Fine Art

Fifth Term Review class is a preparation course to assist students for participating in their fifth term review. In this important review, students will need to present a body of current work to Fine Art Department core faculty, write a statement about their work, and demonstrate an ability to discuss directions and issues within their own artistic production. This course acts as a departmental gate between lower division "foundation" courses and upper division level classes based on individual pursuits, including their Senior Projects graduation exhibition. Fifth Term Review is a required class which acts as the prerequisite for ART 401 - Post Re-Thinking Art (6th term) and for ART451- Senior Projects 1 (7th term) and ART 452 Senior Projects 2 (8th term). NOTE: Previously entitled, Mid-Program Review, this review now takes places in the students fifth term - when a student meets the 60 units requirement.

Course number: ART-300
Prerequisite: n/a

Advanced Painting is a class that will allow students the ability to create, develop and maintain a sophisticated studio practice in the field of painting. Students will research and develop an independent project in the field of painting that will be pursued throughout the term in a manner chosen by them that will culminate in final presentations and critiques at the end of the term. All iterations of the medium will be covered down to the most intimate detail and possibilities for surface and format will be explored completely. Students will be exposed in particular to techniques, formats and materials that have not been covered in previous less advanced classes as well as a deeper reading and understanding of more traditional mediums. All iterations of painting will be permitted and students will not be restricted to only a two dimensional format. Emphasis will be on the development and comprehension of course material as well as the creation of work that could potentially be used for portfolio and further advancement including graduate school application. There will also be a strong focus on examining the history of painting from the past to the immediate present and students will constantly be exposed to the extensive body of information that is contemporary painting. Museum, gallery visits and any other outside information will be an important part of the class as we will seek out any and all relevant information available during the course of the term. Students will be graded on the sophistication, development and presentation of their work. Class participation as well as the ability to pursue discourse within this chosen field will be very important and will factor into the grading process.

Course number: ART-311
Prerequisite: n/a

Digital Explorations is an Advanced Sculpture class with a focus on introducing artists to ways of incorporating digital technologies and processes into their sculptural making practice. Through hands-on contact with 3D Printing, CnC Milling, and Laser Cutting, students will consider various ways that these assistive technologies can enhance their work physically, aesthetically and conceptually.

Course number: ART-214
Prerequisite: n/a

"Advanced Studio" is a studio class for advanced undergraduate students working in all mediums. The purpose of the class is to provide ample studio time for students to develop their individual studio projects in an open studio/seminar environment under faculty guidance. The studio aspect of the class is enhanced by intensive weekly group critiques of new work or works-in-progress. Emphasis will be on creating a thematically cohesive body of work and/or ambitious project which reflects the culmination of knowledge and exploration the student has achieved. "Advance Studio" is a prerequisite (or co-requisite depending on credit units) for ART-451, "Senior Projects 1," and a prerequisite for ART-452, "Senior Projects 2". "Advanced Studio" can be taken in lieu of ART 401_"Post ReThinking Art."

Course number: ART-385
Prerequisite: n/a

Advanced Video Art builds on knowledges and practices gained in Video One and applies them to more complex projects. Readings, screenings, and discussions will enhance an understanding of contemporary discourses and conceptual frameworks of video and film in art. Students will work on independently driven projects that explore time-based media forms such as single channel video, analogue film production, video performance, and installation.

Course number: ART-277
Prerequisite: n/a

This course functions as an individualized and specifically tailored interdisciplinary term of study for advanced students terms 5 and above. Enrolled students will already have a solid foundational and conceptual approach to their unique practice, hence each student will embark on self directed work to bring three finished pieces to fruition over the course of the term. Students will receive lectures and readings specific to their chosen journey in making to help them further solidify and contextualize themselves within historical and contemporary practices. Students will also delve further into their mediums of choice and seek ways of bringing their conceptual and visual ideas to fruition within the limitations of those mediums.

Course number: ART-354
Prerequisite: n/a

Speculative Ecologies - Ecozone "Undevelopment" - Floodplain Revitalization This nine-week course delves into the concept of post-human infrastructure, focusing on the Los Angeles River and floodplain eco-zones in downtown Los Angeles. Through the lens of speculative ecology, we will explore hypothetical scenarios for the regeneration of this area, envisioning a future where ecological systems are prioritized. We will also explore creative solutions for promoting ecological regeneration and resilience at the site of the LA River in downtown LA. Each student will choose a specific site along the LA River and the floodplains eco-zones to study. Exploring their biggest concerns about the area, they work directly with Metabolic Studio's bioremediation team, Farmlab. Incorporating insights from their individual research and class group discussions, students create projects that are embedded in ideas of speculative ecology while prioritizing the regeneration of the Los Angeles River and floodplain eco-zones. By the end of the course, students will have gained a deeper understanding of the potential for post-human infrastructure and the role that we, as artists or designers, can play in promoting ecological resilience. Metabolic Studios/FarmLab https://www.metabolicstudio.org/farmlab@metabolics tudios

Course number: TDS-302A
Prerequisite: n/a

Art Structures and Systems is designed specifically for 4th Term Fine Art students who are now ready to examine their work through larger contexts. Students build a growing understanding of how their work (and that of others) is situated within structures and systems of knowledge, which inform not only art-making but also their experiences in the world. Additionally, this course focuses on the individual student's art-making as a developing art practice, which entails producing a small body of work and developing the tools needed to navigate and articulate the connections between one's making and thinking. This course is a pre-requisite for 5th Term Review.

Course number: ART-204
Prerequisite: n/a

With one of the most vibrant cultures in the world, Berlin is a highly multicultural city with a rich and complex history. In this course, we will examine how notions of German identity have been shaped by that history and investigate its ramifications in contemporary art. The travel portion of the Berlin trip will visit museums, galleries and historical sites, as well as allow students to meet artists and curators and attend events. This class is composed of a pre-trip meetings (approximately 7 three-hour classes) that will include lectures, readings, screenings; and then an immersive 12-day study-away experience in Berlin during the Spring/Summer break.

Course number: ART-802A
Prerequisite: n/a

This studio course explores the history, practice and visual diversity in collage language. The course will be structured around three major projects that utilize the process of building a personal code/index using collage. Implementing found, observed and appropriated two-dimensional elements, students will create a visual language that best positions their ideas. Utilizing traditional and alternative ways of looking at pictures, students will investigate and research their biographical, geographical and or interpersonal connections to the images and objects that they love. These collections of media will be used as a catalyst to create narrative metaphors and sequential structures within their compositions. Students may use any medium to experiment and apply to the collage discourse. 3 credits

Course number: ART-262
Prerequisite: n/a

Drawing 1 explores the role of contemporary Fine Art in the form of drawing projects with lectures on a range of subjects and procedures pertinent to drawing. The basic learning objectives for Drawing 1 will focus on developing & maintaining a sketch book; understanding the difference between drawing from direct observation and drawing from photography; exploring the differences between abstraction and nonobjective drawing, as well as, creating drawings as site-specific projects.

Course number: ART-171
Prerequisite: n/a

FIELD is a class that utilizes field trips to explore ideas of site, its meaning for those that live in the Los Angeles area past and future and especially for contemporary artists. This class cultivates the awareness of contextualization of site as investigation, enjoyment, source and responsibility within the metropolitan area of Los Angeles and welcomes the articulation and practice of all kinds of art media within student's art practice. Through direct experience students will visit 5 distinct and geographically separate neighborhoods to learn about both their historical roles in the fabric of Los Angeles as well as the ways in which cultural capital is produced, shared within, and exported from these areas. Various modes of transport, Car, Metro, and walking, will be utilized to create physical, visual, spatial, spiritual, intellectual and sensual connections through the involvement with disparate modes of experience attained via daily migratory patterns. Since "Field" is excursion oriented it meets for a full eight-hour day 9:00am-5:50pm weeks 1-9. Weeks 10-14 are independent investigations culminating in an exhibition at 870.

Course number: ART-296
Prerequisite: n/a

The Graduate Art department visiting lecture series. Guests include internationally recognized artists, critics, art historians, architects, filmmakers, and writers from Los Angeles and around the globe. Permission by Dept Chair required.

Course number: ART-421
Prerequisite: n/a

What makes an art-work an installation? How do we consider and evaluate our experience of a work that does not have finite edges, that depends on a space that already exists, that makes a new space, that we move through or are immersed in, that may or may not even have any discrete object? In this class, we explore the role of context and environment while learning about and making installations in a variety of media. In general, "Installation Art" is work that integrates or is dependent on its site, rather than being seen on the wall or on a pedestal exclusively. Installation art is often work which envelops the viewer, rather than maintaining a viewer/object separation. The distinction between "Installation" and other forms can be ambiguous. We will continually enlarge our sense of what constitutes "Installation" as a category. Our aim in this class is to introduce you to the vocabularies and practice of installation, and give you the ability to analyze and utilize space as a crucial component of an artwork. Participants will develop a heightened awareness of formal, environmental, conceptual and historical contextual concerns in their artworks, through the creation of installations. These skills will continue to be relevant to your art practices beyond the class, whether or not you continue to make installations, as developing an awareness of context is crucial to all art making, and particularly to exhibition. Verbal and written communication skills will be developed through specific writing assignments, structured class critiques, and presentations. The practice of Installation is not dependent on any one particular set of skills or specialties. You may work in any media for any project.

Course number: ART-231A
Prerequisite: n/a

This course teaches beginning to advanced printmaking processes of intaglio, lithography, silk screen and photographic printing in the 870 Printshop environment. The manipulation of inks, media, printing papers, and technical mastery are highly emphasized. The class is based on tutorials, studio-time and critiques.

Course number: ART-251A
Prerequisite: n/a

Openings is a course run by Grad Art and Undergrad Fine Art. It is a one credit unit, student-led class that explores the Los Angeles art scene. There will be six meetings over the course of the 14-week term where students from both departments attend the latest gallery and museum exhibitions across LA. Students, with the help of the Grad TA, will decide what exhibitions to see. Class runs on Saturday afternoons. Credit fulfillment is based on attendance and engagement (specifics of requirements are decided by the group.)Openings is a course run by Grad Art and Undergrad Fine Art. It is a one credit unit, student-led class that explores the Los Angeles art scene. There will be six meetings over the course of the 14-week term where students from both departments attend the latest gallery and museum exhibitions across LA. Students, with the help of the Grad TA, will decide what exhibitions to see. Class runs on Saturday afternoons. Credit fulfillment is based on attendance and engagement (specifics of requirements are decided by the group.) ART-222A replaces ART-305

Course number: ART-222A
Prerequisite: n/a

This introductory class provides a rigorous introduction to both technical and formal problems in painting. Emphasis is placed on understanding the fundamentals of the painter's craft through a range of available materials; including pigments and paints, structures, surfaces and grounds, brushes and tools, varnishes and preservation strategies. Students will have the opportunity to explore a variety of mediums. Subject matter is explored through traditional painting genres of still life, landscape, figure and portrait, symbol and allegory.

Course number: ART-111
Prerequisite: n/a

Over the course of the term, students will think about the role of performance art as an extension of daily experience and gain a better understanding what it means to use their body, identity and personal experiences as a tool in an artistic practice. They will produce their own unique vocabulary of actions, gestures and movements as it pertains to performance. Through readings, lectures and extensive in-class and out-of-class assignments, students will focus upon removing notions of success, talent and failure.

Course number: ART-320
Prerequisite: n/a

This course teaches beginning to advanced printmaking processes of intaglio, lithography, silk screen and photographic printing in the 870 Printshop environment. The manipulation of inks, media, printing papers, and technical mastery are highly emphasized. The class is based on tutorials, studio-time and critiques.

Course number: ART-252A
Prerequisite: n/a

This course expands student awareness of contempory art activity through a selective examination of modern and post-modern values. Related projects explore critical issues in diverse mediums.

Course number: ART-101
Prerequisite: n/a

Sculpture 1 is an introductory sculpture class is comprised from a selection of diverse concepts, materials and processes that are associated with the subject of contemporary sculpture. This class is for the student who wishes to explore other methods of art production and to expand their conceptual development, as well as technical skills, and awareness of contemporary sculpture. We will discuss a wide range of ideas that pertain to sculpture, its history and status as: object, materials, process, craft, space, the temporal, and the experiential. You will be required to complete projects along with several homework assignments. The materials and processes we will focus on are: wood, steel, plaster, sheet metal, and plexi-glass. Other materials such as fiberglass, clay, fabric, found objects, etc. and other media are also available for any of the projects. Each project will be guided in regard to the required materials (wood, steel, plastic) but will allow for an expanded application of craft, spatial exploration, and conceptual issues. The idea of this class is to engage you with the subject of sculpture for the entire term and to use the full range of facilities that are available here at Art Center. Think of the College shops and labs as your workspaces and as an extension of this classroom. The shops are staffed with highly skilled technicians who are available to assist you with the technical aspects of your projects. The class discussions will play a crucial role in contextualizing the students' projects.

Course number: ART-162
Prerequisite: n/a

Senior Projects 1 is the first class in a two-term course series that culminates the experience of the fine art major and addresses relevant issues in preparation for a life in art after graduation. Seventh term students will each present a group exhibition (or individual shows when schedule permits) as preparation for their senior exhibition the following term. SP 1 students will also be required to act as a crit leader for one of the Senior Projects' shows, participate in the class, write a one-page response essay to each SP1 and SP2 show, and complete a full draft of their Senior Thesis essay.

Course number: ART-451
Prerequisite: n/a

Senior Projects 2 is the second class in this two-term course. It is a culmination of the student's experience as a fine art major and addresses relevant issues in preparation for a life in art after graduation. Graduating students develop a cohesive body of individual work for their senior exhibition in the undergraduate gallery. SP2 students will also be required: to act as a crit leader for one of the Senior Projects' shows; participate in the class; write a one-page response essay to each SP1 and SP2 show; and write a final draft of their Senior Thesis essay.

Course number: ART-452
Prerequisite: n/a

Over the two terms of Senior Projects, students develop and complete a 7-10 page thesis about their work. Through a series of workshops and individual meetings, students work with a faculty thesis advisor to develop their writing. By the end of Senior Projects One, students submit a draft of their thesis and by the end of Senior Projects Two, a final draft. The theses are then discussed with their classmates and faculty in an end-of-term roundtable. Ultimately, through writing a thesis, students not only gain further insight into their work but build the confidence needed to take their art practice out into the world. Senior Projects Thesis 1 is a co-requisite class to be taken with ART 451 Senior Projects 1.

Course number: ART-451L
Prerequisite: n/a

Over the two terms of Senior Projects, students develop and complete a 7-10 page thesis about their work. Through a series of workshops and individual meetings, students work with a faculty thesis advisor to develop their writing. By the end of Senior Projects One, students submit a draft of their thesis and by the end of Senior Projects Two, a final draft. The theses are then discussed with their classmates and faculty in an end-of-term roundtable. Ultimately, through writing a thesis, students not only gain further insight into their work but build the confidence needed to take their art practice out into the world. Senior Projects Thesis 2 is a co-requisite class to be taken with ART 452 Senior Projects 2

Course number: ART-452L
Prerequisite: n/a

This is an immersive class with two significant excursions to the Eastern Sierra.   In the tradition of the ArtCenter course, Dandelions and Mushrooms, Sierra Summer delves into the Eastern Sierra's diverse landscape. In a time when reconnecting with nature is paramount, Sierra Summer will allow students to engage with colonial and indigenous histories, merging geography, flora and fauna of unique biomes, and geology with hands-on artistic practice-crafting natural dyes, pigments, paper, and sound recordings. Using all five senses to connect with the land as both muse and collaborator, students work towards a final piece to be shown in a group exhibition, fostering a holistic understanding of the Eastern Sierra's cultural, historical, and ecological facets. In doing so students will value the natural resources that are endangered in this era of human made climate-change.    Students will be required to keep a working sketchbook or journal during the term in which they will record their research, findings, interests, and project ideas that will be turned in at the end of the term.

Course number: TDS-301C
Prerequisite: n/a

Sound is a Fine Art studio course focusing on the subject of sound and its relationship to Fine Art practices including the gallery and public arts. The course will expose students to a brief survey of the sonic history, technological advancements, related discourse, and current practices that artists have developed to incorporate sound as a Fine Art practice. Class time includes hands on practices in the sound lab, working with sound in all capacities, such as records, CD, mp3, cassettes, live performance, as well as an introduction to the ways in which sound can be recorded, edited, and manipulated digitally. Course presentations include demonstrating how the use of sound has been incorporated with other practices such as sculpture, performance, social practice, and installation.

Course number: ART-281
Prerequisite: n/a

Studio Practice introduces students to a series of practical materials, processes, methods and studio engagements that are associated with developing and maintaining a studio-based art practice. Students also explore expanded applications of the terms 'studio' and 'practice'. This course is a pre-requisite for ART-204, Art Structures and Systems.

Course number: ART-202
Prerequisite: n/a

"Summer Studio" centers on the individual student and the development of their work as an independently motivated practice. Students are provided a studio space as well the time and attention to create a new body of work or series. In addition to cultivating and furthering one's studio practice, students meet weekly for individual meetings with faculty as well as for directed group discussions and facilitated peer reviews. At the end of eight weeks, students should expect to have a new series or body of work. The Process: On the morning of the first class, students and faculty meet as a group to discuss and layout each person's plan for the works they will produce over nine-weeks. For lower term students (terms 2-4), this means creating a series of works that are thematically or structurally related. For upper term students, this means creating a new body of work and/or building upon prior work. Lower term students are guided in the development of their art through class meetings and individual studio visits with faculty. Upper term students have weekly one-on-one meetings with faculty to discuss the progress of their work. "Summer Studio" meets for a full eight-hour day 9:00am-5:50pm weeks 1-9. Weeks 10-14 are independent investigations culminating in an exhibition at 870.

Course number: ART-347
Prerequisite: n/a

Concerned with the critiquing of student work. The object of the class is to develop, through class analysis, a sense of the theoretical implications and foundations of the work of each of the participants. Permission by Dept Chair required.

Course number: ART-426
Prerequisite: n/a

Video 1 is a creative and critical exploration into the moving image in art and culture. As an introductory course, students learn basic skills of shooting and editing as well as the physical and structural elements in the development and construction of moving image projects. Students build their understanding of contemporary video by investigating historical precedences in film, art and culture, as well as delving into socio-political content, and inter-subjective relations at play in moving image works. Students expand their creative practice through the exploration and production of three video-based projects over the term.

Course number: ART-271
Prerequisite: n/a

Visiting Artist Program provides our students the opportunity to access new perspectives and new information by granting them adjacency to different points-of-view through visiting artist lectures and studio visits. Visiting Artist Program is required once, but may be taken a second time as an elective, allowing students to have multiple opportunities to work with outside artists.

Course number: ART-221
Prerequisite: n/a

In this course students will consider the role between contemporary art and fashion and the overlap which exists between these medias. Art and fashion are constantly referencing one another and borrowing ideas. Considering the history of art production, students will apply artistic strategies to challenge traditional form and function, while reflecting on the construction of gender, politics and contemporary culture. Students will produce art objects, as well as participate in reading, discussions and field trips. Individuals will examine their own artistic practice and the manner in which one can create garments, sculptures, installations or performances to transform wearable material into a critical tool.

Course number: TDS-335D
Prerequisite: n/a

In the course, Wet Paint: Painting is painting, and there's no other art medium that maintains such a significant, yet ambiguous place in visual culture and human history. This course will investigate contemporary practices and current approaches to the art of painting locally, nationally, and globally, with an emphasis on examining work formally, philosophically, and from an historical viewpoint. Students will be responsible for developing their own body of work, preparing presentations, and participating in group critiques and discussions. There also will be weekly reading assignments and exercises to complete. Throughout, an attempt will be made to integrate studio practice and academic thinking into a composite whole. Wet Paint is a class taught jointly with Fine Art and Illustration faculty.

Course number: ART-112
Prerequisite: n/a