Art and Art History

This course encourages students to synthesize a theoretical and experimental approach to the creative process as studied through the visual arts, music, creative writing, and theatre. Students enter into the creative process as means to develop creative self-expression, aesthetic sensibility, and an understanding of the arts. The nature and drive of artistic endeavor is explored through studies of the lives of significant thinkers and artists, examinations of art works, guests lectures, and projects. Students will engage in activities and projects that will enable them to access and develop their own creative thinking skills in concert with traditional, analytic modes. (Also listed as GNED 2340, THTR 2340, ENGL 2340 and MUSC 2340.)

A four-week studio course taught by visiting artists encompassing the sharing of skills and philosophical approaches to artistic problems.

Alternative Studio Practices is a course that addresses art traditions that are experimental in their media, method and manifestation. Participants will explore methods of art making that are ephemeral and social in nature from within a cooperative/collaborative unit. (Offered every year.)

This course builds on the concepts introduced in ART 3383. Students will be introduced to more advanced tools for digital media creation and may work with 3-D games. Students will work in groups that mirror professional development groups at game development companies where coders, game designers, and artists work together to produce a final product. The course is interdisciplinary, involving students and faculty from the studio arts, computer science, and other fields.

A continuation of Art 2430. Prerequisite: ART 2430

A continuation of ART 2440. Prerequisite: ART 2440.

A course rooted in Roland Barthes' notion of the pensive image: "Ultimately, photography is subversive, not when it frightens, repels, or stigmatizes, but when it is pensive, when it thinks." Students will produce, interpret, discuss, and display collaborative work and individual projects. Topics of focus include history of optics; site specificity and the camera obscura; experimental, improvised cameras; the still and the moving image; the unfixed image; the unique image; the beautiful document. (Offered every year.)

This course builds on photographic processes involving film and digital overlap. Emphasis is on deliberate and experimental use of camera format, creation of an efficient and beneficial workflow, and the production of a cohesive body of photographic prints using a range of inkjet printers. Additionally, this course explores historically established uses of the photographic medium and their relation in contemporary contexts. Prerequisite: Art 3450

Introduces the technical and aesthetic characteristics of Intaglio and Relief through studio experience. We will address larger issues of printmaking, and develop a personal vocabulary while exploring these versatile print media. 4 studio hours and 8 hours outside preparation per week required. May be repeated up to 3 times. (Offered every year.)

A hands-on studio course in the history and techniques of Asian and European papermaking. The impact of the discovery of paper on the world and its contemporary uses are contextualized through the aesthetics and technical exploration of hand-made paper. 4 studio hours and 8 hours outside preparation per week required. May be repeated up to 3 times. (Offered every year.)

This in-depth studio course uses digital and photographic tools and techniques to develop images in conjunction with and for direct use in hand printmaking. Using the computer as an imagemaking tool, this class combines old and new media and provides an exploration of contemporary printmaking. 4 studio hours and 8 hours outside preparation per week required. May be repeated up to 3 times. (Offered every year.) Prerequisites: ART 2460, 2462, 2464, or consent of Instructor.

A beginning-level course in sculpture focusing on construction techniques in wood. Issues in contemporary sculpture will be explored. The class is designed to serve as an introduction to basic visual concepts and applications as they apply to the creation and evaluation of sculptural artwork composed primarily of wood material. Students of all skill levels are welcome to enroll. Research assignments will incorporate concepts of visual literacy and terminology as they apply to sculpture. (Offered every year.)

Slip Casting incorporates the use of prototypes, plaster molds, and clay slip to create and shape complex sculptural forms. Issues in contemporary clay sculpture are explored through guided assignments and student research.

Internships are offered in a variety of professional visual art venues such as museums, galleries and other art institutions. Such work will not exceed 10 hours per week. 1-3 hours per semester, maximum 6 semester hours. Pass/Fail only. Prerequisites: Junior or senior standing art major or minor and consent of department chair.

A combination of seminars, readings, and museum/gallery visits in preparation for portfolio development, senior exhibition, graduate study, and other art related professions. Fall semester only. ART 4394 and ART 4297 are required in the Senior Year. Prerequisite: Senior standing with major in Studio Art.

Concentrated advanced study in studio art in preparation for the senior exhibition. Coursework includes: critiques; museum, gallery and/or artist studio visits; and hands-on experience in organization and installation of the annual senior art major exhibition. ART 4394 and ART 4297 are required in the senior year. Prerequisite: ART 4394. Corequisite: Highest-level studio art course in the area of the student's concentration. Senior standing with major in Studio Art or consent of instructor.

The course is a continuation of ARTH 1407, though it may be taken independently. Art History II is a selective survey of painting, sculpture, and architecture from the late Gothic period to the rise of Modernism. Beginning in the 14th century, the course surveys works of art and architecture created in a variety of contexts, spanning the periods of Renaissance and Baroque Europe, the Enlightenment and Industrial Revolutions, Neoclassicism and Romanticism, and the artistic movements of the 19th century. ARTH 1408 concludes with Modern art and architecture in Europe, Mexico, and America. Following a roughly chronological order, the course considers the social, sacred, historical, and political functions of art, techniques of production, artistic styles, iconography, and patronage. (Offered every semester.)

The origins and development of art and architecture in China set within the religious, political and social context.

This course examines the art and architecture of the Middle Ages in Europe, from the earliest Christian imagery of the fourth century to late Gothic court art, produced around 1400. The geographical range extends from the northern fringes of the British Isles to the borders of the Byzantine world, and a wide selection of buildings and objects will be considered in relation to their social, political and historical contexts, with a particular focus on the development of the Christian tradition. (also listed as GRST 1314) Common Curriculum: This course will only count towards Greco-Roman, Jewish, and Christian Traditions through the Early Modern Period.

A survey of the major monuments and sites of ancient Egypt, with a focus on the Predynastic period, the Old Kingdom, and the New Kingdom. (Offered every year.)

This course provides an introduction to the visuals arts at the Burgundian court, from its inception in the late 14th century under Philip the Bold to the regency of Margaret of Austria in the early 16th century. During this era, the area now known as northern France, Belgium, and the Netherlands was governed by the dukes and duchesses of Burgundy and their Habsburg successors. Under their rule, it became the dominant force in northern Europe and the court's dazzling splendor set the standard for princely magnificence throughout the Renaissance. The political, social, and religious concerns of the Burgundians will be explored through the paintings, sculptures, textiles, metalwork, and manuscripts they commissioned from Sluter, Van Eyck, Van der Weyden, and their contemporaries. (Offered every other year.)

The development of the shape and decoration of Greek pottery from the Geometric period through the end of the Classical era. The characteristics of individual artists and the treatment of Greek myths in different periods are studied. (Offered occasionally.) Prerequisite: Completion of one course in Art History, or sophomore standing, or consent of instructor.

This course examines the major monuments and art styles in the city of Rome and the Roman provinces from the Republic to the Imperial period, ending with the reign of Constantine the Great. (Offered occasionally.) Prerequisite: Completion of one course in Art History, or sophomore standing, or consent of instructor.

This course is a survey of the art of the ancient peoples of Mesoamerica. It will examine the art of a variety of major groups, including the Olmec, the Maya, the Toltec, the Zapotec, the Mixtec, and the Aztec, as well as other indigenous peoples of Western Mexico and the Gulf Coast. (Same as ANTH 3335.)(Offered every other year.)

This course examines the making and meaning of the visual arts in France, Germany, England, and the Netherlands, from c.1500 to c.1600. Artworks in various media are considered in relation to their original contexts, from the workshops of Nuremberg and the markets of Antwerp to the French court at Fontainebleau and the Tudor court in England. Key themes, including the impact of printmaking, the challenge of the Reformation, and the influence of Italian art, are explored through the work of Durer, Grunewald, Holbein, Bruegel, and their contemporaries. (Offered occasionally.) Prerequisite: Completion of one course in Art History, or sophomore standing, or consent of instructor.

American fine arts and architecture from early nationhood to the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893. Emphasis on the cultural forces shaping the arts and artists, along with major figures and movements. (Offered occasionally.) Prerequisite: Completion of one course in Art History, or sophomore standing, or consent of instructor.

This course introduces students to the major twentieth century artists, works, movements, and art theories in Europe and the United States, circa 1900 to 1970. While concretely investigating a diversity of art practices, the course also considers the central relationship during this period between art and critical theories of modernism and postmodernism. (Offered occasionally.) Prerequisite: Completion of one course in Art History, or sophomore standing, or consent of instructor.

This course examines the artistic practices and critical accounts which constitute contemporary art, from the 1940s to the 1990s. Relationships between avant-garde artistic activities and social, cultural, and political critique are a central focus. Since this is not a survey class in the traditional sense, extensive reading in both historical and critical materials will be required. Prerequisite: Completion of one course in Art History, or sophomore standing, or consent of instructor.

This course covers the development of art in China from 1976 (post-Cultural Revolution) to the present, including performance art, easel painting, concept art, women's art, etc. Aesthetic and stylistic changes will be examined in historical, societal, intellectual, and cultural contexts. (Also listed as CHIN 3376.) (Offered every Spring.)

From time to time special topic courses not described in the bulletin will be offered. Topics will generally cut across the chronological divisions of period courses, dealing instead with broader issues in Art History. May be repeated on different topics. Prerequisite: Completion of one course in Art History, or sophomore standing, or consent of instructor.

This course will focus on specific topics in the history, nature, and operation of the art museum. Specific issues may include: connoisseurship, documentation, the impact of the museum on the development of art, the nature of arts patronage, the function and purpose of the museum, and debates over the issues of censorship and/or community responsibility. Prerequisite: Completion of one course in Art History, or sophomore standing, or consent of instructor.

Internships are offered in conjunction with museums, art agencies, and art professionals in the San Antonio community and beyond, or may involve an introduction to visual resources management in the Department's Visual Resources Collection. Each internship must be directed by a faculty member who will draw up an agreement between the sponsoring institution or office, the student, and the department outlining the scope and requirements of the course. 1-3 hours per semester, maximum 6 semester hours. Elective credit only. Pass/Fail only. Prerequisite: Approval by Department Chair.

The 15th Century saw an explosion in artistic production in Northern Europe. Technical advances, increasingly sophisticated markets, and an unquenchable thirst for images, meant that commissioning and owning works of art were no longer the preserve of kings and popes. The course explores this phenomenon by considering how art was made, valued, and viewed in France, Germany, and the Netherlands, from c. 1400 to c. 1500. Key themes, including the role of the altarpiece, popular devotion, technical innovations, and the international demand for Northern art, are explored through the work of Van Eyck, Van der Weyden, Memling, Schongauer, and their contemporaries. (Also listed as GRST 3440.)(Offered every other year.) Prerequisite: Completion of one course in Art History, or sophomore standing, or consent of instructor.

Art History 3442 is a selective introduction to the art and architecture of Italy from 1475-1568. The course will pay particular attention to the major artistic centers of Florence, Rome, Milan and Venice. We will be studying the visual arts in relation to the politics, religion, culture and society of the period as a distinctive accomplishment. We will trace the careers of major figures of the period (Leonardo, Bramante, Raphael, Michelangelo, Titian and Palladio) within the religious, social, economic, political, and historical contexts in which they functioned. (Offered every other year). Prerequisite: Completion of one course in Art History, or sophomore standing, or consent of instructor.

Media, the plural of medium, refers to the materials from which a work of art is made. ARTH 3447 approaches the body of Michelangelo's work by media: drawing, painting, sculpture, and architecture. Additionally, we will consider the artist's poetry and letters in detail. Michelangelo was distinctive in his period for his mastery across the media and the course is designed to consider his technical accomplishments. ARTH 3447 will introduce students to the major monuments of the artist's career but also some of the most important social, cultural, political, philosophical and theological movements that occurred in fifteenth and sixteenth century Italy. We will also consider the image of the artist constructed in contemporary biographies. (Offered every other year.) Prerequisite: Completion of one course in Art History, or sophomore standing, or consent of instructor.

This course investigates European art from the French Revolution to Impressionism. During this time, rapid modernization of industry and technology, combined with social and political transformations, caused equally radical changes to occur in many aspects of visual arts, from its formal appearance to its significance for society. Emphasis is given to understanding the interrelationships between various historical contexts and visual form. (Offered occasionally.) Prerequisite: Completion of one course in Art History, or sophomore standing, or consent of instructor.

This course examines the architectural and urban history of Mexico City, analyzing its founding by the Aztecs in the fourteenth century, its transformation into a center of Spanish colonial splendor, and its re-invention as a booming twenty-first century mega-city. The course will also consider how travelers, artists, and critics have represented this dynamic metropolis throughout its 700-year history. (Offered occasionally.) Prerequisite: Completion of one course in Art History, or sophomore standing, or consent of instructor.

This course examines the artistic practices and the critical accounts which constitute "Modernism" in the visual arts, from the mid-nineteenth century. Emphasis is given to the historical contextualization and visual analysis of key modernist artworks, combined with close readings of primary and secondary texts. (Offered occasionally.) Prerequisite: Completion of one course in Art History, or sophomore standing, or consent of instructor.

This course covers architecture and urban development from the 1890s to the 1960s. Emphasis on ideological, theoretical, national, and popular architectural movements, primarily in Western Europe and the United States. (Offered occasionally.) Prerequisite: Completion of one course in Art History, or sophomore standing, or consent of instructor.

Gallery Practicum is a hands-on course offering instruction and experience in all aspects of the organization and installation of art exhibitions. Students will learn professional gallery management practices by researching exhibition content, arranging loans of artwork, and creating checklists, didactic labels and brochures. Through organizing and installing exhibitions in the university gallery, they will gain valuable experience in the selection, proper handling, placement, hanging, and lighting of works of art in exhibitions. Prerequisite: At least one studio art or art history course.

Individual research and scholarly investigation under faculty supervision leading to the preparation of an Honors Thesis. To be taken only by Senior Honors students in both semesters.