In this class you will be encouraged and guided to explore unpainterly materials in a painterly way. We are going to start with investigating the regular conventions of painting, without the usual suspect - paint. We will cover and dissect basic elements of painting such as, and starting with, color, composition, and form, being aware of subject and content, while also learning from the theories of its origins and contemporary happenings that coincide.
Things I expect from you and things you can expect from me
Your grade will reveal itself through your attendance, participation, and improvement of your work and understanding of the world over the course of the semester.
ATTENDANCE- seriously, attendance is required, I am going to be extremely strict about this, seriously. No coming in late No leaving early. One unexcused absence is allowed without penalty to your grade, this does not go to say you won’t be receiving an intense guilt trip upon return, and be prepared for that, I’m good at it. Depending on the students past participation performance and attitude, demerits from grade or failure will vary for more than one unexcused absence.
PARTICIPATION- your VCU colleagues are a part of why you go to school. Your fellow students are among one of your top assets you will have acquired from your time here. Get to know one another, exchange ideas, make a network that will last a lifetime and do that by not being shy in class, and don’t be shy by being prepared!
As for me, I’m here for you. Don’t be afraid to call my cell phone or shoot me an email with any questions or suggestions. I want this to be your class, something you guys want, if there is anything you want of me TELL ME! Something you want to learn about, something you want to see, somewhere you want to go- TELL ME. I want this class to be enjoyable and enriching, not to say I won’t probably at some point give you an assignment that you hate, but I promise I know what’s good for you. At the same time, I want to hear what you do want to do. So, tell me
Semester Long Required Assignments
*please make all assignments your own, as long as they meet the requirements, or you can at least argue your point- to the point I agree or at least the majority of the class can agree that you have at least tried as hard as you possibly could to meet the requirement, take risks and do what you feel you need to do. And as always if you’re not sure about something; ask me, call, email, or blackboard it. I would rather see a failed risk, than an attractive example of what you already know.
1. The use of blackboard is going to be a weekly homework requirement. Since we only meet once a week, discussions will continue via blackboard discussion rooms, there we can finish discussions that started in class, ask questions, and keep in touch. I will monitor how often students log in, and contribute; this will be a factor in the participation portion of your grade.
2. Another ongoing assignment will be each student will be paired up and pick a date to conduct a Forum in the morning session. For The Forum, the students will chose an article that is pertinent to our class and is happening in the contemporary art world. The chosen students are responsible for distributing the article that will be discussed the week prior to the forum. The article can be about a show, an artist, a point in theory, a chapter from a book- but must have enough content to carry an interesting conversation among young contemporaries such as yourselves for the morning session. Be creative with this assignment and bring in any supporting materials you’d like. You can always come to me for suggestions, but I recommend the article being something that the pair is genuinely interested in. Barnes and Noble is not a bad place to look for good articles.
3. I want you to work on one piece, or a series, that you will be working on over the entire semester. This piece should make me say ‘wow’ when it’s done at final crit. Do that and you’ll get an A on it. Make me say ‘wow’ by creating a work that shows me what you’ve learned over the semester, not only in my class but as a young artist alive in the world. I want this assignment to be as open as possible, but I know everyone is at a different level in here, so if you feel you need a more specific assignment, ask me and I will give you a problem to solve or more limiting guidelines, at least to start out. I will make sure we have some time to work in class, have mini-in-progress critiques, and talk and look. At final critique I will also ask to see documentation of the progress of the piece. This will allow me to witness improvement, and any epiphanies you’ve had along the way.
