Syllabus

Art and Women Spring 2016

Tuesdays 2:30 - 5:20pm Bradley Hall 312

Department of Arts, Culture and Media – Rutgers University

Professor Doris Caçoilo

Office hours by appointment

doris.cacoilo@rutgers.edu

  

COURSE DESCRIPTION

In this course students will be introduced to key issues and theoretical approaches in the study of women and art. The course will provide a historical overview of artworks created by women across the globe from the classical world to the present, with an emphasis on those from the 20^th century. It begins with the examination of the socio-cultural conditions in which women artists have often been excluded or marginalized in art history and later emphasizes how issues of gender have been encoded in art practice, exhibition and collection.  

The course will use a historic context of feminist art and media studies to interpret and analyze contemporary art and media examples. Students will read across various fields to interpret and critique images in art and media to explore women’s role and perception, women as audience and the importance of women as art makers.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Students will be able to identify major women artists, their works, and their stylistic characteristics in different periods. Students will develop the ability to create thoughtful and engaging projects and writing assignments. In addition to a rigorous reading schedule students are required to write various projects for the class blog and sustain continued research and writing throughout the course in addition to the scheduled projects.  Students will understand the socio-cultural conditions in which women artists of different periods and areas have worked

Students are expected to use theory, criticism and philosophy to understand art and art history. Feedback from classmates is a valuable resource for the improvement of student writing and work. Critiques and discussions allow us to share our projects and analysis of the readings with others and express our intentions and interpretations. Class participation is essential and mandatory.

Class sessions will be divided into presentations and class discussion of the readings. Presentations will address both theoretical and analytical issues related to women and art. Students are responsible to be prepared for class, read all assignments on time and post all writing and projects to the blog, paying attention to technical and aesthetic presentation as well as thoughtful and well-developed content. All work must be handed in on time.

REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS:   Whitney Chadwick, Women, Art, and Society, 4th edition, (New York: Thames and Hudson), 2007. (earlier edition ok: available at bookstore)

          

The Guerrilla Girls, The Guerrilla Girls’ Bedside Companion to the History of Western Art (New York, Penguin Books, 1998)

READINGS Various weekly reading assignments will be assigned from the required texts, linked on the blog, posted for download or passed out in print in class. The reading schedule will be distributed on the blog. Readings are due each week.

CLASS PARTICIPATION For each reading you must prepare two questions and two quotes or passages from the readings for class discussion. Several students will be called on in each discussion and you must have these prepared for each reading. 

BLOG You must consult the class blog daily to check for announcements, readings and to post your assignments. The blog is crucial to the course and completion of the requirements. You MUST have access to the blog to complete assignments, readings, post work and comment on students’ posts. 

TWITTER You must create a twitter account (if you do not have one already) we will share links and comments with each other using the class hashtag #artandwomen

REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPLETION OF THE COURSE 

Four writing assignments published to the blog as well as a two-part semester project will be developed during the semester. Students must also complete all readings and participate in class discussions. Students must complete all assignments thoroughly and on time. 

ATTENDANCE

Attendance is required. Attendance is taken at the beginning of each class, and will be considered when determining the final course grade. Absences affect your participation grade. More than four (4) absences will result in an 'F' (failure) for the class. No exceptions. Class begins on time, so you must be punctual. Lateness, leaving early or leaving class unexcused for an extended period of time will also be recorded. Two of these instances will count as one absence. You must bring documentation to class and hand in to me for any absences to be excused. 

You are required to make up any and all work that is missed if you are absent. Notify the professor if you will be absent. As work will not be accepted late, please contact the professor to hand in work on time! NOTE: BACK-UP your work frequently, even as you are working on the projects. Write and edit your posts locally before uploading them to the web. No excuses!

GRADE POLICY

All assignments must be finished and handed in on time to receive a passing grade for this course.

20% 4 blog posts 

40% 2 in-class exams 

20% semester project 

10% group presentation

10% attendance/participation (Contributions to class discussion, on the class blog + attendance) 

The Rutgers Writing Center, located on the first floor of Bradley Hall, can provide very useful guidance, including writing tutors. It is highly recommended that every one visit the center as they are developing their essay. To encourage this visit, extra points will be given to those who provide documentation of their work with the center. The Center's online address http://www.andromeda.rutgers.edu/~nwc/index.html

Plagiarism Plagiarism is a very serious academic offense which will result in penalties ranging from reduction of class grade to failure in the course. Plagiarism occurs when the ideas, images, and words, published or unpublished, of others are presented as one's own without citing the original source. Plagiarism also occurs when the papers, research, or creative works of another person are presented as one's own work. “The sources from which one derives one’s ideas, statements, terms, and data must be fully and specifically acknowledged in the appropriate form; failure to do so, intentionally or unintentionally, constitutes plagiarism. Violations of academic integrity may result in failure in the course and in disciplinary actions with penalties such as suspension or dismissal from the College” (1999-2000 Undergraduate Catalog, p. 43). For the University's policy on plagiarism please read the Rutgers-Newark Student Handbook, PAGE 189, available on-line at: http://academicintegrity.rutgers.edu/integrity.shtml

SCHEDULE

******PLEASE NOTE THAT THE FOLLOWING SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AND I WILL INFORM YOU OF SPECIFICS AND CHANGES PERTAINING TO THIS SCHEDULE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE if you ever have questions or concerns about the schedule, due dates, changes or anything else please check the blog and e-mail me.

***Readings from required texts are found below. Additional readings for each class will be found on the blog. It is the student’s responsibility to check the blog for additional readings.

Week 1: 1/19 T – Introduction and discussion. Set up students on the class blog.

Week 2: 1/26 T – Classical World/The male gaze Discussion session. Readings Due. Guerrilla Girls, pg.7-17 and two pdfs available ON BLACKBOARD. Please check immediately to make sure you can access these readings.

MINI POST due on the blog

Week 3: 2/2 T – The Middle Ages and Renaissance Discussion session. Readings Due: Chadwick, Ch. 1, 2 + 3  Guerrilla Girls pg.19-37 

Group 1 presents

Week 4: 2/9 T – 17^th and 18^th Century Europe Discussion session. Readings Due: Chadwick, Ch. 4 + 5 pg.115-174, Guerrilla Girls pg.39-45 

Group 2 presents

POST 1 due

Week 5: 2/16 T – 19^th Century Victorian England and American Craft, Painting, and Sculpture Discussion session. Readings Due: Chadwick Ch.6 pg.175-204, Ch.7 pg.205-227 and Guerrilla Girls pg.47-57 

Group 3 presents

Topic due for Semester Project

Week 6: 2/23 T – Impressionism Discussion session. Readings Due: Chadwick, Ch.8 pg.228-250 

Group 4 presents

Week 7: 3/1 T – EXAM 1

Week 8: 3/8 T – Early 20^th Century Modernism and Abstraction, German Expressionism, Dada and Surrealism Discussion session. Readings Due: Chadwick, Ch. 9 + 10 pg.252-315, Guerrilla Girls pg.59-79 

Group 5 presents

Proposal due for Semester Project

Week 9: 3/15 T – NO CLASS - SPRING BREAK

Week 10: 3/22 T – Gender, Race and Modernism after World War II - Abstract Expressionism, Minimalism and Politics of Race Discussion session. Readings Due: Chadwick Ch.11 pg.316-354 and Ch.14 pg.423-466, Guerrilla Girls pg.80-88 

Group 6 presents 

Post 2 due 

Week 11: 3/29 T – Feminist and Performance Art Discussion session. Readings Due. Chadwick, Ch.12 +13, pg.355-422 , Guerrilla Girls pg.89-91 

Group 7 presents

Friday 4/1
++++TRIP TO BROOKLYN MUSEUM++++
We will meet at the museum. Details to be finalized here and in class before 4/1.

Week 12: 4/5 T – Postmodernism Discussion session. Readings Due: Chadwick, Ch.13 

pg. 378-422 

Group 8 presents

Post 3 due (final post due if you are unable to join us for the trip to the museum or as extra credit in addition to the trip)
Draft Bibliography/Resource List due for Semester Project

Week 13: 4/12 T- Women Artists Today Discussion session. Readings Due: Chadwick Ch.15  

pg.467-495

**Work on your semester projects!

Week 14: 4/19 T – SEMESTER PROJECT PRESENTATIONS – all projects posted to the blog!

Week 15: 4/26 T – SEMESTER PROJECT PRESENTATIONS + Review for EXAM 2

FINAL

5/3 T– Reading Day No Classes 

5/10 T – EXAM 2   3:00 – 6:00pm***to be confirmed

ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTIONS

*Two pop quizzes 

Students must be prepared for two possible quizzes of class readings and discussions (short answer, slide identifications and essays.)

*Posts 1-4

Students must develop researched responses to readings and discussions in class. Each post will be specific to the topics covered in class at that time and will be explained during class. Students are responsible to write and edit these posts as well as illustrate them and successfully post them to the blog for discussion and critique in class. 

*Group presentation 

Create a presentation that is inspired by the readings for that day. You can choose to focus on one particular theme, reading or theory or give a general overview of themes covered. Presentations should be organized, clear and engaging and should include a visual component in addition to an exciting interactive presentation. All students in the group must participate. These should be 7-10 minutes. Students can show images and videos, plan skits, interactions with the audience and collaborative performance. All students in the group must participate. The presentations should spur discussion within the classroom. Presentations should end with a question or questions posed to the class. MAKE IT AWESOME! Presentation summaries must be posted to the blog before the presentation. Every student will present once throughout the semester. 

*Semester Project 

Based on the discussions and projects presented in class and on the blog please create a short piece of writing or other media which focuses on art, art history and a social issue. Frame the issue to specifically address how this affects the lives of women.  Address how the work/the artist(s) is(are) instrumental in solving or raising awareness about this issue. You can choose to focus on a specific artist whose work is socially engaged or addresses socio-economic or political issues, an art movement or another creative approach to raising awareness through the publication of information or creative expression.

The assignment can take many forms: Essay with embedded images. Video: music, documentary, performance, Research paper, Researched article or extensive slideshow with captions or narration (think NYTimes), Workshop or other outreach curriculum, Magazine/Zine, Podcast, Interactive Web Project/Site.

*You must create a post on the blog for your final project. This will include a link to your project, a summary and explanation, images and or videos. You will present using/linked from your post on the blog. ALL projects must be posted to the class blog and resource lists and summaries printed and handed in to me. Projects in print such as: papers, zines etc must be physically handed in to me. I have invited guests to attend our final presentations.