Theories of Modern Art and Architecture

3 units

This intensive reading, research, and writing seminar will present theories of art and architecture from the 19th to the 21st century in their historical contexts through a set of in-depth investigations of selected topics. Some knowledge of history and theory is integral to contemporary understandings of the disciplines of art, art history, and architecture. To foster a historical understanding of theories of modern art and architecture, we will discuss a selection of key texts, divided into three sections: theoretical sources of modern art and architectural history in the 19th century; theories of modernism, from the formalist ot the Marxist; postmodern critiques of modernism, in such areas as feminist theory and poststructuralism. The legacy of modernism is deep, broad, and ongoing, as evidenced by the local example of the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts in St. Louis. Such expressions of a modernist outlook are still vital today, while continuously changing environmental, social and technological challenges demand a better understanding of the history and theory of modern art and architecture. Class visits to Sullivan and Adler's Wainwright Building (1890-91), Eero Saarinen's Arch at the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (completed 1964), Tadao Ando's Pulitzer Foundation (2001), and Fumihiko Maki's Kemper Museum of Art (2006) will be integral to the work of the course.