Art Fundamentals: Theory and Practice

Course name: Art Fundamentals: Theory and Practice
Course code: ART 2100
Total contact hours: 48 hours
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This is course is designed for the beginner to help the student find personal meaning in works of art and develop a better understanding of the nature and validity of art as visual and space language (line, shape, volume, light, space, time, motion, color, and texture). This means that you will learn about the essentials of art through experience and experimentation. Through determination and an open mind, you will increase your creativity and discover more interesting ways to understand and judge the visual arts. Emphasis is on the diversity of form and content in artwork. With willingness to work and an open mind, your experiences in this class will be memorable in a positive way. Upon completion, students should understand the basics of art materials used and have a basic overview of the history of art and how art represents its society, especially, Latin American culture.
Students will learn what art history from different cultures looks like and what it represents through the diverse visual culture conventions and the ability to discuss the relationship of cultures to their art. Besides, learning the different ways art is used for representation of objects, spaces, ideas, and emotions.
CONTENTS
1. The vocabulary of introductory terms
2. The need and search for art
3. The ingredients of art
4. The ingredients assembled
5. Form
6. Line
7. Shape
8. Value
9. Texture
10. Color
The vocabulary of color
The characteristics of color
The Role of color in composition
Color balance
11. Space
12. The art of the third dimension
13. Content and style: Art Criticism and Aesthetic Judgment
Medieval Art
Pre-Columbian Art
Renascence Art
Baroque Art
Latin American colonial Art
Nineteenth-century art
Latin American republican art
Early-Twentieth-century art
Latin American modern art
Late-Twenty-century art
Latin American late-twenty-century art
OBJECTIVES
After completing this course, students will be able to successfully demonstrate functional comprehension of the following objectives:
 To develop an understanding of the procedures and processes in the making of different types of art.
 To develop a personal aesthetic sensitivity to the visual elements and principles.
 To apply the inter-relationship of the visual elements of art (line, shape, volume, light, space, time, motion, color, and texture).
 To work with techniques and artistic materials.
 To learn the different ways art is used for representation of objects, ideas, and emotions.
 To develop the ability to create, manipulate, and control relationships of visual elements.
 To achieve predetermined qualitative content and specific aesthetic responses.
 To emphasize the diversity of form and content in original artworks.
 To display a basic understanding of Universal and Latin America style and form.
 To understand how art represents its society.
 To learn what art from different cultures looks like and what it represents through the different cultural and visual conventions.
METHODOLOGY
Through class lectures, workshops, readings, films, power point presentations, virtual routes, field trip, guest speakers. Participants are expected to be familiar with the readings and to be prepared to discuss them. Critiques and discussions should act as major motivators for the participants, unlike the situation of the traditional lecture-format.
Audience
This course is structured for International Students attending the Study Abroad program at Universidad Veritas. However, courses are not exclusive to foreigners so a few native student could enroll in this course.
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.
Attendance
Students are only allowed 2 non consecutive absences (justified or not). The student will fail the course if he/she has more than 2 absences. Students will have a 0 on any assignment evaluated in class (presentations, evaluations, field trips, etc.) if he/she is absent in this particular class, unless an official document is presented to justify the absence the class after the absence. In this case the assignment will be done on the next class date. You can only have two total absences in your elective courses HOWEVER, if you miss more than one day of class in a given month, YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE CREDIT for that particular course.
Behavior
Professors have the right to expel a student from the classroom should he / she:
1) be disruptive in the classroom
2) be under the influence of alcohol or even smell like alcohol
3) Behave in a disrespectful way.
If you tend to be late for class, you will lose 25% of your total grade
EVALUATION SYSTEM
10% Creative Project presentation: Research project/presentation.
10% Readings and Essay
10% Participation and attendance
10% Reports
60% Assignments-blog
Creative project Presentation: 10%
-This Creative project is about a work of art or building (that you know and have seen) that borrows from techniques, artistic compositions and styles studied in the course. The project may include a drawing, tridimensional project, pictorial collage from cut-outs, found objects, photos, copies on poster board, etc.
-The Creative project will comment on the formal aspects of the work and how it borrows from Art History (pre-modern, modern and contemporary) images. Your presentation should be five-seven minutes long.
Readings and Final Essay: 10%
-You will write a 2000 words paper critically analyzing one selected work of art and will present it in the form of an essay, which contains the reading contents.
-Effective written communication depends on both content and form.
-You will be graded, therefore, both on your ideas, grasp of information, accuracy, and on the grammatical and mechanical presentation of those ideas.
-When writing the essay bear the following components in mind:
- Form description (summarize all three texts without making any value judgments);
- Subject comparison and contrast (i. g., highlight the particular aesthetic perspectives of each artist) with regard to your research question;
- Content analysis (strengths and weaknesses of each perspective);
-Critical reflection (discuss usefulness of the texts for your research/studies).
-The paper will be due by moodle.
Participation and Attendance: 10%
Participation in this course is an essential element of your grade. Participation includes coming to class with the readings and/or presentations prepared, taking part in class discussions and field trips -- all of which require your regular presence in the classroom. Attendance in this course is thus an essential element of your grade. Attendance includes punctuality: 3 late arrivals will count as one unexcused absence. At any time during the period an instructor has the right to drop a student from the course for excessive absences when a student exceeds the number of allowable absences. You must provide a written excuse in the event that an illness (note from a physician or nurse), family emergency, or university-authorized activity prevents you from attendance or the completion of an assignment on time. You can only have two total absences in your elective courses HOWEVER, if you miss more than one day of class in a given month, YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE CREDIT for that particular course. Regular participation in this course is required.
Class Conduct: Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining an appropriate learning environment. Students who fail to adhere to behavioral standards may be subject to discipline. Faculty has the professional responsibility to treat students with understanding, dignity and respect, to guide classroom discussion and to set reasonable limits on the manner in which students express opinions.
Professors have the right to expel a student from the classroom should he / she:
4) Be improperly dressed
5) Be under the influence of alcohol or even smell like alcohol
6) Behave in a disrespectful way.
If you tend to be late for class, you will lose 25% of your total grade.
REPORTS: 10%
Field trips:
One field trip to the San Jose Art’s Museums to view actual works of art and cultural objects is required.
The National Museum (Museo Nacional) from 10:00-4:00 p.m. and at other times charges $5.00 to those with student ID's.
The Gold Museum of Central Bank (Museos de Oro) is open from 10:00-4:00 p.m. and at other times charges $5.00 to those with student ID's.
The Jade Museum at INS building (Museo de Jade del Instituto Nacional de Seguros) open from 8:00-3:00 p.m. Monday trough Friday and charges $5.00 to those with student ID's.
The Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (Museo de Arte y Diseño Contemporaneo) is free each Sunday from 10:00-4:00 p.m. and at other times charges $5.00 to those with student ID's.
The Costa Rican Art Museum (Museo de Arte Costarricense) is free each Sunday from 10:00-4:00 p.m. and at other times charges $5.00 to those with student ID's.
Film: 5%
Write a 1-page, double-spaced paper (with 10- or 12-size font) about the films in class. For each of your Film Reports, please first discuss the “plot” of the film (who, what, where, why, when, how). Then discuss in detail how the film illustrates issues and concepts discussed the relevant assigned readings and lectures. Your film reports are intended to promote critical appraisal and the application of the concepts, vocabulary, and topics presented in the readings and in the class lectures. Your reports will be graded based on your ability to summarize the key points of the film and to creatively integrate the films with your reading assignments. Your film reports are graded and, as such, they are supposed to be an indication of your individual abilities. You should not work on your reports with other students.
ASSIGNMENTS-EXERCISES: 60%
Class exercises (per session)
Assignments
blog