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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "AH 383 H"
COURSE NAME: "Special Topics in Modern and Contemporary Art: The Artist’s Studio - HONORS (This course carries 4 semester hours of credits. A minimum CUM GPA of 3.5 is required)"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2025
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Sarah Linford
EMAIL: [email protected]
 HOURS: MW 10:00 AM 11:15 AM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: One previous course in Art History or permission of the instructor
OFFICE HOURS:
COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Specialized courses offered periodically on specific aspects of the art of the modern and contemporary world. Courses are normally research-
led topics on an area of current academic concern.
May be taken more than once for credit with different topics.

Satisfies "the Modern and Contemporary World" core course requirement for Art History majors
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

The artist’s studio is a crucible of creativity and experimentation, both for practitioners and for art historians: new art histories around the modern studio are in the process of emerging. Examining ten case studies from the period 1855 to 2020, this course aims to situate selected modern and contemporary practices at the intersection of material culture, technical know-how and artistic training, from the perspectives of personal agency, of larger socio-cultural contexts and of critical debates about artistic practice and research. After probing the traditional, Beaux-Arts studio model, against which new studio forms and networks appear circa 1855, the course will proceed only loosely with regards to chronology, focusing instead on how transversal issues intersect with the studio as (semi-)private site of creativity and experimentation. In turn, the class examines the studio as a site of self-representation, sociability, gender, race, medium-specificity, commercial dealings, curatorial workflow, documentation and archiving, and performativity.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
  • Recognize key issues in modern and contemporary art
  • Develop an understanding of the chronology and development of art and its materials and since the late 18th-century and to the present day
  • Exercise critical thinking while looking, reading, writing, and speaking about modern and contemporary art
  • Identify, analyze, and interpret significant aspects and themes in the histories of modern and contemporary art within different social, historical and critical contexts
  • Evaluate the ways that art as is shaped by dynamic social and cultural interactions
  • Recognize and reason about the contributions of influential artists and art historians, art critics and institutions
  • Formulate an analytical argument and draw out observations on the cultural outlook, norms and histories that influenced the production, creation and reception of the works under discussion.
  • Develop technical vocabulary appropriate to the fields of art history and practice and, more generally, to our image-based culture.
  • Develop an aptitude at visual analysis and the contextualization of works in different critical frameworks
  • Learn to visually analyze works in relation to other genres and other bodies of knowledge
  • Formulate and develop critical and rigorous arguments, especially through assignments; find and evaluate pertinent, high-quality sources and information
  • Structure and effectively communicate ideas and information orally and in writing; understand how ideas and information may be conveyed visually
TEXTBOOK:
NONE
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATIONRegular, timely attendance is mandatory. Attendance policy: three or more unexcused absences will result in the drop of a letter grade. Three late arrivals will count as an absence. Participation is essential. This implies: doing the assigned readings by the of start class and engaging with readings and lectures through questions and in class discussions. 5
READING PRESENTATIONA five-minute reading presentation on one of the required readings. Reading presentations must summarize the main arguments, the kind of evidence provided in support of those arguments and conclude with a discussion question posed to the class. Typed reading presentation notes must be submitted to the Professor, at the latest on the day of the presentation. 5
RESEARCH PRESENTATIONA ten-minute presentation Week 12. Using PowerPoint or PDF present your (approved) research question and topic, a cursory outline of how you will structure your argument in the final Research Paper and identifies the five to ten high quality sources that your paper will use as core bibliography and framework. 15
FINAL PAPERApproximately 1500-2000 words. Due Week 14. The choice of topic and research question must be submitted for Professor approval. See research paper guidelines on Moodle course page; these will be discussed in class. 25
MIDTERM EXAMINATIONAn in-class midterm examination consisting of three compare and contrast essays. 25
FINAL EXAMINATIONAn in-class final exam (lasting 2,5 hours for students with Dean-approved disabilities). 1. One compare and contrast essay pertaining to material from the second half of the course. 2. Two essays requiring cumulative, critical knowledge of course material. 25

-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:

Attendance is mandatory. Absences and late arrivals will affect the final grade: Three or more unexcused absences will result in the drop of a letter grade. Three late arrivals will count as an absence.
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

COURSE SCHEDULE

*NOTE: Some of the lectures below will be treated as a double on-site class,  at contemporary artists' studios on a Friday. See our Moodle course site for dates and details. 

 

1. Course introduction: scope, issues, requirements.

 

2. The Academic Studio: Processes, Materials and Workflow.

 

3. Studio and Avant-garde

 

4. Studio as Self-Portrait (1)

 

5. Collective Studios and Group Portraits

 

6. The Studio as Modernist subject (1)

 

7. The Sculpture Studio, 1900-1920

 

8. The Studio as Modernist subject (2)

 

9. The Studio as Refuge. 

 

10. Constructing the Studio

 

11. The Ready-made Studio

 

12. Midterm review

 

13. Midterm examination

 

14. Studio Materials

 

20. Studio as Factory.

 

21. Studio Gender

 

22. “Studio Crisis” (1)

 

23. “Studio Crisis” (2)

 

24. Studio and Museum

 

25. Filming the Studio?

 

26. The Site of the Studio

 

27. The Studio Visit

 

28. Course Review 

 

29. Final exam

 

 

KEY BIBLIOGRAPHIC WORKS

 

Adamson, G. and J. Bryan-Wilson. Art in the Making. Artist and their Materials from the Studio to Crowdsourcing.  Thames and Hudson, 2016

Adamson, G. “Craft and the Romance of the Studio.” American Art 21, no. 1 (2007): 14–18. https://doi.org/10.1086/518290.

Ades, D. et alii. The Artist’s Studio. A Century of the Artist’s Studio 1920-2020. Whitechapel Gallery, 2022.

Alsdorf, B. “Studio of the Self.” In Fellow Men: Fantin-Latour and the Problem of the Group in Nineteenth-Century French Painting, 105–55. Princeton University Press, 2013. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv2gs4gbg.7.

Amirsadeghi, H. and Maryam Eisler, eds. Art Studio America. Contemporary Artist Spaces. Thames and Hudson, 2013.

Amirsadeghi, H. and M. Eisler, eds. Sanctuary. Britain’s Artist and their Studios. Transglobe publishing, 2012.

Bergstein, Mary. “‘The Artist in His Studio’: Photography, Art, and the Masculine Mystique.” Oxford Art Journal 18, no. 2 (1995): 45–58. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1360552.

Betzer, S. “Ingres’s Studio between History and Allegory: Rachel, Antiquity, and ‘Tragédie.’” The Art Bulletin 88, no. 3 (2006): 525–51. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25067266.

Bowness, S. Barbara Hepworth. The Sculptor in the Studio. Tate Publishing, 2017.

Boyt, R., L. Freud, and Ordovas Gallery. In the Studio. Ordovas, 2019.

Buren, D., and T. Repensek. “The Function of the Studio.” October 10 (1979): 51–58. https://doi.org/10.2307/778628.

Cahill, J. “The Painter’s Studio.” In The Painter’s Practice: How Artists Lived and Worked in Traditional China, 71–112. Columbia University Press, 1994. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7312/cahi08180.6.

Coplan Horowitz, S. and A. Benchley. Open Studio: Do-It-Yourself Art Projects by Contemporary Artists. Phaidon, 2020.

Currid-Halkett, E. The Warhol Economy: How Fashion, Art, and Music Drive New York City. Princeton University Press, 2009. https://www-jstor-org.jcu.idm.oclc.org/stable/j.ctvzsmf4t

Desbuissons, F. “Courbet’s Materialism.” Oxford Art Journal 31, no. 2 (2008): 251–60. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20108023.

Ellard, G. and Jonathan Harvey, A. Echarte, eds. Studios for Artists. Concepts and Concrete. A Collaboration between Acme Studios and Central Saint Martins. Black Dog Publishing, 2015.

Esner, R. et alii. Hiding Making - Showing Creation: The Studio from Turner to Tacita Dean. Cambridge Univeristy Press, 2020.https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt6wp7vb.7#metadata_info_tab_contents

 del Roscio, N. and F. Illies. Cy Twombly Homes and Studios.  Schirmer Mosel, 2019.

Filipovic, E. The Apparently Marginal Activities of Marcel Duchamp. MIT Press, 2016.

Fischli, P. and D. Weiss. Fischli Weiss: Flowers & Questions: A Retrospective. Tate, 2006.

Frascina, F. and Harris, J. Art in Modern Culture: An Anthology of Critical Texts. Open University, 1992

Frascina, F., Harrison, C. and Paul, D.. Modern Art and Modernism: A Critical Anthology. Westview Press,1987.

Freud, L. and Bruce Bernard, David Dawson. Freud at Work: Lucian Freud in Conversation with Sebastian Smee. Knopf, 2006.

Harrison, C. Wood, P. and Gaiger, J., eds. Art in Theory 1648-1815. An Anthology of Changing Ideas. Blackwell, 2000.

Harrison, C. and Wood, P. eds. Art in Theory 1900-1990. An Anthology of Changing Ideas. Blackwell, 2003.

Hirschhorn, T. and J. E. Julliard. Maps. Musée Jenisch, Vevey, 2018.

Hoffmann, J. The Studio. Documents of Contemporary Art. Whitechapel Gallery, 2012

Irwin, D. Neoclassicism. Phaidon, 1997.

Jacob, M.J. and Michelle Grabner, eds. The Studio Reader. On the Space of Artists. University of Chicago Press, 2010.

Jones, A. A Companion to Contemporary Art Since 1945. Oxford University Press, 2006.

Jones, C. Machine in the Studio. Constructing the Postwar American Artist. University of Chicago Press, 1996.

Kernbauer, Eva. Art, History, and Anachronic Interventions Since 1990. Routledge, 2022.

Kirwin, L. “Primary Sources for the Study of Studio Craft.” American Art 21, no. 1 (2007): 23–27. https://doi.org/10.1086/518292.

Kocur, Z. and Leung, S., eds. Theory in Contemporary Art Since 1985. Wiley-Blackwell, 2012.

Krauss, R. The Originality of the Avant-Garde and Other Modernist Myths. MIT Press, 1986.

Lack, J. Why Are We ‘Artists’? 100 World Art Manifestos. Penguin, 2017.

Landau, E., ed. Reading Abstract Expressionism: Context and Critique. Yale University Press, 2005.

Lee, L. and H. Foster. Critical Laboratory. The Writings of Thomas Hirschhorn. October Books. MIT Press, 2013.

Leighton, T. Art and the Moving Image: A Critical Reader. Tate, 2008. 

Liberman, A. The Artist in his Studio. Thames and Hudson, 1988.

Lowry, B. “A Visit to Dubuffet’s Studio.” Members Newsletter (Museum of Modern Art), no. 1 (1968): 4–4. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4380526.

MacMahon, C. “Studio Visits.” Art on Paper 7, no. 6 (2003): 10–10. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24559213.

Milner, J. The Studios of Paris. The Capital of Art in the Late Nineteenth Century. Yale, 1990 (1988).

Molesworth, Helen. “Work Avoidance: The Everyday Life of Marcel Duchamp’s Readymades.” Art Journal 57, no. 4 (1998): 50–61. https://doi.org/10.2307/777927.

Moore, H. Wunderkammer, Origin of Forms. Gagosian Gallery, 2015.

Nicolson, B. Courbet: The Studio of the Painter. Allen Lane, 1973.

Nochlin, L. "The Invention of the Avant-Garde.” In The Politics of Vision: Essays on Nineteenth-century Art and Society. Harper & Row, 1989: 9–13.

Ogden, P. 7 Reece Mews : Francis Bacon's Studio. Thames & Hudson, 2001.

Owens, C. “Back to the Studio” Art in America, January 1982: 99-107. 

Phelan, A.. “The Bauhaus and Studio Art Education.” Art Education 34, no. 5 (1981): 6–13. https://doi.org/10.2307/3192470.

Post-impressionist Living: The Omega Workshops (2019-20). Charleston Press, 2019.

Reiff, R.. “Matisse and ‘The Red Studio.’” Art Journal 30, no. 2 (1970): 144–47. https://doi.org/10.2307/775426.

Rudd, P. “Reconstructing Manet’s ‘Velázquez in His Studio.’” The Burlington Magazine 136, no. 1100 (1994): 747–51. http://www.jstor.org/stable/886271.

Russell, J., B.Singer, J.Perry, and A. Bacon. “Investigation of the Materials Found in the Studio of Francis Bacon (1909-1992).” Studies in Conservation 57, no. 4 (2012): 195–206. http://www.jstor.org/stable/42751784.

Smith, M. and P. Craig, ed. Making Art Work: The Mike Smith Studio. Trolley Books, 2004.

Smith, T. One and Five Ideas: On Conceptual Art and Conceptualism. Duke University Press, 2017.

Stalnaker, N. “Intention and Interpretation: Manet’s Luncheon in the Studio.” The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 54, no. 2 (1996): 121–34. https://doi.org/10.2307/431085.

Studio Olafur Eliasson. The Kitchen. Phaidon, 2016.

Studio Olafur Eliasson. Open House. TYT vol. 7, 2017.

Perl, J., ed. Art in America, 1945-1970: Writings from the Age of Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, and Minimalism. Library of America, 2014. 

Ratti, A., I. Blazwick, and White Box. Annie Ratti. Charta, 2006.

Rauschenberg, R. Photographs 1949-1962. Thames and Hudson, 2011.`

Thornton, S. “The Studio Visit.” In Seven Days in the Art World. Granta, 2008: 181-218.

Toll, B., A. Schwartzman, A. Sokoloff, C. Worth, F. Boyd, P. Auchincloss, and L. Christensen. “The Journey from the Studio to the Collection: Six Interviews with Art Advisors, Corporate Curators, and Others.” In Taking AIM!: The Business of Being an Artist Today, ed. M. Nieves: 147–61. Fordham University Press, 2011. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt13wzxxq.18.

Tumlir, J. “Studio Crisis!” Art Journal 71, no. 1 (2012): 58–75. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23279669.

Vollard, A. “Cézanne’s Studio.” The Soil 1, no. 3 (1917): 102–11. https://doi.org/10.2307/20542292.

Warsh, L. and J.-M. Basquiat. Composition. Jean-Michel Basquiat The Notebooks. Princeton University Press, 2015.

Waterfield, G. The Artist’s Studio.Hogarth Arts, 2009.

White, H. and C. Canvases and Careers, Institutional Change in the French Painting World. John Wiley & Sons, 1965.