Course Syllabus

ART 2630 Mixed Media: Collage + Assemblage

Course Description

This studio course explores mixed media methodology through the lens of collage and assemblage. It will include the study of aesthetics, conceptual theory, critical dialog, historical context, legalities, material manipulation, and technical processes associated with appropriating and altering discarded media and found objects. Applied studio projects, research, and writing will revolve around the genre of 2D collage and 3D assemblage. A fee is required.

Justification

The use of mixed media is an historical artistic practice that can be traced, through relics, to all major civilizations on every continent. During the Twentieth Century, mixed media, collage, and assemblage experienced a renaissance through the innovations of the Dada, Surrealist, and Pop Art movements. The resurgence of these historical processes has continued to thrive into the 21st Century and today collage and assemblage are major genres of creative output. It is one of many courses for students to choose from to fulfill their Art Studio Electives as part of the AFA in Visual Studies degree at Snow College. This course also provides students with a diverse studio offering, enhancing programming and assisting in recruitment and retention.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Material Proficiency: Demonstrate a proficiency in materials and techniques. Students will be exposed to a variety of mixed media techniques, mediums, and unique materials utilized for the creation of collage and assemblage works. Students will learn by imitating methods learned during demonstration and through guided research. This working knowledge will then be adapted into unique creative work as students begin to speak in their own voice using this newly acquired visual dialect.
2. Principles of Concept: Demonstrate an integration of conceptual principles. Each unit within the complexities of collage and assemblage students will be provided prompts in which to inject concept into their creative work. These prompts are designed to promote conceptual linkages to the physical aspects of the works of art. As this outcome is a significant aspect of many art studio elective courses, students will begin to strive for a balance of successful formal and conceptual qualities and critically implementing content into their creative practice.
3. Historical Context: Demonstrate a fluency in historical content and context. The use of mixed media is an historical artistic practice that can be traced, through relics, to all major civilizations on every continent. The Genre of utilizing appropriate materials and recontextualized found objects grew in popularity during the 20th Century. It can be traced through the roots of DADA, Surrealism, and Pop Art and is thriving as a contemporary approach for artists in the disposable 21st Century. Students will be exposed to major historical figures, be required to conduct major research on them, and be able to recognize their art and influence on contemporary artists currently working the genre. This recognition is important for students to understand their own artistic pedigree and how they are derivatives of their artistic ancestry.
4. Critical Theory: Demonstrate the ability to critically analyze a work of art. Students will learn the process of critical analysis as it applies to the work of collage and assemblage. This includes a dialog pertaining to working with altered objects, context, and copyright and the legalities of working with appropriated materials. It also includes discussion of the aesthetics, context, and mechanics of repurposing 2D surfaces and 3D objects to create altering art. Students will be encouraged to practice casual discourse with their peers as they engage in a collective studio environment. Strategies for group critiques will also foster development and improvement of creative works. Utilizing critical analysis skills, students will develop a critical eye to inform development, identify weaknesses, and foster improvement in current and future work.
5. Creative Process: Demonstrate the application of the creative process. This course will promote unique strategies as it pertains to the act of appropriating images and objects. Participants will be encouraged to imitate the creative process of the instructor and historical mixed media artists. After gleaning from these new approaches, students will begin to integrate what they have learned into their own practice.

Course Content

Through critiques, demonstrations, guided research, practical application, slide lectures, and readings, students will integrate a mixed media philosophy into their creative studio work. These teaching methods are tailored to accommodate unique learning styles that will culminate with a variety of rigorous experiential, creative projects. This course will include study of the following: · Aesthetic theory as it relates to appropriation from popular cultural sources; · Demonstrations of diverse mixed media processes;· Development of concept and meaning to their mixed media work through guided prompts provided by the instructor;· Discussion the of legalities and ethics of utilizing recontextualized imagery and objects in works of art and how appropriation differs from plagiarism;· Group critiques designed to promote a critical dialog between the artist, the artwork, and the viewer utilizing strategies designed to promote improvement as students critically evaluate their own work and that created by their peers;· Exploration of historical context, including the study of major figures and movements within the genre of mixed media;· Practical application of collage and assemblage: Projects will encompass, but are not limited to, the following structures: Altered postcards, album covers, and books, collage, raised panels, box structures utilizing elements of 2D (collage and decoupage) and full 3D (assemblage);· Readings from the text to supplement information provided during demonstrations and lectures;· Slide lectures directly related to the process, history, and contemporary application of each mixed media technique.