The Italian Renaissance (approximately 1300–1600 CE) was a period of extraordinary artistic and cultural production and complexity, the implications of which still impact our thinking about art, the body, and the self. We will explore the Renaissance and its implications through the themes of "Vision and Transformation," demonstrating how the period both transformed the way we think about art and laid unprecedented stress on the centrality of the visual for human culture and thought.

Examine transformations in visual culture between the Mughal and British empires in India. We will consider changes in artistic production, patronage, publics, and viewing protocols in the contexts of the court and bazaar. We will examine the emergence of new technologies and their impact on visual forms, media, and genres, focusing on the interplay of photography, print, and painting. We will explore the role of institutions — the art school, museum, and archeological survey — and the professions and practices they engendered.

Learn about the arts produced during China’s imperial period, from the third century BCE to the eighteenth century. Buddhist sculpture, painting, and calligraphy will be examined in depth.

Contemporary art today confronts viewers with a bewildering array of images, objects, and processes. In this class, we will explore how contemporary art connects artists and viewers in forms of creative engagement with pressing social and political issues. We will see how artists use diverse strategies to help us consider who we are, how our world is changing, and how we can best inhabit it together. We will discuss how today’s art speaks to both individual and collective life.

Examine color as a distinct visual phenomenon, investigating its practical, theoretical, and illusionary aspects. You will employ various media and materials in exercises and compositions that demonstrate properties of color structure, symbolism, and perception as well as the potential application to art and design. This course lays an excellent foundation for further studio coursework in art and design.

As an Arts student, this course will guide you to make the most of your student academic experience. Through conversations with faculty, staff, alumni and employers, you will develop a professional network and gain a deeper understanding of your value.