Oberlin College Course Catalog

Studio Courses:

Art

The Department of Art faculty consists of a nearly even number of artists and art historians. These numbers underscore the Department's interest in, and commitment to, a balanced study of the visual arts in a liberal arts curriculum. The Allen Memorial Art Museum is an important resource for art students. Courses routinely meet there and students have the opportunity to participate in the Museum's Docent program. Introductory courses—whether in studio or art history—presuppose that the student has no prior experience in art. The three majors offered—art history, studio, and visual arts—are designed to offer individuals a solid preparation for graduate school or a career in art-related fields.

Advanced Placement. The Department offers no credit and no exemption for AP work in either Art History or Studio Art.

Entry-level course suggested sequence:
1. Art History. Prospective majors are advised to take all required introductory courses and to fulfill the history and language requirements as early as possible in their college careers.

2. Studio Art. It is highly advisable for those intending to major in Studio Art to take one or more "Visual Concepts and Processes" courses as early as possible. First-year students and sophomores considering the major should consult with one of the studio instructors in planning their programs

Majors in the Art Department: The Department of Art insists that its programs of major study be deeply integrated with the overall liberal arts education that Oberlin both endorses and offers. In planning their programs of study, students should therefore keep in mind the fact that all three major programs may be completed within the two final years of work towards the BA degree. Requirements for the three majors are as follows:

Art History. The department offers Art History courses in four separate groups. Courses with 100 and 200 numbers provide a broad introduction to the field and are open without prerequisite. Courses with 300 and 400 numbers comprise the core of the major in Art History, and are available only to students who have completed the prerequisites or have received the instructor's consent to enroll.

A. Courses in the 100-numbered group have been designed to provide broad, synthetic overviews of Art History as an intellectual enterprise. In this group are both large lecture courses and First-Year Seminars. Note: The First-Year Seminars meet none of the requirements for completing the major in Art History and may not be applied towards major credit. No more than one 100-numbered large lecture course may count towards the major.

B. 200-numbered courses provide entry into the Art History curriculum by introducing students to the methods and concepts peculiar to the discipline. They place particular emphasis on acquiring the visual skills necessary for the close, analytical scrutiny of works of art. To that end, these courses make intensive use of the collections of the Allen Memorial Art Museum. The 200-numbered courses give access to courses numbered 300 and 400, and are among the major requirements.

C. 300-numbered courses provide lectures on the major periods and styles in the art-historical fields taught in the Department.

D. 400-numbered courses focus on selected problems in art history in a discussion-oriented format. They treat themes, techniques, traditions of representation, or particular critical issues.

At the 300- and 400-levels, students pursue advanced topics that provide training in art-historical research and writing. Some majors complete their work in the department in the year-long Honors (500-numbered) Program.

Major in Art History. No fewer than 30 credits in the Department of Art, to include a minimum of 24 credits in Art History and three credits in Studio Art.

A. Major requirements within the department are:

1. Six 3-credit courses distributed as follows:
a. one 200-level course
b. three 300-level courses
c. two 400–level courses

2. At least one and no more than two 3-credit courses in Studio Art

3. Stipulations:
a. At least one Art History course must focus on non-western art.
b. Of the six required courses, four must be taught by different instructors in the department.

B. Major requirements outside the department are:

1. Two 3-credit History courses in two different periods or cultures (may be courses cross-listed with History by other departments, such as Classics, African American Studies, or East Asian Studies).

2. A demonstrated ability to read a foreign language at the level of competence equal to two semesters of introductory language study at Oberlin. Students may meet this requirement in a number of ways, including but not limited to: (1) completing a two-semester introductory language course at Oberlin; (2) placing above the first-year level on a placement test administered by one of the language departments; or (3) transferring the equivalent of an Oberlin introductory language course taken elsewhere.

For students who are considering graduate work in Art History, the department strongly recommends advanced language courses. In general, within the first year of graduate study in any field of Western art, students are expected to demonstrate reading competency in French and German; for East Asian Art students will need a working knowledge of Japanese and/or Chinese. Depending on the area of specialization, other languages may also be necessary, e.g. Greek, Latin, or Italian.

Transfer of Credit to the Art History Major. A maximum of 12 credits may be transferred to the Art History major for work completed at other institutions. The department grants transfer credit from other accredited institutions of higher education only. Note: Students who plan to transfer credit for courses taken away from Oberlin must obtain the department's approval of the course of study well in advance of their departure.

Advanced Placement. A grade of 5 on the AP exam in Art History may be transferred as three general credits to the Oberlin transcript. However, the department offers no major credit, and no exemption from major requirements, for AP work in Art History.

Minor in Art History. Students with 15 or more credits in Art History may graduate with a minor in Art History entered on their transcripts. No more than three credits may be transferred for the minor in Art History; departmental approval is required for such transfers (see section on Major or Minor Credit for off-campus study). Note: Students are responsible for notifying the Office of the Registrar if they wish to have the minor in Art History entered on their transcripts.

Studio Art. No fewer than 30 hours. A Studio Art major must have taken at least one course with at least four different studio instructors before enrolling in the Senior Studio and Thesis.

Required courses are:

a. Four "Visual Concepts and Processes" courses (Senior Studio and Thesis may substitute for one of the four required "Visual Concepts and Processes" course and, under special circumstances, a problems level course may substitute for one "Visual Concepts and Processes course). Vis/Pro courses may be repeated for credit if taken with a different instructor.

b. Two "Problems in: (Discipline): (Title)" courses (These courses may be repeated one time only for credit with the consent of the instructor).

c. Two courses in Art History, one of which must be in 19th- and/or 20th-century art, and one in an earlier field or "Approaches to Western Art."

Visual Art. This major is offered within the STUDIO DIVISION of the Art Department. It allows individual students greater flexibility to pursuing an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the visual arts. Concentrations in this major permits students to study art within a particular social or historical context – urban or environmental studies, critical theory, museum studies, or art conservation. In addition this major can serve students wishing to pursue projects in the creative arts that may combine for example creative writing, theater, dance, music, performance art, or architectural design. It may also be designed to accommodate students who wish to study more wide-ranging topics such as environmental aspects of art and/or architecture, art in the context of another discipline such as psychology, sociology, philosophy, critical or cultural studies, art and the law, arts management, multi-media work in computer science, music, or even such disciplines as geology.

Students interested in this major must consult with members of the Art Department for further information.

In consultation with an advisor in the Studio Division of the Art Department, intended majors should develop a written proposal for a visual art major that meets their particular interests. The Visual Arts Major normally would involve the taking of 12 hours outside the Art Department. Students should therefore consult with an additional advisor in the appropriate department or program offering this concentration, and construct a written rationale for the selection of these courses.

Because this major requires more advanced planning than the standard Studio Art major, it is required that it be declared at the beginning of the junior year. Any revisions to the proposed Visual Arts major must be re-submitted to the student's Studio Art advisor for approval.

Requirements of the Visual Art Major include:

No fewer than 36 hours of which a minimum of 24 hours must be taken within the Art Department. The other 12 hours to be chosen according to the individual student's special interests (these hours may include additional courses from the Art Department or related courses offered by other departments or programs in the College or Conservatory). If desired students may request that the concentration for this major go on their transcript.

Students must declare a Visual Arts Major at the beginning of their junior year.

Concentration: Twenty-four hours minimum concentration in the Studio Division of the Art Department. However, three hours of the 24 should be in a course that addresses some aspect of the History of Art since 1900.

Nine hours at the Visual Concepts and Processes level.

Students must work with at least three different studio art instructors.

Visual Arts majors are strongly urged to apply for Senior Studio Thesis. If admitted to Senior Studio Thesis only two Visual Concepts & Processes courses would be required.

Students are required to work with an advisor in the Studio Division of the Art Department to create a written proposal that explains the rationale for this major: how the two disciplines are closely interwoven. A one-page statement is sufficient. This proposal must be approved by the studio faculty before it can be formally declared with the Office of the Registrar.

Transfer of credits: No more than six credits of studio art may transfer towards this major. No more than three credits can transfer within the 12 hour concentration.

Transfer of Credit/Major Credit for Off-Campus Study. The Art Department's preliminary approval must be obtained before beginning work away from Oberlin if this work is to be counted as credit for the major. Students must receive tentative prior approval from the Chairperson of the Art Department before leaving campus. On return, students must supply both an official transcript and evidence of the nature of the work done. Such requests, as well as those of transfer students, will be handled on an individual basis. The department is not obliged to give credit for work that fails to fit the general patterns of the Oberlin curriculum or that fails to come up to Oberlin's standards, no matter how valuable a student feels the experience has been, or how much time and effort has been expended.

Art History: No more than 12 credits may be transferred to an Art History major, unless the courses were taken in an Oberlin-affiliated program. Students should submit transcripts, syllabi, class notes, term papers, and examinations in order to obtain final approval for credit.

Studio Art: No more than six credits may be transferred to a Studio Art major. Students should submit transcripts and Syllabi to their advisors to obtain major credit for work completed at other accredited institutions.

Visual Arts: No more than six credits of studio art may transfer towards this major. No more than three credits can transfer within the 12 hour concentration of the other discipline.

Minor in Art History or Studio Art. Students with 15 or more credits in Art History may graduate with a minor in Art History entered on their transcripts. Students with 15 or more credits in Studio Art may graduate with a minor in Studio Art entered on their transcripts. These Studio Art courses must be taken in at least three fields with three instructors. There is no minor in Visual Arts.

Transfer of credit. No more than three credits may be transferred for the minor in Art History; departmental approval is required for such transfers (see section on Major or Minor Credit for off-campus study). No credit may be transferred to the minor in Studio Art.

Note: Students are responsible for notifying the Registrar if they wish to have the minor either in Art History or Studio Art entered on their transcripts.

Honors Program. Admission to the Honors Program is at the discretion of the department. Projects generally begin in one of two ways. An instructor may approach a student in his or her junior year and indicate a willingness to work with that student towards Honors. Alternatively, before spring break of the junior year, a student may broach the topic with his or her academic advisor, following which he or she may then approach a specific instructor whose interests coincide with the student's. If the instructor agrees, the student collaborates with the instructor to develop a project proposal. This proposal must be submitted to the Art Department faculty by the instructor who will sponsor the Honors project well in advance of the end of the spring semester of the junior year. Final credit will depend upon effective presentation of the results of such studies. (Studio Art majors admitted to Senior Studio and Thesis are regarded as taking Honors in studio art.)

In Studio Art, the utmost flexibility and maximum independence is stressed in the programs of students invited to do Honors work.

In Art History, Honors students are required to take ARTS 401:Research Methods and Resource/Visual Art.

GLCA Arts Program in New York. The program consists of a semester of work, normally in the junior year, combining an internship in an artist's studio, or one of a variety of other art-connected organizations and agencies, with a seminar in the arts of the city, and an independent study. Successful completion earns 15 hours of credit towards graduation; these credits cannot count as major credit towards any of the departmental majors.

Architecture. Oberlin students wishing to study architecture, urban planning, or historic preservation during their junior year may apply to the Urban Center in Philadelphia or to the Syracuse Program in Florence, which has a specialization in architectural design. Students have also studied in the Copenhagen Program, a design-intensive program in architecture. For information or applications, see the architecture advisor in the Art Department.

Winter Term. Various Winter Term projects, including off-campus projects such as gallery or museum internships or studio assistantships with artists, and on-campus ones such as supervised individual or group research projects, are typically sponsored by members of the Art Department.

Preparation for Further Professional Study. Students interested in preparing for graduate studies in Studio Art, Museum Studies, and Art Conservation should consider the following programs of study:

1. Studio Art. It is suggested that studio art majors who wish to prepare for graduate study leading to the MFA degree take as many studio courses as allowed and it is strongly recommended that they apply for Senior Studio and Thesis. Many of the candidates competing for the limited number of placements in graduate schools will have received the BFA (studio) degree (not offered at Oberlin) and have earned a substantially higher number of studio credits than those required for the studio major at Oberlin.

2. Museum Studies. Students wishing to pursue a museum career are advised to consult with the curatorial staff of the Allen Memorial Art Museum at their earliest convenience. There are both research and teaching opportunities as curatorial interns and docents available to interested and qualified students. Either an Art History or a Visual Arts major would provide suitable pre-graduate school preparation for this field. Knowledge of a relevant foreign language (French, German, Chinese, Japanese) is essential for museum curatorial work and helpful preparation for other areas of the museum profession, such as administration or education.

3. Conservation of Art. It is suggested that students who wish to prepare for graduate study in Art Conservation fulfill the requirements for the BA with a major in either Art History, Visual Arts, or Studio Art. Most schools of conservation require between 18 to 21 hours of art history, between 8 and 15 hours of studio, and a portfolio. Additionally, most schools require: a reading knowledge of German, French or Italian, two classes in organic chemistry with labs, and an additional one or two science courses with labs. The following may also be useful: Physical Chemistry 309; GEOL 201 Mineralogy, PHYS 103-104 or PHYS 110, 111. For further information, consult with Mr. Inglis.

4. Classical Archeology. Students interested in classical archeology as a profession should note the availability of a concentration in classical archeology within the Archeological Studies Major. For further information, see the separate listing under Archeological Studies above, or consult Ms. Kane in the Art Department.

In this Department

Art History:

Introductory Courses

Studio Courses:

Art History
Introductory Courses for a General Audience
110. The Body Exposed in Modern Art
3 hours 3HU
Second Semester.
Throughout the modern period, from the mid-18th century to the present day, the nude or naked body, both masculine and feminine, has played an essential role in art. Themes range from the idealized, noble male body in mid-18th-century works and in 19th-century academic art, to the feminized male body of the late 18th- and 19th- centuries, to the coarse, grotesque bodies of the early 20th century. The bodies of women play different roles as well. This course will examine the changing nature of the unclothed body as it reflects the artistic response to transformations in society and culture. Enrollment Limit: 100.
Ms. Mathews

115. Shelter
3 hours 3HU
First Semester.
This course begins with the assumption that people rarely shelter themselves without signifying the act or fact of shelter itself, without, in other words, representing shelter in form, space, or image. Taking key examples from the history of architecture in all ages and places, although primarily in Western Civilization, the course provides an introduction to looking at and thinking about architecture historically. Enrollment Limit: 100.
Mr. Shanken

FYSP 192. Writing on the Walls
3 hours 3HU
Second Semester.
For description, please see "First-Year Seminar Program" in this catalog. Enrollment Limit: 14.
Mr. Shanken

200. Approaches to Western Art
3 hours 3HU
First Semester.
This course introduces students to the materials and methods of art history. Though arranged chronologically, the class is not a survey. Instead, we address central art historical topics such as technique, style, iconography, the status of the artist and art's relationship with its original context. This course makes integral use of the Allen Memorial Art Museum. Enrollment Limit: 30.
Mr. Inglis

220. Time Travelers: The Story of Mediterranean Archaeology
3 hours 3HU
First Semester.
Modern Mediterranean archeology began with the European discovery of the ancient civilizations of Greece, Rome, Egypt, and Western Asia. This course will focus on famous discoveries such as Pompeii and Herculaneum, Troy and Mycenae, the royal tombs at Ur, and the tomb of Tutankhamun. The historiography of this discipline and the scholarly, political, and cultural issues surrounding archaeological investigation will also be explored. Enrollment Limit: 30.
Ms. Kane

230. Learning to Look: An Introduction to the Study of Art History
3 hours 3HU
Second Semester.
This course aims at three goals. The first is to help students acquire the analytical skills necessary for the critical observation of visual art in its historical setting. The second goal is to help students learn to pose cogent questions leading to historical understanding. Finally, the course provides skeletal support for the argument that art does, indeed, have a history. Note: This course is not a survey, and it considers only works of art made by Europeans and their descendants in North America. Enrollment Limit: 30.
Mr. Hood

250. Approaches to Chinese Art
3 hours 3HU, CD
First Semester.
This survey of China focuses on artistic production from three perspectives: the artisan, artist, and art market. We will survey major art and architecture across a broad geographic and temporal frame (Neolithic-present), but focus on smaller artistic contexts, e.g. temples, tombs, imperial courts and literati circles. We will consider issues of patronage, originality, mass production, and the impact of technologies on the changing form, production and circulation of images. Identical to EAST 141. Enrollment Limit: 30.
Ms. Cheng

251. Approaches to Japanese Art
3 hours 3HU, CD
Second Semester.
This survey of Japan will highlight a range of artistic media from ancient times to the modern day. We will examine the art and architecture of religious and secular traditions, with an emphasis on painted traditions (narrative handscrolls, prints, and screens). Primary themes will include the contexts of artistic production (as informed by gender or socio-political circumstances), the spatial or social networks of their use, cultural exchange with China, and tensions between court-sponsored traditions and other artistic practices. Identical to EAST 142. Enrollment Limit: 30.
Ms. Cheng

265. The Classical Tradition
3 hours 3HU
First Semester.
Through a focused study of the classical tradition in Western art and architecture, this course introduces students to the goals, methods, and practices of art-historical inquiry. Broadly oriented geographically and chronologically, course readings and meetings will consider definitions of the classical as well as permutations and appropriations of classical forms and ideas from antiquity to the present. Discussions as well as writing assignments will be organized around frequent class and individual visits to the Allen Memorial Art Museum in this investigation of historical and philosophical ideas of the classical. Enrollment Limit: 30.
Ms. Hirsh

In this Department

Art History:

300-Level Lecture Courses

Studio Courses:

300-Level Lecture Courses
Courses require one 200-level course or an equivalent as a prerequisite.

308. Greek and Roman Sculpture
3 hours 3HU, CD, WR
Second Semester.
A study of the origins and development of Greek and Roman sculpture. Why, how, and for whom was this art form made? Special emphasis will be given to the study of its place in the development of figural art. Enrollment Limit: 30.
Ms. Kane

313. Topics in American Architecture
3 hours 3HU
Second Semester.
The first half of this course surveys American architecture from Colonial lines to the present. Stylistic analysis is linked with the socioeconomic, political, and environment influences on architecture, issues of originality, American exceptionalism, and the role of technology. The second half delves more deeply into the history of specific building types—house, church, museum, library—grafting the earlier themes onto a history of modern institutions as they take shape in the United States. Enrollment Limit: 30.
Mr. Shanken

315. Early Modern Architecture
3 hours 3HU
First Semester.
In the 18th and 19th centuries new conceptions of architecture arose, based on archaeological discovery, the development of new institutions and building materials, and the convulsive changes associated with the political and economic revolutions of the period. This course looks at the major movements of this period and the ideas that shaped them, from the end of the Baroque to the beginnings of Art Nouveau. Enrollment Limit: 30.
Mr. Shanken

325. Women and the Visual Arts in 19th Century Europe
3 hours 3HU
Second Semester.
A study of the particular contributions of mostly European women artists of the modern period from about 1750 to 1900, and an investigation of the historical, cultural and social circumstances and representations that helped to form their work and its reception. The representation of women in art works by male colleagues will be studied alongside the work of women artists. Enrollment Limit: 30.
Ms. Mathews

332. Michelangelo in Context
3 hours 3HU
First Semester.
In 1504 the government of Florence installed the remarkable new marble "giant" (gigante) by the young Michelangelo (1475-1564) in the town square. Thus, 2004 marks the five-hundredth anniversary of the David. Designed to commemorate Michelangelo's achievement, this course will situate his work as a sculptor among his work as a painter and architect. It will also place Michelangelo's life and art against the wider backdrop of Italian culture in the period. Note: Admission to this course is not open to first-year students. Enrollment Limit: 40.
Mr. Hood

333. Art in the Ancient Régime
3 hours 3HU
Second Semester.
This course provides an overview of French painting, sculpture and architecture from the reign of King François I (1494-1547) to the execution of King Louis XVI in 1793. Although it will emphasize art made for the French court, the course will also give considerable attention to the careers of major French artists who worked in Rome (Poussin, Claude Lorrain) and the French provinces (Georges de la Tour). Enrollment Limit: 40.
Mr. Hood

345. Postmodernism and Visual Culture
3 hours 3HU
First Semester.
This course will examine a wide range of visual culture from 1960 to the present. Topics of inquiry include painting, photography, installation art, video, performance, site-specific art, architecture, the museum, the city, cinema, cyberspace, television, and advertising. Enrollment Limit: 30.
Ms. Hirsh

348. Modern Italian Art
3 hours 3HU
Second Semester.
Beginning with a consideration of Rome as a center for neoclassicism in the late 18th century, this course examines modernism and nationalism in Italian visual culture. Movements covered will include Realism, the Macchiaioli, Divisionism, Futurism, Metaphysical Painting, Novecento, and Arte Povera. Readings and lectures will focus on the relationship between art and politics, focusing on Italy's reunification (1861) and continuing through the post-war decades of reconstruction. Enrollment Limit: 30.
Ms. Hirsh

355. The Art of Japanese Prints
3 hours 3HU
First Semester.
This course will explore one of Japan's most prominent mediums, the woodblock print. Using the vast collection in the Allen Memorial Museum to highlight major iconographic trends, topics will include: actors and courtesans, representations of traditional narratives, views of Edo and the Stations of the Tokai-do, architectural representations and perspective scenes, and meisho, among others. The end of each topic section will conclude with a longer class session in the AMAM, from which students will conduct in-depth research. Enrollment Limit: 30.
Ms. Cheng

357. Art of the Emperors: The Imperial Workshop and Collection
3 hours 3HU
Second Semester.
Since the Song dynasty, Chinese emperors actively collected and sponsored the production of paintings and other crafts. This course considers the Imperial Collection from its inception through the Qing. We will consider arts created specifically for imperial tastes as well as those made by workshops for great consumption and export. Particular attention will be paid to reigns that witnessed heightened patronage and collecting including the art-loving Emperors Huizong and Qianlong. Enrollment Limit: 30.
Ms. Cheng

360. The Invention of France: Art and Power in the Middle Ages and Renaissance
3 hours 3 HU
First Semester.
In 1100 the French king was the weak ruler of a small country. By 1500, his territory, power and prestige were much greater. Art played a vital role in this political and cultural transformation. Royal patrons used art to define themselves and their nation, and to protect both from internal and external threats. We will make regular visits to the Cleveland Museum of Art's major exhibition on the Dukes of Burgundy. Enrollment Limit: 30.
Mr. Inglis

In this Department

Art History:

Lecture Courses with Prerequisites

400-Level Topical Courses

Studio Courses:

400-Level Topical Courses
401. Research Methods and Resources in the Visual Arts
1 hour 1HU
First Semester. First Module.
Examination of visual arts research and bibliography. Analysis of specific titles, categories of publications, electronic resources will be done within context of actual research practices and specific information needs. Basic steps of research process, database structure and searching, search engines, critical analysis of information, researching artists and artworks will be discussed. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15.
Ms. Prior

413. Archeological Field Course
4 hours 4SS
A four week summer course.
Identical to ACHS 200. For description, please see "Archeological Studies" in this catalog. Enrollment Limit: 6.
Ms. Kane

417. Crossing Boundaries: Gender Performance in Modern Art
3 hours 3HU
Second Semester.
Recently, art historians and critics have brought to light the extent to which modern artists concerned themselves with gender ambiguity, cross-dressing, androgyny, relationships between gender and sexuality, masquerade, and other forms of crossing gender boundaries. We will examine the artistic, historical, cultural, and social roles such gender transgressions played. The course will focus on artists from 19th century artist Paul Gaugin to contemporary manifestations in the work of such artists as Catherine Opie. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15.
Ms. Mathews

419. Yesterday's Tomorrows: The History of Visionary Architecture
3 hours 3HU
Second Semester.
This seminar will explore the history of the future through architectural visions. From Thomas More's Utopia to Archigram and the Situationist City, the architecture of the future will be placed in its historical context in order to examine the modern obsession with imagining the architecture of the future. Emphasis will be placed on the changing quality and quantity of the future, on technological feats and target dates, with an eye towards wondering whether we have a significant future in our present. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15.
Mr. Shanken

423. Advanced Archeological Field Course
5 hours 5SS
A four week summer course.
Identical to ACHS 200. For description, please see "Archeological Studies" in this catalog. Enrollment Limit: 6.
Ms. Kane

430. Connoisseurship: Studies in the History of Styles
3 hours 3HU
First Semester.
Two basic considerations determine the course content. First is the history and methods of connoisseurship, which is a means of reaching conclusions relative to the authenticity, authorship, date, and cultural origins of a specific art object. Second is the close, analytical visual investigation of selected works of art in the collection of the Allen Memorial Art Museum. Consent of instructor required. Note: Junior and Senior majors in Art History will have preference. Enrollment Limit: 15.
Mr. Hood

455. New Ghosts Old Dreams: The Art of Post-Imperial China
3 hours 3HU
First Semester.
During the 20th century, China struggled frequently with internal and external forces in its attempt to reconcile its political authority and its position in the post-imperial world. This seminar considers the various phases in which China refashioned its artistic identity in light of compelling social forces. Underlying themes include the lingering burden of traditional China and the dilemma of Westernization. Both official trends and unofficial counter-currents will be explored as responses to the confrontation of the West. Prerequisite: At least one 200-numbered course in Art History. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15.
Ms. Cheng

460. Northern Renaissance Painting in the Allen Memorial Art Museum
3 hours 3HU
First Semester.
This class studies Oberlin College's significant collection of northern European paintings from the 15th and 16th centuries. We will address them from a variety of standpoints: technique, attribution, style, iconography, function, and context. Students will learn fundamental skills in analyzing and researching paintings, and will be assigned a work to research and write about in depth. Many of the classes will meet in the museum. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15.
Mr. Inglis

462. Visual Culture and the Holocaust
3 hours 3HU
Second Semester.
This seminar will focus on a variety of cultural forms that respond to and represent the events surrounding the Holocaust and its aftermath. Central questions guiding our inquiry will revolve around notions of history, memory, and the ethics of representation. Topics to be covered include painting, photographs, films (documentary and fiction), monuments, memorials, and testimonial accounts. Readings will include art-historical, historical, theoretical, and ethical writings related to visual culture and the Holocaust. Prerequisite: At least one 200-numbered course in Art History. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15.
Ms. Hirsh

465. Greek and Roman Painting
3 hours 3HU
First Semester.
Painting was considered the highest form of art in antiquity. Both Greek monumental and vase painting and Roman wall painting will be discussed in this seminar. Emphasis will be placed on the cultural and historical developments of these arts within their respective societies. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15.
Ms. Kane

471. The Architectural Ruin in European Landscape Painting, 1600-1800
3 hours 3HU
Second Semester.
This seminar examines various approaches to the portrayal of architectural ruins in French landscape painting of the 17th and 18th centuries, and considers some of the external forces that shaped the production of these pictures. Works in the Allen Memorial Art Museum will feature in discussions, as well as paintings to be included in the Museum's exhibition, The Splendor of Ruins in French Landscape Painting, 1640-1800, scheduled for the spring of 2005 and curated by the instructor. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15.
Mr. Borys

599. Honors
3-4 hours 3-4HU
For Honors candidates only under the supervision of one or more members of the staff. Consent of instructor and of the co-chair for Art History required.

995. Private Reading
1-3 hours 1-3HU
Consent of instructor required.

In this Department

Art History:

Studio Courses:

Visual Concepts and Process Courses

Studio
The aim of all studio courses is to enhance students' awareness of and sensitivity to the visual arts through engaging in the actual intellectual and technical processes by which works of art come into being. Students learn to perceive the world in visual terms and to conceptualize their perceptions through their own work. They also become familiar with selected techniques of art-making and with examples of those techniques by significant artists through the study of the art both past and present.

Students planning to complete their studies with the Bachelor's degree in art should recognize that the fine arts curriculum at Oberlin is designed primarily as an integral part of the liberal arts program of the College, and not as specialized technical training. Studying art at Oberlin does provide a solid foundation for students who wish to proceed into formal professional training at the graduate level or to continue their development as artists on their own.

The purchase of textbooks is not usually required for studio courses. It is necessary for each student to purchase expendable supplies as required and/or to pay a fee for expendable materials supplied by the department. Students should realize that studio art practices can often be quite expensive.

The size and facilities of the department are limited. Therefore, it is impossible to offer work in every field of student interest; however, credit can be arranged for off-campus study in areas not available at Oberlin. A program of study must have the prior approval of the department. See Introduction: Major or Minor Credit for Off-Campus Study.

Students absent from the first studio session in any course will be dropped from the enrollment list.

Visual Concepts and Process Courses
Read the following course descriptions carefully. The courses listed below are designed to offer students an introduction to art by encountering a diverse range of concepts, attitudes, and approaches through the direct "hands-on" procedure of exploring a wide variety of art media and processes. General focus will be upon the disciplines specified in the course title suffix, but coverage will not be limited to the conventional assumptions about these disciplines. These courses may be repeated if taken with a different instructor.

040. Visual Concepts and Processes: Drawing
3 hours 3HU
First and Second Semester.
Course will initiate practice and appreciation of graphic expression, with a emphasis on developing conceptual understanding of traditional and contemporary pictorial concerns beginning with traditional observation drawing to sharpen perceptual awareness. Diagrammatic line and principles of perspective will be presented as spatial and compositional concepts. Assignments: ability to graphically locate objects on a ground plane; use of line, value, shape, texture as descriptive design vocabulary; human figure as dynamic form; engaging representation and abstraction as responsive narrative. Enrollment Limit: 20.
Staff

041. Visual Concepts and Processes: Art and the Environment
3 hours 3HU
Second Semester.
Students will be introduced to a number of artists whose ideas and work are influenced by their interest and concerns for the environment. We will work in both two and three dimensions using found, recycled, and borrowed materials. An introduction to basic building techniques and tools will assist students in their ability to express their ideas. Readings, research, and critiques are a required part of the course. Enrollment Limit: 18.
Ms. Macias

043. Visual Concepts and Processes: Mixed Media Drawing/Painting
3 hours 3HU
First Semester.
This course will facilitate exploration of materials in both traditional and experimental systems. Emphasis will be placed on large-scale drawings, but not limited to this venue. Increased technical proficiency with a variety of media and increased understanding of each student's individual expression will serve as two basic goals for the course. Students will develop both critical thinking and technical drawing skills, and will be given opportunities to explore collage, contemporary concepts, paint, and model building. Enrollment Limit: 18.
Staff

045. Visual Concepts and Processes: Introduction to Digital Photography
3 hours 3HU
Second Semester.
This class will introduce students to digital photography techniques and concepts. Topics will cover PhotoShop, different methods of input and output. Assignments are conceptually driven and thematically will address the changing nature of truth in our contemporary culture. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 12.
Staff

047. Visual Concepts and Processes: Painting
3 hours 3HU
Second Semester.
This course will examine the medium of paint as a contemporary venue. While the course is designed to enhance the student's understanding of perceptual painting and methods, the intent is to integrate social and cultural concerns and processes into the discourse of painting. We will facilitate these issues through four (painting, installation, collage, and performance based) projects. Readings, critiques, and one oral presentation required. Note: One semester of drawing required. Enrollment Limit: 15.
Staff

048. Visual Concepts and Processes: What's Natural Isn't Real
3 hours 3HU
First Semester.
This is a studio course with a focus on learning to paint in oils while working from the landscape. The aim of this course is to infuse the practice of perceptual painting with an understanding of cultural and artistic conventions within which the practice exists. To establish this context, there will be several trips to the Allen Art Museum, some reading, and two or three two-page papers. The class itself will remain focused on the practice of oil painting and drawing. Note: One semester of drawing required. Enrollment Limit: 18.
Ms. Schuster

049. Visual Concepts and Processes: Sculpture
3 hours 3HU
First Semester.
Referencing your own body as it traverses daily through time and space, students will explore the basics of three-dimensional space. Using paper, cardboard, plaster, wood and found objects in addition to form, texture, sound, scale, and proportion, students will complete three major projects. Weekly homework assignments will expand upon classroom projects. Although craft and technique are important, they are not a driving force. Required forms of participation also include critiques, weekly discussions, and reading assignments. A sketchbook will be required. Students should expect to spend 12 hours per week outside of class to meet the minimum requirements. Enrollment Limit: 18.
Mr. Coleman

050. Visual Concepts and Processes: What's Real Isn't Natural
3 hours 3HU
Second Semester.
This is a sequel to the first semester course "What's Natural isn't Real." Any student who wants to enroll in this class who has not completed "What's Natural isn't Real" must have some prior experience in both drawing and oil painting before enrolling for this class. The study of landscape painting and nature will focus on contemporary painting and our relationship to nature in the 21st century. Enrollment Limit: 18.
Ms. Schuster

052. Visual Concepts and Processes: Photography
3 hours 3HU
First and Second Semester.
This is an introductory course to B&W photography. Studio assignments are designed to contextualize photography in terms of its history, its relationships to the other art media, and its cultural implications. Besides studio assignments and group critiques there also will be slide lectures, technical demonstrations, and reading and writing assignments. Enrollment Limit: 12.
Staff, Mr. Nguyen-Duy

053. Visual Concepts and Processes: Silkscreen
3 hours 3HU
First Semester.
This course is designed to introduce all silkscreen processes plus their interaction with photography and other media. Assignments are structured to expand the understanding of art through the exploration of relevant personal concerns, whether they are driven by gender, political, moral, spiritual, philosophical or conceptual issues. Group critiques, slide lectures, and labs are essential ingredients of the course. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 14.
Mr. Pearson

056. Something From Something
3 hours 3HU, CD
Second Semester.
This course is a 'hands on' exploration of vernacular visual traditions existing within African American Culture. We will examine design choices/material processes used to define and describe the specificity of lived experience within African American culture. Our focus is upon elders within black communities and the stories that they tell through their work. These 'folk artists' function as influences upon contemporary African American artists ranging from Alison Saar, to Renee' Stout. These vernacular traditions will serve as resources that extend our own working processes as we tell our own stories. Note: Counts as Visual Concepts and Processes for art majors. Identical to AAST 074. Consent of the instructor is required. Enrollment Limit: 12.
Mr. Coleman

059. Visual Concepts and Processes: Digital Video
3 hours 3HU
First and Second Semester.
This is an introductory "hands-on" technical course in digital video production and editing with a history and theory component. This course is designed to provide an overview of the history and practice of the time-based media. The goal is to outline the various terrain of the art of the moving image, and to examine the vocabulary of constructing sequences, and editing, otherwise known as "sculpting in time." Enrollment Limit: 15.
Ms. Brown

In this Department

Art History:

Studio Courses:

Courses With Prerequisites

Courses With Prerequisites or Consent of Instructor: "Problems in: (Discipline) or (Title) if Discipline is not Noted"
Material covered in these courses will correspond generally with the boundaries as specified in the course descriptions listed below. The instructors in each course will pay special attention to the individual requirements of each student. Courses in this sequence may be elected more than once. These courses may be taken only by consent of the instructor.

060. Problems in: Drawing
3 hours 3HU
First and Second Semester.
Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15.
Staff

062. Problems in: Intermedia/Drawing, The Nature of the Abstract
4 hours 4HU
Second Semester.
What is Abstract Art? How did it come into being? Does it have content? Is it founded in concrete ideas? Is it divorced from social accountability? Is it entropic? What does it communicate or express? These are a sample of the questions to be raised and addressed in this class. They will be addressed through a series of controlled drawing assignments designed to develop both critical thinking and technical drawing skills. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 12.
Mr. Pearson

064. Problems in: Photography
3 hours 3HU
Second Semester.
During this class students will be introduced to more advanced photographic topics. Among other topics, studio lighting and large format photography, as well as the zone systems, will be covered. Studio assignments are research-based and are designed to address a variety of critical topics within the medium. Along with studio projects and demonstrations there will be writing assignments and class presentations. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 12.
Mr. Nguyen-Duy

065. Problems in: Painting, An Introduction to Figure Painting
3 hours 3HU
First Semester.
Students must have completed one college-level drawing and painting course before being eligible for this course. This course will focus on painting from the live model—and genres related to portrait and the nude. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 10.
Ms. Schuster

066. Problems in: Silkscreen and Other Reproductive Media
3 hours 3HU
First Semester.
An extension of ARTS 053 Visual Concepts and Processes: Silkscreen course. Emphasis will be on concept rather than technical processes; however, the cross-fertilization of duplication and other media such as painting, photography, xerography, and three-dimensional media will be emphasized. This course will investigate how visual form and structure mediate conceptual intent. Prerequisite: ARTS 053. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 12.
Mr. Pearson

067. Problems in: Moving Image
3 hours 3HU
First Semester.
This course will introduce various forms of advanced digital video production and editing techniques. Some of these techniques will include time-lapse imaging, performance, lighting and sound recording. We will closely examine various genres of storytelling within film history—documentary, essay, narrative and experimental. Prerequisite: ARTS 059 Visual Concepts and Processes: Digital Video. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 12.
Ms. Brown

068. Problems in: Media and Performance
3 hours 3HU
Second Semester.
This is a studio production course in multimedia performance. This workshop will incorporate video, sound, music, movement, and installation. We will examine closely themes of myth and ritual through the art making practice. We will look closely at the work of Meredith Monk, Bill Viola, John Cage, Maya Deren, and others. We will be engaging in a variety of high and low-tech media. Both analog and digital will be employed in the development of series of projects and performances. Public presentations of the various stages of development will take place throughout the semester, including the premiere of a final public presentation at the end of the semester. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 12.
Ms. Brown

069. Problems in: Re-imagining the Book
3 hours 3HU
First Semester.
This course will explore and expand upon the notion of the book as both an object and a text. Using narrative and non-narrative techniques in relation to concept, content, image, and form, students will design and construct a series of books. We will make frequent trips to view the artist's book collection in the Clarence Ward Art Library in Oberlin. Materials and techniques such as basic use of tools, collage, design, learned and invented bindings, will be covered. This class will focus on inventive approaches to the book NOT traditional bookmaking or binding. Readings, sketchbook, discussion and critique are required forms of participation. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 18.
Ms. Macias

070. Problems in: Painting, Narrative and the Contemporary Figure
3 hours 3HU
Second Semester.
Students must have completed one course in figure drawing or painting and have experience working with oils. Students in this course will be asked to work from their imagination in outside assignments and to develop paintings that use the figure to convey personal ideas and content. Every two weeks we will look in depth at one contemporary artist to study their compositions, their use of narrative, and of other formal devices to better understand their attitudes toward the figure. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 12.
Ms. Schuster

072. Blues Aesthetic: Continuity and Transformation
3 hours 3HU, CD
Second Semester.
Identical to AAST 072. For description, please see "African American Studies" in this catalog. Enrollment Limit: 12.
Mr. Coleman

074. Problems in: Painting
3 hours 3HU
Second Semester.
Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15.
Staff

076. Problems in: Photo, Mixed-Media
3 hours 3HU
First Semester.
This class is designed for advanced students dealing with Alternative Photographic Processes. Technically students will be introduced to a variety of techniques including 19th century processes and digital media. Projects are research based and interdisciplinary in nature to encourage students to challenge the boundary of the medium. Prerequisite: Visual Concepts and Processes: Photography. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 12.
Mr. Nguyen-Duy

080. Problems in: Sculpture
3 hours 3HU
Second Semester.
This is an upper level course designed for students who have taken at least one Visual Concepts and Processes: Sculpture course. During the semester students will learn several mold making and casting techniques including a two-part plaster waste mold and a rubber mold. Participants will learn how to cast in plaster, plastic, and resin. These techniques will be applied to three larger concept-based projects. In addition to studio project there will be writing assignments and presentations. Prerequisite: ARTS 050. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15.
Ms. Macias

In this Department

Art History:

Studio Courses: