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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "AH 283"
COURSE NAME: "Special Topics in Modern and Contemporary Art: Art, Ecology, and Sustainability"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2026
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Adrienne Drake
EMAIL: [email protected]
 HOURS: MW 8:30 AM 9:45 AM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES:
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:

This course explores the relationship between art and ecology. As environmental challenges and climate change continue to be some of the most pressing concerns of the 21st century, we will investigate how artists respond to the natural world, and how those responses have continued to shift and change to an ever-increasing ecological awareness and action.

 Following a loose chronological framework, we will focus on significant art practices and trends from the 20th century to today, including Land Art, Environmental Art, Ecofeminism, and Ecological and Cultural Restoration. These themes will be further situated within the context of social movements and political debates – from activism to social justice, from the Anthropocene to Posthumanism.

 In addition to highlighting key artists in art and ecology, we will frame the discourse through four case studies on: Nature and Industry, Land and Labour, Man and Technology, Institutions and Care. By extending the interrogation of landscape, we will examine which artists and artworks represent significant shifts in ideas, methods and materials, while continuing to exert influence on how we investigate, innovate and interpret the nature of place.

 Students will cultivate historical and theoretical knowledge to think critically about art and ecology, its processes, networks of dissemination and exchange, methods of sustainability, and its social and cultural contexts. We will observe artists exploring in meaningful and transformative ways pressing ecological questions, the need for new ethical frameworks to address the challenges of our age, and the importance of sustainable practices, interconnectedness and interdependence.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:

- Develop an understanding of the development, chronology and range of artistic practices addressing ecology and sustainability.
- Recognize key concerns, artists and artworks of the environmental movement from the 1960s to today.
- Identify, analyze and interpret significant aspects and themes in environmental art within different historical and social contexts.
- Understand how ecological art has a political function in addition to an aesthetic function.
- Learn to think critically about artworks in relation to other genres and other fields of knowledge: historical, political, economic, intellectual.
- Explain the contributions of influential artists in the construction of today’s pressing concern for ecological issues, materials and sustainable practices.
- Develop skills in the critical analysis of visual culture.
- Acquire a comprehensive vocabulary and use terminology relevant to contemporary art.
TEXTBOOK:
NONE
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
Attendance and participationContribution to class discussions, sharing of ideas, evidence of reading assigned texts.10%
Midterm examShort answer questions that include definitions of terms and specific questions regarding is-sues discussed, or artists and artworks we have observed, both in class and in the assigned readings.20%
Term paperA term paper of c. 1500-2000 words on a specific practice pertinent to the course, or the body of work of an artist discussed in class. The essay must address precise research questions, and contain complete captions if images are included, in addition to a full bibliography (not included in word-count).25%
Research PresentationDrawing on artistic trends and case studies discussed in class, the reading of theoretical texts, and independent research, students will present 15-minute collaborative, group presenta-tions pertaining to an innovative sustainability proposal relevant to JCU’s Guarini campus, or a nearby local site. The proposal should demonstrate art historical context and social potential. Research topics must be approved by the Professor by week 10; these can be submitted as a Word document on the Moodle course site, or handed in directly during class. The PDF of your presentation, including a complete bibliography, must be submitted to the Professor 24 hours before the presentation date. For a detailed explanation of the presentation, together with suggestions of local sites, see the guidelines on the Moodle course page.25%
Final examThe format for the final exam will be the same as the midterm. It will be cumulative but weighted with material from the second half of the semester.20%

-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 REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY
You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. The final exam period runs until ____________
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:

Week 1:
Class 1. Course presentation, scope and requirements

Class 2. The Anthropocene and Ecology
We will define and understand the new geological age, examine the term ecology, and explore how ecological conversations relate to artistic practices.

Week 2:
Class 1. Nature and Industry
Case study: from Thomas Cole’s The Course of Empire to Ed Ruscha to David Brooks

Class 2. Textual focus: class discussion on William Cronon’s, "The Trouble with Wilderness; or, Getting Back to the Wrong Nature"

Week 3:
Class 1. Materials of the everyday: the ordinary, the recycled, the reclaimed
Artists in focus: David Hammons, Robert Rauschenberg, Nancy Rubins

Class 2. The natural landscape as an artistic field of operation
The emergence of the Land art movement and subsequent issues of conservation I
Artists in focus: Beverly Buchanan, Walter de Maria, Michael Heizer, Nancy Holt, Richard Long, Robert Smithson, Alan Sonfist

Class 3. The natural landscape as an artistic field of operation (make-up day for April 6)
The emergence of the Land art movement and subsequent issues of conservation II
Artists in focus: Beverly Buchanan, Walter de Maria, Michael Heizer, Nancy Holt, Richard Long, Robert Smithson, Alan Sonfist

Week 4:
Class 1. Radical Ecology: The interconnectedness of culture, nature and ecological systems
Artist in focus: Joseph Beuys

Class 2. Environmental Art I
We will explore radical shifts in thinking as artists begin to work with the natural environment through cohesiveness, rather than disruption.
Artists in focus: Betty Beaumont, Agnes Denes, Andy Goldsworthy, Pierre Huyghe, Meg Webster

Week 5:
Class 1. Environmental Art II
We will continue to explore radical shifts in thinking as artists begin to work with the natural environment through cohesiveness, rather than disruption.
Artists in focus: Betty Beaumont, Agnes Denes, Andy Goldsworthy, Pierre Huyghe, Meg Webster

Class 2. Farming as Political Activism and a Work of Art
Guest lecture about Agricola Cornelia S.p.A., a farm founded by artist Gianfranco Baruchello

Week 6:
Class 1. Midterm review

Class 2. Midterm exam

Week 7:
Class 1. Land and Labour
Case study: from Jean-Francois Millet’s The Gleaners to Agnes Varda to Will Benedict

Class 2. Screening and discussion of Agnes Varda’s film, The Gleaners and I mar 4

Week 8:
no classes, Spring Break

Week 9:
Class 1. Gender and Ecofeminism I
Artists in focus: Andrea Bowers, Ana Mendieta, Aviva Rahmani, Hanae Utamura, Cecilia Vicuna, Faith Wilding

Class 2. Gender and Ecofeminism II
Artists in focus: Andrea Bowers, Ana Mendieta, Aviva Rahmani, Hanae Utamura, Cecilia Vicuna, Faith Wilding

Week 10:
Class 1. Ecologies, Land, and Belonging: how First Nations and Indigenous artists use ecological knowledge in their practices

Class 2. From Protest to Proposals: Ecological Restoration

Week 11:
Class 1. Cultural Restoration: Institutions and Care
Case study: from Mierle Laderman Ukeles to an institution of the 21st Century

Class 2. Artists and Community Practices
Artists in focus: Theaster Gates, Ibrahim Mahama

Week 12:
Class 1. No class

Class 2. In-class presentations

Week 13:
Class 1. In-class presentations

Class 2. Monuments to Sharing: Permaculture and Artists’ Collaborative Projects
We will explore several examples of artists engaging in ecological consciousness and the sustaining of creative, land-based ways of life specific to the region of Puglia.

Week 14:
Class 1. Architecture, Experimentation and Ecology: Blueprints for a Future?
Architects in focus: Buckminster Fuller and Paolo Soleri

Class 2. Man and Technology
Case study: from Umberto Boccioni’s Unique Forms of Continuity in Space to Donna Haraway to the posthuman condition

Week 15:
Class 1. Posthumanism
Contemporary artistic responses to technological advancements, globalization, and mass extinction in the Anthropocene

Class 2. Final exam review + Research paper due

Week 16:
Final Exam week

COURSE BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Adams, David. “Joseph Beuys: Pioneer of a Radical Ecology”, Art Journal 51, Summer 1992, pp. 26-34.

 Altshuler, Bruce, Sharmacharja, Shamita (eds.). A Manual for the 21st Century Art Institution. London: Koenig Books, 2009. (Frohring Library)

 Andraos, Amale and T.J. Demos. Eco-Visionaries: Art, Architecture, and New Media After the Anthropocene. Hatje Cantz Verlag, 2018.

 Barry, Tiffany L., David J. Cantrill, Mark Williams, and Jan Zalasiewicz. “Are we now living in the Anthropocene”, GSA Today, February 2008, Vol. 18, No. 2. Published by The Geological Society of America.

 Biro, Matthew. The Dada Cyborg, Visions of the New Human in Weimar Berlin. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2009.

 Blanc, Nathalie and Barbara L. Benish. Form, Art and the Environment: Engaging in sustainability. New York: Routledge, 2017.

 Blandy, Doug, Kristin G. Congdon and Don H. Krug. “Ecological Restoration and Art Education”, Studies in Art Education, Spring, 1998, Vol. 39, No. 3 (Spring, 1998), pp. 230- 243. Published by: National Art Education Association. (JSTOR)

 Borer, Alina. The Essential Joseph Beuys. London: Thames and Hudson, 1996.

 Carson, Rachel. Silent Spring. New York: Penguin Classics, 2000. (first published 1962 by Houghton) (Frohring Library)

 Coccia, Emanuele. “Don’t Call Me Gaia”, Hydroreflexivity, October 2023.

 Coccia, Emanuele. Metamorphoses. Cambridge: Polity, 2021.

 Coccia, Emanuele. The Life of Plants: A Metaphysics of Mixture. Cambridge: Polity, 2018.

 Cole, Thomas. “Essay on American Scenery”, American Monthly Magazine 1, January 1836.

 Coles, Alex (ed.) and Mark Dion. Mark Dion: Archeology. Black Dog Publishing, 1999.

 Cronon, William (ed.). Uncommon Ground: Rethinking the Human Place in Nature. New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 1995.

 Davis, Mike. Ecology of Fear: Los Angeles and the Imagination of Disaster. New York: Metropolitan Books, 1998.

 Dawson, Melanie. “Constructing an Interdisciplinary Course on Literature and Environmental Feminism”, Feminist Studies, Vol. 40, No. 2, Special Issue: Food and Ecology (2014), pp. 333-352. Published by: Feminist Studies, Inc. (JSTOR)

 Dell, Simon (ed.). On Location, Siting Robert Smithson and his Contemporaries. London: Black Dog Publishing, 2008.

 Demos, T.J. Decolonizing Nature: Contemporary Art and the Politics of Ecology. Sternberg Press, 2016. (Frohring Library)

 Ferrando, Francesca. “A feminist genealogy of posthuman aesthetics in the visual arts”, Palgrave Communications, 2016. 2:16011 doi: 10.1057/palcomms.2016.11.

 Foster, Hal, Krauss, Rosalind, Bois, Yve-Alain, Buchloh, Benjamin H.D. Art Since 1900: Modernism Antimodernism Postmodernism. Thames & Hudson, 2004. (Frohring Library)

 Gaard, Greta. “Ecofeminism Revisited: Rejecting Essentialism and Re-Placing Species in a Material Feminist Environmentalism”, Feminist Formations, Summer 2011, Vol. 23, No. 2 (Summer 2011), pp. 26-53. Published by: The Johns Hopkins University Press. (JSTOR)

 Gaard, Greta (ed.). Ecofeminism: Women, Animals, Nature. Philadelphia, Temple University Press, 1993.

 Ghosh, Amitav. The Living Mountain. Fourth Estate India, 2022. (Frohring Library)

 Glazebrook, Trish. “Karen Warren's Ecofeminism”, Ethics and the Environment, Autumn, 2002, Vol. 7, No. 2 (Autumn, 2002), pp. 12-26. Published by: Indiana University Press. (JSTOR)

 Goldberg, RoseLee. Performance Art: From Futurism to the Present. Thames & Hudson, 2011.

 Graham, Mark A. “Art, Ecology and Art Education: Locating Art Education in a Critical Place-Based Pedagogy”, Studies in Art Education, Summer, 2007, Vol. 48, No. 4, Special Issue on Eco-Responsibility in Art Education, pp. 375-391. Published by: National Art Education Association. (JSTOR)

 Groseclose, Barbara S. Nineteenth-Century American Art. Oxford University Press, 2000. (Frohring Library)

 Haraway, Donna. Manifestly Haraway. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2016. (eBook)

 Harrison, Charles, Paul, Wood. Art in Theory 1900-2000: An Anthology of Changing Ideas. Blackwell Pub, 2002. (Frohring Library)

 Hughes, Robert. The Shock of the New. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1995. (Frohring Library)

 Jeffreys, Tom. “Is the Countryside the Future of the Art World”. Frieze, November 2019.

 Jones, Alex A. “On Harriet Feigenbaum”, The Brooklyn Rail, May 2023.

 Krause, Till (ed.). Public Notice: The Free River Zone. Hamburg: GFLK Surveys, 2021.

 Lerda, Andrea. “Glazebrook, “Nature’s Creative Balance: On Italian Eco-art”, Italy and the Environmental Humanities, ed. Serenella Iovino, Enrico Cesaretti, Elena Past. Published by: University of Virginia Press, 2018. (JSTOR)

 Lippard, Lucy. Overlay: Contemporary Art and The Art of Prehistory, Pantheon Books, New York, 1983.

 M/M (ed.). Pierre Huyghe: Celebration Park. London: Tate Publishing, 2006.

 Mesche, Claudia and Viola Michely (eds.). Joseph Beuys, The Reader. London: I.B. Tauris & Co, 2007.

 Montric, Chad. “The Fight for a Balanced Environment and the Fight for Social Justice and Dignity Are Not Unrelated Struggles”, The Myth of Silent Spring. Published by: University of California Press, 2018. (JSTOR)

 Penley, Constance, Andrew Ross and Donna Haraway. “Cyborgs at Large: Interview with Donna Haraway”, Social Text, 1990, No. 25/26 (1990), pp. 8-23. Published by: Duke University Press. (JSTOR)

 Rabottini, Alessandro and Carla Subrizi (eds.). Gianfranco Baruchello: Archive of Moving Images 1960-2016. Milan: Mousse Publishing, 2016-17.

 Rauschenberg, Robert, Susan Davidson, et al. Robert Rauschenberg: A Retrospective. Guggenheim Museum Publishers, 1998.

 Ryan, Leslie. “Art + Ecology: Land Reclamation Works of Artists Robert Smithson, Robert Morris, and Helen Mayer Harrison and Newton Harrison”, Environmental Philosophy, Vol. 4, No. 1 & 2, Special Issue: Environmental Aesthetics and Ecological Restoration (Spring/Fall 2007), pp. 95-116. Published by: Philosophy Documentation Center. (JSTOR)

 Smithson, Robert. Robert Smithson: The Collected Writings. University of California Press, 1996. (Frohring Library)

 Solnit, Rebecca and Thelma Young Lutunatabua (eds.). Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility. Chicago: Haymarket Books, 2023.

 Solnit, Rebecca. As Eve Said to the Serpent: On Landscape, Gender and Art. Athens, GA: University of Georgia, 2001.

 Tsai, Eugenie (ed.). Robert Smithson. Los Angeles: The Museum of Contemporary Art, 2004.

 Wolfe, Cary. Art and Posthumanism: Essays, Encounters, Conversations. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2022. (eBook)