Instructor: Ms. Debbie
Mathew
“[The] historical
mission of our times is to develop a new cultural coding for
the ecological age- a more integral language of being and value that
can overcome the devastating consequences of the existing mode of cultural
coding, which encourages high consumption and high waste- then
creating an art that is integral with this new coding may
well be the next phase of our aesthetic tradition.” -Suzi Gablik
Course Description:
This seminar and pracitcum will focus on the intersection of contemporary art with ecological & cultural concerns. Through a variety of philosophical and historical readings, (scientific/religious, feminist/indigenous) students attempt to situate their beliefs amongst these ideas. Students will be exposed to abundant examples of contemporary art and artists, and how ‘ecological artwork’ is developed; they will use these prototypes to propose solutions for various environmental problems and/or create proposals for art about, out of, or in the local environment.
Course Objectives:
1) To promote conversations between various disciplines: biological sciences, arts/humanities etc.
2) To explore the various forms of contemporary ecological art.
3) To advance individual writing, discussion and presentation skills.
4) To increase cooperative group work skills (discussion, research, synthesis, presentation, writing).
5) To move from theory to practice, applying your knowledge & skills to practical problems.
Course Flow & Requirements:
For the first 2 months, the emphasis will be on reading, writing, and discussion. During class time, students will discuss the readings, review each other’s essays and dialogue about the writing / projects you are working on; there will also be slide lectures, guest speakers, film(s) and in-class writing / response activities. Out of class, a weekly written ‘response’ essay, based upon the readings, is required. After each 3-4 week period, students will prepare a longer essay on a topic discussed during the previous weeks. Along with the 2nd major essay, done in pairs, students will give a short presentation on an artist. For the last month, students will be translating theory into practice, culminating in a detailed proposal or actual artwork, alongside a final group paper. Throughout the class co-operative learning will be explored in formal and informal ways.
Required
1. Packet of
2. Text: Diane Hacker, A Writer’s Reference, 4th
Edition. ($33 new, $23 used)
3. 3-Ring Binder: with tabbed
dividers, lined & blank paper with 3 holes for binder, for
notes, informal writings, essays and sketches of ideas, etc. that will
constitute the structure of your Portfolio of Achievements.
4. Unknown
materials for the
creation of a model, artwork and / or presentations.
Formal Writing Assignments
Ø
Response Papers: (the weekly assignments)
A Response Paper is a careful response to an issue raised by the readings. They are 2-4 pages and focus on a theme or question that arises from the course readings, allowing you to explore, analyze, elaborate on and /or contradict perspectives read. They are a method of developing your own position on the issues raised and a tool for articulating your own thoughts in a written format.
To summarize, I will be looking for…
1. A clear, critical understanding of the issue (s) being addressed, which is drawn from the readings.
2. A thoughtful and well-composed essay written as a ‘response’, including personal ideas.
3. An essay with text & images in proper manuscript form.
4. Evidence of ‘Search’, ‘Compose’, ‘Revise’ and ‘ Edit”.
Ø
Larger
Essays
Similar to above, only 5-7 pages long. These will demonstrate your abilities: to formulate a central idea, develop ideas logically & coherently with adequate supporting details, use varied syntax & precise diction to present ideas clearly & efficiently, create a voice and tone appropriate to audience & purpose and observe the conventions and standards of American English.
PORTFOLIO
The purpose of the student Portfolio is to assess individual
accomplishments during the semester in relationship to the course goals. The portfolio is a gathering place of
evidence of what was learned and achieved throughout the semester.
The portfolio will be in the form of a large 3 ring binder, organized with an index and tabbed dividers so that each section is easily located. On the upper right corner of the binder cover, attach a label that lists: Your Name, ‘Art & Ecology’ ART or AMST or WMST # (the section enrolled under)
Organize your portfolio with the following
sections.
and DATE Everything
1.
Lecture
Notes
2. Reading Notes and Summaries (put date, title of reading and author at the top of the paper)
3. Journal (use a holder that you can slip a smaller notebook into when you are asked to hand portfolio in)
4. In Class Response (date and include question/ what you are responding to)
5. Seminar Response – (date, presenter, topic, summary, response)
6. Weekly Essays & Essay Evaluations (in chronological order: drafts, peer evals. of essay, final copy)
7. Evaluations (all non-essay peer evaluations: presentations, partner and group work)
8. Final Project Materials: Progress reports, drafts of essay, peer evals and presentation materials.
9. Self-Evaluation (see below)
When it is time to hand the portfolio in (at mid term and at the end of the semester), you will be asked to include a 1-3 page (single spaced) self-evaluation. Specific Questions and guidelines are given for this.
Weekly Schedule
WEEK 1: Introductions, Overview.
Visiting Expert from Center for Teaching Excellence - Writing an Essay
Berry, Thomas. “The Bush” In Bailey Oakes, ed. Sculpting with the Environment - A Natural Dialogue, NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1995. Pp. 8-11. (4, P)
Suzuki, David. “Homo Sapiens: Born of the Earth” In The Sacred Balance, NY: Prometheus Books, 1998, Pp. 9-28 (19, P)
Barnet, Sylvan. “Reading & Taking Notes” In A Short Guide to
Writing about
WEEK 2: Historical/Biological
Notions of ECOLOGY; Scientific Ecological
Gunter, Pete A.Y., “The Disembodied Parasite and Other Tragedies; or Modern
Western Philosophy and How
to Get Out of It” In Max Oelschlaeger,
ed., The Wilderness Condition.
Nash, Roderick. “Aldo Leopold: Prophet”. In Wilderness
and the American Mind.
Worster, Donald. “The Ecology of
Order & Chaos” In The Wealth of Nature. NY:
WEEK 3: Social and Deep
Ecologies; Early 20th Landscape Ptg. & Photography +
Earliest Earthworks
Bookchin, Murray. “Toward an Ecological Society” In Toward an
Ecological Society.
Devall, Bill & George Sessions. “Deep Ecology” In Deep Ecology.
Devall, Bill & George Sessions. “Some Sources of the Deep Ecology
Perspective” In Deep Ecology.
Tuan, Yi-Fu. “Thought and Landscape” In The Interpretation of
Ordinary Landscapes. NY:
WEEK 4: Work on Essays & Give
Presentations;
Visiting Expert from CTE - Writing
In Partnership
WEEK 5: Indigenous & Tribal Natures; Indigenous
Artifacts, Rock Art & Contemporary (Rock Art) Photography + Ancient &
Contemporary Observatories.
Hogan, Linda. “A Different Yield”. In Dwellings. NY: W.W. Norton & Company, 1995. Pp. 47-62 (15, P)
Deloria, Vine Jr. “Sacred Places and moral Responsibility” In GOD IS RED. CO: North American Press. 1992. Pp. 267-282. (14, P)
Momaday, Scott N., “The First American Views His Land” In The Man
Made of Words. NY:
Bruchac, Joseph. “The Circle is the Way to See” In Story Earth: Native Voices on the Environment. CA: Mercury House, 1993 Pp. 3-13 (12,P)
Bates, Sara. “Honoring” In Native American Art in the Twentieth
Century.
SECTION 2 Environmental
& Ecological Art in
WEEK 6: ecological
art & artists
Gablik, Suzi. “The Ecological Imperative” & Capra, Fritjof. “The New Vision of Reality” In Bailey Oakes, ed. Sculpting with the Environment - A Natural Dialogue, NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1995. Pp. 3-8 (6, P)
Beardsley, John. “Monument and Environment: the Avant Garde”, 1966-76. In Earthworks and Beyond NY: Abbeville Press, 1989. Pp. 13-40 (27, P, B [has color pictures])
Bright, Deborah. “The Machine in the Garden Revisited” In, Art Journal, Vol. 51, (Art and Ecology) No. 2 (Summer 1992).pp. 60-71. (11, P)
Gablik, Suzi. “Making Art about Centipedes: Christopher Manes” In Conversations before the end of time. NY: Thames & Hudson 1995 Pp.84-105 (19, P)
WEEK 7: Ecofeminist ‘natures’; Ecofeminist Art, including Ritual.
Coe Library Visit – Research
Options & Potential
Merchant, Carolyn. “Gaia: Ecofeminism and the Earth” In Earthcare: Women and the Environment. NY: Routledge, 1995. Pp. 3-26. (23, P)
Ruether, Rosemary Radford. “Ecofeminism: Symbolic and Social Connections of the Oppression of Women and the Domination of Nature”. In This Sacred Earth. NY: Routledge, 1996. Pp.322 – 333 (9, P)
Vance, Linda.
“Ecofeminism and Wilderness” In Women, Ecology and the Environment. ed.
Patrocinio P. Schweichart, NWSA Journal. Vol. 9, No. 3. IN:
WEEK 8: Working on Essays; Consideration artist’s working
methods;
Brookner, Jackie. “The Heart of the Matter”, Art Journal, Vol. 51, No. 2 (Art and Ecology Summer 1992). pp. 8-11.(3, P)
Van Der Ryn, Sim & Stuart Cowan. “An Introduction to Ecological
Design” In Ecological Design. CA:
WEEK 9: Visiting Artist ; The Possibilities of Ecological Art
Lippard, Lucy. “Looking Around: Where we are, Where we Could be.”, In Mapping the Terrain: New Genre Public Art. ed. Susanne Lacy, WA: Bay Press, 1995, pp.114-130. (16, P)
Phillips, Patricia C., “Maintenance Activity: Creating a Climate for Change” In Nina Felshin, ed. But is it Art? CA: Bay Press, 1995. Pp.165-194 (29, P, B)
Heartney, Eleanor. “Ecopolitics/Ecopoetry: Helen and Newton Harrison’s Environmental Talking Cure”, In Nina. Felshin, ed. But is it Art?, CA: Bay Press, 1995. Pp. 141-164. (23, P)
SECTION 3 Putting
your ideas, theories, knowledge to work on
real sites.
WEEK 10:
Proposal Preparation
group Assignment:
Out of the
possibilities imagined last week, prepare a solution for the problem your group
has articulated. Give background information on the site, problems,
methodologies of solutions, support systems, time line and budget of proposal.
This solution proposal is to be outlined in a 5-6 page written document that is
accompanied by relevant diagrams, images etc.
Klite, Paul. Reclamation Art. CO: Paul Klite. (R)
Morris, Robert. “keynote address” In Earthworks: Land
Reclamation as Sculpture. WA:
WEEK 11:
Group Presentation and Essay Documenting Proposal Due; Inspiration & Brainstorming for final assignment.
WEEK 12: Outline
of final assignment Due.
WEEK 13: First
Draft Due. (8-10 pages) Thanksgiving
WEEK 14: Preliminary Presentation of Final
Projects.
WEEK 15: Final Projects Presented and essays (8-10
pages) handed in.
WEEK 16: Exam Week: Individual meetings
discussing portfolio- Hand it in.