Course Syllabus

JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "AH 144"
COURSE NAME: "Introduction to the Visual Cultures of the Modern and Contemporary World"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2025

SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Sarah Linford
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: MW 1:30 PM 2:45 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES:
OFFICE HOURS:

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This survey course starts with the art of Europe in the late 1700s and examines the progressive globalization of art to the present day. The course investigates a variety of media, and, fundamentally, the radical changes in definitions of art's functions, criteria and institutions in the 20th and 21st centuries. Special attention will be given to the alternate accounts of Modernity and Post-Modernism, and to the broader socio-political and cultural contexts of artistic production. The course will also assist students in cultivating basic art-historical skills.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
This survey course focuses on art from the late 1700s to the present, understood in a global context. The relationship between Western and non-Western practices in the modern and contemporary eras will be of particular interest in "decolonizing" art-historical accounts of Modernism and contemporary, global, practices.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

-Recognize key works and issues in modern and contemporary art.

-Develop an understanding of the chronology and development of art since the late 18th century.

-Exercise critical thinking while looking, reading, writing and speaking about modern and contemporary art.

-Identify, analyze and interpret significant aspects and themes in the history of art within different social and historical contexts.

-Evaluate the ways that art as is shaped by dynamic social and cultural interactions.

-Develop technical vocabulary appropriate to the field of art history, communication and, more generally, to our image-based culture.

-Learn to visually analyze works in relation to other genres and other bodies of knowledge — scientific, political, economic, intellectual

-Formulate and develop critical and rigorous arguments, especially in essays and presentations; find and evaluate pertinent, high-quality sources and information.

-Structure and effectively communicate ideas and information orally and in writing; understand how to convey ideas and information visually.

-Develop an aptitude at visual analysis and the contextualization of works in different histories.

-Formulate an interpretative argument and draw out observations on the cultural outlook, norms and histories that influenced the production, creation and reception of the works under discussion.

TEXTBOOK:

NONE

REQUIRED RESERVED READING:

NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:

NONE

GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:

Assignment	Guidelines	Weight
Essay	Written essay of 2000 - 2500 words due week 14. Note that an outline and a very brief bibliography of the work that is the focus of the essay must be presented to the professor on week 10: 30%	30
Midterm examination	Midterm examination in class (Definitions, image identifications, slide comparisons and brief analytical essays): 25%	30
Final examination	Final examination in class (Definitions, image identifications, comparisons and brief analytical essays): 25%	30
Attendance and class participation	Attendance and class participation Contribution to class discussions and reviews:10%	10

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:

In-person attendance is mandatory. Roll is taken at the start of every class. Three late arrivals will be counted as an absence. Three unexcused absences will result in the drop of a letter grade.

ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.

STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

AH 144 -World Art IV

Visual Culture of the Modern and Contemporary World

AH 144 -World Art IV

Visual Culture of the Modern and Contemporary World

Instructor: Dr. Sarah Linford

[email protected]

TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45

CREDITS: 3

PREREQUISITES: none

OFFICE HOURS:

By appointment.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This survey course focuses on the art of Europe and the Americas from the 1700s to the present, situating them within a wider global context -- that of World art.

Special attention will be given to the new aesthetic languages, techniques, philosophical background and historical context of modern and contemporary art. The course will also assist students in cultivating basic art-historical skills, in particular formal, iconographic and contextual analysis. The course is organized chronologically and, throughout, will probe what modernism means and it relates to over three centuries’ revolutions in the organization of daily life, of social organization, commercial development, political and cultural identity, and how art both reflects and impacts this evolution. Through an analysis of the art, artists, and critical discourses in question, the course will consider the fundamental questions: what is art’s relationship to the larger culture? What is the artist’s role in society? What do aesthetic concerns have to do with life? While these questions are always pertinent, they demand particular attention in these centuries increasingly defined by the ideology of art’s autonomy, pure creativity, and individual expression. Extensive visual analysis will be accompanied by attention to the critical discourses with which modern and contemporary aesthetics were defined or contested, giving students the chance to develop an understanding of key modern and contemporary art movements but also to learn how these styles are part and parcel of our global history.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

-Recognize key works and issues in modern and contemporary art.

-Develop an understanding of the chronology and development of art since the 18th-century.

- Recognize and reason about the contributions of influential artists and art historians