SFAS

The dead end is the thing you're dealing with?

2012-02-13T06:56:00.000-08:00

Jacqueline Humphries: "It soon became obvious to me that that [abstraction] was as much a dead end as figuration." Cecily Brown: "Part of the deal of being a painter now is that the dead end is yet another thing you're dealing with, you know?" Cecily Brown interviews Jacqueline Humphries, Bomb magazine, spring 2009.

For decades people have been saying abstract art is at a dead end, "playing out moves that were long ago exhausted." Some argue that abstraction over the past generation has all been about finding ways out of dead ends. Is this true? Consider the quotations here:

"One of their shared beliefs [in the 1930s] was that pure abstraction was a dead end." Calvin Tomkins "Off the Wall: A Portrait of Robert Rauschenberg" 1980.

"Total blackness triumphed a year later [in 1956]. The gleaming surface of 'Black T' done on wood in tar, oil and pumice stone signals the beginning of the end of [Alberto] Burri’s strictly abstract phase. It is as if the painter sensed that this was a dead end. In one more abrupt about turn, the artist switched to different means to express destruction and deprivation." Souren Melikian "The Painter Alberto Burri's Mad Rush to Destruction" The New York Times, Jan. 20, 2012.

"That’s what we inherited. A cul-de-sac. Rothko closed the bloody door. We had to start reinventing art." Abstract artist John Hoyland in "Damien Hirst interview for The Blue Paintings at the Wallace Collection" The Telegraph, Oct. 13, 2009. [Pictured above: "No. 61 (Rust and Blue)" by Mark Rothko 1951.]

By the 1960s "Artists still painted, but no one was quite sure why. If art was still capable of showing us the world afresh, few people expected this to be achieved in the medium of paint. Avant-garde painting had retreated into the cul de sac of abstraction, and then finally caved into the camera-inspired, commerce-derived seductions of pop art." Sebastian Smee "Photography in Motion," Prospect magazine, Sept. 21, 2011.

"Through his interest in contemporary art, [Jeff] Wall awoke to the possibilities of photography — realizing, like many other young artists, that photography offered a way out of the cul-de-sac in which painting had lost itself. The Modernist credo that the artist must not indulge in illusionism but should instead call attention to his bag of tricks — which for a painter included the support of the canvas, the surface of the paint and the two-dimensional flatness of the image — had led to the monochrome paintings of Minimalism. 'I had done monochromes to the point where I was painting on the walls with transparent varnish,' Wall recalls. 'Some would have a little bit of gold in them, so it would glitter in the sunlight. There was a clear surface of shiny nothing. There was no place you could go beyond that.' The only plausible next step — and this is where the art world had moved — was to renounce the physicality of art entirely in favor of conceptualism." Arthur Lublow "The Luminist," The New York Times Magazine, Feb. 25, 2007.

"Abstract painting, especially of the intuitive kind practiced by [Victoria] Morton, is a precarious endeavor today, as perhaps it always was. There is so much of it out there. But most of it feels stuck, as its earliest detractors warned it would be, in one cul-de-sac or another - narcissist self-expression, decoration, minimalism, mechanical referencing of the past - playing out moves that were long ago exhausted." Sebastian Smee "Victoria Morton presents inaugural show in Gardner’s new wing" Boston Globe, Jan. 20, 2012.

Visiting Artist Rhoda Rosenberg Next Wednesday

2012-02-08T13:07:00.000-08:00

Rhoda Rosenberg , Dad's Apron

Wednesday, February 15, 2012, 11:30a

Rhoda Rosenberg - Public Artist Talk

Master Printer and Montserrat faculty member, Rosenberg's recent work exhibits an intimate understanding of the power of objects, and her ability to eloquently express relationships with and through memory.

2012-01-31T14:31:00.000-08:00

Joelle Dietrick and Natale Lanese visit Seminar tomorrow, See this link:
http://www.montserrat.edu/galleries/public-programs/index.php?featured_id=207

Spring 2012 Revised Syllabus

2012-01-20T06:03:00.001-08:00

Senior Fine Arts Seminar

FAS 400

Ethan Berry Seminar Coordinator

Caroline Bagenal, Greg Cook, Discussion Instructors

Spring 2012

Course Description:

A significant program of studio and critical work for students concentrating in fine arts, painting, printmaking, sculpture, and photography, this course is intended to help develop the students' maturity and independence as artists. The course includes several aspects:

(1) The students will prepare a substantial body of work under the guidance of the seminar coordinator and their chosen faculty advisor, a representative part of which will be presented to the public in a small group show and at the graduation exhibition.

(2) The student will participate in two seminar meetings each week. The studio meeting will focus on the student's independent work and will be supplemented by group critiques and critiques by visiting artists. The discussion meeting will be devoted to the discussion of weekly readings encompassing a range of critical perspectives on modern and contemporary art. Group meetings will focus on art-world issues and practices.

(3) A designated faculty committee will meet with the student twice each semester to critique the student's work and review his or her progress.

(4) The student and faculty advisor will meet weekly in order to discuss

the independent studio work in which the student is engaged.

(5) The student is required to take advantage of at least ONE individual critique

with a visiting artist.

Senior Seminar I, 6 credits; Senior Seminar II, 6 credits, to be awarded by the instructors.

Course Objectives:

The ability honestly and accurately to evaluate one's work and its place in the culture is nearly as essential as passion and hard work in the studio. Context contributes to content, and therefore an artist must be aware of the contemporary critical dialogue — in order to interpret it as well as to challenge it. Through exposure to various points of view the student will have the opportunity to establish a personal critical perspective. The development of intellectual and evaluative skills is not an end in itself; rather, the objective is to use those skills in the service of the student's continuing growth as a visual artist.

Course Format — Studio Component:

Each section of the FAS will meet with a Studio Instructor once a week.

These meetings will be devoted to a discussion of the work being created in the senior studios and critiques of student works led by the students. The instructor will meet with individuals in their studios, and the remainder of the class time will be used by the students to work in their studios or participate in student-led group critiques.

Senior reviews occur twice during the semester and are essential to the format of FAS. All seniors must be prepared to participate in their reviews on the scheduled date.

Students will be asked to write an artist's statement prior to each of the senior reviews. The purpose of the statement is to help the students organize and clarify the issues that are relevant to them at the time of the reviews.

Course Format — Discussion Component:

Each section of the FAS will meet with the Discussion instructor once a week.

Weekly reading assignments will be drawn from a variety of journals and articles. The readings will be photocopied and handed out in class.

All students are required to participate in class discussions. In addition, weekly written responses to the readings will be required.

Two major assignments will also be required. The first assignment will be medium-length paper, and the second assignment is an individual presentation. Specific paper and presentation instructions will be handed out during the semester. The assignments will count toward the grade for the discussion component of the seminar as follows: papers and presentation 60% (30% each); responses to weekly readings and participation in class discussions 40%. Important note: Papers must be turned in on the due date for your section. Late papers will be graded down, and any paper not received within one week of the due date will automatically receive a failing grade. It is the responsibility of the student to discuss with the instructor any extenuating circumstances affecting their ability to meet deadlines.

Course Format — Visiting Artists and Group Meetings:

There will be three Visiting Artist lectures each semester that students will be required to attend. These may be scheduled during the lunch hour (11:30-12:30) or the visiting Artist may present during senior seminar class time. After the lectures the visiting artist may meet with senior seminar students for a general discussion or for critiques of student work.

Additional Meetings Assignments:

Senior Seminar students should make every effort to go on the one-day New York City trip that is held each semester. We may also arrange some visits to Boston-area museums and galleries. Students who are absolutely unable to participate in field trips because of scheduling difficulties should go to the exhibitions on their own. Students should check with Student Services office to check on the schedule of school sponsored “First Friday” trips to Boston Galleries.

Portfolio Review- Graduating seniors prepare a digital portfolio of their work for an in- person presentation to a portfolio review panel at the end of the semester.

Other writing assignments- One Hundred Fifty Words – Based on interviews and viewings, students will write a brief description of another senior’s work.

Criteria For Credit

FAS 400 is a 6-credit course.

Credit for the FAS will be awarded by the seminar coordinator in consultation with the discussion instructors, acting on an equal basis. Students must pass both the studio AND discussion components in order to pass the course as a whole, and the final grade will be based on the student's combined performance.

Among the factors that will be considered are:

1. Independent Studio — The minimum requirement for the studio component will be the development each semester of a significant body of work as determined by the studio instructor in consultation with the review panel. All work shown to the review panel must be from the FAS studio or identified as supporting material. Absence from a review may result in an incomplete or no credit. Students are required to work a minimum of 15 hours each week outside of scheduled class meetings developing FAS studio course work.

2. Discussion Component — Students are required to complete all reading and writing assignments on time. The weekly discussions are a significant part of the FAS and it is not possible to participate in them without knowledge of the reading assignments. The students will be evaluated on the basis of their written work and their participation in class discussions based on the readings. Students must complete all the papers and presentations in order to receive credit for the course.

3. Senior Thesis Shows — Students who are completing their second semester of the FAS are required to exhibit work in a thesis exhibition. The work exhibited in the thesis exhibition serves both to demonstrate the student’s artistic achievements and to demonstrate two successful semesters in FAS.

4. Attendance — Students are required to be on time for all classes. Frequent absences or tardiness may result in a lower grade or no credit.

SENIOR FINE ART SEMINAR SPRING 2012

2012-01-20T06:01:00.000-08:00

This blog is a resource for students in the Senior Fine Arts Seminar. Assignments, links and reminders will be posted here to keep you informed about the seminar. Visit this site to learn about deadlines, visiting artist events, or upcoming reviews. You can also navigate to a number of other blogs and links through this blog.

SFAS reminders

2011-11-28T10:37:00.000-08:00

Montserrat College of Art

Senior Fine Arts Seminar

Tips for the second set of reviews; Fall 2011

Regarding your statements;

Artist statement do’s

Be descriptive.

Explain your terms. (ie. What does “it mean when something “works”?)

Explain your line of inquiry. What are you seeking to accomplish?

Tell us what you are sure of.

Tell us what you are not sure of.

Be honest about your uncertainty.

Put your work/ideas in context.

Have someone read it for clarity.

Tell us what is next.

Artist Statement Don’ts

Try to avoid making broad generalizations.

Don’t presume that the panel already knows what you make.

Don’t interpret your own work.

Avoid theorizing.

Avoid jargon (see explain your terms).

In the review

Think about the things you would like some advice on. Like the choices you have made about presentation or the decisions about scale, color or materials.

The review is not a free for all. You can direct the discussion if it goes in a direction that is not relevant to your aims.

Speak about what really matters in your work. Not what you think we would want to see.

Have someone take notes.

You don’t have to respond to every comment.

Listen for questions, answer them as best you can.

Visiting Artist Paul Turano Nov. 16

2011-11-15T18:52:00.000-08:00

Artist Statement:
I use film and video as poetic tools for exploring the human condition, incorporating subjects as close as my back porch and as far away as the planet Mars. Often I employ autobiography, essay forms, and subjective reportage as strategies for examining the larger issues that both intrigue and challenge me.

Greg: Sex, lies and videotape

2011-11-06T10:11:00.000-08:00

“Oops” (2000) from margherite on Vimeo.

"I wanted to put them in a situation where they were really in over their heads or out of their depth or just where they felt uncomfortable and didn’t know how to deal with what was happening."—Laurel Nakadate

For Greg's class on Nov. 14, we will read and discuss:
= Laurel Nakadate interviewed by Scott Indrisek for The Believer, October, 2006. Nakadate's exhibit "Say You Love Me" is on view at Harvard's Carpenter Center from Nov. 17 to Dec. 22. She speaks at Harvard at 6 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 17.

Some questions to consider: What is Nakadate's work about? Are her methods dangerous? Are her methods exploitive? Are her methods fair? What does her art say about men? What does it say about women? What does it say about the relationships between men and women? What does her work say about age, about young and old? What does her work say about sex? What does her work say about loneliness and isolation? What does her work say about privacy and secrets? Is her work feminist? Is she a stalker? Why is her art "uncomfortable"? Is this a good thing? What is Nakadate talking about when she says she was "going out into the world and discovering little tragedies"? What is the morality of her art? Do you agree with her when she says, "I think my work is optimistic—as much as it is pathetic and funny and sad and ridiculous, at the end of the day it’s about the hope that something will go right, and the constant wishing for a world where things might start to make sense"?

Caroline's readings

2011-11-04T13:13:00.000-07:00

Caroline's readings for Mon Nov 7th Group A

Foucault, Michel, Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. Part 3, chapter 3; Panopticism.Vintage; 2nd Edition edition, 1995
Berger, John, Ways of Seeing, Chapter 3, Published by the BBC and Penguin Books, 1972
Hoffmann, Irene, Dorit Cypis, from Girl's Night Out, Orange County Museum of Art. 2004

---------- new copies of Berger and Dorit Cypis are in my mailbox as the first ones were photocopied with pages missing--------

Caroline's readings for Weds Nov 9th Group B

Nochlin, Linda, Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists? from Women, Art, And Power And Other Essays, Westview Press. 1988
Saltz, Jerry, Where Are All the Women? New York Magazine, Nov 18, 2007
Ramchandani, Ariel, Women Artists At MOMA, More Intelligent Life, 2010.

Greg: Back to the Future

2011-10-31T09:02:00.001-07:00

For discussion in class on Nov. 7, Greg's group will read:
= catalogue to "Building Expectation: Past and Present Visions of the Architectural Future" by Nathaniel Walker, for the exhibit at Brown University's Bell Gallery in Providence through Nov. 6, 2011.
= excerpt from "Jane Jacobs, Urban Activist is Dead at 89" by Douglas Martin, New York Times, April 25, 2006.

Some questions to consider: How do the ways we imagine the future open up or limit possibilities for what actually happens? Do the imagined futures described in the catalogue emphasize people, buildings, roads, nature, animals, business, food production, etc.? What do these focuses say about the designers' values?

Extra readings in Caroline's mailbox/ Papers due week of Oct 31.

2011-10-25T17:45:00.000-07:00

Extra readings are in Caroline's mailbox just inside the front door of Hardie...also a few on the table in the studios at 301.
Papers are due the week of Oct 31st.

Caroline's groups readings week 6 and 7

2011-10-25T17:40:00.000-07:00

Caroline's groups readings for week 6

Said, Edward, Imaginative Geography and its Representations: Orientalizing the Oriental, from Contemporary Art in the Middle East, Black Dog Publishing. London, UK. 2009

Lockman, Zachary, Orientalism: Critical Engagements, from Contemporary Art in the Middle East, Black dog Publishing, London, UK. 2009

Caroline's groups readings for week 7

Monem, Nadine, Contemporary Art in the Middle East, exerpts on Lalla Essaydi, Shirin Neshat, Mounir Fatmi and Yto Barada.
Edwards, Susan, Rethinking Orientalism, Again, The Getty Iris, http;//blogs.getty.edu/iris/rethinking-orientalism-again/
Genocchio, Benjamin, Reviving the Exotic to Critique Exoticism, The New York Times, March. 5, 2010.
Goldwyn, Mara, Yto Barada@ Deutsche Guggenheim, WhiteHot magazine, May, 2011
Faber, Michael, Habibi by Craig Thompson - review, The Guardian, Sept. 16, 2011.
Menz, Tetey, Reflective Thompson Ponders Sex, Religion, and Water Crisis, The Harvard Crimson, Sept. 27, 2011.

Greg: Abstraction in Photography

2011-10-23T10:45:00.000-07:00

For class on Oct. 31, Greg's group will read and discuss Lyle Rexer's "The Edge of Vision: The Rise of Abstraction in Photography."

Some questions to consider: How does abstract art continue to speak to us? When we pare down art to its basic formal parts what do we get? What does abstract photography's frequent focus on time and light tell us? How do we continue to make photos--and other art--in the age of Flickr?

You may also want to consider:
= Alec Soth's 2009 talk at MassArt: "Facebook: 15 billion uploaded photos. At its busiest, 550,000 images each second being uploaded. So I’ve been struggling with that. How do I function as a photographer in that environment?”

Pictured: Penelope Umbrico "4,335,921 Suns from Flickr (Partial) 10/20/08 (detail of 2,000)," 2008.

Greg: Art of Cruelty vs. Art of Joy

2011-10-17T05:40:00.000-07:00

For class on Oct. 24, Greg's group will read and discuss:
= Maggie Nelson's "The Art of Cruelty: A Reckoning"
= Barbara Ehrenreich's "Dancing in the Streets: A History of Collective Joy"

Does art require conflict to be satisfying? How to we convey cruelty or joy in art? Is it harder to convey one than the other? What do we hope to share with viewers? How might shock help get this across? How might these readings reframe our sense of the new MFA contemporary wing? How might these readings relate to the ICA's exhibit "Dance/Draw"?

Photo by Greg Cook.

Carolines groups readings week 5

2011-10-07T10:02:00.000-07:00

Storr, An Interview with Mike Kelley, Art in America, June 1994
Steinberg, Contemporary Art and the Plight of its Public from Other Criteria: Confrontations with 20th century Art, (New York:Oxford, 1972).

Extra readings are in Caroline's mailbox just inside the front door in Hardie.
The New York Trip has been rescheduled to Nov 12th, cost $15.00

Evening Reviews Schedule

2011-10-06T11:18:00.000-07:00

SFAS Evening Reviews

Review set up areas

In order to accommodate the review panels, there are common critique spaces in the front of the building and in the back of the building.

In the front, there are two movable walls as well as a large wall space along the front of the building. The movable walls are two sided so two students can set up in alternating fashion.

People with installation work or large scale work are encouraged to use these spaces.

In the back, the perimeter walls near the flatfile area are also available for critiques.

Please be set up and ready to go at the time you have signed up. Remember to have sufficient copies of your artists statement for the panel members (six is a safe number).

Check the right side of the blog for schedules and lists. You will find the evening review schedule. Each review is about 20 minutes and is arranged by a sign-up sheet. You will be expected to have a revised artists statement and several questions for the panel.

Greg: Art/Work

2011-10-03T09:25:00.000-07:00

For classes of Oct. 17, Greg's class will be discussing:

= This American Life: "Giant Pool of Money" broadcast
= "The Workers" exhibit at MassMoCA
= Boston Phoenix: "Activist transform Boston bus shelters into foreclosed homes"
= Seattle Stranger: "A Black Box and a Bloody Mess..."
= New York Times: "Art That Sells Itself"

Essay assignment: Pick one of the artists in MassMoCA's "The Workers" exhibit and compare their art to the activists' bus shelters and Caleb Larsen's "A Tool to Deceive and Slaughter" and "$10,000 Sculpture (in progress)" (pictured above). How do they address the art economy and/or the economy at large? Are some better or worse? Why? What do you learn from this sort of art? Is it satisfying as art or polemics? Etc.

See also:
= Occupy Wall Street
= Occupy Boston

Caroline's group readings week 4

2011-09-27T06:59:00.000-07:00

Caroline's groups readings week 4

Madoff, Going Public, Art Forum Spring 2005
Pogrebin, Sketching a Future for Brooklyn Museum. NYTimes, Aug 5, 2010
Ruud, Museum Admission as an Expression of Mission. CAA news Sept 2011
Duncan and Wallach, The Universal Survey Museum, Art History Vol 3 No 4 Dec 1980
Ad from The Phoenix Sept 2011 for College Night at the Boston MFA.

Greg: Swoon and Art in the Streets

2011-09-26T07:30:00.000-07:00

For discussion on Oct. 3, Greg's group will read and discuss:
= Swoon interviewed by Lydia Yee in the catalog for the L.A. Museum of Contemporary Art's 2011 "Art in the Streets" exhibit. If you get a chance, check out her exhibit at Boston's ICA (pictured in process above).
= Bansky interviewed by Shepard Fairey.
= Christopher Knight, "MOCA's 'Art in the Streets' gets the big picture wrong."
= Benjamin Kabak "The Graffiti Debate: Glorifying art or vandalism?"

Some questions to consider: What does it mean to do art in the streets? Why do art in the streets? Does it have a different tone than art in galleries and museums? How does it critique gallery and museum culture? Do you agree with this critique? How is "street art" like and unlike other public art? What happens when "street art" is brought into galleries and museums? Who are the audiences for art? How do we reach them? Why do we want to reach them? What are we trying to share?

NEW YORK BUS TRIP-OCT. 15

2011-09-23T13:22:00.000-07:00

We strongly support your engagement with contemporary art in all forms and venues. This trip is an excellent opportunity to see the work you have been looking at in digital form for all

these years. The Chelsea galleries alone are worth the trip. We will be listing shows and events that coincide with the trip.

A video link to the MOMA/DeKooning exhibit here; http://youtu.be/S23gXv8FUfA

https://docs.google.com/a/montserrat.edu/spreadsheet/viewform?hl=en_US&formkey=dDdaQ21DUzhTZ1BfTVB6VnplaXIyWHc6MQ#gid=0

http://youtu.be/ZXuTLHGlIU4

http://youtu.be/S23gXv8FUfA

Visiting Artist Sandrine Schaefer Wed. Sept 28, @ pm.

2011-09-22T06:50:00.000-07:00

Sandrine Schaefer a perfomace artist and gallery director will be visitin our seminar on September 28th at 2 pm.. After her visit a discussion she will be making studio visits in the 301 building.

Go to; http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=505358501

website; http://sandrineschaefer.com/home.html

First research paper deadline is week of Sept. 26

2011-09-21T18:33:00.000-07:00

Reminder: Seminar students must provide a brief written update on which artist they have chosen and when they are scheduled to interview them in discussion classes of week of Sept. 26.

The main theme of the research paper is "An Artist Exhibits":
Describe and discuss a living artist’s preparations for a show of their work. The goal is to think about both the art involved as well as how artists find exhibition opportunities and present their work publicly.

Greg: MFA's new contemporary art wing

2011-09-18T18:12:00.000-07:00

For discussion on Sept. 26, Greg's group is required to visit the Museum of Fine Arts' new Linde Family Wing for Contemporary Art--including viewing the Ellsworth Kelly "Wood Sculpture" show and Christian Marclay's "The Clock." Write about and prepare to discuss: One artist whom you’re glad is represented in the wing, one artist to cut from the show, and one artist who should be included but isn't. The big issue to consider: How do we define which artists matter and which don't as we create art history?

Also consider reviews of the new wing, like:
= Sebastian Smee in the Boston Globe: "The MFA Opens Itself Up to Momentous Change with New Contemporary Art Space."
= David Bonetti at Berkshire Fine Arts.
= "A Wing Where Contemporary Art Can Converse" by Ken Johnson in The New York Times.
= Ten things to see in the MFA's Linde Family Wing, according to Steven S. Kapica at Fenway News.
= Greg Cook in the Boston Phoenix.

Brilliant photo above copyright by The New England Journal of Aesthetic Research.

Caroline's group readings week 2

2011-09-15T10:33:00.000-07:00

Caroline's groups readings week 2
Roy, Arnold and Bradbury, For the Record: Searching for Objectivity in Global Conflict, Montserrat College of Art. 2011
Bagenal, Ravishing Beauty: The Aesthetics of Rape in Grace Nditiru's Desert Storm, Afterimage 39 1 &2 pg 63
Herbert, Post War: Martin Herbert on Steve McQueen's Queen and Country, ArtForum, May 2007
James, Interview with Steve McQueen, Artslant. www.artslant.com

Guidelines for 301 workspaces Please Read,

2011-09-12T06:32:00.000-07:00

Below is an image of the agreement that we will be using for the workspaces in the 301 Cabot Street building.

We will be distributing these forms at our meeting Wednesday at 2 pm.

Montserrat College of Art

301 Cabot Street Workspace
Guidelines and Agreement
Fall 2011

By signing this form you agree to follow these guidelines for the use of a workspace in the 301 Cabot Street Building.

Walls
Walls are painted white. You can paint your workspace. No adhesive coverings can be used on the walls. No holes can be cut in the walls. You may attach things with screws or nails but they must be removable. Nothing can be stored on, or attached to the top of the walls. When you leave your studio it must be in the same state as you found it. Clear floor, empty walls, white color,
Floors
Floors can be covered. No adhesives can be used to attach floor coverings.
Curtains
No curtains can be hung across the openings in workspaces.
Radios/music/cell phones
The 301 building is a shared workspace. Be respectful of others when using your workspace.
Keys
Keys are obtainable from, Sharon McManus in the main office in the Hardie Building. There is a key fee of $25, which is returnable when you have cleared out your workspace.
Hours
The hours of the building are 8 am. to 1 am. 7 days/week. The building is locked at 7 pm. daily and on weekends. You must sign in after the daylight hours and on weekends, no exceptions.

Health and Safety

Do not store anything in the hallways or passageways.

Personal items should not be stored in common areas.

Solvent based paints or palettes should be covered at all times

All solvents and paints should be stored in labeled containers in the yellow safety cabinet

I agree to these terms and guidelines for the use of a workspace in 301 Cabot Street.

______________________________________________Date______________
Student

______________________________________________Date______________
Supervisor/ Faculty

Greg: “Failure Support Group”

2011-09-12T04:14:00.000-07:00

For discussion on Sept. 19, Greg's group will read/watch, write about and talk about:

= The above antique Nike commercial featuring Michael Jordan.
=This Mike Kelley quote from "Art21": “I knew by the time I was a teenager that I was going to be an artist, there’s no doubt about that. There was nothing else for me to be. I didn’t even want to be the other things that at the time were outside general culture. I didn’t want to be a rock musician; I wanted to be an artist. And I think the reason I chose it was that at that time it was the most despicable thing you could be in American culture. To be an artist at that time had absolutely no social value. It was like planned failure. You could never be a success. And the fact that I’m now a professional artist? At that time it seemed like a contradiction of terms. I came from a milieu in which artists were despised, whereas rock musicians and drug dealers were—you know—hipster culture heroes."
= Platform2's invite to their 2008 "Failure Support Group."
= Matthew Nash's report on BigRed&Shiny on the "Failure Support Group."
= "If at First You Don't Succeed ... Celebrate" by Lisa Le Feuvre, Tate, 2010.
= "The Joys of Obsolescence: When high-tech products become old and awkward, that’s when artist Cory Arcangel gets excited" by Miranda Siegel, New York Magazine, 2011.

= The above Barbican video showing Arcangel's "Beat the Champ" installation.

Some questions to consider: Why do we fear failure? How do we define failure? How do we define success? What does it mean to fail in life? In art? Is art making like scientific experimenting, in which failures can be part of testing out an idea? Is there, actually, a recipe for failure? Are certain methodologies more prone to failure than others? What is at stake in acknowledging failure in one’s process, one’s community, or one’s career? Can you think of other contemporary art addressing failure? Does this or doesn't this art somehow reflect our society today?

Greg: "For the Record”

2011-09-06T17:46:00.000-07:00

For discussion on Sept. 12, Greg's group will read:

= Catalogue essays for the exhibit "For the Record: Searching for Objectivity in Global Conflict" at Montserrat.
= Passage from Anthony Swofford's 2003 book "Jarhead: A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles."

and view:

= James Nachtwey's 2007 TED talk about his war photography (above)
= The "For the Record" exhibit at Montserrat.

Some questions to consider: What is the purpose of art about war? Does the public understand these conflicts well enough to draw reasonable conclusions about them? What is the relationship between truth and objectivity? How do the arts contribute to our understanding of either? Can narratives concerning world economic, political, and military distress speak objectively? How do the works in the exhibit depict war? What do we learn about our current wars from this art? Do these artworks include violence? Do they include casualties? Can art start a war? Can art end a war? Can art effect social change?

Readings for Caroline's sections Week 1

2011-09-06T14:39:00.000-07:00

Reading for Caroline's sections for Week 1 is:
Robert Storr, Interview with Gerhard Richter, From Gerhard Richter: Doubt and Belief in Painting. ( NY. MOMA. 2003)

Fall 2011 Discussion Discussion Sections

2011-09-06T13:42:00.000-07:00

Fall 2011 Senior Fine Arts Seminar Discussion Groups
Discssion Group A , Monday
Caroline Bagenal, Instructor

Jordan Archey
Jonathan Boles
Jessica Creaven
Amanda Guiness
Hannah Imbesi
Alyssa Kingston
Liz Loyte
Brett Mason
Jack Moffitt
Elizabeth O’Toole
Tamara Trudeau
Allyson Voner
Bill Wareham

Discussion Group B, Wednesday
Caroline Bagenal, Instructor
Kathryn Brown
Leah Ceriello
Amanda Goodale
Ashley Lamoreaux
Noelle Magaw
Tom Mazzaglia
Salem Minigar
Catherine Morris
Cara Ricciardelli
Brianna Sancious
Amanda Woronecki
Brian Galderisi

Discussion Group C, Monday
Greg Cook, Instructor
Matt Weir
Rena Masson
Aoi Suzuki
Chris Pianka
Claire DuSell
Brittany Carr
Kristen Karchonas
Shaundra Shattuck
Zachary Goldstein
Cecelia Major
Lisa Hersey
Sarah Gallant

Senior Fine Arts Seminar Syllabus

2011-09-06T13:19:00.000-07:00

Senior Fine Arts Seminar
FAS 400
Ethan Berry Seminar Coordinator
Caroline Bagenal, Greg Cook, Discussion Instructors

Fall 2011

Course Description:
A significant program of studio and critical work for students concentrating in fine arts, painting, printmaking, sculpture, and photography, this course is intended to help develop the students' maturity and independence as artists. The course includes several aspects:
(1) The students will prepare a substantial body of work under the guidance of the seminar coordinator and their chosen faculty advisor, a representative part of which will be presented to the public in a small group show and at the graduation exhibition.
(2) The student will participate in two seminar meetings each week. The studio meeting will focus on the student's independent work and will be supplemented by group critiques and critiques by visiting artists. The discussion meeting will be devoted to the discussion of weekly readings encompassing a range of critical perspectives on modern and contemporary art. Group meetings will focus on art-world issues and practices.
(3) A designated faculty committee will meet with the student twice each semester to critique the student's work and review his or her progress.
(4) The student and faculty advisor will meet weekly in order to discuss
the independent studio work in which the student is engaged.
(5) The student is required to take advantage of at least ONE individual critique
with a visiting artist.

Senior Seminar I, 6 credits; Senior Seminar II, 6 credits, to be awarded by the instructors.

Course Objectives:
The ability honestly and accurately to evaluate one's work and its place in the culture is nearly as essential as passion and hard work in the studio. Context contributes to content, and therefore an artist must be aware of the contemporary critical dialogue — in order to interpret it as well as to challenge it. Through exposure to various points of view the student will have the opportunity to establish a personal critical perspective. The development of intellectual and evaluative skills is not an end in itself; rather, the objective is to use those skills in the service of the student's continuing growth as a visual artist.

Course Format — Studio Component:
Each section of the FAS will meet with a Studio Instructor once a week.
These meetings will be devoted to a discussion of the work being created in the senior studios and critiques of student works led by the students. The instructor will meet with individuals in their studios, and the remainder of the class time will be used by the students to work in their studios or participate in student-led group critiques.
Senior reviews occur twice during the semester and are essential to the format of FAS. All seniors must be prepared to participate in their reviews on the scheduled date.
Students will be asked to write an artist's statement prior to each of the senior reviews. The purpose of the statement is to help the students organize and clarify the issues that are relevant to them at the time of the reviews.

Course Format — Discussion Component:

Each section of the FAS will meet with the Discussion instructor once a week.

Weekly reading assignments will be drawn from a variety of journals and articles. The readings will be photocopied and handed out in class.

All students are required to participate in class discussions. In addition, weekly written responses to the readings will be required.

Two major assignments will also be required. The first assignment will be medium-length paper, and the second assignment is an individual presentation. Specific paper and presentation instructions will be handed out during the semester. The assignments will count toward the grade for the discussion component of the seminar as follows: papers and presentation 60% (30% each); responses to weekly readings and participation in class discussions 40%. Important note: Papers must be turned in on the due date for your section. Late papers will be graded down, and any paper not received within one week of the due date will automatically receive a failing grade. It is the responsibility of the student to discuss with the instructor any extenuating circumstances affecting their ability to meet deadlines.

Course Format — Visiting Artists and Group Meetings:

There will be three Visiting Artist lectures each semester that students will be required to attend. These may be scheduled during the lunch hour (11:30-12:30) or the visiting Artist may present during senior seminar class time. After the lectures the visiting artist may meet with senior seminar students for a general discussion or for critiques of student work.

Additional Meetings Assignments:

Senior Seminar students should make every effort to go on the one-day New York City trip that is held each semester. We may also arrange some visits to Boston-area museums and galleries. Students who are absolutely unable to participate in field trips because of scheduling difficulties should go to the exhibitions on their own. Students should check with Student Services office to check on the schedule of school sponsored “First Friday” trips to Boston Galleries.

Criteria For Credit

FAS 400 is a 6-credit course.

Credit for the FAS will be awarded by the seminar coordinator in consultation with the discussion instructors, acting on an equal basis. Students must pass both the studio AND discussion components in order to pass the course as a whole, and the final grade will be based on the student's combined performance.

Among the factors that will be considered are:

1. Independent Studio — The minimum requirement for the studio component will be the development each semester of a significant body of work as determined by the studio instructor in consultation with the review panel. All work shown to the review panel must be from the FAS studio or identified as supporting material. Absence from a review may result in an incomplete or no credit. Students are required to work a minimum of 15 hours each week outside of scheduled class meetings developing FAS studio course work.

2. Discussion Component — Students are required to complete all reading and writing assignments on time. The weekly discussions are a significant part of the FAS and it is not possible to participate in them without knowledge of the reading assignments. The students will be evaluated on the basis of their written work and their participation in class discussions based on the readings. Students must complete all the papers and presentations in order to receive credit for the course.

3. Senior Thesis Shows — Students who are completing their second semester of the FAS are required to exhibit work in a thesis exhibition. The work exhibited in the thesis exhibition serves both to demonstrate the student’s artistic achievements and to demonstrate two successful semesters in FAS.

4. Attendance — Students are required to be on time for all classes. Frequent absences or tardiness may result in a lower grade or no credit.

Erica Ruch's website presentation is linked here;

2011-05-05T06:13:00.001-07:00

http://www.ericaruch.com/FTP/website-presentation.pdf

Building creative communities

2011-04-21T18:37:00.000-07:00

To prepare for discussion on April 25, Greg's group should read the following essays and write about which proposals you think are best and which ones you don't favor, and why.
= AS220 StinkTank "Compost and the Arts," 2004.
= Dushko Petrovich, "How to Start an Art Revolution: A Manifesto for Boston," Boston Globe, March 14, 2010.
= Jen Graves, "The Vancouver Problem," Seattle Stranger, April 7, 2009.
= Emily Eakin, "The Cities and Their New Elite," New York Times, June 1, 2002.
and bonus essay:
= Caleb Neelon, "Ten Short Memos to Young Boston Artists," The New England Journal of Aesthetic Research, Aug. 27, 2010.

David Wojnarowicz’s “A Fire in My Belly”

2011-01-31T04:51:00.000-08:00

Students in Greg's discussion group should watch David Wojnarowicz’s video “A Fire in My Belly” (above) and read the following public statements and reports about the controversy it sparked at the Smithsonian. Then for our class on Feb. 7, write about the Smithsonian's decisions to remove Wojnarowicz's video but keep AA Bronson's photo in the "Hide/Seek" exhibit. Was the Smithsonian right, wrong, or somewhere in between? Back up your position by citing information in the readings.

June 2, 2010: Smithsonian: The National Portrait Gallery Presents “Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture”

Nov. 30, 2010: Catholic League: Smithsonan Hosts Anti-Christian Exhibit

Nov. 30, 2010: New York Magazine: U.S. Representative John Boehner Is Now a Curator

Nov. 30, 21010: Smithsonian: Statement on “Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture”

Dec. 6, 2010: L.A. Times: Smithsonian Institution fails to stand up to anti-gay bullies

Dec. 7, 2010: Smithsonian: Q&A Regarding the "Hide/Seek" Exhibition

Dec. 10, 2010: Washington Post: 'Fire' man: Wojnarowicz, censored by Smithsonian, sounded an alarm in dire times

Dec. 16, 2010: Modern Art Notes: Q&A with AA Bronson on ‘Hide/Seek,’ ‘Felix’

Dec. 16, 2010: Catholic League: The "American Taliban" Catholic League

Pictured: David Wojnarowicz’s “A Fire in My Belly” from ppow_gallery on Vimeo.

"Comics are not literature"

2010-11-03T08:05:00.000-07:00

For classes of Nov. 10 and 15, we're discussing comics:
= “Art Spiegelman: Lips,” interview by Harvey Blume, Boston Book Review, June 1995.
= "Comics are not literature" panel, 2007.
= Chris Ware "Introduction" to McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, number 13, 2004.

Plus comics by
= Ron Rege Jr. (his work is pictured above)
= Lynda Barry
= Chris Ware

Re: Relational Aesthetics-Lisa Spellman and her 303 Gallery

2010-11-03T07:58:00.000-07:00

New York magazine recently published a profile of Lisa Spellman and her 303 Gallery where Rirkrit Tiravanija" debuted his "Untitled 1992 (Free)" installation, "in which the artist took everything in the gallery’s kitchen, office, and storage room and set it all up smack in the middle of the space."

Antagonism and Relational Aesthetics

2010-10-20T11:21:00.000-07:00

For the next two weeks, we're discussing "Antagonism and Relational Aesthetics" by Claire Bishop in the fall 2004 issue of October.

Supplementary non-required research for the supremely curious:
= Boston's Platform2.
= Boston's National Bitter Melon Council.

Pictured above: Rirkrit Tiravanija recreates his "Untitled 1992 (Free)."

So, you want to be an artist? go HERE http://www.ves.fas.harvard.edu/BYO.html

2010-10-19T14:59:00.000-07:00

http://www.ves.fas.harvard.edu/BYO.html


	BYO Past Events
INVITATION TO BYO (Bring Your Own: Voices of the Contemporary at the Carpenter Center) BYO fosters discussion and debate about pressing issues in contemporary culture across Harvard and Boston area communities by bringing to campus emerging figures in contemporary art for informal evening conversations.
LOCAL FIRST! October 19, 2010 7:30 p.m. Sert Space Carpenter Center, 3rd Floor BYO: Voices of the Contemporary at the Carpenter Center is pleased to host a panel discussion dedicated to local alternative arts organizations in Boston/Cambridge, with representatives from Big RED & Shiny, iKatun, andPlatform 2. The discussion will address such questions as: What is it like to be an artist in Boston in 2010? What are the political, cultural and infrastructural conditions that limit artistic endeavors in the city? Is there a 'scene' that is specific to Boston? If so, how might we characterize its potential, its challenges, its uniqueness? The goal of this forum is to bring voices from local artist-run organizations into dialogue with students and scholars from Harvard, MIT, and other academic institutions. PARTICIPANT BIOS Matthew Gamber holds a BFA from Bowling Green State University, and an MFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts/Tufts University. He is currently a Digital Imaging Technician with Preservation & Imaging at Harvard University, and the former Editor in Chief of Big RED & Shiny. Gamber has taught at Art Institute of Boston/Lesley University, College of the Holy Cross, Savannah College of Art & Design, and Massachusetts College of Art & Design. He is represented by Gallery Kayafas, Boston. Kanarinka, Boston, Massachusetts, is an artist and educator. Her art practice is interdisciplinary and is often distributed across various sites, physical and virtual. A single project might take place online,in the street and in a gallery and involve multiple audiences participating in different ways for different reasons. Many of her projects are collaboratively authored. Her artwork as been exhibited at the ICA Boston, Eyebeam in New York City, MASSMoCA, and the Western Front in Vancouver. Kanarinka, a.k.a. Catherine D’Ignzaio, is co-director of the experimental curatorial group, iKatun, and a founder of The Institute for Infinitely Small Things. She currently teaches at the Rhode Island School of Design in the Digital Media Graduate Program where she runs the Affective Geographies Research Cluster. Digital media artist Jane D. Marsching's work explores our past, present and future human impact on the environment through interdisciplinary and collaborative practices, including video installations, virtual landscapes, dynamic websites, and data visualizations. Recent exhibitions include: the ICA Boston; MassMoCA; North Carolina Museum of Art; San Jose Museum of Art, CA; Photographic Resource Center, Boston, MA; and Sonoma Museum of Art, CA. She has received grants from Creative Capital, LEF Foundation, Artadia and Artists Resource Trust. Recent publications include: BiPolar (Cornerhouse 2008), Gothic (Whitechapel Press, London, 2008), and S&F Online: Gender on Ice (Barnard College, 2008. With Mark Alice Durant in 2005, she curated The Blur of the Otherworldly: Contemporary Art, Technology, and the Paranormal, at the Center for Art and Visual Culture, Baltimore, MD; a catalog of the exhibition was published in June 2006 with essays by Marsching, Durant, Marina Warner and Lynne Tillman. She is a cofounder and member of Platform2: Art and Activism, an experimental forum series about creative practices at the intersection of social issues. She is currently associate professor at Massachusetts College of Art in Studio Foundation. She received her MFA in photography from The School of Visual Arts, New York City, in 1995. Matthew Nash is Associate Professor at The Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University, and publisher of the online art magazine Big RED & Shiny, which concluded a 7-year run this past August. Big RED & Shiny received 5 grants from the LEF Foundation. Nash is also half of the artist team Harvey Loves Harvey, whose time-based and experiential work explores themes of communication, friendship and failure. Harvey Loves Harvey will be presenting new work at Gallery Kayafas in January of 2011. Savić Rašović a.k.a Pirun a.k.a. Sasha… born in Titograd, Yugoslavia; now from Podgorica, Montenegro… lives and works in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA... entrepreneur, new media artist, performer, curator, publisher, designer, programmer, political activist… co-founder of iKatun, a non-profit with a mission to foster public engagement in the politics of information… member of the Institute for Infinitely Small Things that uses performance to investigate social and political everyday… editor of kontrabanda, propaganda factory for future dada... Andi Sutton is an artist whose work explores the ways performance art methodology can be used to create alternative models for community and social engagement. Informed by the Fluxus and Situationist art movements, feminist pedagogy and performance art practice, her interdisciplinary collaborative and solo practice draws on strategies from these practices to create large-scale, interactive public interventions. She is a member of the collaboratives the National Bitter Melon Council and Platform2, and was curator of the Public Art Incubator Program for the Berwick Research Institute. Sutton has presented projects in museums and festivals in San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, New York, Vancouver, Bogota, Yogyakarta (Indonesia), among others. She is the recipient of the Museum of Fine Arts Traveling Scholars Award (2010) and the Artadia Art Award: Boston (2007) with the National Bitter Melon Council. She graduated with a BA in Women's Studies and BFA in Fine Art from a combined degree program between Tufts University and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and is currently the Program Coordinator for the Graduate Consortium in Women's Studies at MIT.

“Video games can never be art”

2010-10-18T05:53:00.000-07:00

For classes of Oct. 20 and 25, we're discussing “Video games can never be art"

Readings:
= “Video games can never be art” by Roger Ebert, April 16, 2010.
= “Inside the Box” (review of Tom Bisell’s book “Why Video Games Matter” and a responce to Ebert) by Chris Suellentrop, NYTimes, June 9, 2010.
= "Trauma and Agitation: Video Games in a Time of War" by Claudia Costa Pederson from "Afterimage" Vol. 38, No. 2, September/October 2010.
= Selections from Cory Arcangel interviews:Turbulence 2003, Rhizome 2008 and Saatchi 2009.

Supplementary non-required research for the supremely curious:
= Arcangel’s website.
= Cambridge artist Brian Knep's website.

Video above: Cory Arcangel, "Super Mario Clouds," 2002–2005 (excerpt).

Blogs to waste time with

2010-10-06T08:42:00.001-07:00

A sampling of art blogs and websites:
Claire Beckett, personal site of Boston photographer.
"The Big Picture," amazing photojournalism compiled by the Boston Globe.
BoingBoing.
Sharon Butler's "Two Coats of Paint," aggregates of what's happening in painting everywhere, by a Connecticut artist.
Jordan Crane's "What Things Do" comics site. LA artist, formerly resided Somerville.
"Culture Monster," round up of West Coast and national art stuff by writers of The LA Times.
Dirt Palace, feminist art collective in Providence.
"Fecal Face," national reports with Lowbrow slant from San Francisco.
Raul Gonzalez's "Cerebot" personal blog. Somerville artist.
Tyler Green's "Modern Art Notes," national art reports by DC blogger.
The Institute for Infinitely Small Things' website. Boston conceptual art and performance group.
Paddy Johnson's "Art Fag City," New York reports.
Misaki Kawai, personal site of New York artist.
Fred Lynch's"Picture It" illustration blog. Montserrat teacher.
Jane D. Marsching's personal website. Boston artist.
Massachusetts Cultural Council's "ArtSake" blog of local artists and art opportunities.
Massachusetts Cultural Council's "HireCulture," site of Massachusetts art-type jobs.
Megan and Murray, personal blog of Providence art duo.
The Miracle 5, website for group of Somerville artists.
"New Bodega" group blog by cartoonists including, occasionally Montserrat's Greg Cook.
John Osorio-Buck's website. Boston artist.
Ron Rege's "Cartoon Utopia" blog. LA artist, formerly resided Massachusetts.
Randy Regier, personal site of Portland sculptor.
Alec Soth's "Little Brown Mushrooms" photography blog. Minneapolis artist.
Zoe Strauss's photo blog. Live from Philadelphia.
Andi Sutton's personal website. Boston artist.
Millee Tibbs, personal site of Providence photographer.
Pippi Zornoza, personal site of Providence artist.

Edward Winkleman's blog

2010-09-29T19:43:00.000-07:00

Rachel Perry Welty recommended this blog. Winkleman is a gallerist who keeps a blog that is a rich source for information about shows and artists.
http://edwardwinkleman.blogspot.com/

Collaboratives

2010-09-19T19:29:00.000-07:00

classes of the week of Sept. 27, we're discussing:
Collaboratives

= Triibe: “Three’s company, and they love it: Triplets serious when playing with identity” by Cate McQuaid, Boston Globe, April 18, 2010.
= “Doing Their Own Thing, Making Art Together,” by Holland Cotter, New York Times, Jan. 19, 2003.
= "The Royal Art Lodge" by Caleb Neelon, Swindle, c. 2005 (?). (Royal Art Lodge site.)

Related to (sorta):
= Raul Gonzalez talk at Montserrat, 11:30 a.m. Sept. 14, 2010. His work is on view in Frame 301 from Sept. 3 to Oct. 5. Gonzalez is part of the Miracle 5 collective and Yassie Goldie.
= “Triiibe: The Garden of Eden, Take 2” at Boston University’s 808 Gallery, Oct. 19 to Dec. 19, 2010.

ALSO students will turn in a brief written update on their artist interviews – how will contact artist, etc.

And please attend visiting artist talk by Christopher Mir at 11:30 a.m. Sept. 21. Did you see his show at Montserrat (up through Sept. 25)?

Collaborative opportunity:
The Boston-based Platform2 collective is meeting at Boston Common at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 23, to present “Climate Chorus,” and it’s looking for volunteer readers for the event. Platform2 includes some of the folks from The Institute for Infinitely Small Things. Details here.

Pictured: "Paint-by-Number" by Triiibe.

So you want to be an Artist?

2010-01-06T07:06:00.000-08:00

An Interesting project by Rob Pruitt from E-Flux Journal. http://www.e-flux.com/projects/pruitt/index.php3?num=0