Southwestern University
2001-2002 Catalog

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ART DEPARTMENT

The Sarofim School of Fine Arts
Professor Patrick B. Veerkamp, MFA, Chair
Professor Thomas Noble Howe, PhD
Associate Professor Victoria Star Varner, MFA
Associate Professor Mary Ann Visser, MFA
Assistant Professor Kimberly Smith, PhD
Assistant Professor Ann Johns, PhD (part-time)
Assistant Professor Thomas Nichols, BFA (part-time)
Assistant Professor Peter Nickel, MFA (part-time)
Assistant Professor Leandra Urrutia, MFA (part-time)

The Art Department offers courses leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Art, with areas of emphasis in Studio Art and Art History, and a minor in Art with areas of emphasis in Studio Art, Art History, and Architecture and Design Studies.
The approach of the Department is to impart rigorous mastery of conventional skills (e.g., illusionistic rendering and life drawing in studio, knowledge of classical forms in architecture) coupled with an insistence upon personal experimentation and knowledge of abstraction in the Modernist tradition. As students advance, instruction in all fields becomes increasingly tutorial with a great deal of individual attention from instructors.
There is a regular program of gallery exhibitions and lectures and there are visits to studio critiques and classes by artists, lecturers and practicing professionals from outside the University. Majors are required to attend certain public events and lectures.
Majors and minors, both in Studio Art and Art History, also are encouraged to take part in at least one of the University’s off-campus programs such as the summer or fall in London or an internship in New York in the junior or senior year. Through association with the Great Lakes College Association semester in New York, Southwestern has regularly been able to place qualified students in internships in the studios and offices of some of the most prominent artists, architects, museums, and galleries in New York. Students are advised that a large number of the courses in such programs often have to count as University electives in their degree program.

Art Major, Areas of Emphasis

Studio Art (30 semester hours; required Art History Minor)

This is a pre-professional program in a liberal arts context and deals with art as an expressive rather than commercial medium; it intends that each student should acquire technical proficiency in a principal medium and also requires liberal arts breadth in critical and verbal skills. The program is a preparation both for students intending to apply to Master of Fine Arts programs and go on to professional work as artists; or for students who wish to acquire a liberal arts degree which can lead to work in a wide variety of fields in graduate school both inside and outside the world of art (such as art history, architecture, commercial art, design, arts administration, etc.).
Students interested in graduate work in fields such as arts administration, arts conservation, or medical illustration should consider combining a major in art with a minor or second major in other fields such as business, chemistry, or biology or developing an interdisciplinary “area of concentration.”
In order to be admitted to an area of emphasis in studio art, a student must also be admitted to the School of Fine Arts. To do this, students must fill out a Request for Degree Plan card for the department chair’s signature.
In order to finish within four years, students must decide upon their focus medium (painting, ceramics, or sculpture) and take the first studio in that medium by the fall of their sophomore year. Entering students who are considering Art as a major are therefore encouraged to take the beginning studios in painting, sculpture and ceramics in the course of their first three semesters, as well as start in the drawing sequence.
Students are encouraged to use their electives to develop skills in media complementary to their focus medium (e.g., printmaking with painting, drawing with painting, design with ceramics or design with sculpture). Students have the option of creating a “double focus” by using their department electives (e.g., sculpture and painting, ceramics and sculpture).
1. Foundations: Drawing I (70-203); Drawing II (70-213), Sculpture (70-403) or (70-413); Ceramics (70-463) or (70-473); Painting (70-503) (NOTE: the introductory level studios in sculpture or ceramics can be taken singly or in either order. (15 semester hours).
2. “Focus”: one further course in one of the three media of painting, sculpture or ceramics (70-403 or 70-413, 70-463 or 70-473, or 70-513), and at least two semesters of studio seminar in that medium, creating a four-course sequence in one studio area. Studio seminar can be taken a third time as a University elective (nine semester hours). A student may have the option of creating two “focus” areas by using department electives.
3. Electives: two further studios. (six semester hours).
4. Art History: a minor in Art History is required for the Art major with an Area of Emphasis in Studio Art. (See Art History minor for requirements.)
5. Portfolio Review: graduating seniors must present a portfolio of their work for review by the faculty. A slide portfolio and a resume are required and will be retained by the Department for its permanent records. Works for the portfolio are usually produced in studio seminars in a student’s focus medium. (Capstone experience: zero semester hours).
Honors (optional, upon invitation of the Department): at least six semester hours of Senior Research on one project starting spring junior year or fall senior year. Students who are interested in pursuing honors are encouraged to contact the professor who is most likely to act as advisor to the honors work. Honors are awarded on the basis of portfolio review and the vote of the department. (Hours count as University electives.) See the section entitled Honors Courses for more information.

Art History (36 semester hours)

Art History is an academic liberal arts program. It is meant to prepare students for application to MA and PhD programs both in Art History and in many other academic disciplines. As a liberal arts degree it can lead to graduate work in other disciplines both inside and outside the world of art, such as arts administration, museum work, or any field benefited by critical thinking, broad cultural knowledge, and research and writing skills.
1. Foundations: one studio in any medium, History of Art I (71-103); History of Art II (71-113); History of Art III: Asian Art (71-123). (12 semester hours)
2. Six additional courses from any of the art and architectural history courses offered by the department (any 71- course), one of which must be Modern Art I (71-363), Modern Art II (71-373), or Modern Art III (71-383). (18 semester hours)
3. At least one seminar in the junior or senior year (71-803). (Three semester hours)
4. Cognate: one course in another department which provides part of the historical, cultural or intellectual context of a course taken in the art department (e.g., religion, intellectual history, history of literature, philosophy, theatre, music, etc.); to be approved by an art history faculty advisor and the art department chair. (Three semester hours)
At least 21 hours of the major’s 36-hour requirement must be above the introductory level. The capstone is satisfied by the seminar taken in the junior or senior year.
Honors (optional upon invitation of the Department): at least six semester hours of Senior Research (71-98x) taken in the junior or senior year (starting at the latest fall senior year). Students are invited by the Art Department to pursue an honors project. Those who are interested are encouraged to contact the professor who is most likely to act as advisor to the honors work and propose a topic. The project will have a committee of three faculty members, approved by the department, and honors are awarded upon the basis of the vote of the committee. Hours may not count as part of the 18 hours of requirement #2, and an honors project does not replace the seminar capstone requirement.

Art Minor, Areas of Emphasis

Studio Art (18 semester hours):

1. Introductory studios in three focus media (nine semester hours).
2. Electives: one second studio in any medium (i.e. students must take at least two courses in a single medium); option of substituting one art history course for one three hour studio. (nine semester hours).

Art History (18 semester hours):

1. History of Art I and II (71-103 and 71-113) (six semester hours).
2. Four elective art history courses, with the option of one being substituted by a studio course (12 semester hours).

Architecture and Design (21 semester hours):

This program allows students to explore aspects of the design professions and to prepare for graduate school applications in architecture (normally the three and a half year Masters of Architecture programs which many schools offer) or for graduate schools in several related fields (e.g. landscape architecture, urban planning, interior design, industrial design etc.). Numerous different liberal arts majors can enhance a design career, including almost any of the humanities, business, science, mathematics or studio art.
1. Architecture Studios I-III (69-703, 69-713, 69-723) (nine semester hours).
2. Design I and II (69-753 and 69-763) (six semester hours).
3. World Architecture I and II (71-703 and 71-713).

Architecture and Design (ART)

†69-703 ARCHITECTURAL STUDIO I: INTRODUCTION TO DRAFTING AND PROGRAMMATIC DESIGN. See Art 70-703. (POK-Aesthetic Experience: Production) (Fall)
69-713 ARCHITECTURAL STUDIO II: HISTORICAL DESIGN. Prerequisite: Art 69-703 or ability to draw plans, sections and elevations. See Art 70-713. (Spring, even years)
69-723 ARCHITECTURAL STUDIO III: MODERN STRUCTURES. Prerequisite: Art 69-703 or ability to draw plans and sections. See Art 70-723. (Spring, odd years)
†69-753 DESIGN I. See Art 70-753. (POK-Aesthetic Experience: Production) (Fall)
69-763 DESIGN II. Prerequisite: Art 70-753. See Art 70-763. (Spring)

Studio Art (ART)

†70-203 DRAWING I. A study of the nature of drawing as visual language with an emphasis upon descriptive rendering. (POK-Aesthetic Experience: Production)
70-213 DRAWING II. Figure drawing with an emphasis on the enduring historical and aesthetic significance of figurative art. Models will be provided for the study of proportion, structure and articulation of the human body as well as the formal means toward expressive drawing. Non-figurative concepts will be studied through independent work. Various media. Prerequisite: Drawing I 70-203. (Spring)
70-223 DRAWING III. A course in figure drawing and non-figurative contemporary drawing. The course is an extension of the figurative concepts introduced in Drawing II, with a greater emphasis on understanding the structure of the human body. Other related topics are covered and vary with the interests of the class members. Prerequisite: Drawing II 70-213. (Fall)
†70-323 PRINTMAKING: INTAGLIO. A beginning study of fundamental techniques, history and theory of intaglio prints (etching, aquatint, soft ground, drypoint). Black and white and color. The assignments are designed to explore creative, technical and formal means toward expressive form. (POK-Aesthetic Experience: Production) (Spring, odd years)
†70-333 PRINTMAKING: LITHOGRAPHY. A beginning study of fundamental techniques, history, and theory of lithographic prints. Black and white and color. The assignments are designed to explore creative, technical and formal means toward expressive form. (POK- Aesthetic Experience: Production) (Spring, even years)
†70-403 SCULPTURE: FIGURATIVE. A studio course that introduces the study of the methods, materials, and tools of sculpture and general concepts of sculptural forms. A significant portion of this course is devoted to the study of figure structure via clay, wax, wood, and/or stone. Students are expected to work toward innovation and extension of the figure as image. (POK-Aesthetic Experience: Production) (Fall)
†70-413 SCULPTURE: ABSTRACT. The study and manipulation of space, form, and construction process available to the contemporary artist. Assignments emphasize an investigation of the expressive qualities of form in space. (POK-Aesthetic Experience: Production) (Spring)
70-423 SCULPTURE: STUDIO SEMINAR. An examination and discussion of intersections of aesthetic, intellectual, and societal issues in contemporary sculpture. Topics develop from the needs and interests of the students relevant to their own artwork. It is expected that the work produced in this course will constitute the portfolio required for the Portfolio Review for studio art majors. Prerequisite: Art 70-403 and 70-413, or consent of instructor. Can be repeated. (Fall)
†70-463 CERAMICS: HAND-BUILDING. A study of various forming methods used in the production of pottery with an emphasis on hand-building. Other topics include: ceramic materials and their use; low-fire and mid-range clay and glaze formulation; decorating techniques; studio procedures; a general survey of the history of pottery; theory; and criticism. (POK-Aesthetic Experience: Production) (Spring)
†70-473 CERAMICS: WHEEL-FORMING. A study of the various methods used in the production of pottery with an emphasis on wheel-forming techniques. Other topics include: decorating techniques; high-fire clay and glaze formulation; and the history, theory, and criticism of pottery with an emphasis on the modern period (c. 1850-1970). (POK-Aesthetic Experience: Production) (Fall)
70-483 CERAMICS: STUDIO SEMINAR. In this course students are encouraged to pursue personal concepts and ideas directed toward the production of a cohesive body of work. In consultation with the instructor, students will develop individual research and creative projects and are expected to be able to work independently. The work produced in this studio will constitute the portfolio required for the BA Portfolio Review in Studio Art and serves as the capstone experience. Prerequisite: Art 70-463 and 70-473, or consent of instructor. Can be repeated. (Spring)
†70-493 CERAMICS: RAKU. Various pottery forming techniques will be considered including basic hand-building and wheel-forming, firing the kiln, and simple glaze formulation. In addition, the aesthetic theory that informs this approach to making pottery will be discussed, and the history of raku will be covered. (POK-Aesthetic Experience: Production) (Summer)
†70-503 PAINTING I. A beginning study of the techniques, formal devices and history of painting with an emphasis on expressive content in descriptive rendering. Composition and illusionistic devices will be taught. (POK-Aesthetic Experience: Production) (Fall)
70-513 PAINTING II. A study of the compositional devices and formal means toward an expressive visual statement. Formal devices are taught through individual studies aimed at specific visual ideas. Individual interests are pursued through a series of related compositions, which may include representation, abstraction, or non-objective concepts. Studies may be made from the model, when appropriate. Various media. Prerequisite: Art 70-503. (Spring)
70-523 PAINTING: STUDIO SEMINAR. Primarily a studio class, the seminar provides an examination of recent developments in contemporary art, as they relate to intellectual, aesthetic, and societal trends. Students are encouraged to develop a coherent body of paintings, drawings or prints which explore their own creative interests in current art issues. In consultation with the professor, research topics vary from semester to semester with the personal aesthetic interest of the student. Work produced for this course normally constitutes the material for the portfolio review capstone. Prerequisite: Art 70-503 and 70-513 or Art 70-323 and 70-333. Can be repeated. (Fall)
†70-603 COMPUTER IMAGING. A studio art course that introduces the application and integration of graphic software that can be used to create and animate two- and three-dimensional forms. A significant portion of this course will use the following software: Infini-D, Adobe Photoshop, Fractal Painter, Poser, and Bryce to create artworks. Students are expected to work toward innovation and expression of form in an animated or still image format. (POK-Aesthetic Experience: Production)
†70-613 PHOTOGRAPHY I. An introduction to the history, theory and basic procedures of black and white still photography. Assignments emphasize the development of compositional and critical skills in producing an expressive image. (POK-Aesthetic Experience: Production) (Fall)
†70-623 PHOTOGRAPHY II. An advanced study of a variety of photographic techniques for both black and white and color process. Assignments emphasize experimentation, individual development of compositional design, and critical and analytical skills. Prerequisite: Art 70-613, or consent of instructor. (POK-Aesthetic Experience: Production) (Spring, even years)
†70-703 ARCHITECTURAL STUDIO I: INTRODUCTION TO DRAFTING AND PROGRAMMATIC DESIGN. Introduction to fundamentals of architectural drafting (drawing plans, sections, elevations, mechanical perspective, rendering) and principles of design (design to a program, formal systems). Material is presented in terms of one long and one or two short projects. Students who wish to complete a minor in Architecture and Design should register for this course under the 69- number. Also 69-703.(POK-Aesthetic Experience: Production) (Fall)
70-713 ARCHITECTURAL STUDIO II: HISTORICAL DESIGN. Five or six short design projects in the formal vocabularies of Neo-Classicism, Baroque, Gothic, and early Modern. Prerequisite: Art 70-703 or ability to draw plans, sections and elevations. Studio II and Studio III can be taken in either order. Students who wish to complete a minor in Architecture and Design should register for this course under the 69- number. Also 69-713.(Spring, even years)
70-723 ARCHITECTURAL STUDIO III: MODERN STRUCTURES. Empirical and intuitive introduction to construction and structures with four to six design projects in different media. Prerequisite: Art 70-703 or ability to draw plans and sections. Studio II and Studio III can be taken in either order. Students who wish to complete a minor in Architecture and Design should register for this course under the 69- number. Also 69-723.(Spring, odd years)
†70-753 DESIGN I. An introduction to the history, theory and practice of design. This course deals with the analysis of visual perception directed toward understanding the expressive nature of creative design. The objective of this course is to encourage visual awareness and to promote the development of various skills necessary to visualize personal design concepts. Students who wish to complete a minor in Architecture and Design should register for this course as under the 69- number. Also 69-753. (POK-Aesthetic Experience: Production) (Fall)
70-763 DESIGN II. Refinement and elaboration of the basic design concepts and skills presented in Design I. Professional standards for documentation and presentation will be stressed. Students who wish to complete a minor in Architecture and Design should register for this course under the 69- number. Prerequisite: Art 70-753. Also 69-763.(Spring)

70-301, 302, 303 SPECIAL PROJECTS. May be repeated with a change in topic.

70-941, 942, 943 INTERNSHIP. Internships related to specific fields of study.
70-951, 952, 953 INDEPENDENT STUDY IN STUDIO ART. May be repeated with a change of topic. At the invitation of the instructor.
70-983, 984, 985, 986 HONORS/SENIOR RESEARCH IN STUDIO ART. Intended for honors work. At least six semester hours of work over two semesters (beginning spring junior year or fall senior year) on a single project. At the invitation of the instructor and approval of the department.

Art History (ART)

†71-103 HISTORY OF ART I. A comprehensive overview of art from the prehistoric era until 1400, focusing in particular on the history of western art, in a format that considers these objects within their broader cultural contexts. Included in this survey will be the art of Paleolithic and Neolithic, Ancient Near Eastern, Greek and Roman, Islamic, African, Mesoamerican, Byzantine, Romanesque, and Gothic cultures. Also includes an introduction to the basic skills of visual analysis. History of Art I and II can be taken separately or in either order. Also Classics 07-103. (POK-Aesthetic Experience: Lecture) (Fall)
†71-113 HISTORY OF ART II. A comprehensive overview of art from 1400 until the present, focusing in particular on the history of western art, in a format that considers these objects within their broader cultural contexts. Included in this survey will be Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo art, art of the Americas and Pacific cultures, modern African art, Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism, and 20th century art in the United States and Europe. Also includes an introduction to basic skills of visual analysis. History of Art I and II can be taken separately or in either order. (POK-Aesthetic Experience: Lecture) (Spring)
†71-123 HISTORY OF ART III: ASIAN ART. A survey of the art of India, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia through pre-modern times, with consideration of cultural context (including religious, political, and social systems). Can be taken separately or in any order relative to History of Art I and II. (POK-Other Cultures and Civilizations) (Fall)
†71-323 GREEK ART. A survey of the Hellenic and Hellenistic art from c. 1000 B.C. through the end of the Hellenistic period and the Roman Republic. Also Classics 07-353. (POK-Aesthetic Experience: Lecture) (Spring, odd-numbered years)
†71-343 ITALIAN RENAISSANCE ART. An in-depth survey of Italian art and culture from the beginning of the 14th century to the end of the 16th century. (POK-Aesthetic Experience: Lecture) (Fall, even-numbered years)
†71-353 BAROQUE ART. A survey of European art and its cultural and intellectual context from c. 1600 to the mid eighteenth century. (POK-Aesthetic Experience: Lecture)
†71-363 MODERN ART I: 1780–1860. Encompasses the visual arts produced in Europe and the United States between 1780 and 1860. Includes a consideration of David and Neo-Classicism; Romanticism in England, Germany, and France; native and colonial American art; and international Realism. Organized according to chronological development in the history of 19th century art, the course also focuses on thematic issues including the relationship between revolution and art, the representation of femininity and masculinity, the tensions between Enlightenment and Romantic philosophies, the connections between imperialism and art, and the coincident rise of modernism and high capitalism. (POK-Aesthetic Experience: Lecture) (Fall, even-numbered years)
†71-373 MODERN ART II: 1860–1945. Encompasses the visual arts produced primarily in Europe and the United States between 1860 and 1945. Includes a consideration of urban planning in Paris, Impressionism, Post-Impressionsim, worlds’ fairs, Symbolism, Art Nouveau, Cubism, Expressionism, the Russian Constructivists, Bauhaus, Dada, Surrealism, and the muralist movement. Organized according to chronological developments in the history of modernism and the avant-garde, the course also focuses on thematic issues including the critiques enacted by modern art of technology and the city; primitivism and the avant-garde; the role of philosophy and theosophy in painting; the practical and theoretical exclusion of the decorative, feminine and commercial from the realm of fine art; and the importance of political programs to the avant-garde. (POK-Aesthetic Experience: Lecture) (Spring, odd-numbered years)
†71-383 MODERN ART III: 1945–PRESENT. Encompasses the visual arts produced primarily in Europe and the United States between 1945 and the present. Includes a consideration of modernism and Abstract Expressionism, art informel, Post-painterly abstraction, Pop art, Happenings and performance art, environmental art, Minimalism, Conceptualism, Arte Povera, feminist art, Neo-Expressionism, issue-based art and post-modernism. Organized according to chronological developments in the history of post-1945 art, the course also focuses on thematic issues including the development of modernist aesthetics and criticism; critiques of difference based on race, class, or gender; the body and art; the role of popular culture in contemporary art; the relationship between politics and representation; and the notion of originality. (POK-Aesthetic Experience: Lecture) (Fall, odd-numbered years)
71-403 GENDER AND ART. A study of the ways in which gender and sexuality are intricately involved in the making, reception, and criticism of art. Includes a consideration of how the art historical canon is generated, often excluding female producers of art, and an examination of the ways in which art represents both femininity and masculinity. The course will consistently investigate the experience of gendered subjectivities, asking what it means to be called, and to call oneself, a woman or a man. This will include an analysis of the intricate mechanisms informing the construction of gender identities, the history of sexuality, and how these theories can aid in better understanding both representation and production in the visual arts. Also Women’s Studies 04-413. (Spring, even-numbered years)
71-413 HISTORY AND THEORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY. A study of photography from its inception in the mid-19th century to the present. The course will provide an overview of major figures and movements in photography organized both chronologically and thematically. Close attention will be paid to fundamental theoretical issues relevant to the practice and interpretation of photography, such as the tension between photography as art and as document; photography and the notion of the “real”; gender and photography; photography’s relationship to death; the photographer as explorer; the political uses of photography; and photography and post-modernism. (Spring, odd-numbered years)
71-423 THE LANDSCAPE: REPRESENTING “NATURE”. This course will consider different ways in which European and American culture has represented the natural environment. Areas to be addressed include the history of landscape painting, landscape architecture, urban planning and park development, gender and the landscape, nature photography, and the relationship between landscape and power.
†71-703 WORLD ARCHITECTURE I. A survey of Western architecture from Egypt through the middle ages, with brief introductions to the architecture of South and East Asia, Islam and pre-Columbian America. Aesthetics presented as the evolution or invention of formal-linguistic systems, and considered in the context of social and religious systems and history of technology. Also Classics 07-363. (POK-Aesthetic Experience: Lecture) (Fall, odd-numbered years)
†71-713 WORLD ARCHITECTURE II. A survey focusing on the development of Western architecture and the development of international modernity through the 20th century. Presented as the recurring crisis in the search for aesthetic formal systems from the Renaissance to the present, and considered in context of social and intellectual history, and history of technology. Also an introduction to issues of architectural theory and the history of the architectural profession. (POK-Aesthetic Experience: Lecture) (Spring, even-numbered years)
71-803 SEMINAR IN SPECIAL PROBLEMS. A research seminar in various topics. Primarily for majors but open to non-majors who fulfill prerequisites. Prerequisite: Art 71-103 and 71-113; or 71-363, 71-373, or 71-383; and at least six additional hours of art history or instructor’s consent. Open to juniors or seniors only. May be repeated with change of topic. (Every semester, with different topics.)

71-301, 302, 303 SPECIAL PROJECTS. May be repeated with a change in topic.

71-941, 942, 943 INTERNSHIP. Internships related to specific fields of study.
71-951, 952, 953 INDEPENDENT STUDY IN ART HISTORY. May be repeated with a change of topic. At the invitation of the instructor.
71-983, 984, 985 SENIOR HONORS RESEARCH IN ART HISTORY. At least six hours of work over two semesters (beginning spring junior year or fall senior year) on a single project. At the invitation of the instructor.

Art Education (ART)

72-503 METHODS—ELEMENTARY ART. Methods, materials and procedures appropriate for teaching students on the elementary school level. (Spring)