Art History (ARTH)

Relationships between science, religion, politics and the arts found new visual expressions in European art and architecture of the 17th century. The course explores individual artists of Italy, Spain, France, Flanders and the Dutch Republic in view of their particular contributions to Baroque art and architectural cultures. The birth of the Baroque in Rome metamorphosed by the end of the century as a global language historically characterized as exuberant, tumultuous and even licentious.

Neoclassicism, Romanticism and Realism mark several artistic responses to the transformation of societies by political revolutions in Europe and America at the end of the 18th century. In the wake of change, 19th-century art and architecture exhibit the influence of technology, literature and music while displaying new ways for artists to view society and their place within it.

Driven by the concept of the avant-garde, art in the 20th century breaks radically from tradition into the myriad possibilities of art in a pluralistic era. This course follows these developments through studying the theories and styles that redefine the role of the artist and the very nature of art from the Modern to Post-Modern periods and beyond.

Renaissance art and architecture remain extraordinary works, historically characterized as unique artistic achievements and the revival of an earlier, venerated age. Patronage, self-identity, artists’ biographies, techniques, materials and the myriad functions of art all shape our understanding of the Early Modern period. Commanding particular attention is the development of artistic practice and exchange between artists and architects—not only within a single master’s workshop, but also over time and across Europe.

With emphasis on the art of France, Spain, England and Italy, this course educates the student on the art produced in 18th-century Europe. Distinction is made between the various stylistic periods that occurred during this century, namely the Rococo, Neoclassical and Romantic periods. Artwork is considered in the cultural and historical context.

This lecture-based course introduces African American arts during the modern period through an examination of key movements, artists, and context. Utilizing an interdisciplinary framework, students explore the historical and social context of African American culture and art from the 18th to the 21st century. Students gain a foundational knowledge of key events, monuments, and theoretical debates, preparing them for advanced studies on the African diaspora.

Students gain an understanding of the art produced by the diverse cultures of this region in this broad survey from prehistory to the modern period. This course focuses on the arts of India, China and Japan, with particular attention to technique, style, content and the role of the arts in Asian cultures.

In this course, students explore the arts of Africa from ancient times to present-day through a study of key monuments and their meaning. Students focus on the manifestation of civilizations through various art forms, such as sculpture, architecture, sacred regalia, sign systems, textile art, performance arts, and more. Gaining insight into ancient cultures and classical traditions, students study the diverse range of artwork across the African continent.

Focusing on painting and sculpture in the United States, this course offers a survey of American art from the colonial settlements to the early 20th century. The unique social, political and intellectual contexts of American art provide the basis for understanding the history and art of our own culture.

The French region of Provence has inspired an array of artistic achievement from the monumental Roman aqueduct to the evocation of “The Starry Nights” by Van Gogh. Class discussion and site visits introduce students to the art collections and architectural monuments found throughout southern France. Students gain an understanding of the artistic traditions and the history of Provence.

Archeological sites, artwork, architecture and monuments have sparked questions and conversations throughout history. From British archeology in the Neolithic period to pagan ritual landscapes, students analyze how these ancient artifacts have impacted cultures around the world. Students discuss art and architectural developments under the Normans, Vikings, Irish, and conclude with the synthesis of English Gothic.

The breadth of new media in the digital and imaging arts and the recent history of artistic exploration into these media has become a significant component in the field of art history. Underscoring this survey is the concept that new media have forced art history into expanding the canon and criteria for examining art. In particular, this course surveys the evolution of traditional media.

Beginning with the period of Neolithic ceramics, ritual bronze vessels, early pictorial art, Buddhist sculpture and architecture, and ink monochrome landscape painting, this survey of Chinese Art moves to the period of self-expressionistic paintings of the literati amateur tradition. The course provides an exploration of the content, style and role of the arts within the framework of Chinese culture and history.

Examination of the formative and historical relationships between the art and culture of ancient Mediterranean civilizations reveals trends and traditions that establish a basis for modern civilization. Works of art and architecture are analyzed using a variety of archaeological and art historical approaches.

The Middle Ages is a rich period encompassing Early Christian, Byzantine, Romanesque and Gothic art. This course addresses the art, architecture, sculpture, painting and "minor" arts such as manuscript illumination of the era in their political and religious contexts.

The purpose of this course is to help students identify major mythological, biblical and symbolic themes in Western art. Students read excerpts from mythological and biblical literature and discuss their depiction in major works of art. Cultural symbols in art are also considered. This course is designed to further prepare students to recognize the use of symbolic language in works of art and to read and interpret the visual expressions of the cultural themes.

The art and architecture of Asia exhibit the transformation of imagery by ideological and economic forces of power and authority. A series of historical case studies explore that expression in the arts from the ideological underpinnings of ancient kings and emperors of various states to the impact of colonialism and reactions to colonial rule, and finally the dynamics of power and the arts in modern nation-states. To develop a variety of perspectives and explore methodological strategies, a rich selection of media are examined, including painting, design, public sculpture, architecture and the construction and transformation of the cities before, during and after colonial rule.

Students gain an overview of Japanese artistic traditions and innovations from the Neolithic Jōmon period up to the culture of today. From refined court culture to the military influence of the samurai, students explore the rich variety of artforms used in Japan including painting, sculpture, interior design, garden design, prints, and contemporary media such as video and installation. Students study the impacts Buddhist and Shinto beliefs have had on the content, style, and role of the arts within the framework of Japanese culture and history.

Architecture, painting and sculpture of the Indian subcontinent are studied in context, with discussions of how Buddhist, Hindu, Jain and Muslim religions relate to the artistic production of the society. The purposes and functions of the various temples, sculptures and paintings are emphasized and students gain an overall awareness of the different uses of art in India as compared to the West. Literary texts provide a contextual background.

Visual art continues to be an arena for social and political expression. Censorship is examined in relation to single objects, public sculpture as form and as community process; the idea of the monument; and issues such as civil rights, gay rights and challenges to the definition of art. This course focuses on case studies throughout history that have been censored, with an emphasis on European and American art production.

Africa is central to any discussion of art in the 21st century. In fact, the images and dialogues that have emerged from African countries have been in many cases leading an expanding global discourse that the international art world now calls familiar. This course explores the reciprocity or symbiotic existences between cultures. The influence of African art on Western art and culture has been exhaustively published, but less has been understood about the reciprocal gesture of Western arts. This course guides the student through the theoretical and analytical landscapes of contemporary African art since 1980.

Stories in Asia have taken many visual forms, from murals and handscrolls, sculpture and woodblock prints, to more contemporary media, such as manga and anime. Through analysis of narrative devices and visual formats specific to East Asia, students gain an understanding of historical art forms and how they impact today’s culture.

A dynamic fusion of classical heritage, indigenous pagan cultures, consolidated Christian iconography and liturgical needs characterizes the period from the establishment of Constantinople as the New Rome in the East to the rise of pilgrimage and monasticism in Western Europe. A unified political and cultural authority in the eastern Mediterranean beginning in the fourth century stands in marked contrast to the diverse local and regional practices extending throughout the territories formerly controlled by the Roman Empire. This course develops themes based on geography, cultural and artistic exchange; contrasts and comparisons in the art and architecture of Christianity; and the different and intertwined influences and impulses emerging in art and architecture after antiquity.

The ancient Egyptian civilization contributed staggeringly innovative works of art and architecture over more than three millennia, from the pre-dynastic cultures in the North and South through the Ptolemaic and Roman periods. Special attention is given to current archaeological discoveries in Egypt, the importance of hieroglyphs in the understanding of Egyptian art, and the phenomenon of Egyptianization throughout the history of Western art.

Art of the Middle Ages came in many different forms. The focus of this course is on the decorative and other minor arts, which include textiles, fashion, metalwork, lapidary carving, jewelry and small-scale sculpture. Discussions of their function in a variety of contexts throughout the Middle Ages are the primary concentrations.

The international movement of artists at mid-century generated radical shifts in artistic practice. During the post-war period, theories crossed disciplines and informed the making and criticism of art. This course uncovers the significant characteristics of the recent past and present, and explores the theory, criticism and history that inform it.

Students explore the inextricable bond between form and spirit through a scrutiny of visual art, ideographic writing systems, jewelry, fashion, dance and music within its historical context. Students apply diverse methods to test the reading and display of both consciously abstract and deliberately representational spiritual approaches to works of art.

New practices in installation and environmental art often hybridize art with life, technology, science, research, perception, philosophy and ethics. Such integrative artwork may transform our perception of the immanent world. Students analyze and interpret such work in light of their meaning in social, cultural and political frames of reference.

How and with what tools have great artists created their masterpieces? This course delves below the surface to explore the physical character of paintings, manuscripts and stained-glass windows by northern and southern European artists from 1100 to 1600. Antique treatises and recipe books regarding artists' materials and techniques are studied. Recent scientific examinations of artworks and conservation issues are also considered in light of emerging studies in this field.

Using the university resource of the Earle W. Newton Collection of British and American Arts, British portraiture from the Renaissance to the early 20th century is examined. Course discussions focus on content, style and technique of work that is directly observable in the collection and explores the context and role of portraiture in British society.

Art historical discourse has traditionally neglected women artists. Surveying women’s contributions to artistic production from antiquity through postmodernism redresses this. Students examine the social constructs that informed these exclusions, read scholarship addressing gender issues and discuss the revision of art history in the light of recent scholarship.

The culture areas of the northern and eastern North American continent are examined, with discussion focused primarily on content, context, style, technique and the role of art in these diverse cultures. Regions studied include the prehistoric Eastern Woodlands, historic Southeast, Northeast, Sub-Arctic, Arctic and Northwest Coast.

This course engages in revelatory and transformative aesthetic experiences of contemporary global art and culture. Students engage with the effect of cultural experiences on consciousness through the study of aesthetics, the philosophy of art, metaphysics, and ethics. Students also engage in mindfulness practices, receiving art without distraction or judgment while producing formal writing that explores the cultural impact of their moral and ethical values.

Students explore the contributions made by Ancient Greece to world art and architecture in stylistic, social and historical context, together with the archaeological achievements made in uncovering the Greek past. Special attention is given to Greece’s foundational position for Western culture and civilization.

Students examine the monuments and achievements of Ancient Rome through architecture, sculpture and painting from the birth of the Republic to Constantine. Special attention is given to the influence of Rome as the transmitter of Western culture through to modern times.

The culture areas of the western and southwestern North American continent are examined, with discussion focused primarily on content, context, style, technique and the role of art in these diverse cultures. Regions studied in this course include the Plateau, the Great Plains, the Great Basin and the American Southwest. Students read, research, write and speak about issues in Native American art while learning how to analyze native art in its cultural and temporal context.

Literature of the 19th century had a strong influence on British painting. This course examines the visual and verbal dialogue between these two art forms through the reading of poetry, novels and other prose as a means to comprehend their application in the visual art world of 19th-century Britain.

Modern Russian art is the product of the same discourses that defined all Western modernist movements. Through the study of Russian architecture, film, painting, sculpture and theatrical settings, this course addresses fundamental issues that are raised in an examination of modernism in any national context.

During the 19th century, Paris was the center for artistic change in Europe. This course explores the work and theories of major French painters, sculptors and architects, with special consideration given to history and the emerging technologies.

In the late 19th century, the concept of the avant-garde was developed by artists working on the problems of painting the immediate sensations of light. The issues of what a painting was and the role of the artist in society are discussed. The influence of impressionism on the concept of modernism and the individual personalities are significant aspects of the dialogue.

The rich and exotic traditional arts and cultural traditions of Africa, outside of Euro-American influence, are discussed in this course. Students focus on developing an appreciation of other cultures and exploring their limitless potential to work with Western cultures in the spirit of reciprocity.

Developments in artistic theory and design such as the contradictions in Michelangelo’s work—which enlighten and explain the dramatic intensity and stylistic changes from the grandeur of the High Renaissance to the complexities of the Mannerists—are the focus of this course. Works of principal painters and sculptors from the major art-producing cities of the period are studied.

The 1980s in New York were a time of tremendous change and experimentation in the art world. From the influence of Punk to Graffiti art, Appropriation to Neo-Expressionism, the downtown art scene redefined the cultural landscape of New York. This course undertakes an in-depth study of this particular period, focusing on the use of the photograph across diverse art media and practices.

From its invention in 1839 through the 20th century, photography has been a key factor in shaping and defining modernity. Photography and Modernity explores such topics as the invention of the medium and technical innovations, commercial photography, the spread of photography across the globe, photojournalism, movements of art photography, including pictorialism and surrealism, and social documentary. Photographs are studied as both art objects and historical artifacts. Recurring issues include the debates between art photography and documentary photography, government and private patronage, individual and collective endeavors, original and published prints and urban and landscape views. Students read key texts by foundational writers as well as theoretical essays by contemporary scholars.

Covering the great artistic achievements and the diverse social conditions north of the Alps from approximately 1350–1575, this course explores the diverse and unified art and architecture produced in northern Europe during the period. The role that the church and nobility played in the invention and development of oil painting is studied, as well as the role prints played in creating the unprecedented spread of information, leading to an awareness of classicism and playing a significant role in the Reformation. The technical development of prints and the importance of religious sculpture also are critically analyzed.

This course gives special emphasis to the form and function of Italian art and architecture from the early 14th to the middle of the 16th century, the context of these works, and the lives of the artists and architects who produced them. Questions of patronage and the influence of humanism through literature are examined. Differences in regional style are critically analyzed.

The visual arts and architecture of the indigenous cultures of ancient Mexico and northern Central America from 1500 BCE–1550 CE are explored in this course. Architectural monuments, sculpture, fresco and manuscript painting, lapidary arts, featherwork, textiles, ceramics, and metalwork of the Olmec, Teotihuacano, Maya and Mexica-Aztec, among other cultures, are discussed within their socio-political and ritual contexts and in terms of their expressive content: subject matter, form, materials and techniques.

The legacy of the Vatican site is investigated from the ancient Roman era into our contemporary day. General areas of focus include archeological evidence and the art and architectural development of the site. The relationships between artists, the papacy and the people are reconstructed as well as the role and history of the museum collection. Contemporary issues involving the site, its art and its relationship to the world are exposed to students who explore a variety of scholarly approaches associated with the challenges of studying an ancient site over time.

This course introduces students majoring in art history to the multiplicity of theoretical frameworks and methodologies that have defined the history of art as a discipline. The course explores art history’s evolution as a field of study, seeking to understand the ways in which art historians have established the autonomy of their subject. The course addresses the many intersections with other disciplines and bodies of knowledge.

Visuality in the representation and experience of space is culturally determined. In Western art since the 15th century, the constructs depend on the history and theory of perspective and projection drawing. Optical theories and practices developed during the Early Modern period explain the geometric properties of Euclidean space and depend upon seeing, knowing and creating within scalable space. This course explores the mechanisms of constructing vision by the conventions of linear and non-linear perspective, orthographic and projection drawing, distorted representations, movement, and the responses to form and environment.

How do art and culture define a city’s identity and history? In this course, students answer that question by exploring the rich visual heritage and historical artifacts that define and express the people, places and culture of Savannah and the Lowcountry.

In this course, students explore the innovative methods used in modern museums and galleries that exhibit immersive and sensory-driven installations. Students examine new directions and multi-faceted trends that engage viewers with the senses of smell, touch, taste, and hearing in contemporary art.

The medieval manuscript provided artists with the most important venue for painting for more than 1200 years. Students learn how and why manuscripts were made by exploring production practices and patronage. The socio-historical context under which these fine works were created is a significant component of this course. This undergraduate seminar explores these themes and the cultural and interpretative contexts of the works of art.

Afrofuturism is the reimagining of social reality as an alternate, modernist universe where Black lives thrive. Through active engagement with cultural theories, perspectives, and concepts, students examine the diverse, artistic expression of Black experiences in the U.S. Students explore cutting-edge ideas through the exploration of readings, film, music, performance, and visual arts that reflect Black American thought from the 19th century to present day.

Students explore the multifaceted, cultural landscape of Cuba from an Africa-centered perspective. Examining important events and philosophies of key African civilizations, students delve into the historical foundations that contributed to the creation of Afro-Cuban culture and arts. Through the exploration of visual artifacts, prominent artists, film, scholarly readings, music, and dance, students learn about traditional and contemporary influences from Havana to New York City.

Where artistic creation and cosmology converge, performance is inherently interdisciplinary. This class investigates the relationship between Africa and the Afro- Atlantic World via an interdisciplinary methodology. Students explore performance, ritual and its objects, dance, gesture, theatre and music, as well as readings and films. Studying these cultural productions sparks a critical reevaluation of the traditional notion of "diaspora" as a static relationship between Africa and the Americas (what came from Africa, came to the Americas), revealing the Afro-Atlantic World as an amalgam of reciprocal and continuous contact between the Americas, Europe and Africa.

Surrealism and cinema created new visual realms that astonished 20th-century viewers. Supplemented by film screenings, exhibition reviews and literature reviews, students explore the related developments of surrealism and cinema from 1924 to 1984. Students learn a new approach to surrealism focused on the impact on popular culture. The role of women as both the subject matter of surrealism and as artists is also emphasized.

The construction of visual cultural productions occurs where the imagined and the real intersect. Whether pieced together on a flat surface, transformed into three-dimensional works of art, or expressed through writing, sound and movement, the art of assemblage represents cultural heritage and artistic stories. This course investigates the various forms of visual art, theater, dance, film, architecture and spatial interventions for the purpose of research, analysis and the navigation of creative approaches.

The twenty-first century art museum is an unparalleled storehouse of human knowledge and cultural history. Students master a historical overview of the development, evolution, form, and meaning of the art museum. Through course readings, class discussions, and case studies of major museums, students explore museum theory and cultural and interpretative works of art in collections and exhibitions.

William Hogarth was the foremost visual satirist of 18th-century Great Britain. His oeuvre's commentary on the social, political and intellectual issues of 1720s-1760s Great Britain and (to a lesser extent) his influence on contemporaneous and subsequent artists are analyzed through readings, discussions, research and writings. This undergraduate seminar explores these themes and the cultural and interpretative contexts of the works of art.

Ruins have always held a special fascination for artists of all periods and cultures. Buildings left half standing, sculptures in fragments, and objects of melancholic beauty all hold profound lessons. This class traces the art resulting from the wrecked remains of civilizations past. Students explore the cultural significance of ruins and form their own analyses through research and interpretation of visual materials.

Textiles, studied within their cultural contexts of production and use, reveal how fiber arts can communicate ideas through metaphors embedded in all creative design choices and technologies. In exceptionally textile-literate cultures, sites of meaning include fiber and dye selection, sources, and processing; the type of loom employed; fabric structures; pattern choices; and the gender of the artists.

The print medium was the earliest form of rapidly disseminated mass-communication to combine image and text. It therefore predicted contemporary visual mass media. Easily circulated, prints sparked a revolution: Artists and consumers rethought how imagery could impact consciousness. This course examines works by major print artists, a variety of audiences for prints, the broadening of content and format, and developments in print technology.

Addressing the history of photography from circa 1945 to the present, this course examines major photographic movements, styles, critics and theoretical perspectives. The course focuses on the rich and varied critical and theoretical discourse circulating between photographs, or images using photography, and the texts that helped frame the most significant contributions to contemporary photography.

Internships offer students valuable opportunities to work in a professional environment and gain firsthand experience to help them prepare for careers. In an approved internship setting, a student typically spends one quarter working with an on-site professional supervisor and a faculty internship supervisor to achieve specific goals and objectives related to the program of study.

The so-called Second and Third Waves of Feminism, from 1970 to the present, are the focus of this course. The course takes into account the immediate influences from the middle decades of the 20th century, in particular the impact of the Women's Liberation Movement and the Stonewall riots. Feminism has been strongly influential in all areas of contemporary art and therefore this course covers topics such as, but not limited to: the history of "feminisms," Feminism as theoretical framework, the history of women as artists, the relationship of Feminism to Civil Rights and to Queer Theory, Cyberfeminism, and the validity of the term "post-feminism." Students enhance their analytical thinking and interpretative skills by engaging in close readings, small group discussions, an independent research assignment and collaborative visual presentations. This undergraduate seminar explores these themes and the cultural and interpretative contexts of the works of art.

Taught by both a visiting scholar/curator and a SCAD faculty member, this seminar is organized around the expertise of the visiting scholar/curator. Students read and discuss the visiting scholar/curator’s work and other work of comparable scope, scale or historical context. Through discussions, workshops, criticism and research projects, students work with the visiting scholar/curator to expand their critical understanding and the historical and cultural context of research projects or exhibitions.

The two world wars of the first half of the twentieth century wrought unprecedented levels of destruction and artistic production. In this course, students investigate how those who directly experienced battle memorialized the fight; how imagery affected and connected those on "the home front;" and how art formed evolving historical narratives of both wars.

This course provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate sound scholarly methodology and critical thinking skills as they select a topic, research it and write an advanced research paper under the supervision of a faculty committee. The thesis topic must be approved at least one quarter in advance by a faculty adviser. The course is designed for senior art history majors.

Historiography is a thorough introduction to the principal developments and writings in the field of art history, with an emphasis on developments from the 18th century onward. Readings for class meetings demonstrate various approaches to and methodologies in art history.

Contemporary art encompasses an unsurpassed diversity of cultural perspectives, critical positions, and creative approaches. Students learn the conditions of today’s artists while gaining familiarity with the theoretical discourses, art historical methods, and artistic practices that have defined recent history. A range of contemporary works of art anchor class discussions central to today’s art and visual cultures.

The structure of this course combines analysis of texts by major art critics and the development of critical writing skills. Each class discussion focuses on key terms, analytical lenses and the development of pertinent frameworks for the interpretation of contemporary art and artistic practice in art criticism. Student presentations and writing assignments help to develop students’ critical thinking as they analyze the art criticism of preeminent practitioners in leading scholarly journals.

The importance of critical theory and how it has shaped the practices of both artists and art historians in recent times is the focus of this course. Various theoretical models permit a reconsideration of the position of art and its histories in the context of a range of socio-cultural issues. The course explores the impact of critical theory upon the practices of both making and writing about art.

Optical theories and practices developed during the Early Modern period depend upon the geometric properties of Euclidean space and construct experience by seeing, knowing and creating within scalable space. This course explores the mechanisms of constructing vision by the conventions of linear and non-linear perspective, orthographic and projection drawing, distorted representations, movement, and the phenomenological responses to form and space. The graduate critique leads to advanced research and a focused investigation exploring the theme within the history, theory and criticism of art and design.

The Pre-Raphaelite movement is explored through the paintings, prints and design media made by artists associated with the movement. The course explores the debates and practices addressing craft and mass production as well as the diffusion and reform of art and architecture from Europe to America.

Ancient Egypt and its pyramids have represented the apex in world architectural achievement since antiquity. This course examines the chronological development of the pyramid form, its functional synthesis in ancient Egyptian culture and its transmission as an emblem for Egyptianization through time.

The medieval manuscript provided artists with the most important venue for painting for more than 1200 years. Students learn how and why manuscripts were made by exploring production practices and patronage. The socio-historical context under which these fine works were created is a significant component of this course. The graduate critique leads to advanced research and a focused investigation exploring the theme within the history, theory and criticism of art and design.

Dancing the Diaspora investigates the relationship between Africa and the Afro- Atlantic World by examining the point where artistic creation and cosmology converge. Using an interdisciplinary methodology, we draw on visual and performance art as well as readings and films. Performance is defined as expressive culture in the broadest sense, and includes ritual and its objects, dance, gesture, theatre, music and the spaces in between. A shift from the traditional understanding of "diaspora" as a static relationship between Africa and the Americas (what came from Africa, came to the Americas) will be employed, conceptualizing the Afro-Atlantic World as an amalgam of reciprocal and continuous contact between the Americas, Europe and Africa.

Surrealism and cinema created a new world that 20th century viewers could have never imagined. Challenging traditional scholarly paradigms, students master and apply a range of recent developments in methodological approaches and theoretical constructs to surrealism and cinema, focusing on their complex relation to one another and to popular culture. Emerging discourse on the role of women as both the subject matter of surrealism and as artists receives emphasis. Supplemented by film screenings, exhibition reviews and literature reviews, this course charts the relation between developments in surrealism and cinema from 1924 to 1984.

The creative act of assemblage occurs at the intersection between the visual and the spatial, between imagined and constructed reality. Whether bound to flat surfaces, constructions in three dimensions, time-based practices or linguistic play, the art of assembly constructs new relationships dependent upon cultural heritage and artistic traditions. This course investigates the intermedial and relational nature of assembly from a range of perspectives, including visual arts, theater, dance, film, architecture and spatial interventions.

Ancient Rome has long been the inspiration for major film and television productions across the globe. In this seminar course, students examine the evidence of visual culture and the role of art history in producing such cinematic vehicles. Students use the latest interpretive methods to specifically address the spectacle and propaganda of major Roman legacies preserved in the media of film and television.

The twenty-first century art museum is an unparalleled storehouse of human knowledge and cultural history. Students master a historical overview of the development, evolution, form, and meaning of the art museum. Through course readings, class discussions, and case studies of major museums, students explore museum theory and cultural and interpretative works of art in collections and exhibitions.

An interdisciplinary course connecting African American aesthetics with cutting edge ideas, and intellectual and social movements that will challenge students to re-think the past and present. Students will take on important topics in American history and see the crucial relationship between art and ideas, encouraging independent thinking. This understanding will furnish students with a broad visual vocabulary and cultural awareness, preparing them to deal with the “real world” with all its richness and intricacy. Our assessment of course offerings indicates that SCAD does not currently offer a course in this topic area. Thus, there is a need for it. Students will actively engage with cultural theories, perspectives, and ideas to enrich understanding of their role within a complex and dynamic international community.

Students conduct in-depth research into the multifaceted, cultural landscape of Cuba from an Africa-centered perspective. Exploring crucial events and philosophies of key African civilizations, students delve into the historical foundations that contributed to the creation of Afro-Cuban culture and arts. Studying visual artifacts, prominent artists, film, scholarly readings, music, and dance, students cultivate a broader awareness of the cultural influences from Havana to New York City.

Knowledge in the field of artists’ materials and techniques is a significant stepping stone for graduate students looking to work as professional art educators, museum curators, and gallerists. In this class scholarly readings and artists’ dialogues combined with interpreting scientific evidence and conservation projects form the basis of art historical analysis on topics such as technique and authentication. This graduate critique leads to advanced research and a focused investigation exploring the theme within the history, theory, and criticism of art and design.

The breadth of new media in the digital and imaging arts and the recent history of artistic exploration into these media make it essential to consider the evolution of these art forms from traditional media. Underscoring the exploration is the conception that new media has forced art history into expanding the canon and the traditional criteria for examining art.

William Hogarth was the foremost visual satirist of 18th-century Great Britain. His oeuvre’s commentary on the social, political and intellectual issues of 1720s-1760s Great Britain and (to a lesser extent) his influence on contemporaneous and subsequent artists are analyzed through readings, discussions, research and writings. The graduate critique leads to advanced research and a focused investigation exploring the theme within the history, theory and criticism of art and design.

Artists are perpetually engaged in processes of making and unmaking. The poignant exercise of creating art in response to the buildings and monuments that have been worn over time has long been a fascinating human activity. This class traces the intellectual interest in the art of the ruin. Graduate-level critique leads to a focused investigation of ruins within the multicultural history, theory and criticism of art and design.

Studied within their cultural contexts of production and use, textiles reveal how fiber arts can communicate ideas through metaphors embedded in all creative design choices and technologies. In exceptionally textile-literate cultures, sites of meaning include fiber and dye selection, sources and processing; the type of loom employed; fabric structures; pattern choices; and the gender of the artists. The graduate critique leads to advanced research and a focused investigation exploring the theme within the history, theory and criticism of art and design.

How do we define landscape? How are photographs uniquely suited to capture the grace, horror and beauty of the places in which we live, work and play? This course examines photographic landscapes from the everyday to the extraordinary, from the serene to the surreal. Theoretical readings situate landscape photography within a larger framework of photographic history and criticism and explore various representations of landscape throughout the history of photography from 1839 until the present, with a special focus on American practitioners and places.

The print medium was the earliest form of rapidly disseminated mass-communication to combine image and text. It therefore predicated contemporary visual mass media such as newspapers, television and the Internet. Easily circulated, prints sparked a revolution: artists and consumers re-thought how imagery could impact consciousness. This course explores the effects of this paradigm shift while examining works by major print artists, a variety of audiences for prints, the broadening of content and format, and developments in print technology. The graduate critique leads to advanced research and a focused investigation exploring the theme within the history, theory and criticism of art and design.

After 1945, photography and avant-garde cinema transformed art and visual culture, and are closely intertwined. This course examines major contemporary photographic and cinematic movements, styles, critics and theoretical perspectives. The focus is on the rich and varied critical and theoretical discourse circulating between photographs, or images using photography, film, and the texts that framed significant contributions to contemporary photography and cinema.

Students in this course undertake a field assignment under the supervision of a faculty member.

Students in this course undertake a teaching assignment under the supervision of a faculty member.

The history of feminist art is rich and varied. The second and third waves, from 1970 to the present, are the focus of this course. It also takes into account the immediate influences from the middle decades of the 20th century, in particular the impact of the Women's Liberation Movement and Stonewall. Feminism has been strongly influential on all areas of contemporary art, which is also a subject of discussion throughout the course.

The art history M.A. degree program culminates with completion of a graduate-level thesis that demonstrates mastery of scholarly research and analysis; a refined knowledge of the history, theory and criticism of art and design; and makes an original contribution to the discipline of art history.

The city of Savannah offers an immersive research laboratory where students examine the complex connections between artistic expression and cultural identity. Through deep exploration of the region’s rich visual heritage, students pursue contextual understanding of the intersectionality of race, class, gender and identity embedded in Savannah’s public and private histories. Engagement with local resources energizes and enriches documentation of the people, places and culture that define Savannah and the Lowcountry.

The topic of this course varies from quarter to quarter. Each course focuses on various issues in the field of art history.