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Modern Art

Art 109, Fall 2006

TR 3-4:15 pm

Kadema 145

Instructor: Elaine O'Brien

Office: Kadema Hall 190

Office hours: Tuesday 4:30-7:30 pm

Email:

Website:

Let us hope that the true seekers may grant us the

extraordinary delight of celebrating the advent of the New!

Baudelaire (Paris Salon of 1845)

No, painting was not invented to decorate houses.

It is an instrument of war for attack and defense against the enemy.

Picasso (1945)

Course description:

This is a survey of avant-garde modern art, primarily the art of Europe and the United States from the mid-nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century. We will see how the aesthetic of newness andoriginality characteristic of avant-garde modernism wasrooted in class revolution and driven by the same faith in “progress” that released the forces of industrialization, urbanization, and imperialism.In an effort to un-think Eurocentrism this course considers Orientalism and Primitivism as primary sources of inspiration and looks briefly at “colonial” modernisms as examples of the enormous impact of European art on the rest of the world.

We begin in Paris around 1839-1850, with the invention of photography, the 1848 revolutions, and the first International Exhibition at the CrystalPalace in London. We spend considerable time in the nineteenth-century with Impressionism, Expressionism, and Symbolism but the course dwells longest on the astonishingly creative years between 1907 and 1914 just prior to the First World War. By 1914 avant-garde modernism – Cubism, Fauvism, Constructivism – had fundamentally reinvented the vocabulary of Western representation. We then consider major works and concepts of interwar art, including the Bauhaus, Mexican Muralism, Social Realism, and Surrealism. The course concludes with considerations of African Modern Art, American Abstract Expressionism and European Existentialist art following World War II.

Prerequisites: Upper-division standing and Art 1B, or equivalent with instructor approval

Course objectives: I am proposing nine course objectives, but I urge you to formulate your own objectives as well. My goals for you are to …

  1. learn about the major modern artists, artworks, and concepts within the social, political, and intellectual contexts that shaped them
  2. achieve a more direct and focused appreciation for modern painting, photography, design, architecture, and sculpture through the museum research paper assignment
  3. advance your visual literacy, vocabulary and ability to articulate your views
  4. learn how to discern relevant (and irrelevant) episodes in artist biographies
  5. gain insight into artists’ intentions for their artwork from reading their own writings
  6. master the meaning of critical terms, beginning with “modern,” “modernism,” “modernity,” “modernist,” “avant-garde,” and “academic”
  7. become aware of whymodernism achieved such greatness and why key modernist values have fallen into disrepute
  8. question how modern art could be both Eurocentric and global and why there are so very few women and non-European artists in the canon of modern art history
  9. be able to see today’s art and life, especially your own, from the perspective of history

Texts:

Required books:

  • History of Modern Art: Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, Photography (2004, 5th edition), H. H. Arnason and Peter Kalb.
  • Theories of Modern Art: A Source Book by Artists and Critics, Herschel Chipp

Recommended:

  • Sylvan Barnet, A Short Guide to Writing about Art (2006)

Articles:

NOTE: Make hard copies of these articles for your reading. Mark important passages and annotate. When each one is due bring it to class for after-quiz discussions.

  1. Linda Nochlin, “The Origin of the Avant-Garde”(website)
  2. Linda Nochlin, “Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?”
  3. Marshall Berman, “Modernity – Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”(website)
  4. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, “On the Bourgeoisie” (website)
  5. Charles Baudelaire, “On the Heroism of Modern Life and On Photography”(website)
  6. Alan Trachtenberg: “Albums of War: Matthew Brady”(website)
  7. Edward Said, excerpt from “Introduction” to Orientalism(website)
  1. Kirk Varnedoe, “Repetition and Fragmentation”(website)
  2. Partha Mitter, “Cartoons of the Raj” (EBSCOhost or website)
  3. Rosemary Betterton, “Maternal Figures: the Maternal Nude in the Work of Kathe Kollwitz and Paula Modersohn-Becker”
  4. Maud Lavin, “Cut with the Kitchen Knife”
  5. Hannah Höch, “A Few Words on Photomontage, 1934”
  6. Chika Okeke, “Modern Art in Africa” (website)
  7. Gerardo Mosquera, “Modernism from Afro-America: Wilfredo Lam”

Course Requirements and Grade Basis:

15% Participation:based onattitude, contribution to discussion, and attendance.

The course is predicated on active-learning experiences many of which will occur in class. I expect you to contribute to your classmates’ learning, and you cannot do this without being present. After two unexcused absences your grade is reduced ½ a letter grade and another ½ grade for each subsequent unexcused absence. Lateness and leaving early disrupt and demoralize the class, as does falling asleep and eating in class. More than two 2 incidents count as a partial absence.

  • Job demands and scheduled appointments are not excused.
  • Your illness or the illness of someone for whom you are responsible is excused with a medical note. You can get medical notes from the student health center.
  • Child and family care emergencies are excused. Please see me if these arise.

40% Weekly quizzes on lectures and readings: Almost every Tuesday class will begin with a (timed) 15-minute slide identification and essay quiz based on the previous week’s lectures and readings listed on the calendar below as “Reading for quiz & class discussion.”

Quiz format: 15 minutes – Use notebook paper and pen.

  • Identify an artwork from the previous lecture: 1) full name and nationality of artist, 2) title of work, 3) date, 4) medium, and 5) movement if relevant.
  • Discuss the work in terms of the assigned reading, videos, and/or previous class lecture. Be prepared to compare two works. Preparation for the quizzes will prepare you for the discussionsthat follow the quizzes as often as time allows.

Scoring is on a scale from 1-10 points based on how much mastery of the material is demonstrated. Students with an overall average of 9 or 10 are excused from the final exam. For those excused from the exam, you still have to write the final exam proposal, which will be graded as a quiz and averaged into the final quiz score.

  • No makeup quizzes will be given, but one “free” quiz (missed or lowest score) will be subtracted from your average. This will help with illness and other legitimate reasons for missing class.
  • Points will be totaled and averaged at the end of the semester.
  • Keep your quizzes for possible discrepancies.

30% Research Paper:

Derive your thesisstatement*from a question inspired by an artwork at the Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco.

*For explanation of a thesis statement, see

  • Select from any of these three permanent SFMoMA collections. The work you select must be dated between 1839 and 1960.
  • Matisse and Beyond: The Painting and Sculpture Collection
  • Picturing Modernity: The Photography Collection
  • The Art of Design: The Architecture and Design Collection
  • Make a 15-minute pencil sketch of the work, no matter what it is. If it is three dimensional, sketch it from two points of view. Write down all the information from the wall text and write a brief description of why you chose the piece (about 100 words)
  • Have a photograph taken of you in the museum lobby to turn in with your ticket stub as evidence that you were there.

Since your research paper proposal is due October 19 (see below), this means you will need to make a trip into the city as soon as possible. It would be a good idea to organize carpools. Please feel free to initiate this by raising your hand and circulating a sign up sheet in class. The train is also a good way to get there:

Requirements for the research paper:

  • Attend one of the following library research workshops (required without exception because of the constant updating of search engines and other online resources) with Arts librarian, Alicia Patrice. All classes will meet in room 2023 in the library. Attendance will be taken.
  • Wednesday, Sept 13, 3:30-4:45pm
  • Tuesday, Sept 19, 9:30-10:45am
  • Friday, Sept 22, 12-1:15pm
  • Tuesday, Sept 26, 6-7:15pm
  • Saturday, Sept 30, 10:30-11:45am
  • Paper proposal and research bibliography: Due October 19
  • A 100-wordresearch question and working thesis statement. (On how to write a thesis question and statement, see Sylvan Barnet, A Short Guide p. 20, and )
  • Research bibliography – This is a complete “survey of the literature” on your topic and the foundation of your research. It should be at least 3 pages long. Spend a few hours at the library and list everything available on your subject: books, articles, videos, and web. Copy citations from bibliographies of books, catalogues, art encyclopedias, and articles on your topic. Use online art indexes for magazine articles. Alicia Patrice will show you important electronic and print references. Consult with me, Ms. Patrice, or any librarian at the 2nd floor reference desk. You are encouraged to see me during my office hour about your thesis and research bibliography before October 19.
  • Final draft: Due November 30
  • Attach sketch, description of why you selected the piece, photograph of you in the museum lobby and SFMoMA ticket.
  • Follow directions for research papers in Sylvan Barnet, A Short Guide to Writing about Art
  • A ten page (2800 word, 12 font, double spaced) research paper includingreproductions of all artworks referred to in your paper, footnotes, a cover page with your name, title of paper, course, and date submitted on it. Attach a “Works Cited” bibliography of articles, books and web sites actually referenced in the paper. Web sources must have full bibliographical information or they cannot be used. Examples of footnote and bibliography format are in Sylvan Barnet, on the websites below, and you can ask Alicia Patrice to explain citation formatat the library workshop. She can also give you library handouts. MLA, Turabian, andChicago style are all acceptable.
  • Useful research websites:

CSUS online Style Guide:

DukeUniversity citation guide:

NOTE: Give yourself twice as much time as you think you need for research and writing. Use quotation marks and footnotes for all information that is not general knowledge, including information that you paraphrase.This class adheres to CSUS policy on plagiarism. See

Evaluation criteria for research paper:

Unacceptable performance (D or F level work) is full of mechanical mistakes in structure, grammar, spelling and format. It might not respond to the assignment or show no sign that enough time was spent thinking about the subject. It might merely parrot clichés, be repetitive, vague, tangential, uninteresting, or much too broad in scope. It might not be on time or accompanied by required materials. D or F work fails to demonstrate knowledge, comprehension, analysis, or evaluation.

Competent Performance: (C level work) often has flaws in grammar, spelling, and structure. It might not quite follow the assignment. It has an organizing idea but it might be vague, broad or uninteresting, obvious, cliched. It might be excessively subjective, mostly opinion, and not have enough supporting evidence. It might demonstrate knowledge but doesn’t question, analyze, synthesize, evaluate.

Above Competent Performance: (B level work) No writing mistakes. Presentation is neat and orderly with good structure and argument. The thesis is proportioned to the assignment, worthwhile, and well composed with no digressions.

Outstanding Performance: (A level work) has all the good qualities of B level work, but is also unique, lively, and interesting. The writing has style and all elements in the piece are necessary for the thesis development. There is a feeling that the writer is engaged with the ideas and is attentive to effective use of language.

15% Take-home Final Exam: drop off at my office by 5 pm December 19

  • Final exam proposal. December 14.Throughout the semester, take notes for your final exam proposal. Compose three 3essay questions that cover the course material from beginning to end. For each question include a list of 10 artworks covering the entire period, 1839-1960, that could be discussed in the essay. Write questions (with list of related works) only, as if you were the professor. The best questions will be chosen by the class during the review session for the take-home final. Theproposal is part of your final exam grade. For those excused from the exam, the proposal will be graded as a quiz and averaged into the overall quiz score. I will not return your final exam.
  • The final exam is one question, 1000 words, 12 font, double space.

Schedule of assignments: subject to changes announced in class

GENERAL NOTES ABOUT ASSIGNMENTS:

  • Read the textbook,History of Modern Art(Arnason), as essential background and reference for lectures, videos, readings, and for reproductions.
  • Quizzes will be on the previous lecture with associated videos, articles, and readings in Theories of Modern Art: A Source Book by Artists and Critics (Chipp)
  • The lectures will be available on the website just after I give them.
  • Six 6 videos are assigned as homework. You can view them in the LibraryMediaCenter. You can watch them at any time prior to the due date. To avoid the frustration of finding them in use the day before they are due, I recommend that you watch them well ahead of time. It’s a great idea to watch them with at least one other student. You will enjoy and remember it better. TheLibraryMediaCenter has rooms for small group viewing.
  1. 002622, “150 Years of Photography: ‘The Pencil of Nature’”
  2. 002625, “150 Years of Photography: ‘The Eyes of Empire’”
  3. 002682, “New Ways of Seeing: Picasso, Braque, and the Cubist Revolution”
  4. 001833: “The Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright”
  5. 003951: “Bauhaus”
  6. 003877: “Degenerate Art”

September 5: Introduction

Reading: Arnason, Chapter 1: The Sources of Modern Painting

Assignment: Count the number of artworks reproduced in Arnason that were created by women artists prior to 1960 and the number of artists from countries outside of Europe and the US. Write down your numbers on a piece of paper with your name on it and turn it in to me.

Reading for quiz & class discussion:

Marshall Berman, All That Is Solid Melts into Air (website)

September 7:

Reading: Arnason, Chapter 2pp. 15-36: Realism, Impressionism, and Early Photography

Reading for quiz & class discussion:

Linda Nochlin, The Invention of the Avant-Garde (website)

September 12: quiz

Reading for quiz & class discussion:

Marx and Engels, On the Bourgeoisie (website)

Charles Baudelaire, On the Heroism of Modern Life and On

Photography (website)

September 14:Syllabus quiz

Reading and video for quiz & class discussion:

Videos: “150 Years of Photography: ‘The Pencil of Nature’ and ‘The Eyes of Empire’” (#002622 & #002625, 30 minutes each)

Alan Trachtenberg: Albums of War: Matthew Brady (website)

September 19: quiz

Background Reading: Arnason Chapter 3: Post-Impressionism

Reading for quiz & class discussion: Linda Nochlin, Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?

September 21:

Reading for quiz & class discussion: Chipp, “Postimpressionism” Chapter I, letters of Paul Cézanne and Vincent Van Gogh

Edward Said, from Orientalism (website)

September 26: quiz / Video: “The Savage Dream”

Background Reading: Arnason Chapter 5: Art Nouveau and the Beginnings of Expressionism

Reading for quiz & class discussion: Chipp: “Symbolism and Other Subjectivist Tendencies” Introduction, Gauguin, Denis, Aurier, Ensor, Munch, Redon

October 17:

Background Reading: Arnason Chapter 6: Origins of Modern Sculpture; and Chapter 9: The Figurative Tradition in Early 20th C SculptureChapter

Reading for quiz & class discussion: Kirk Varnadoe, “Fragmentation and Repetition” (website); reading in Chipp: Brancusi

October 19:Research paper proposal and bibliography due

Background Reading: Arnason Chapter 7: Fauvism, and pp. 272-277, “Matisse’s Later Career”

Reading for quiz & class discussion: Chipp: Fauvism & Expressionism: The Creative Intuition, “Introduction, Fauvism,” and texts by Rousseau, Matisse, Vlaminck

October 24: quiz

Background Reading: Arnason Chapter 8: Expressionism in Germany

Reading for quiz & class discussion: Chipp: Chapter III: “Expressionism” Nolde, Kandinsky, Marc, Klee, Kirchner, Kokoschka, Beckmann

October 26:

Background Reading: 10: Cubism; and pp. 278-287 of Chapter 14: The School of Paris after World War 1

Reading for quiz & class discussion: Chipp: Cubism: Form as Expression, “Introduction”; Guillaume Apollinaire, “The Beginnings of Cubism”; Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler, from The Rise of Cubism; Georges Braque, ”Statement,” and “Thoughts and Reflections on Art,”; all texts by Picasso; Fernand Léger, from “The Aesthetic of the Machine,” and “A New Realism – The Object”

October 31:quiz

Background Reading: Arnason Chapter 11: Futurism, Abstraction in Russia, and de Stijl, and Chapter 17: International Abstraction between the Wars

Reading for quiz & class discussion: Chipp: Futurism: Dynamism as the Expression of the Modern World, entire chapter

November 2:

Background Reading: Arnason Chapter 12: Early 20th C Architecture, and Chapter 16: Modern Architecture Between the Wars

Assignment: View video 001833: “The Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright.” Turn in your notes.

November 7: quiz

Background Reading: Arnason Chapter 13: From Fantasy to Dada and New Objectivity

Readingand video for quiz & class discussion: Chipp: “Neo-Plasticism and Constructivism,” Introduction and all texts by Mondrian, Van Doesburg, Malevich, Kandinsky

November 9:

Assignment: Viewvideo 003951: “Bauhaus” in CSUSLibraryMediaCenter. Turn in your notes.

November 14:

Reading for quiz & class discussion: Chipp: Dada, Surrealism and Scuola Metafisica: The Irrational and the Dream, “Introduction” and section on Dada

November 16:

Background Reading: Arnason Chapter 15: Surrealism