Art History in Focus II

3 credits · Undergraduate

(3 hrs Lecture/Seminar) This course offers students the opportunity for intensive study of a single artist's work or artistic movement on whose work there is a significant body of art historical writing and criticism. Each time the course is offered the name of the artist or movement in focus will be listed in the Timetable. HIST-3828 (3 or 6) Dada & Surrealism: Art of the Unconscious (3 hrs Lecture/Seminar) This course examines the art and ideology of the Dada and Surrealist movements in the twentieth century. Dada and Surrealist artists rejected Enlightenment values, which they felt had led to World War l, and instead celebrated the irrational side of mind. Dada artists experimented with elements of chance in order to devalue the role of the artist, and the Surrealists explored the unconscious mind using automatic drawing techniques and dream inspired imagery. These movements were interdisciplinary, and in that spirit we examine art, literature, performances and films. Emphasis is also given to the role women played in these movements. Restrictions: May not hold credit in this course and HIST-3813 if the topic was Dada and Surrealism.