Drawing Outside the Lines

One prevailing Modernist concept of the artist and artistic work involves the conviction that art is first and foremost in the service of the artist's own expression. This assumption requires viewers of Modernist works of art to relinquish their associations and experiences and essentially submit to the power of the work. In other discourses of art, we understand that it can serve a far greater role than just an expressive conduit for the artist. Contemporary art often acts as an agent of change in our culture. By working in media and forms that ask the viewer to participate, engage, think about the work, transform it and enter into it, art in the 21^st century often plays the role of trickster, healer or alchemist, helping us observe and consider our world, beliefs and daily lives in fundamentally new ways. Artworks that sneak up on us and surprise us may be able to do so because they are in disguise. They may surface as postcards or mail art, graphic novels, flipbooks, performances, toys or other forms that fall outside the lines of what is considered "high art."

This program will be grounded in two studio practices: animation and printmaking. Because both of these forms originate in drawing, drawing skills, issues and theory will also be an important focus. Working back and forth between animation and print, between static and moving images, students will gain experience in basic studio skills and an understanding of visual literacy and creative concept development. Our study of art as agent or trickster will provide a lens through which we create work in the studios and develop foundations in contemporary art theory and art history through lectures, readings and seminars.

This program is designed for students who desire to combine their artistic practice with explorations of aesthetic theory. It will involve a focused and demanding combination of studio work, reading, writing and seminar discussion. Half of the students' time will be focused on artistic practice. The other half will be a rigorous study of art and animation history, visual studies and art and media theory. In the fall, students will gain essential skills in drawing, printmaking and animation through several creative exercises and assignments. In winter, students will be introduced to a variety of non-traditional forms for printmaking and animation, and will spend a significant amount of time designing and executing an independent project using the print studio and/or the animation labs.