Mar 28, 2024  
Academic Catalog 2014-2015 
    
Academic Catalog 2014-2015 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Courses


 

History of Art

  
  • HART286 Modern Architecture 3 cr.


    An investigation of the designed and built environment, from the end of the nineteenth century to the present day. This course examines the influence of technology, aesthetics, politics, social history and economics on modern architecture and urban planning, including the Chicago School, Art Nouveau, international modernism of the 1920s to the 1960s, Post-Modernism, Deconstructivism and worldwide contemporary theory and practice.

    Prerequisites: HART100

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
    All College Elective
  
  • HART287 Survey of Video Art, 1968-Present 3 cr.


    In this course we trace the new answers and new questions formulated by selected video artists over the last forty years. Throughout the semester, we study these two trajectories thematically. Artists’ investigations of video-imaging tools, signal processing, recorders, magnetic tape, and cathode-ray tube screens may continue in surprising ways the modernist tradition of a medium’s self-reflexivity (and so offer new answers to existing questions). Alternatively, experimentation with audience behavior, criticism of broadcast television, and women’s use of video as a medium untainted by patriarchy amount to fresh areas of exploration (so, new questions). Students watch two hours of video each week in preparation for classroom discussion. In addition to viewing the works themselves, students analyze several kinds of written accounts-by artists, by art critics, and by art historians-surrounding video art practices from 1968 to the present.

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
    All College Elective
  
  • HART294 Fashion History I 3 cr.


    A survey of the history of costume from its beginnings as primitive adornment with skins, grasses, body paints, tattooing, and beads, to the extravagant fashions of the sixteenth Century through the Renaissance periods. Visual aids such as videos, slides, and pictorial references will help the student to explore the historical development of clothing, from draped classical garments to the elaborate structured clothing of the Spanish and English courts of the Northern Renaissance. Emphasis is placed on the influences of social, political, and economic conditions, and how these variables reflected an individual’s status, taste, and culture. Field trips to museums, vintage stores and other historical institutions are required in order to appreciate the three dimensional aspect of the way in which garments were made during specific periods. The quality of fabrics used, and body types that were typical of each period will be considered.

    Prerequisites: HART100

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
    All College Elective
  
  • HART295 Design History 3 cr.


    This course will provide an overview of one hundred and sixty years of American and European decorative arts and design theory, beginning with the English Aesthetic Reform movement, covering Le Corbusier’s modernist coat of whitewash and the international style, and ending with contemporary designers and thinkers. The class will analyze furniture, ceramics, silver, architecture, clothing, and textiles using the design theories of such seminal figures as John Ruskin, William Morris, Owen Jones, Henri Van de Velde, Walter Gropius, Adolf Loos, and Le Corbusier. The time frame will encompass the nineteenth century historicist revivals, the Arts and Crafts movement, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, “purist” functionality, and the “modern.” Other themes that will be addressed are the art/craft divide, the origins of the unified interior, the dissemination of design theory to the broader public via the world’s fairs and the department store, and the attempt to develop “national” styles.

    Prerequisites: HART100

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
    All College Elective
  
  • HART297 Roots of Design History, 1650-1920 3 cr.


    This course examines the history of designed
    objects, largely furnishings, inclusive of
    industrial design and graphic design, handicraft
    and automation. The industrial revolution changed
    the domestic sphere as much as the conditions of
    labor. The increase in mass- produced and
    accessible goods (and in ownership) is often
    referred to in shorthand as ‘democratization’ and
    as a characteristic component of the American
    experience. IKEA and Philippe Starck employ the
    phrase ‘democratic design’ and DIY practitioners
    use it to stake out their independence from
    corporations. Can we also use this perspective to
    evaluate the proliferation of such things as
    newspapers, clocks, mantelpiece statuary, chairs,
    ice cream bowls and sardine forks between 1650
    and 1920? (Formerly American Design, 1650- 1920)

    Prerequisites: HART100

    Lecture
    All College Elective
    Spring
  
  • HART300 Art of Ancient Iraq 3 cr.


    The arts of the ancient Sumerian, Babylonian, and Assyrian cultures of Mesopotamia (Iraq) from the eighth millennium BC through the fall of the Babylonian Empire in 539 BC. Emphasis is on the interpretation of art objects as evidence for such historical, social, and cultural developments as urbanism, social stratification, the institutionalization of religion, imperialism, and international commerce.

    Prerequisites: HART100

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
    All College Elective
  
  • HART301 Art of Ancient Egypt 3 cr.


    Survey of the visual culture of ancient Egypt from the Predynastic period (ca. 5000 B.C.) until the end of the New Kingdom (ca. 1000 B.C.). Emphasis is on major examples of architecture, sculpture, and painting viewed in their historical, political, social, economic, and religious contexts. The class looks at the methods and goals of archaeological work in Egypt and how these have shaped contemporary views of the ancient culture.

    Prerequisites: HART100

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
    All College Elective
  
  • HART302 Egypt of the Pharaohs


    Intensive study of the visual culture of ancient Egypt from the Predynastic through Roman periods (ca. 5000 to 0 B.C.). Visits to major sites and museums in Egypt will be accompanied by lectures on their historical, political, social, economic, and religious significance. Students are encouraged to make connections between the sights seen and their own research and visual interests. SEE TRAVEL COURSE SECTION FOR OFFICIAL REGISTRATION PROCEDURES. TRAVEL TO EGYPT REQUIRED.

    Prerequisites: HART100

  
  • HART304 Maya: Archaeology and Community (travel course) 3 cr.


    While the cities built by the ancient Maya of Guatemala are among the most sophisticated and widely studied archaeological sites in the world, the enduring culture of their descendents, the living Maya, often goes unrecognized. During this semester-long academic course on the archaeology and culture of the Maya, students will spend Spring Break in Guatemala visiting archaeological and cultural heritage sites, meeting local artists, and engaging in service-learning projects with Maya communities. Students will enrich their study of ancient Maya art and culture with an invaluable opportunity to live and work among Maya communities of today. Admission by application only.

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
    Travel Course; By Application
  
  • HART311 Materials and Methods in Medieval Art 3 cr.


    This course will examine the broad range of materials used to create works of art during the Middle Ages, the techniques used and the thinking that underpinned medieval ideas about artists, art works and the process of artistic creation. Attention will be given to a variety of artistic media produced during the Middle Ages from monumental architecture, stone sculpture and wall painting, to manuscript illumination, textiles and metal work.

    Prerequisites: HART100

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
  
  • HART320 Villas and Gardens of the Italian Renaissance 3 cr.


    An investigation of the architecture of leisure in Renaissance Italy, from the early Humanist villas of the powerful Medici family to the farm-villa complexes designed by Palladio in the sixteenth century. Gardens and villas are considered in their role as purveyors of the economic, social and political power of the elite, and in relation to ancient literary and archeological sources and Renaissance design theory. Examples include the Medici villa at Fiesole, Palazzo Te in Mantua, Palazzo Farnese at Caprarola and Villa d’Este at Tivoli.

    Prerequisites: HART100

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
    All College Elective
  
  • HART331 Seventeenth Century Dutch Painting 3 cr.


    The focus of this course is the paintings and culture of the Dutch Republic during its “Golden Age” : 1600-1675. Topics to be considered in detail include Dutch Mannerism; the school of Utrecht; Hals and developments around him in Haarlem; Rembrandt and the Rembrandt Research Project; associates, pupils and followers of Rembrandt; Vermeer, the School of Delft and other genre painters; and Ruisdael, Hobbema and landscape painting. Emphasis is also given to Dutch painting in the following contexts: Dutch capitalism and the growth of Dutch wealth in the early Golden Age; the open market situation of Dutch “patronage”; Dutch work ethic Protestantism; and the greatness of Dutch lens-making as an aspect of Dutch science. Some of the following topics may also be considered: the “twilight” of the Golden Age 1675-1725; sources of the French Rococo in seventeenth-century Dutch painting; sources of eighteenth century English painting in Dutch realism. This course was formerly titled Northern Baroque Art.

    Prerequisites: HART100

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
    All College Elective
  
  • HART340 Mayan Art and Archaeology 3 cr.


    An intensive study of the ancient Maya of Mexico and Guatemala, creators of magnificent sculpture, architecture, painting and ceramics. Students will examine the origins of the Maya, their calendars, writing and artistic traditions, trace the history of the major Maya cities and investigate the decline of Classic Maya art and civilization. The course concludes with the study of modern Maya culture and political issues.

    Prerequisites: HART100

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
    All College Elective
  
  • HART341 Native American Art and Culture 3 cr.


    An examination of issues in the history of Native North America using architecture and art from the diverse societies of the region. Students confront questions of tradition, identity, authenticity, and display of sacred objects in the museum setting through understanding the social and religious use of art in a number of different Native American communities. Students also study the biographies of Native American artists, past and present.

    Prerequisites: HART100

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
    All College Elective
  
  • HART346 Australian Art 3 cr.


    This course will examine aspects of visual art and architecture produced on the Australian continent before, during and after the colonial era. In addition to questions of style, meaning and technique, attention will be placed on the question of identity: what do terms such as Australian, Aboriginal, western, non-western mean in the context of contemporary Australia, its history and artistic culture.

    Prerequisites: HART100

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
  
  • HART347 Renaissance Splendor: Venice + Mantua


    An on-site, comprehensive examination of the painting, sculpture and architecture produced during the Golden Age of Venice, the Veneto and southern Lombardy, 1200-1800. There will be a classroom component at MassArt, in which students will discuss relevant art historical texts and learn conversational Italian. Beginning with a week-long stay in the great city itself, we will study the evolution of Venetian culture from its origins as an outpost of the Byzantine Empire to its rise as the greatest and most enduring republic the world has ever known, as well as one of the richest and most magnetic artistic centers in Europe. After seven days in Venice, we will leave for Mantua, stopping first in the foothills of the Alps to view Palladio’s Villa Barbaro, and then at Padua to view the frescoes by Giotto in the Arena Chapel, which for many mark the beginning of the Renaissance. In Mantua we will study the architecture of Alberti, the frescoes by Mantegna in the Ducal Palace, and finally, the tour-de-force of Renaissance pleasure construction, Giulio Romano’s Palazzo Te. SEE TRAVEL COURSE SECTION FOR OFFICIAL REGISTRATION PROCEDURES. TRAVEL TO ITALY REQUIRED.

    Prerequisites: HART100

  
  • HART355 Survey of Chinese Art 3 cr.


    The long tradition of Chinese art is an important part of human aesthetic experience and a part of the cultural heritage of every modern woman and man in the global family. This class is a chronologically organized survey of the canon of Chinese art, including ceramic, jade, bronze, sculpture, architecture, garden, furniture, calligraphy, painting, and religious art. This survey is meant to provide a historical perspective on the works of art in their historical and social context over the centuries in China and to introduce the students to a repertoire of usable methods of approach to art. The concept of “China” itself is culturally constructed. Students in this class will be asked to think and examine critically how the works of art under the label “Chinese”. constitute a special tradition and how this tradition develops, changes, and interacts with other traditions of art through the ages.

    Prerequisites: HART100

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
    All College Elective
  
  • HART373 Architecture of Boston 3 cr.


    This course will explore the evolution of Boston’s architectural landscape from colonial times to the mid-twentieth century. Challenging the common adage that “Boston’s streets were laid out by cows,” the course will identify the local geographical, industrial, and social factors that uniquely shaped Boston’s development, and will situate the city’s growth within the context of larger national trends. Topics will include individual neighborhoods, as well as celebrated architects like Charles Bulfinch, H.H. Richardson, and Ralph Adams Cram. Primary-source texts and local site visits will supplement in-class mastery of material.

    Prerequisites: HART100

    Lecture/Seminar
  
  • HART375 Landscape: Space and Place in Art 1600-2000 3 cr.


    Focusing on how artists have engaged with their environment from the eighteenth century through the twentieth, this class will subject the subject matter of landscape to close scrutiny. This class will look at parallel developments in Europe and America, and will consider how various stylistic movements in eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth century painting, as well as photography, graphic arts and even sculpture have reacted to the significance of space and place, and humankind’s impact on the land. Through regular reading assignments, student presentations and research projects, students will track their own relationship to the land, the city and the environment in which we live.

    Prerequisites: HART100

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
    All College Elective
  
  • HART377 History of Printmaking 3 cr.


    A history of the invention and development of printmaking techniques through the study of the work of major historical and contemporary artists. Material is drawn primarily from Western traditions and includes cross-cultural influences.

    Prerequisites: HART100

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
    All College Elective
  
  • HART378 Modern Mexican Art 3 cr.


    This course is a general survey of the main developments of Modern Mexican art in its social, economic, and political contexts. It runs from the late eighteenth century founding of the Academy of San Carlos in Mexico City to the major movements of the 1960s, including La Ruptura. This includes discussion of easel painting, mural painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, popular arts and cinema. The final lectures focus on art that offers a critique of Muralism and on Chicano art, which continues an ancient tradition of discourse between Mexico and North America. Particular attention is given to the Muralist movement and the works of Posada, Herran, Rivera, Siquieros, Orozco, Tamayo and Kahlo.

    Prerequisites: HART100

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
  
  • HART379 Colonial Latin American Art 3 cr.


    This course will survey the art produced in Latin America during the colonial period, an era that began with the arrival of Cortes in Mexico in 1519 and ended in the nineteenth century when Spain and Portugal lost the last of their American territories. Students will examine the art produced during this period in the context of both preexisting indigenous traditions and contemporary European trends. In particular the class will focus on how indigenous art forms and concepts were able to persist amidst dominating colonial forces.

    Prerequisites: HART100

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
  
  • HART382 Painting and Sculpture in the USA 1900-1950. 3 cr.


    This course will survey the most significant achievements in painting and sculpture from the Ashcan School to the origins and early development of abstract expressionism. Emphasis will be given to the relationships between American modernism and its European sources as well as to the more-or-less constant presence of realism in American art. The instructor will prepare a reader for the course which will include scholarship of monographic focus as well as selections from such classic studies about the period as Milton W. Brown’s “American Painting from the Armory Show” to the Depression, Abraham A. Davidson’s “Early American Modernist Painting 1910-1935,” and Irving Sandler’s “The Triumph of American Painting.” A special feature of the course will be the inclusion of assignments in American literature of specific pertinence. Selections from Hart Crane’s “The Bridge” will be studied in relation to visual representations of the Brooklyn Bridge by Joseph Stella and Sherwood Anderson’s “Winesburg Ohio” will be read in conjunction with the paintings of Charles Burchfield.

    Prerequisites: HART100

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
    All College Elective
  
  • HART386 Communication Design History 3 cr.


    The history of communication design, from the Industrial Revolution to the present, with selected references to pre-industrial developments. The course investigates diverse languages and technologies of visual communication to help students understand their own role as producers and/or consumers of communication design.

    Prerequisites: HART100

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
    All College Elective
  
  • HART391 Rome: Glorious and Notorious


    Rome: Glorious and Notorious (From Rome to Venice) Enrollment by application only. See travel course section for official registration procedures. This on-site course provides students with a profound educational experience, placing them in a long tradition of artist-travelers and nascent scholars living and working in the Eternal City and the Serene Republic. Immersed in the culture of ancient and post-imperial Rome, students examine at first-hand a breathtaking variety of monuments and works of art, including many not generally accessible to the public. The course then moves to Venice, where the legacy of Rome, transformed as the Byzantine Empire, gave rise to another great culture, and also established, in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, a “rival Renaissance,”. under the auspices of its myriad artists and architects.

    Prerequisites: HART100

  
  • HART400 Directed Study in Art History 3 cr.


    Directed Study is designed to provide students
    with the opportunity to pursue an independent
    research project in a Liberal Arts and History of
    Art area. Typically, the end result of this
    project would be a research paper of 30 plus
    pages, or the equivalent, as agreed upon by the
    faculty member supervising the project. A
    Directed Study is a 3-credit course. Because of
    their advanced nature, Directed Studies Courses
    are open only to seniors, and are limited to one
    per semester. No more than two Directed Studies
    may be counted toward degree requirements. You
    must fill out and return a Directed Study form
    with a complete description of the project
    including a bibliography, and a description of
    the final project. You must also register for
    Directed Study.

    Prerequisites: By Permission of Instructor

    Fall/Spring
  
  • HART403 Archaeological Theory and Practice 3 cr.


    An introduction to applied archaeology as a preparation for participation in an archeological excavation. Investigation of archeological theory including history, purposes, goals, and ethics of excavation.

    Prerequisites: HART100 and any 200 or 300 level HART course

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
    All College Elective
  
  • HART404 Protection of Cultural Heritage 3 cr.


    Examination of the forces that threaten the world’s shared artistic, architectural, and archaeological heritage, and discussion of the practical and theoretical responses to deal with these threats. Class readings and discussion will focus on threats from looting, collecting, museums, and armed conflict. For Art History majors only.

    Prerequisites: HART100 and any 200 or 300 level HART course

    Lecture/Seminar
    Departmental Elective
  
  • HART411 Gothic Architecture: Great Cathedrals of Europe Great Cathedrals of Europe 3 cr.


    An in-depth look at the medieval Gothic architecture of Europe, focusing on selected cathedrals from the earliest examples around twelfth century Paris to the fanciful stonework and towering spires of fifteenth century England and Central Europe. Following an overview of the period and its monuments, students will undertake individual research projects with the professor’s guidance, and will share their progress and conclusions with one another. The course is designed to provide students with tools for professional and/or graduate work in the field of art history. Preference will be given to History of Art majors.

    Prerequisites: HART100 and any 200 or 300 level HART course

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
    All College Elective
  
  • HART412 Seminar: Monumental Images in Medieval Art 3 cr.


    This course will consider the large-scale sculpture, wall painting, and stained glass created for medieval architectural settings in Europe between about 1100 and 1400. The course will begin with an overview of materials and techniques and of common iconographic themes such as the Last Judgment, the passage of time, beasts and gargoyles, Biblical interpretation, and the Life of Christ. The ways in which these images were deployed in architectural settings, the effect of that architecture on one’s ability or inability to see images, and the meanings that might be read into the interaction of image and space will be ongoing themes in the course. Students will explore different methodologies that art historians have used to interpret medieval art in professional journals and recent books, and will produce a major research paper with the guidance of the instructor.

    Prerequisites: HART100 and any 200 or 300 level HART course

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
  
  • HART440 Seminar: When Worlds Collide: Aztecs at the Conquest and Beyond 3 cr.


    The 1521 Spanish conquest of the Aztec of Mexico forged a new world from a monumental collision of religions, philosophies and visual cultures. Through critical reading, research and oral and written presentation of 10-12 page papers, students in this seminar explore the power and paradoxes of Aztec civilization before and in the wake of conquest through examination of Aztec art and documentary sources including pictorial manuscripts and codices, sculpture, painting and architecture. Students also analyze first-hand accounts, memoirs and philosophical treatises recording Spanish conquistadors’ and clergies’ ambivalent responses to Aztec culture, to its sophistication and to its seeming barbarity. The influence of Aztec art on modernism in Mexico, North America and Europe also will be a focus of student discussion and research.

    Prerequisites: HART100 and any 200 or 300 level HART course; Art of Mesoamerica and/or Maya Art &Architecture (recommended, not required)

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
    All College Elective
  
  • HART451 Seminar on Chinese Calligraphy and Literati Painting 3 cr.


    In Chinese conception, calligraphy and painting are closely related to poetry. Many literati engage in two or all three of these arts. Theories of calligraphy and painting developed along parallel lines with those of poetry. Treatises on these arts use similar or even identical concepts, terms, and images that are closely related to Chinese concepts on Nature. In 687, Sun Qianli described different scripts of calligraphy are “sometimes heavy like threatening clouds and sometimes light like cicada wings; when the brush moves, water flows from a spring, and when the brush stops, a mountain stands firm.”. Zhao Mengfu (1254 - 1322) claimed that when he paints, “Rocks like Flying White; tree like the Great Seal script; the sketching of bamboos should include the Eight Strokes of calligraphic technique.”. This seminar focuses on the sophisticated written literature and the canonical works of Chinese calligraphy and literati painting. Students will read and discuss important ancient Chinese treatises (in English translation), perform book review on modern scholarships on Chinese calligraphy and painting, and write individual research papers (10-12 pages) and present their papers to the class. This course also includes a hands-on Chinese calligraphy and ink-monochrome painting workshop.

    Prerequisites: HART100 and any 200 or 300 level HART course

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
    All College Elective
  
  • HART455 Cultural Crossings: China and Japan after 1840 3 cr.


    This seminar is a critical examination of the visual cultures created in China and Japan after the events of the Opium War and Matthew Perry encounters. The visual cultural crossing between the West and East and between China and Japan is an important part of the developing inter-civilizations in the global age.

    Prerequisites: HART100 and any 200 or 300 level HART course

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
    All College Elective
  
  • HART481 Topics in Contemporary Art 3 cr.


    An advanced-level research seminar with intensive focus on a topic in contemporary art.

    Prerequisites: HART100 and any 200 or 300 level HART course

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
    All College Elective
  
  • HART484 Seminar: The American Scene, 1930-1950 3 cr.


    American Art of the 1930s and 1940s, including Regionalism, Social Realism, the Federal Art Project and the Mural Movement both in the US and Mexico. Using a variety of perspectives, we will examine art that was labeled as “American Scene,” and will discuss and problematize that very categorization. Through an examination of 1930s politics, Depression-era America, European modernism, cultural nationalism, and racialism, we will investigate the age-old question: “What is American about American Art?” and will look at artists who wanted to create a national art as well as those who resisted such an impulse. Artists include: John Stuart Curry, Grant Wood, Diego Rivera, Aaron Douglas, Charles Burchfield, Reginald Marsh, Jacob Lawrence, Thomas Hart Benton, Stuart Davis, Frida Kahlo, Jose Clemente Orozco, Romare Bearden, Andrew Wyeth, David Alfaro Siquieros, and Edward Hopper. The course will combine discussions with visits to local museums.

    Prerequisites: HART100 and any 200 or 300 level HART course

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
    All College Elective
  
  • HART486 Seminar: Topics in Modern Art 3 cr.


    Photographic technologies and modernism in the 1920s and 30s. During the years between the end of World War 1 and the beginning of World War II, avant-garde groups and modern artists, theorists and critics, eagerly explored the artistic and cultural promises of photography and film for a new vision of art. Their accomplishments and ideas continue to inspire and influence artists in the twenty-first century. In this course we will study European (mostly) and American developments, ranging from Constructivism and the Bauhaus, Brancusi’s use of photography, Surrealism, the Film and Photo League, and the writings of Walter Benjamin and Siegfried Kracauer. Students will write research papers and give presentations on their work to the class.

    Prerequisites: HART100 and any 200 or 300 level HART course

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
    All College Elective
  
  • HART490 The Methodologies of the History of Art 3 cr.


    This seminar explores the different ways of seeing, thinking, and writing about art and the history of art. Topics include: art historical narratives, history of form and style, iconology, psychology and art, biography and autobiography of artists, sociopolitical histories of art, gendered histories of art, semiotics— structuralism and deconstruction, post-colonialism, and museology. Students are exposed to the problems of why art changes over time, the hermeneutic challenge to interpret the meaning of arts of various cultures, and how art historians’ own perspectives shape the narratives of the history of art.

    Prerequisites: HART100 and any 200 or 300 level HART course

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
    All College Elective
  
  • HART491 Seminar: Topics in the History of Art History 3 cr.


    Today there are numerous approaches to the thinking and writing of art history each claiming, or implicitly assuming, greater validity than its rivals. The inquisitive student might very well ask “how did this situation come about?” Further curiosity might lead to the question “what is art history, really?” In this course we will not aim primarily to answer the second, ultimate question, which would entail philosophical approaches to our subject. We will, however, come closer to answering the first question. Our approach to art history will be itself historical. Throughout its history and development art history has been many things; that is, art history’s axioms, or basic assumptions, have varied greatly throughout its history, and the multiple “varieties” of older art history underlie the art histories of the present day. In order to study the history of art history effectively we will read with extreme care examples of art historical writings from the past 125 years in order to penetrate to the level of the writers’ assumptions about what constitutes art historical understanding.

    Prerequisites: HART100 and any 200 or 300 level HART course

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
    Senior Elective
  
  • HART586 Modern and Contemporary Architecture History and Theory 3 cr.


    An in-depth examination of world architecture and urban planning from the beginning of the nineteenth century to the present. Students will become familiar with the major formal and structural systems of world architecture of the last two centuries, and will examine the ways in which politics, economics, patronage and technology, as well as issues relating to sustainability, have influenced the modern and contemporary built world. In addition, students will become conversant in the literature of criticism and theory of the period in question. The format of the course is lecture/discussion, and features a substantial writing component, in which students will be responsible for exam essays, written responses to readings, and a cogent critique of a building and/or urban design.

    Lecture/Seminar
    Graduate Course

Illustration

  
  • CDIL205 Media Techniques 3 cr.


    An introduction to the practical application of a range of Illustration materials with a focus on water-based paint media. Through demonstrations, in-class exercises and comparative assignments, students build technical skills and increase knowledge of color in applied problems.

    Prerequisites: SFDN186

    Hybrid Studio/Critique
    Departmental Requirement
    Fall
  
  • CDIL208 Digital Illustration 3 cr.


    This course explores digital imaging using scanners, drawing tablets, digital cameras, Photoshop and Illustrator for the Macintosh. Concept-driven assignments have strong drawing components.

    Prerequisites: CDIL205

    Hybrid Studio/Critique
    Departmental Requirement
    Fall/Spring
  
  • CDIL211 Human Figure in Illustration 3 cr.


    By drawing the human figure in a variety of situations, students explore basic anatomy. Assignments include use of figure or anatomical drawing in professional practice situations.

    Hybrid Studio/Critique
    Culturally Diverse Content
    Departmental Requirement
    Fall/Spring
  
  • CDIL214 Drawing: Observation to Concept 3 cr.


    The course stresses the process of working with dry media techniques (graphite, pastel, colored pencil. scratchboard) basic drawing skills, and2D principles to render concepts. Visual, metaphors are explored by manipulating the contexts and relationships of objects and figures.

    Prerequisites: SFDN181 and SFDN185

    Critique
    Departmental Elective
    Fall/Spring
  
  • CDIL215 Sophomore Illustration 3 cr.


    An introduction to professional illustration with emphasis on drawing and painting from observation. Assignments will introduce students to a variety of illustration venues including book, editorial, and product illustration while exploring the visual methods of color and composition as precise visual tools.

    Prerequisites: Take 9 credits from CDIL-205, CDIL-20, CDIL-211 CDIL-214,
    CDIL-216

    Hybrid Studio/Critique
    Culturally Diverse Content
    Departmental Requirement
    Spring
  
  • CDIL216 Color for Illustrators 3 cr.


    Color is a powerful aspect of an illustrator’s education. In response to this assertion, this studio course draws upon the understanding of color theory -though the steadfast focus remains on practical application, on tutoring intuition, heightening awareness, and refining skill. Through a practical exploration of theoretical/conceptual issues, students investigate the complexity and interrelatedness of elements of color - its perceptual, emotional/psychological, technical and aesthetic aspects. Students are required to complete a series of studio projects emphasizing the informed intuitive awareness, creative use, and practical application of color as a formal means of visual communication and expression for storytelling.

    Prerequisites: SFDN181 and SFDN185

    Hybrid Studio/Critique
    Culturally Diverse Content
    Departmental Requirement
    Fall/Spring
  
  • CDIL302 Narrative Illustration 3 cr.


    An exploration of the storytelling power of illustration. Emphasis is on the research and drawing skills needed to develop strong characters in sequential imagery. Students work in a variety of media, both traditional and digital. The course also examines historical and emerging trends in the business of children’s books, textbooks, book covers, artists’ books, and graphic novels.

    Prerequisites: CDIL220 or permission of instructor

    Critique
    Culturally Diverse Content
    All College Elective
  
  • CDIL303 Watercolor 3 cr.


    An exploration of watercolor as a medium for illustration. Emphasis is on value, light, and applied color theory, working toward an evocative and personal palette. Work of historical and contemporary illustrators is discussed.

    Prerequisites: CDIL220 or permission of instructor

    Critique
    Departmental Elective
  
  • CDIL304 Advanced Drawing Projects for Illustrators 3 cr.


    The course is a continuing deep investigation into informed drawing. Focus is on drawing as a way of understanding objects, figures, animals, and place in terms of physicality, substance, and subjective response. The practice of drawing is explored as means for research, inspiration, and expression. A series of open-ended topics will be approached individually and idiosyncratically, with the goal of producing a series of rendered essays which inform, reveal, report, and narrate.

    Prerequisites: CDIL210, CDIL209, CDIL211,CDIL220

    Critique
    Departmental Requirement
    Fall
  
  • CDIL305 Word and Image 3 cr.


    Exploration of letterforms as pictures and pictures as symbols. Typography, the language of designers and art directors, is examined by studying the history and development of fonts and letterforms. Progressively challenging assignments use words and text as pictorial elements in illustrations to strengthen and reinforce concepts.

    Prerequisites: CDIL220, CDIL310

    Critique
    Culturally Diverse Content
    Departmental Requirement
    Spring
  
  • CDIL308 Painting for Illustrators 3 cr.


    This studio course explores various techniques using watercolor, gouache, acrylics, oil and mixed media in the development of advanced drawing and painting skills as they apply to illustration. The effective use of color will be a primary consideration in all assignments and exercises. Students work in class on painting and drawing skills through still life, landscape and figure studies.

    Prerequisites: CDIL205 and CDIL220

    Hybrid Studio/Critique
    Departmental Elective
  
  • CDIL309 Digital Painting and Techniques 3 cr.


    This class will use software to apply traditional painting and drawing techniques in a digital format. The students will also have the opportunity to reinforce certain traditional aesthetic values in the creation of a digital painting. Students are encouraged to work as much as possible with their own images and references and to use traditional drawings and utilize found textures. They will be encouraged to use the program to experiment stylistically. This is an advanced course and a basic knowledge of Photoshop and its tools are required.

    Prerequisites: CDIL208

    Critique
    Departmental Elective
  
  • CDIL313 Experimental Illustration Techniques 3 cr.


    In this seminar the class will look at the work of contemporary artists, and figures from the past, who have expanded their visual vocabulary using unexpected materials like chocolate, lead, gunpowder, straw, pills, blood and recycled tires. The class will examine how concept can initiate the exploration of unconventional media and how form can enhance and expand content. In addition to in-class discussions, students will investigate alternative approaches to image creation in their own work via assigned problems and student driven projects.

    Prerequisites: CDIL205 Media Techniques; Open to juniors & seniors

    Critique
    Departmental Elective
  
  • CDIL314 Book Arts 3 cr.


    Students will explore bookbinding techniques for various adhesive and non-adhesive book structures, as well as a range of spine structures: sewn, concertina, leperello, wrapped, stabbed, coptic. Methods for creating the student’s own cover papers will be demonstrated and explored. Students will design and create an illuminated trilogy using three different book structures, and design and build a container to hold these. Illumination media may be simple relief printing, painting, drawing, collage, stenciling, or photography, and incorporated text may be self generated or borrowed prose, poetry, lyrics, or dialog. Graphic design and printmaking majors welcome. Students should be at junior or senior levels.

    Prerequisites: Open to Juniors and Seniors

    Hybrid Studio/Critique
    Culturally Diverse Content
    All College Elective
  
  • CDIL318 Collaborative Projects: Illustration and Graphic Design 3 cr.


    This studio elective course offers juniors and seniors in Illustration and Graphic Design a unique opportunity to work in collaborative teams on a series of project assignments. The course will be team taught by a faculty member from each discipline. All aspects of the creative and production process will be addressed. Students will conceive and execute the design and illustration of three projects (whenever possible, actual professional projects will be assigned) in a variety of graphic forms such as posters, calendars, book covers, editorial spreads, with the goal of producing strong, practical portfolio pieces.

    Prerequisites: critique

    Departmental Elective
  
  • CDIL319 Illustrative Mask-Making 3 cr.


    In this course students will create three-dimensional painted masks as mixed-media solutions to illustration assignments. Projects will focus on 2D and 3D character design, the history of masks in various world cultures, and puppets. Students will experiment with various traditional and non-traditional materials in making a series of masks, simple costuming and puppets, with a strong focus on research, sketching, painting and personal voice.

    Prerequisites: critique

    Departmental Elective
  
  • CDIL326 Junior Illustration 3 cr.


    Prerequisites: CDIL2215

    Departmental Requirement
    Spring
  
  • CDIL327 Technical Illustration 3 cr.


    This course includes an introduction to the laws of linear perspective,–an exploration of how three-dimensional reality is depicted on a two-dimensional surface. Additional course content includes tools of the trade, various techniques for producing technical illustrations, informational art and instructional illustrations in sequential series.

    Prerequisites: CDIL205, CDIL208, CDIL211, CDIL214

    Hybrid Studio/Critique
    Culturally Diverse Content
    Departmental Requirement
    Fall/Spring
  
  • CDIL330 Color for Illustrators 3 cr.


    Color is easily the most powerful and neglected aspect of an illustrator’s education. In response to this assertion, this course is conceived as a studio course for illustrators which draws upon color theory for understanding (though the steadfast focus remains on practical application, on tutoring intuition, heightening awareness, and refining skill). Through a practical exploration of theoretical/conceptual issues, students become aware of the complexity and interrelatedness of elements of color - its perceptual, emotional/psychological, technical and aesthetic aspects. Students complete a series of studio projects emphasizing the informed intuitive awareness, creative use, and practical application of color as a formal means of visual communication and expression - as a means of storytelling.

    Prerequisites: CDIL220 or permission of instructor

    Critique
    Culturally Diverse Content
    Departmental Elective
  
  • CDIL350 Illustration Thesis Project I 3 cr.


    This course is the first of two semesters involving investigation of a topic relevant to illustration and of personal interest to each student. This course demands far reaching scholarly research and extensive comprehensive drawings in preparation for a finished body of work.

    Prerequisites: CDIL205, CDIL208, CDIL211, CDIL214

    Critique
    Culturally Diverse Content
    Departmental Requirement
    Spring
  
  • CDIL392 IL Course Assistantship


  
  • CDIL398 IL Internship


  
  • CDIL399 IL Independent Study


  
  • CDIL400 Professional Freelance Studio 3 cr.


    A course designed for highly motivated students interested in freelance illustration. Assignments, developed in conjunction with publishers, corporations, and small businesses, focus on illustration for publication and the experience of taking an actual commission from concept to completion.

    Prerequisites: Take CDIL-304, CDIL-305, CDIL-326, and CDIL-327

    Critique
    Departmental Elective
  
  • CDIL401 Black and White Illustration 3 cr.


    Students will explore various dry and wet black and white illustration media and techniques, both additive and subtractive, including some experimental printmaking. Course will include working with brush and ink, pen and Ink, gouache and acrylic paint, stipple with technical pen, pencil on toned paper, block prints, monoprints with emphasis on the power of creating dynamic value as a means to communicate ideas. Students will complete a series of assignments designed to showcase each media’s distinctive strengths.

    Prerequisites: CDIL220

    Critique
    Departmental Elective
  
  • CDIL403 Thesis Project I: Research 3 cr.


    The first of two semesters involving investigations of a topic of personal interest to
    each student which is relevant to illustration. This course demands far-reaching scholarly
    research and extensive comprehensive drawings in preparation for a finished body of work.

    Prerequisites: CDIL-304, CDIL-305, CDIL-327 or
    CDIL-210, CDIL-350, CDIL-326 or
    CDIL-310
    Runs concurrenlty with CDIL-404 Co-requisites: CDIL404

    Critique
    Departmental Requirement
    Fall
  
  • CDIL404 Thesis Project II: Imagery 3 cr.


    This course is the second of two semesters in
    which students continue to produce finished
    illustrations/animations and prepare a bound
    graphic summary for the degree project
    exhibitions. (Previoulsy Illustration Thesis
    Project II)

    Prerequisites: CDIL-304, CDIL-305, CDIL-327 or
    CDIL-210, CDIL-350, CDIL-326 or
    CDIL-310
    Runs concurrenlty with CDIL-403 Co-requisites: CDIL403

    Critique
    Culturally Diverse Content
    Departmental Requirement
    Fall
  
  • CDIL419 Senior Illustration 3 cr.


    This course is focused on the development of a body of images geared toward a specific area of
    the illustration marketplace that is of particular interest to each student.

    Prerequisites: CDIL-403 & CDIL-404

    Critique
    Departmental Requirement
    Spring
  
  • CDIL420 Illustration Portfolio 3 cr.


    Development of portfolio material based on the student’s professional focus. Through a series of discussions with the instructor and presentations by illustrators/animators in the field, students develop professional standards and produce finished portfolio pieces.

    Prerequisites: CDIL-403 & CDIL-404

    Critique
    Departmental Requirement
    Spring

Industrial Design

  
  • EDID3X8 Ethnography and Culture 3 cr.


    This course explores methods of observing activities of human interaction within cultural context, and focuses on the applied use of these methods and observation activities to product development. The class looks at user culture within specific identifiable groups to aid in the development of design solutions for the needs of the end user.

    Prerequisites: EDID245, EDID315

    Hybrid Studio/Critique
    Departmental Elective
  
  • EDID205 Drawing for Designers 3 cr.


    The documentation and communication of ideas require fluency with symbolic and illustrative methods; a language. This course develops and refines the basis of this language, the “alphabet and grammar” used to communicate the characteristic of objects and systems. Through the exploration of various media using architectural or industrial design contexts, this language will be applied to objects and systems allowing them to be easily understood and reproduced.

    Hybrid Studio/Critique
    Departmental Elective
    Fall/Spring
  
  • EDID215 Industrial Design Principles 3 cr.


    An introduction to processes used in all areas of design and illustration, this course provides a foundation in the methods of concept, image, and form development. Using initial techniques such as brainstorming, mind-mapping, and researching, ideas are developed for a variety of 2D and 3D solutions to applied projects. Tackling common issues of personal engagement, collaboration, and client interaction, students express a personal voice within the specific parameters of each assigned problem.

    Prerequisites: SFDN186 or transfer credit

    Hybrid Studio/Critique
    Departmental Requirement
    Fall
  
  • EDID216 Introduction to CAD/Solid Modeling for ID 3 cr.


    Course focuses on introducing industrial designers to the basics of solid modeling. Aside from basic software familiarization, concepts for 2D and 3D visualization will be introduced. CAD modeling techniques, plastic design, and design process are also highlighted. The computer is just another tool for the designer to exploit to streamline the design process. Various illustrations of how CAD can be used throughout the design process from creating underlays and final mechanical drawings, to exporting files out for photorealistic renderings in third- party software.

    Hybrid Studio/Critique
    Departmental Elective
  
  • EDID218 Product Rendering 3 cr.


    An in-depth study of several product illustration and presentation styles. Many different drawing and rendering media are used to develop skills in product design presentation.

    Critique
    Departmental Elective
  
  • EDID220 Joinery 3 cr.


    Students will develop and refine craftsmanship and design process in the context of furniture design and the construction of two or more furniture pieces. There will be lectures and student research on the history of furniture design, modern movements and techniques.

    Hybrid Studio/Critique
    Departmental Elective
  
  • EDID224 Conceptual Drawing 3 cr.


    The course stresses the process of working with dry media techniques (graphite, charcoal, pastel, colored pencil, scratchboard), basic drawing skills, and 2D principles to render concepts. Visual metaphors are explored by manipulating the contexts and relationships of objects and figures.

    Hybrid Studio/Critique
    Departmental Elective
  
  • EDID225 Industrial Design Form 3 cr.


    The purpose of this course is to endow students with a vocabulary of form with which to express the function and meaning of their ideas. This will be achieved through the exploration of the objects and object vocabulary, which surround us, and the development of the students’ skills to express ideas visually. The students will be required to develop their communication skills as well as refine their two and three dimensional conceptualization and actualization of projects.

    Hybrid Studio/Critique
    Departmental Requirement
    Fall
  
  • EDID235 Manufacturing Process I 3 cr.


    A materials and manufacturing awareness production course in two parts. Part one includes casting, fabrication, and molding techniques for metals and plastics. Students discuss production techniques, selection and use of modern machine tools, dies, jigs, and fixtures. Part two includes product development documentation (three-view preliminary design layout drawings) for manufacturing processes such as sheet metal, casting, extrusion plastics, injection molding, vacuum form, blow molding, and fiberglass.

    Prerequisites: EDID215, EDID225

    Lecture/Seminar
    Departmental Requirement
    Spring
  
  • EDID245 Human Factors Seminar I - Ergonomics 3 cr.


    Review of current theory and practice in issues related to human/machine interface, ergonomics, universal design, etc. Methods and practice of human factors research applied to the re-definition of a product idea.

    Prerequisites: EDID215

    Hybrid Studio/Critique
    Departmental Requirement
    Spring
  
  • EDID302 Packaging and the P.O.P. 3 cr.


    This course is an examination of 3D packaging design covering branding, graphics and the development of a P.O.P. “point of purchase” display. This studio course focuses on design phases from concept, design development to the three-dimensional actualization of a point of purchase display. The goal of this class is to develop a user-centered consumer experience with product/packaging that creates a memorable experience that resonates with the consumer. Open to Industrial Design, Graphic Design and Architectural Design juniors and seniors.

    Hybrid Studio/Critique
    All College Elective
  
  • EDID314 Rapid Visualization and Perspective 3 cr.


    Course focuses on sketching as the fundamental tool for communication for designers. Students will be required to maintain a sketchbook as well as complete various weekly sketching assignments. Fundamentals of perspective will be introduced and practiced throughout the class. Examples of how rapid viz techniques fit into the design process as a whole will be illustrated.

    Hybrid Studio/Critique
    Departmental Elective
  
  • EDID315 Industrial Design I 3 cr.


    An introduction to the design process and problem solving techniques used in industrial design. The course presents the tasks required for research, preliminary concept sketching, design refinement, presentation, and fabrication possibilities. It also introduces the use of media and drawing techniques and basic scale model-making.

    Prerequisites: EDID235, EDID245

    Hybrid Studio/Critique
    Departmental Requirement
    Fall
  
  • EDID316 Human Factors II - Culture 3 cr.


    This course explores methods of observing activities of human interaction within cultural context, and focuses on the applied use of these methods and observation activities to product development. The class looks at user culture within specific identifiable groups to aid in the development of design solutions for the needs of the end-user.

    Prerequisites: EDID245

    Hybrid Studio/Critique
    Culturally Diverse Content
    Departmental Elective
  
  • EDID318 Branding - Product 3 cr.


    This course examines issues around industrial design in brand development, through applied problems. There is a focus on the relationship of telling compelling stories to connecting a brand with people.

    Prerequisites: EDID245, EDID315

    Hybrid Studio/Critique
    Departmental Elective
  
  • EDID325 Manufacturing Process II 3 cr.


    An investigation of specific problems in the manufacturing development of a product. The course uses a detailed case study of a new product from its inception to its completion. Topics include cost analysis and research into the technical problems of competitive manufacturing and marketing.

    Prerequisites: EDID235

    Hybrid Studio/Critique
    Departmental Requirement
    Fall
  
  • EDID335 CAID Surface Modeling 3 cr.


    This course will explore the use of 3D surface-modeling programs as visual communication; design exploration and production tools within the industry to communicate design intent with clients, modelers, engineering departments, and manufacturers.

    Prerequisites: EDID225, EDID215

    Hybrid Studio/Critique
    Departmental Elective
    Fall
  
  • EDID345 Industrial Design II 3 cr.


    Integration of creative concepts with the development of visual communication skills, such as rendering and model-making.

    Prerequisites: EDID315

    Hybrid Studio/Critique
    Departmental Requirement
    Spring
  
  • EDID355 Portfolio and Presentation 3 cr.


    Directing of students through the process of developing a professional portfolio. Basic elements of Illustrator, Photoshop, PowerPoint, Acrobat, web-based. Students required to present complete portfolio piece at reviews.

    Prerequisites: EDID315

    Hybrid Studio/Critique
    Departmental Requirement
    Spring
  
  • EDID365 Product Development Laboratory 3 cr.


    Explores the process of bringing a product to fruition with special emphasis on the role of the industrial designer in new product development. The course will deal with the design and development of real products. Students work with local manufacturers and their product development groups.

    Prerequisites: EDID215, EDID225, EDID235, EDID315

    Hybrid Studio/Critique
    Departmental Requirement
    Fall/Spring
  
  • EDID392 ID Course Assistantship


  
  • EDID398 ID Internship


  
  • EDID399 ID Independent Study


  
  • EDID401 Multidisciplinary Entrepreneurship Lab 3 cr.


    This class puts students into multidisciplinary design teams with students from the School of Technological Entrepreneurship at Northeastern University. The students work on collaborative projects through the development of product innovation as applied to design and manufacturing.

    Hybrid Studio/Critique
    Departmental Elective
  
  • EDID415 Industrial Design III 3 cr.


    Design projects developed in full four-phase programs: Analysis and Conceptual Refinement;Final Design and Documentations; Model and Presentation.

    Prerequisites: EDID310

    Studio
    Departmental Requirement
    Fall
  
  • EDID425 Degree Project I - Research 3 cr.


    A student selected and faculty approved project of significance.

    Prerequisites: EDID345

    Critique
    Culturally Diverse Content
    Departmental Requirement
    Fall
  
  • EDID435 Degree Project II- Development 3 cr.


    A student selected and faculty approved project of significance.

    Prerequisites: EDID425

    Hybrid Studio/Critique
    Departmental Requirement
    Spring

Liberal Arts: Freshman Seminar

  
  • FRSM100 Freshman Seminar 3 cr.


    A reading-intensive introduction to the history of art or liberal arts, emphasizing critical reading and thinking. In some cases, may include a research paper or other assignments in critical writing.

    Lecture/Seminar
    All College Required
    Fall/Spring

Liberal Arts: Literature, Writing, and Film

  
  • LALW100 Written Communication 3 cr.


    An introduction to essay writing. Six to eight writing assignments concentrate on the expository and critical essay and may include some subjective writing and a research paper. Students also read and discuss outstanding pieces of prose, poetry, and fiction. All college required.

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
    All College Required
    Fall/Spring
  
  • LALW200 Literary Traditions 3 cr.


    An exploration of the sources of culture through a survey of some of the literary masterpieces, from the ancient world to the nineteenth century.

    Prerequisites: LALW100; FRSM100 (Freshman Seminar

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
    All College Required
    Fall/Spring
  
  • LALW201 Men, Women, and the Myth of Masculinity 3 cr.


    The course examines the idea of masculinity and how it is portrayed in literature from ancient times to the twenty-first century. In addition to studying traditional views of manhood, we will also look at men’s attitudes towards women, since “masculinity” is usually defined in opposition to “femininity.” There will be many opportunities to discuss perceptions of what it means to be a man or a woman, and to explore the elusive concept of gender identity. The syllabus will include works by Shakespeare, Ovid, Ibsen, and Hemingway, among others. We will also watch and listen to selected films and operas.

    Prerequisites: LALW200

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
    All College Elective
  
  • LALW203 Film Viewing and Criticism 3 cr.


    A critical study of the expressive elements of film. Class meetings consist of film viewing, evaluations, and discussions. Students frequently write critical papers.

    Prerequisites: LALW200

    Lecture/Seminar
    Culturally Diverse Content
    All College Elective
 

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