Mural Painting and Public Art

ART 2130 Mural Painting and Public Art
4 credits (60 hours)

COURSE DESCRIPTION
This studio art course introduces theoretical and practical aspects of large-scale painting, murals and public art. The course includes an actual practicum in large-scale media and experimentation of early and contemporary techniques including drawing, fresco, painting, aerosol and various industrial materials. The objective of this course is for students to develop understanding about some of the social roles of art and the impact of murals in communities, based upon its historical and contemporary applications. The course will enable student to control scale, color, specific techniques and safety measures aimed at public spaces. Students will incorporate a Service Learning component by either conducting a collective workshop with children from a rural location or actually painting a collective mural as a donation to a community. The Students fine arts background will help with the complexity of the final collective project but the course does not require previous painting knowledge.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this course student should be able to demonstrate proficiency in the following:
Demonstrate basic understanding of historical and contemporary techniques, terms and issues and implementation of public art.
Develop a finance and process strategy to conduct public art in a foreign or local community.
Explore a personal driving force and apply that stimulus visually to the public realm.
Find the balance between personal, group and the community vision.
Be able to listen and then collaborate with individuals and communities to meet their artistic goals.

METHODOLOGY
Create an environment that will help students in the process of turning their two-dimensional and three-dimensional works of art and ideas into public art, murals, etc.
Classes will have a dynamic participation of students in class discussions and various in-out class art exercises. Theory will be presented through slides, films and assigned readings.
There will be an urban public art field trip, a natural ecosystem tour and an off campus work session.

Assignments for this course:
There are two projects that student will present to the class. A group critique will follow each presentation. Artwork and written proposal should be presented in a professional manner for critique. All elements of the proposals will be reviewed and practices during class time.
1. Artist Proposal 10%
Students will create a hypothetical public art project.
The assignment will be divided in levels to develop the final presentation.
Concept: Your individual idea, visualization and public intent.
Sketches
Revised Drawing
Color Alternatives
Photomontage
Outline Drawing with Grid
Final Scale Painting and Artist Statement*
2. Group Project 20%
Based on the previous project students will collaborate as one or a few groups and create a competitive scenario designing different proposals for the hands on Community Project.
The class will create the designs, which will be presented to a civic building in Costa Rica. The designs may be used on various walls or the best work will be selected and the entire class will help in the production.
Each Student will create a Sketch.
Groups will develop the design, Color Alternatives and Outlines Drawing with Grid.
Visiting the wall-building site: Set up the timeline, meetings, permits
budgets, sponsorship, angular and transit study, photography of context
photomontage & final designs.
3. Student will have to complete studio work projects demonstrated in class as homework 15%
The are also multiple reading assignments:
1. *Artist Statement: 10%
Portray yourself as an artist working in the public sphere and describe your personal point of view. Describe your intensions
2. Research Paper: 25%
This is an opportunity to select an artist or topic relevant in public art and explore the issue in depth. It is important to select a narrow enough topic to allow for focus and analysis within 4-6-page limitation. Include a bibliography using MLA Citation.
3. You will be required to read and engage in all reading discussions. Student will lead one reading discussion. 10%
4. CD Documentation turned in as a portfolio. 10%
All work including the process should be documented

MATERIALS
18? x 24 drawing pad
4B, 2B Pencil
Foam board
Tissue paper
Spray mount
Clear tape
Heavy-duty x-acto knife
House painting brush and small painting brushes
Mixing containers for paint
Apron or painting clothes
Project should be colored with your choice of media, such as watercolor, acrylics and/or pastels (spray fixed)
Electronic devices:
The use of cell phones, smart phones, or other mobile communication devices is disruptive, and is therefore prohibited during class. Please turn all devices OFF and put them away when class begins. Devices may be used ONLY when the professor assigns a specific activity and allows the use of devices for internet search or recording. Those who fail to
comply with the rule must leave the classroom for the remainder of the class period.

COURSE OUTLINE
SESSION
OBJECTIVE /
CONCEPT
HOMEWORK
Week 1
Session 1
Introduction
Review syllabus
What gives life to artwork?
Brainstorm public art ideas and bring a graphite and a color sketch on 11x17 paper
Week 1
Session 2
Proposal Demo: Mock ups /
Photomontage
Reading: El Mural, Eduardo Torijano
Begin: Project 1
Week 2
Session 3
Work Progress Administration (WPA) Outlines, Mural recepy
Reading: Whose Monument, Judith Baca
Week 2
Session 4
Mexican Muralist Movement
SCALE Reading Discussion
Film: Siqueiros: Artist and Warrior
Reading: Art In the Age of Mechanical Reproduction
Bring printed reference images
Week 3
Session 5
Demo: Projectors
Create a grid 3 x 1 scale
Week 3
Session 6
Demo: trompe?loeil and models
Week 4
Session 7
Artist Proposal Presentations
Begin Group Project
Week 4
Session8
Artist Proposal Presentations
GP Sketches
Week 5
Session 9
Graffiti / aerosol
Reading Discussion
Demo: Stencils, Guerrilla art
GP Drawings
Week 5
Session 10
Painting with Local Communities
GP Color Alternatives
& Outlines Grids
Reading: Hayden Urban History
Week 6
Session 11
Lascaux & Primitive mural art
Week 6
Session 12
Demo: Fresco and Pigments
Begin Research Paper
Week 7
Session 13
Renaissance
PERSPECTIVE
Film: The Agony and the Ecstasy
Week 7
Session 14
Contemporary Public Artists & Modern Art
Reading: Sonfist:public art
Week 8
Session 15
Contemporary Public Artists & Modern Art Demo: air brushes and compressors
Week 8
Session 16
Street Art Performance painting
Reading: Beyond Graffiti
Week 9
Session 17
Social, Political and Economic Factors: Guest Speaker
Week 9
Session 18
Due: Research Paper Draft
Week 10
Session 19
Field Trip: National park:
Environmental Factors
Week 10
Session 20
Mural Production
Week 11
Session 21
Mural Production
Week 11
Session 22
Due: Research Paper
Week 12
Session 23
Final Critique
Week 12
Session 24
Turn in CD Portfolios

Bibliography
Anzaldúa, Gloria. La conciencia de la mestiza: Towards a New Conciousness. 377-378
Baca, Judith. S. Bulington, VT: Annenberg/CPB Projects, 1996. Film
Boime, Albert. The Magisterial Gaze. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1991.
Finkelpearl, Tom. Dialogues in Public Art. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT-Press, 2000.
Folgarait, Leonard. Mural painting and the social Revolution in Mexico, 1920-1940. USA:
Cambrige University Press, 1998.
Gorky, Arshile. Murals Without Walls: Arshile Gorky?s Aviation Murals Rediscovered.
Newwark, NJ: Newark Museum, 1978. Print.
Gold, Carole. Judy Baca?s Legacy. Public Art Rev 17 no 1 Fall/Wint 2005
Hehingway, Andrew. Artists on the Left. London: Yale University Press, 2002.
Hurlburt, Laurance P. The Mexican Muralists in the United States. Albuquerque: University
of New Mexico Press, 1989.
Iosifidis, Kiriakos. Mural Art: Murals on huge public surfaces around the world from Graffiti
to Trompe l?oeil. China: Publikat Verlags-und Handels GmbH & Co. 2008
Lacey, Marc. ?Cultural Riches Turn to Rubble in Haiti Quake.? The New York Times
January 24, 2010 International/Americas. Web. 8 Feb 2010.
Lohman, Jonathan "The walls speak: Murals and memory in urban Philadelphia.? University
of Pennsylvania: ProQuest. 202. Pag. Web. 1 Jan 2010.
Ludwig, Coy. Maxfield Parrish. New York: Watson-Gultill Publications, 1973.
Macmurray, Eloise. The Washington Park Fences Project. Portland, Oregon: Tri-Met and
the Regional Arts and Culture Council, 1995.
Marling, Karal Ann. Wall-to-Wall America. USA: University of Minnesota, 1982.
Matilsky, Barbara. Fragile Ecologies: Contemporary Artists Interpretations and Solutions.
New York: Rizzoli International Publications Inc, 1992.
McKay, Marylin J. A National Soul Canadian Mural Painting 1860s-1930s. Montreal:
McGills-Queen?s University Press, 2002.
Norwood, Susan. Diego Rivera and his murals. Yale-New Heaven Teachers Institute. 2005.
11/14/05. www.yale.edu/ynntil/.
O?Brian, John and Peter White. Beyond Wilderness. Montreal: McGill-Queen?s University
Press, 2007.
Rolston, Bill. Politics and Painting. USA: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1984.
Staikkidis, K. ?Learning Outside the Box: How Mayan Pedagogy Informs a Community
University partnership.? Art Education Reston Vol 62 Issue 1: 20-24. Web. 2009.
Staikkidis, K. ?Learning Outside the Box: How Mayan Pedagogy Informs a Community
University partnership.? Art Education Reston Vol 62 Issue 1 pages 20-24, 2009.
Tajonar, Hector. Siqueiros: Artist and Warrior. Mexico: Arte Multimedia S.A., 1998. Film.
Yaeger, Bert. The Hudson River School: American Landscape Artists. New York: Smithmark
Publishers, 1996.
Videos:
http://www.woostercollective.com/2011/01/el_mac_shows_us_how_its_done_in_singapor.html
http://www.vimeo.com/11175747