sensational”

W, 11/28 ROBERT MAPPLETHORPE
READ: Dubin’s “The Trials of Robert Mapplethorpe”

F, 11/30 SALLY MANN
READ: Sante’s “The Nude and the Naked”

Week 15 Art and Language; Inspiration and Appropriation

M, 12/3 BARBARA KRUGER & JENNY HOLZER
READ: Weintraub 191-96
DUE: Research Paper (carefully proofread, with Works Cited page and illustrations
stapled to the back)

W, 12/5 GERLOVINA & GERLOVIN
READ: Weintraub 236-41

F, 12/7 SHERRIE LEVINE
READ: Weintraub 248-53

Final Exam – Monday, Dec. 10, 9:00 a.m.

POSSIBLE TOPICS FOR PAPER & PRESENTATION
(There are many, many interesting contemporary artists, so these lists are only partial and rather arbitrary. If there’s someone you’d rather work on please e-mail me with the name for me to consider. Also please be aware of the fact that these categories are often overlapping, and artists frequently work in more than one medium and explore a variety of themes or issues.)

SELECTED THEMES, ISSUES, OR STYLES:

Reality and Abstraction: Georg Baselitz, Vija Celmins, Richard Estes, Audrey Flack, Lucian Freud, Duane Hanson, Keith Haring, Gary Hume, Valerie Jaudon, Anselm Kiefer, Joyce Kozloff, Elizabeth Murray, Philip Pearlstein, Ed Ruscha, Sigmar Polke, Gerhard Richter, Julian Schnabel, Frank Stella, Cy Twombly

Land and Environmental Art: Mel Chin, Christo & Jeanne-Claude, Betsy Damon, Walter De Maria, Mary Beth Edelson, Olafur Eliasson, Jackie Ferrara, Andy Goldsworthy, Michael Heizer, Robert Irwin, Wolfgang Laib, Richard Long, Maria Merz, Aleksandra Mir, Roxy Paine, Charles Simonds, Robert Smithson, James Turrell, Mierle Laderman Ukeles

Body-Related Art: Magdalena Abakanowicz, Vito Acconci, China Adams, Janine Antoni, Chen Chieh-Jen, Nicola Constantino, Aziz & Cucher, Franko B, Lynda Benglis, Jake & Dinos Chapman, Judy Chicago, John de Andrea, Mary Beth Edelson, Karen Finley, Nancy Fried, Robert Gober, Felix Gonzales-Torres, Antony Gormley, Wenda Gu, Ann Hamilton, Rebecca Horn, Kim Jones, Shigeko Kubota, Michelle Lopez, Piero Manzoni, Robert Mapplethorpe, Ana Mendieta, Orlan, Rona Pondick, Marc Quinn, Niki de Saint-Phalle, Jenny Saville, Miriam Schapiro, Carolee Schneemann, Stephen J. Shanabrook, Monica Sjoo, Kiki Smith, Stelarc, Rosemarie Trockel, Stanley Tunick, Hannah Wilke, Joel-Peter Witkin

Issues of Identity:
Self-portraits: Francis Bacon, Chuck Close, Jimmie Durham, Gilbert & George, On Kawara, Alix Lambert, Beverly McIver, Robert Morris, Adrian Piper, Cindy Sherman

Collective Identity (Racial/Sexual, Ethnic/National): Lyle Ashton-Harris, Romare Bearden, Christian Boltanski, Robert Colescott, Jimmie Durham, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, David Hammons, Liu Hung, Yolanda Lopez, James Luna, Amalia Mesa-Bains, Sukran Moral, Yasumasa Morimura, Shirin Neshat, Adrian Piper, Faith Ringgold, Betye Saar, Lorna Simpson, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Kara Walker, Carrie Mae Weems, David Wojnarowicz

Art & Language: Gerlovina & Gerlovin, Jenny Holzer, Mary Kelly, Joseph Kosuth, Barbara Kruger, Shirin Neshat, Charwei Tsai

Inspiration and Appropriation: Ken Aptekar, Mike Bidlo, Tony Cragg, Braco Dimitrievic, Hubert Duprat, Ericson & Ziegler, Jeff Koons, Sherrie Levine, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Mark Tansey, Avdei Ter-Oganyan

Art, Religion and Politics: Ron Athey, Joseph Beuys, Glenn Brown, Maurizio Cattelan, Helen Chadwick, Renee Cox, Leon Ferrari, Howard Finster, Robert Gober, Damien Hirst, Tobi Kahn, Yolanda Lopez, Martinez, Mariko Mori, Dorota Nieznalska, Chris Ofili, Araeen Rasheed, Andres Serrano, Paul Thek, Luc Tuymans, Jeff Wall, David Wojnarowicz

WAYS OF MAKING ART (Selected Artists):

Photography: Diane Arbus, Sophie Calle, Renee Cox, Thomas Demand, Rineke Dijkstra, Nan Goldin, Sherrie Levine, Sally Mann, Robert Mapplethorpe, Mariko Mori, Andres Serrano, Cindy Sherman, Jeff Wall, Joel-Peter Witkin

Installation Art: Alice Aycock, Mel Chin, Tom Friedman, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Ann Hamilton, Tim Hawkinson, Damien Hirst, Ilya Kabakov, Ed Kienholz, Zoe Leonard, Ernesto Neto, Cornelia Parker, Judy Pfaff, Matthew Ritchie, Jessica Stockholder, Sarah Sze, Tomoko Takahashi, Diana Thater, Paul Thek, Krzysztof Wodiczko, Andrea Zittel

Monuments & Memorials: Patricia Cronin, Isa Genzken, Jochn Gerz, Maya Lin, Gordon Matta-Clark, Jaume Piensa, Richard Serra, Brian Tolle, Rachel Whiteread

Performance: Marina Abramovic Vito Acconci, . Janine Antoni, Matthew Barney, Vanessa Beecroft, Tobias Bernstrup, Joseph Beuys, Tania Bruguera, Chris Burden, Mary Beth Edelson, Ann Hamilton, Rebecca Horn, Yves Klein, Katarzyna Kozyra, Shigeko Kubota, Robert Longo, Bruce Nauman, Orlan, Nam June Paik, Gina Pane, Carolee Schneemann, Stanley Tunick, Bill Viola

Printmaking: Chuck Close, Warrington Colescott, Lesley Dill, Jane Hammond, Karen Kunc, Marco Maggi, Ed Paschke, Kiki Smith, Carol Wax, Art Werger, Terry Winters

Sculpture: Magdalena Abakanowicz, Joseph Beuys, Lee Bontecou, Louise Bourgeois, Petah Coyne, Patricia Cronin, Audrey Flack, Nancy Fried, Dorothy Gillespie, Robert Gober, Antony Gormley, David Hammons, Duane Hanson, Eva Hesse, Rebecca Horn, Jeff Koons, Robert Morris, Martin Puryear, Marc Quinn, Niki de Saint-Phalle, Richard Serra, Kiki Smith, Stelarc, Do-Ho Suh, Janaina Tschäpe, Rachel Whiteread

Painting: Francis Bacon, George Baselitz, Romare Bearden, Cecily Brown, Glenn Brown, Vija Celmins, Chuck Close, John Currin, Amy Cutler, Richard Estes, Janet Fish, Audrey Flack, Lucian Freud, Sam Gilliam, Keith Haring, Gary Hume, Valeria Jaudon, Anselm Kiefer, Joyce Kozloff, Brice Marden, Elizabeth Murray, Philip Pearlstein, Sigmar Polke, Gerhard Richter, Matthew Ritchie, Ed Ruscha, Betye Saar Jenny Saville, Julian Schnabel, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Frank Stella, Cy Twombly

Sound & Video:, Laurie Anderson, Matthew Barney, Tobias Bernstrup, Janet Cardiff, Katarzyna Kozyra, Shigeko Kubota, Mary Magsamen & Stephen Hillerbrand, Bruce Nauman, Nam June Paik, Pipilotti Rist, Bill Viola

Fibers: Ghada Amer, Tracey Emin, Kim Sooja, Do-Ho Suh