Welcome

Welcome to Art411 Art Theory & Practice.

What is "art"? Who is an artist? What does an artist do?

This class is for senior studio art students. The goal of this class is to answer the question "What do I do with an art degree once I graduate from college". It is an interactive seminar where you are expected to ask questions and research answers and participate in art creation, dissemination and critique.

Our semester involves:

As a student who is about to graduate from art school, what questions do you have about making art and working as an artist after college?

From this summer

1) write down any and all questions you have about the coming year and the future. For example you may want to know what kind of jobs are available to you after graduation or you might have questions about the senior show. Any question is valid. You may want to think about what worries or concerns you about the next couple of years and make questions based on that. We even cover tips for surviving life after college.

2) make a list of ideas for your senior show. You should have a least 30 by the first day of class. This equals two ideas a day starting next monday.

Instructions:

a) First think about the questions below before you start generating ideas for your show.

- Consider the things your attracted to and ask your self why. What makes you like one aesthetic over another? Why are you attracted to some visuals and not others? 

- What colors are you attracted to? What colors are predominate in your closet if any? 

- What are your favorite things? Why? How does the aesthetic effect your experience?

- What do you care about, what is important to you? ( this could be as simple an answer as "my dog", or it could be grander on a social/political level like transgender rights or bringing awareness to the homeless problem) 

- Do you have a favorite place, person or event? What is it about that place, person, or event, that you respond emotionally to? Do you want to share that with others? Is there an aesthetic connected to that place, person or event?

- What is you favorite time of day? Why?

- Where did you grow up? What did it look like there? Rural area? Big City? Poor or Wealthy? What are you visually attracted to or repulsed by?

b) once a day give yourself no more then 2 min to generate two ideas. Each idea should contain the following info about the artwork: 

- the medium(s) - paint, wood, photography, design, glass, ceramic.....

- subject matter - people, places, things...... (there can be more then one)

- abstract or realistic application to the medium and subject matter

These do not need to be great ideas. In fact they will probably be pretty loose ideas which is the point!

Having to come up with one great idea is mind crushing and the first idea is rarely the best. Quickly generating many ideas releases you from overthinking and gives your mind freedom to explore. I know many of you have ideas already and that is great. Put them on your list first, but then continue to challenge yourself to generate other ideas considering the questions above as guidance. If at the end your first idea is still your favorite, then it will have proven itself. You should all be aware that senior thesis projects are reviewed and approved by the art faculty so we are far from a finished idea at this point in time.