Syllabus
Advanced Drawing
Rubens Ghenov
Course Description
This course is directed
to students developing their own language, ideas and subject matter through an
active studio practice both in and out of class with a rigorous critical
participation during critiques.
Assignments are given to
formally and conceptually aid students in the trajectory of their own research
and work. Emphasis will be placed on discovering and defining the student's
areas of interest, then probing the boundaries of those areas. Focus on
utilizing drawing as an experimental tool in the studio to flesh out ideas and
concepts. Readings, films, lectures, field trips, studio visits along with
individual and group critiques will occur in order to allow students to
perceive their own development amidst art history and contemporary art.
Disability Disclosure
School Closing Policy
Information on
cancellation of classes due to inclement weather
Attendance Policy
It is vital that you
attend every class and that you are on time. Three or more unexcused absences
will result in failure or no-credit for the course. Two late arrivals will be
counted as an unexcused absence. Excused absences are to be discussed in
advance or accompanied by a doctor’s note. Five is the limit for excused
absences. Lateness disrupts critiques and makes information pertinent to class
to be lost.
Grading
A – Student displays an overall excellence
that exceeds expectation. Work
which is outstanding and shows remarkable growth, effort, rigor and critical
thinking. Meets deadlines, participates in class, takes risks, articulates
verbally in crits, profoundly immerses into the practice, has depth of inquiry
and wonder; not only experiments but attempts to figure out outcomes.
B – Student displays an impressive but not exceptional
work, work ethic, effort and attitude. . Meets deadlines, participates in
class, takes risks, articulates verbally in crits, immerses into the practice,
has depth of inquiry and wonder; and pursues an experimental practice.
C – Student displays average work, work ethic and
effort. Work indicates potential however without quantifiable development.
Student displays a certain unsusceptibility to revision, change,
experimentation and risk.
D – Students displays below average work, ethic
and attitude. Work indicates minute quantifiable development and a poor
susceptibility to revision, change, experimentation and risk. Student rarely
participates verbally in crits
F – Student displays very poor work, ethic,
criticality and attitude. Student does not participate verbally in crits,
produces and performs below the minimum requirement of growth, participation,
critical thinking, attendance and inquiry.
Critiques
On days assigned for
critique, work is to be ready and hung promptly by the start of class. No one
should be sitting around waiting to hang work. If there is wall space, hang it
accordingly and befittingly to the work.
Whether an introvert or
a quiet student you MUST learn to verbally articulate your thoughts about your
own work, that of others and respond to criticism. You also NEED to learn to
invest in the criticism given, whether by peers or professors. Learn to believe
and disbelieve.
Reading/Films
Throughout the semester
I will give readings and show films. If you are not in class you are responsible
for acquiring the material given. Do not sleep while a film is being shown. I
will also give students different reading material pertinent to the specificity
of their work, research and practice.
Assigned text
Clarice Lispector's "The Passion According to GH"
Content/Structure
SYLLABUS SUBJECT
TO CHANGE
Field Trips and
studio visits to be arranged
Week 1
Day 1_ Introduction to class/syllabus/questionnaire
Day 2_ Watch Lars Von Trier's "Five Obstructions"
Assignment 1: - Bring your most accomplished/favorite/successful work you have made thus far to the next class.
Week 2
Day 1_ Discussion of works, discussion and distribution of obstructions by class
Day 2_ Work on Obstructed Drawings pt 1
Assignment 2: - Select 5 of obstructions suggested by class
- Incorporate all 5 obstructions in one drawing or
- Make a drawing for each of the 5.
- Incorporate all 5 obstructions in one drawing or
- Make a drawing for each of the 5.
- Bring a Found Drawing to next class
Week 3
Week 3
Day 1_ Work on Obstructed Drawings pt 2
Assignment 3: Rework a Found Drawing
Day 2_ Critique of Obstructed Drawings
Week 4
Day 1_ 8 Time Based/One Line Drawings
- 1st drawing starts at 30 minutes, then each consecutive drawing is
decreased by 4 minutes
Day 2_ Index Drawing Exercise (Create ways in which to have yourself and/others make unintentional marks), ie: sleep covered in olive oil bring bedsheets, spread paper on a sidewalk and collect foot prints, rubbings.
Assignment 4: Index Drawing
Week 5
Day 1_ Critique on Reworked Found Drawing
Day 2_ Invisible Drawing or A Drawing No One Can See
Week 6
Day 1_ Critique on index Drawing
Day 2_ Alain Resnais' "L'Année dernière à Marienbad" (1961)
Assignment 5: Memory drawing of your first memory/dream
Week 7
Day 1_ Visionary Architecture Lecture: The Metabolists, Archigram, Superstudios
Day 2_ The Body as Visionary Architecture Think Derrick Adams
Assignment 6: The Body as Visionary Architecture
Week 8 MIDTERM
Week 9
Day 1_ Critique on Memory Drawing of first memory
Day 2_ Watch Masahiro Shinoda's Himiko/Mingei lecture
Assignment 7: Masahiro Shinoda's Himiko self invented Mingei Still Life
Week 10
Day 1_ Critique on The Body as Visionary Architecture
Day 2_ Visual Interpretation of Paul Celan's poem "Death Fugue"
Week 11
Day 1_ Critique on Himiko self invented Mingei Still Life
Day 2_ Still Life of others' Self Invented Still lives
Assignment 8: Abstract Drawing derived from Still Life of others' Self Invented Still lives
Week 12
Day 1_ Collaborative Drawing (Slow Motion Double Film Exposure)
Day 2_ Double Handed Drawing - A student holds another's hand to draw the figure
Assignment 9: FINAL PROJECT
Week 13
Day 1_ Critique on Assignment 8 pt 1 (lineage of abstraction)
Day 2_ Critique on Assignment 8 pt 2 (lineage of abstraction)
Week 14
Day 1_ Pseudo Synesthesia (Creating marks, value, gestures from sound)
Day 2_ Gong Fu with class
Week 15
Day 1_ FINAL CRIT
Day 2_ FINAL CRIT
_________________________________________________________
Assignments
Advanced
Drawing
Rubens Ghenov
Assignment 1 & 2: The Five Obstructions
_ Watch Lars Von Trier’s
film “The Five Obstructions” (2003)
and (3 scenes) Jørgen Leth’s “The Perfect Human”
(1967)
_ Discuss Von Trier’s film and process of obstructions vis- à-vis Leth’s original intent.
_ Obstructions to classmates’ most accomplished/favorite/successful work made thus far
_ Make a drawing using five obstructions from the selection given by peers OR
_ Make 5 different drawings that address each of your selection of obstructions separately.
_ Critique to be be held in 2 weeks
_________________________________________________________
Assignment
6: The Body As Visionary Architecture
 |
| Archigram |
 |
| Derrick Adams |
_
Lecture on Visionary Architecture
Artists
to look at:
. Derrick
Adams (Deconstruction
Worker/Heads)
. Sarah
Oppenheimer
. Archigram (http://archigram.westminster.ac.uk/index.php)
. The
Metabolists (Kisho Kurokawa)
. Superstudios
.
Letha Wilson
.
Buckminster Fuller
_
Make a drawing that is life size (proportions in accordance to your stature)
where you imagine architectural
spaces and vernacular as parts of your body.
_
Translate certain attributes/functions of your body as visual images (texture,
color, etc).
_
Use Collage and/or Xerox transfer of ready made imagery.
_
Emulate the color scheme of a specific artwork from an artist/architect/group
we looked at.
Assignment 5: Memory Drawing of First memory/Dream
_ Create a 6'x6' piece of paper from materials of your preference (newspaper, xerox, book
pages).
_ Make a drawing of your first memory or the first dream you recall having.
_ Materials:
- vine charcoal
- eraser
- 6'x6' paper