Acknowledgments and Credits:
The online lectures on this website were written by Kenney Mencher at Ohlone College in California and Texas A&M International University. 
It was substantially rewritten, edited, revised, and researched by Kenney Mencher and students Christina (Monkey) Paul, Annette Abbott, Tova Ossad, and various others (credited within the text). 


ART 101  An Introduction to Art
Fall 2008 Web Class 

Instructor Bonnie Kuo (Bonnie Kuo <bkuo@ohlone.edu>)

Syllabus

Scroll down this page for schedule of readings and due dates on assignments.
Note: This Calendar is subject to change


Basic Questions about Art (Weeks 1-2)

Week 1
Stuff You need to Know and Buy to Take this Course (Read this first!)


Readings and Online Lectures for Week 1

  • Read Sayre Student Toolkit.
  • Read Sayre Chapters 1-3 on A World of Art, Developing Visual Literacy, and The Themes of Art
Assignments for Week 1

ASSIGNMENT #1, #2, and #3    Due Sunday September 7 by 11:59 pm or earlier

If you miss or are late in turning in any of the first 4 assignments you earn an automatic "F" in the course.  If you miss any of the first 4 assignments you may be automatically dropped from the course.

Assignment #1:  INTRODUCTORY EMAIL ASSIGNMENT  (Read the directions carefully!)

  • Send an e-mail directly to me (bkuo@ohlone.edu) with your class number in the subject heading (ART 101-1 or ART 101-4)
  • In the body of the e-mail please put your name, telephone number, and e-mail address.
  • Please answer the following questions.

    •    1.  Have you read and understood the List of Assignments and Due Dates found on the Syllabus and throughout the website?
       2.  When submitting a worksheet assignment, what process/method is suggested as a back up in case you lose your work or experience technical problems?
       3.  If you have trouble submitting any of the worksheet assignments, what should you do?  Do I accept email attachments?
       4.  What is the policy on late work in this class?
       5.  What constitutes cheating?  What are the consequences if you plagiarize in your worksheets or bulletin board postings?
       6. Do you have any questions for me?


Assignment #2:  INTRODUCTORY BULLETIN BOARD POSTING
(The bulletin board is located in the left hand margin of the very first page when you first log into WebCT.)

In complete sentences that are properly punctuated and capitalized, please post a message to the class bulletin board in which you introduce yourself to the class.
Provide the following information:

   1.  What you would like to be called (your name or nickname).
   2.  How long have you been studying at Ohlone?
   3.  What is your major?
   4.  Your background in terms of taking any kind of art class.
   5.  Why are you taking this class?
   6.  Something interesting about yourself.  (You can write anything here, except for something rude.)
 

Assignment #3: BULLETIN BOARD POSTING 1

The bulletin board is located in the left hand margin of the very first page when you first log into WebCT.

I do not accept late work.  So make sure you turn it in on time!

Choose ONE of the following discussion topics and post your response on the bulletin board or respond to someone else's post.  Please type the discussion question at the top of your posting.

(A REMINDER: If you choose to respond to someone else's post, make sure your reply adds to the discussion.  Explain why you agree or disagree with your classmate and provide factual evidence to back up your opinion.  If your reply does not add anything new to the discussion but simply restates another student's answer, it will not receive full credit.  Remember the point of the bulletin board postings is to have a meaningful discussion and demonstrate to me that you have read and understood the material.)

(How to get an "A" while doing this.)
 

  • According to Sayre's book, what are some of the main reasons why artists make art?  Do you agree or disagree that these are good or valid reasons?  (Note: DO NOT copy directly from the textbook.  Be sure to discuss Sayre’s points in your own words.)
  • Name a sculpture, painting, or photograph Sayre discusses in Chapters 2 or 3 and explain why in your opinion it either is or is not a work of art.  In your opinion what constitutes art?  Be sure to first reference the work of art using the artist's name, title of the work, date, and the page or figure number from Sayre on which the work is reproduced.
  • Choose a work of art from the book.  Do you think it is beautiful?  Explain why or why not?  Be sure to fully reference the work of art, so your peers can look it up in Sayre (see note above).
Week 2

Readings and Online Lectures for Week 2


Assignment for Week 2

ASSIGNMENT #4    Due Sunday September 14 by 11:59 pm or earlier
WORKSHEET 1

Worksheet 1

I do not accept late work.  So make sure you turn it in on time!
Spelling and grammar do count.

If you miss or are late in turning in any of the first 4 assignments you earn an automatic "F" in the course.  If you miss any of the first 4 assignments you may be automatically dropped.

Note:  ALWAYS type your worksheet responses in a word processing program such as MS Word first.  That way your work is saved and you have a back up copy.  Then cut and paste your numbered answers into an email and send them to me at bkuo@ohlone.edu.  Should you run into a problem while submitting the worksheets online, you always have a backup copy with your Word document.  Remember, I do NOT accept email attachments or images. 

(Bonnie Kuo <bkuo@ohlone.edu>)
 


MONDAY September 15 Last day to drop semester length class without a "W" grade.
Reception of Art and Its Controversies (Weeks 3-5)

Week 3

Readings and Online Lectures for Week 3

Week 4

Readings and Online Lectures for Week 4

  • Read Sayre Chapters 13-15 on The Camera Arts, Sculpture, and Other 3D Media
  • Grandma Litmus


Assignment for Week 4

ASSIGNMENT #5   Due Sunday September 28 by 11:59 pm or earlier
BULLETIN BOARD POSTING 2

The bulletin board is located in the left hand margin of the very first page when you first log into WebCT.

I do not accept late work.  So make sure you turn it in on time!

Choose ONE of the following proposed topics and post an answer to the bulletin board or respond to someone else's post.  Please type the discussion question at the top of your posting.

(A REMINDER: If you choose to respond to someone else's post, make sure your reply adds to the discussion.  Explain why you agree or disagree with your classmate and provide factual evidence to back up your opinion.  If your reply does not add anything new to the discussion but simply restates another student's answer, it will not receive full credit.  Remember the point of the bulletin board postings is to have a meaningful discussion and demonstrate to me that you have read and understood the material.)

(How to get an "A" while doing this.)

  • Do you agree or disagree with the "Grandma Litmus" view of art?  Fully explain your answer.
  • Name a work of art from Chapters 4, 13-15 of Sayre you find offensive or worthy of censorship.  Explain why you think this is so.  Be sure to reference the work of art using the artist's name, title of the work, date, and the page or figure number from Sayre on which the work is reproduced.
  • People at first had a hard time adjusting to the newer ideas and forms involved with modern art.  Choose a work of art from Sayre's Chapter 22 that you have a strong reaction to and discuss your feelings and the reasons for them.   Do you agree with the artist's choice of theme or purpose in making the piece of art?  Be sure to fully reference the work of art, so your peers can look it up in Sayre (see note above).


Week 5

Assignment for Week 5

ASSIGNMENT #6    Due Sunday October 5 by 11:59 pm or earlier
WORKSHEET 2

Worksheet 2

I do not accept late work.  So make sure you turn it in on time!
Spelling and grammar do count.

Note:  ALWAYS type your worksheet responses in a word processing program such as MS Word first.  That way your work is saved and you have a back up copy.  Then cut and paste your numbered answers into an email and send them to me at bkuo@ohlone.edu.  Should you run into a problem while submitting the worksheets online, you always have a backup copy with your Word document.  Remember, I do NOT accept email attachments or images. 

(Bonnie Kuo <bkuo@ohlone.edu>)
 

Formal Analysis of Art (Weeks 6-9)

Weeks 6 and 7

Readings and Online Lectures for Weeks 6


Assignment for Week 7

ASSIGNMENT #7   Due Sunday October 19 by 11:59 pm or earlier
BULLETIN BOARD POSTING 3a

I do not accept late work.  So make sure you turn it in on time!

Choose ONE of the following  proposed topics and post an answer to the bulletin board or respond to someone else's post.  Please type the question into your response.

(A REMINDER: If you choose to respond to someone else's post, make sure your reply adds to the discussion.  Explain why you agree or disagree with your classmate and provide factual evidence to back up your opinion.  If your reply does not add anything new to the discussion but simply restates another student's answer, it will not receive full credit.  Remember the point of the bulletin board postings is to have a meaningful discussion and demonstrate to me that you have read and understood the material.)

(How to get an "A" while doing this.)
 

  • What is atmospheric perspective (also known as aerial perspective)?  Describe how atmospheric perspective is created in a work of art and the effect it has on pictorial space.
  • Explain how one goes about determining the symmetry of a work of art.  Then describe the difference between bilateral symmetry and symmetry.  Finally, discuss how a composition can be asymmetrically balanced.
  • If you compare the foreshortening in Mantegna's The Dead Christ, c. 1490-1501 to the drawing below, you may notice that the feet are a bit too small in Mantegna's work and this appears to be done on purpose.    Why do you think this is so?  What purpose do you think it might serve?



Week 8

Readings and Online Lectures for Week 8


Assignment for Week 8

ASSIGNMENT #8   Due Sunday October 26 by 11:59 pm or earlier
BULLETIN BOARD POSTING 3b

I do not accept late work.  So make sure you turn it in on time!

Choose ONE of the following proposed topics and post an answer to the bulletin board or respond to someone else's post.  Please type the question into your response.

(A REMINDER: If you choose to respond to someone else's post, make sure your reply adds to the discussion.  Explain why you agree or disagree with your classmate and provide factual evidence to back up your opinion.  If your reply does not add anything new to the discussion but simply restates another student's answer, it will not receive full credit.  Remember the point of the bulletin board postings is to have a meaningful discussion and demonstrate to me that you have read and understood the material.)

(How to get an "A" while doing this.)
 

  • Describe the concept of optical mixing.  Given an example of a work of art from the online lectures or textbook that relies on optical mixing.  Be sure to reference the work of art using the artist's name, title of the work, date, and the page or figure number from Sayre on which the work is reproduced. 
  • Discuss the difference in the color palette of the unrestored versus the restored version of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel Ceiling (see Sayre Fig. 181 vs. Fig. 182).  How does the restored version change your perception of the work?  Which do you prefer?  Explain why.
  • Explain why scale is important when looking at reproductions of art.  How does one determine scale in a reproduction?  Hint: Be sure you read the dimensions of each work in the captions carefully and address this in your response.  Use Do-Ho Suh's Public Figures, 1998-1999 (Sayre, Fig. 241) and Claes Oldenburg's Spoonbridege and Cherry, 1988 (Sayre, Fig. 242) as examples.  How does scale change your understanding of a work of art?

Week 9

Readings and Online Lectures for Week 9

  • Read Sayre Chapters 10-12 on Drawing, Printmaking, and Painting
Assignment for Week 10

ASSIGNMENT #9    Due Sunday November 2 by 11:59 pm or earlier
WORKSHEET 3

Worksheet 3

I do not accept late work.  So make sure you turn it in on time!
Spelling and grammar do count.

Note:  ALWAYS type your worksheet responses in a word processing program such as MS Word first.  That way your work is saved and you have a back up copy.  Then cut and paste your numbered answers into an email and send them to me at bkuo@ohlone.edu.  Should you run into a problem while submitting the worksheets online, you always have a backup copy with your Word document.  Remember, I do NOT accept email attachments or images. 

(Bonnie Kuo <bkuo@ohlone.edu>)
 

Iconographic Analysis of Art (Weeks 10-12)

Week 10 and 11

Readings and Online Lectures for Weeks 10 and 11

  • Reread Sayre Chapter 2 on Developing Visual Literacy
  • Review Sayre Chapters 5-9 on The Formal Elements and Their Design: Describing the Art You See
  • Read Sayre Chapter 21 on The Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries
  • Romanticism
  • Caspar David Friederich
Assignment for Week 11

ASSIGNMENT #10   Due Sunday November 16 by 11:59 pm or earlier
BULLETIN BOARD POSTING 4

I do not accept late work.  So make sure you turn it in on time!

Choose ONE of the following proposed topics and post an answer to the bulletin board or respond to someone else's post.  Please type the question into your response.

(A REMINDER: If you choose to respond to someone else's post, make sure your reply adds to the discussion.  Explain why you agree or disagree with your classmate and provide factual evidence to back up your opinion.  If your reply does not add anything new to the discussion but simply restates another student's answer, it will not receive full credit.  Remember the point of the bulletin board postings is to have a meaningful discussion and demonstrate to me that you have read and understood the material.)

(How to get an "A" while doing this.)
 

  • What is iconography?  Why do you think iconography is dependent on culture and changes over time?
  • Describe the idea of the sublime.  Explain how Caspar David Friederich's Wanderer above the Sea of Fog (1817-1818) illustrates this concept.
  • What is the difference between the content and subject matter of a work of art?  Use Philippe de Champaigne's Still Life or Vanitas (Sayre, Fig. 63) to explain your answer.

TUESDAY November 18  Last day to drop from semester length courses with a "W" grade.

Week 12

Assignment for Week 12

ASSIGNMENT #11    Due Sunday November 23 by 11:59 pm or earlier
WORKSHEET 4

Worksheet 4

I do not accept late work.  So make sure you turn it in on time!
Spelling and grammar do count.

Note:  ALWAYS type your worksheet responses in a word processing program such as MS Word first.  That way your work is saved and you have a back up copy.  Then cut and paste your numbered answers into an email and send them to me at bkuo@ohlone.edu.  Should you run into a problem while submitting the worksheets online, you always have a backup copy with your Word document.  Remember, I do NOT accept email attachments or images. 

(Bonnie Kuo <bkuo@ohlone.edu>)


Application of Concepts to Renaissance Art (Weeks 13-15)

Week 13
Happy Thanksgiving!

Readings and Online Lectures for Week 13

Week 14

Readings and Online Lectures for Week 14


Assignment for Week 14

ASSIGNMENT #12   Due Sunday December 7 by 11:59 pm or earlier
BULLETIN BOARD POSTING 5

I do not accept late work.  So make sure you turn it in on time!

Choose ONE of the following proposed topics and post an answer to the bulletin board or respond to someone else's post.  Please type the question into your response.

(A REMINDER: If you choose to respond to someone else's post, make sure your reply adds to the discussion.  Explain why you agree or disagree with your classmate and provide factual evidence to back up your opinion.  If your reply does not add anything new to the discussion but simply restates another student's answer, it will not receive full credit.  Remember the point of the bulletin board postings is to have a meaningful discussion and demonstrate to me that you have read and understood the material.)

(How to get an "A" while doing this.)
 

  • Why do you think Sofonisba Anguissola chose not to depict herself painting in her self-portrait, Self Portrait of the Artist with Sisters and Governess (The Chess Game), 1555?  In your answer be sure to discuss women's roles in the Renaissance.
  • Bill Viola's The Greeting, 1995 is based on Pontormo's The Visitation, 1528 (Sayre, Fig. 393-394).  What do you think of Viola's adaptation?  In your response compare and contrast these two works.
  • Choose your favorite work of art reproduced in Sayre Chapter 20 and explain why you like it.  Use the concepts you have learned in this class to support your opinion.  Be sure to reference the work of art using the artist's name, title of the work, date, and the page or figure number from Sayre on which the work is reproduced.


Week 15

Assignment for Week 15

ASSIGNMENT #13    Due Sunday December 14 by 11:59 pm or earlier
WORKSHEET 5

Worksheet 5

I do not accept late work.  So make sure you turn it in on time!
Spelling and grammar do count.

Note:  ALWAYS type your worksheet responses in a word processing program such as MS Word first.  That way your work is saved and you have a back up copy.  Then cut and paste your numbered answers into an email and send them to me at bkuo@ohlone.edu.  Should you run into a problem while submitting the worksheets online, you always have a backup copy with your Word document.  Remember, I do NOT accept email attachments or images. 

(Bonnie Kuo <bkuo@ohlone.edu>)
 

This is your last assignment; there is no final exam in this class.
After you have finished Worksheet 5 you are free!  Have a great winter break!