UMUC-Europe Syllabus

An overview of painting, sculpture, architecture, and the decorative arts in North America after 1876. Students may receive credit for only one of the following courses: ARTH 361, ARTH 460, or ARTH 477.

Course Goals/Objectives:

Upon completion of the course, students should be able to: * discuss the cultural, political and social climate in which American art is born and explain how these conditions are reflected in the artworks of the time. * discuss unique aspects of American art before the experiments underway in Europe impact on it. * discuss the significance of the European contribution to include the way in which the influence of Impressionism, Expressionism, Cubism, Surrealism, etc. is suggested in the experiments in art underway in the USA. * discuss the role the Great Depression plays in the development of American art and artists. * discuss the significance of World War Two in the evolution of modern art. * discuss the role of art and the artist in modern society.

Course Introduction:

The history of American art is one of revolt and conflict. It is the story of American artists and their attempt to break free from European models and at the same time join the mainstream of the modern experiment in art that is underway. We will trace the evolution of art in America within the context of social, historical and intellectual influences/events. For example the Armory Show of 1913 in New York City, which introduced the American public to modern art and the Great Depressions /WPA projects that provided the support necessary for American painters to develop. We will also explore the impact of WW II and the arrival European artists in the USA .It is a result of the exodus that sets the stage for New York to replace Paris as the center for art. The New York School produced the first American painters to make an impact internationally. We will examine the methods, stylistic developments and the breakthrough for artist triggered by the experiments of Jackson Pollock and other members of the New York School. We will also explore the newest movements underway in American painting and sculpture to include works by Andy Warhol, Claus Oldenberg, Jean Michel Basquiat,etc.

Grading Information and Criteria:

20 % Participation/Discussion in a Group format: Each student is expected to participate and interact with the other students throughout this course quality input is expected. 30% Midterm to be proctored at your Education Center Week 8 October 25-29,044 30% FINAL to be ONLINE. 10 % Paper 5-10 pages. Topic to be assigned at Midterm 10% Journal experiments .

Other Information:

Websites will be used extensively Journal. Each student will keep a Journal in which they record the results of exercises designed to provide hands on experience with concepts we will be exploring. For examples concepts about color, process, multiple views, fixed views, time/change, etc. The work you create in your Journal will be for your eyes only. However, your experiences exploring these concepts will be incorporated into our discussion format.

Project Descriptions:

Assignments will be coordinated with material from the text and various web sites. Cyber lectures will supplement the text and web site material. Study questions will accompany the lectures.

Academic Policies:

Cases of plagiarism are handled consistent with current UMUC guidelines. See the UMUC policies at the following URL: http://www.umuc.edu/policy/

Course Schedule:

1/2 The Promised Land. Introduction. Getting acquainted with Web Tycho and each other. Background material, the setting. What is unique about Americans and American art in the 19th century. 3/4 The Gilded Age. American art after the Civil War. The impact of the war and technology. 5/6 A Wave from the Atlantic. The impact of the arrival of hordes of immigrants. America's multi-cultural character is formed. The Armory Show. How these events impact on American art. 7. REVIEW 8, MIDTERM : to be proctored at your Education Center. 25-29 OCTOBER. 9/10 Streamlines and Breadlines. The Great Depression: incubator for American artists. The skyscraper replaces the myth of the frontier. Expansion upward. A land grab in the sky? 11. The Empire of Signs. Post World War Two. America emerges as a super power. In the 1950's American art comes of age. New York becomes the center of the art world. The New York School/Abstract Expressionism-Rauschenberg and Johns, Pop Art, etc. 12. The Age of Anxiety. American art in the late 20th century. The nightmare of Vietnam. The current state of American art. Speculation about the future of art. 13. Summary and Review 14 FINAL: Online.