Welcome to our course blog. In this course we will assess the significance of joy, play, and sentiment; investigate where these attributes may dovetail with art and painting practices; and grapple with the reasons that this may be difficult.
This blog replaces the tradition syllabus. The answer to all project and schedule questions may be found here, as well as PDFs of all required readings.
AD332 / Topics in Painting: The Joy of Painting: Examining Happiness, Delight, Sweetness, Levity and Optimism in Painting Practice
Monday / Wednesday 9:00-11:40
Professor Pamela Fraser
Office Hours: by appointment
E-mail: pfraser@uic.edu
Perhaps it is attributable to the impact of the Romantic and Critical traditions upon contemporary art practices that the above qualities often imply the impossibly saccharine and corny when connected to art practices including painting. A sincerely happy, joyful or even optimistic sensibility is difficult to uphold in this domain. The supposedly erased distinction between high and low art can still be seen clearly when considering the very possibility of sunny, joyful art. Why are these qualities and approaches so maligned in art culture yet so expected, hoped for, or applauded in everyday life and in other media? Is optimism possible without being seen as kitsch or naive? Is this distrust attributable to gender and class biases? (By the way, what is the derivation of the notion of expressing one’s individual angst in art come from?) What does our distrust tell us about joy, art, ourselves, or about contemporary discourse? Can we imagine and create an intelligent joyful art?
Students enrolled in this course will consider the meaning and potential of joy and related topics as relates to historical and contemporary painting, and in paintings that they produce. This is a study of the meaning and application of joy as a feeling, an activity, an experience, and/or a theme in painting. This studio course will include slide lectures, related readings, and field trips. Readings will look at related topics such as play, pleasure, beauty, taste, sentiment and kitsch.
While not attempting an exhaustive examination into the definition of “joy”, we will discuss the cultural-specificity or universality of joy, the potential problems of joy in art, as well as the potential usefulness. We need not negate the criticality and challenging aspects of contemporary art in order to allow the option of joy in art. Alongside a tradition that values the radical, subversive, novel (read: individuation), we may find ritual social value in the sentimental, affirmations of shared experience (read: community).
Texts:
• Alexander Alberro, “Beauty Knows No Pain,” Art Journal, The College Art Association, 2004
• Pat Kane, selection from The Play Ethic: A Manifesto for a Different Way of Living, Pan MacMillan Ltd., 2005
• Deborah Knight, “Why We Enjoy Condemning Sentimentality: A Meta-Aesthetic Perspective,” CAA Journal of Art History, 1999
• Carl Wilson, Let’s Talk About Love: A Journey to the End of Taste (33 1/3), Continuum International Publishing Group, 2007
Projects:
I will go over these to explain in detail.
Project 1: Joy as Activity
Exploring play, physicality, and experimentation in painting
Project 2: Joy as Subject
Attempting portrayal of joy while considering (avoiding or embracing) formulas
Project 3: Joy as Experience
Methodology and subject are equivalents
Schedule:
Week One___________________________________________________________
August 25th Introduction
Obtain and read Let’s Talk About Love by Sept. 8
Get materials by Sept. 8
August 27 Film Screening: Jeff Koons
Week One___________________________________________________________
September 1 Labor Day, no class
September 3 field trip: MCA
Week Three___________________________________________________________
September 8 Hour 1: discuss Let’s Talk About Love
Hour 2: Stretch and prime canvas
Discuss and begin Project 1
September 10 Work Day
Week Four___________________________________________________________
September 15 Hour 1: Lecture
Hour 2: Work Day
September 17 Work Day
Week Five___________________________________________________________
September 22 Critique
September 24 Discuss and begin Project 2
Read The Play Ethic selection by Sept. 29
Week Six___________________________________________________________
September 29 Hour 1: Discussion of essay
Hour 2: Work Day
October 1 Work Day
Read “Why We Enjoy Condemning Sentimentality”
by Oct. 6
Week Seven___________________________________________________________
October 6 Hour 1: Discussion of essay
Hour 2: Work Day
October 8 Work Day
Week Eight___________________________________________________________
October 13 Crit
Continue Project 2 / Part 2
October 15 Work Day
Week Nine___________________________________________________________
October 20 Hour 1: Lecture
Hour 2: Work Day
October 22 Work Day
Read “”Beauty Knows No Pain” by Oct. 27
Week Ten__________________________________________________________
October 27 Hour 1: Discussion of essay
Hour 2: Work Day
October 29 Work Day
Week Eleven___________________________________________________________
November 3 Critique
November 5 Discuss and begin Project 3
Week Twelve___________________________________________________________
November 10 Hour 1: Lecture
Hour 2: Work Day
November 12 Work Day
Week Thirteen__________________________________________________________
November 17 Work Day
November 19 Critique
Continue Project 3 / Part 2
Week Fourteen__________________________________________________________
November 2 Work Day
November 26 Work Day
Week Fifteen___________________________________________________________
December 1 Work Day
December 3 Final Critique
Materials:
Lab fees will cover canvas, basic oil and acrylic paint colors. You may wish to supplement your palette as the course develops.
I will go over the list of items below to explain in detail.
Required:
Hard Plastic Storage Cups
Variety of media-appropriate Brushes
Gesso Brush
Acrylic Gels, Retarder for acrylic; Oil Mediums for oils
Glass jars with lids for oils
Plastic or paper cups for acrylics
Arrow T-50 staples (1/4” or 3/8”)
Rags (cotton T-shirts best)
Toolkit Recommended with following (you will need this stuff):
Pushpins
nails and/or screws
Scissors or Mat Knife
Screwdriver and Pliers
Canvas Pliers
Hammer
On Grading:
Please keep the following School of Art and Design guidelines in mind.
A=outstanding accomplishment, innovative thinking, strong participation, full attendance, excellent progress
B-above-average accomplishment, solid participation, full attendance, good progress
C=accomplished all assignments, average participation, full attendance, little progress
D= lack of completion or accomplishment in assignments, disinterested participation
F=failure to complete basic course requirements and/or attendance
Your final grade will be based on the following percentages for coursework, with participation a part of the project grade.
Projects 50%
Participation 50%
The success of each project is assessed by the student’s level of engagement and experimentation; the incorporation of knowledge gained from course material; and high level of craftsmanship. Successful participation means to be alert and engaged, to demonstrate understanding of course material and to contribute to class discussion.
Late work is not accepted; projects not received on time will receive an "F". If you are going to miss class on the due date of an assignment, you must e-mail me to make arrangements to get the assignment to me.
On Attendance:
Good attendance is presumed and not rewarded or reflected in the final grade calculation. After three unexcused absences, one’s grade will drop one letter grade. After five absences-excused or unexcused-one may fail the course. Three times late, leaving early or arriving unprepared will equal one absence. Absence from class is not an excuse for missing handouts or assignments, or not handing in work. In the event of absence, check the blog to see what you have missed.
Misc:
• Please see me if you have special needs.
• Turn CELL PHONES OFF during class.
• Maintain clean work area, and clean up after yourself.
• Follow posted and announced procedures with solvents.
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