Art Studio

This is an advanced level art studio course for students with prior experience. Course contents: Using and knowing tools, materials, and techniques; function and possibility to use of the following materials: plaster and scagliola, modeling clay, gelatin, synthetic silicone rubbers, waxes, foundry sands, nails or pins, metal rods, irons, burners, etc.; function, knowledge, and application of various molding techniques: piece molds, gelatin molds, synthetic rubber molds, lost molds, etc.; reproducing wax models, retouching, arranging channels (pouring and vents), creation of molds with refractory earth mixtures (core and external shells), firing molds in electric and gas furnaces, etc.; degree of metal fusion, composition, characteristics, and behavior; knowledge of casting techniques: lost-wax casting, pressure casting, cuttlebone casting, flask casting, centrifugal casting, casting in porcelain-based molds and chemical agglutinates; types of furnaces used for casting: reverberatory, crucible, electric, etc.; different procedures for pouring molten metal (with crucible, with ladle, etc.); analysis of defects and methods for finishing castings: sandblasting, chasing, gilding, patination, etc.; historical and cultural references to past casting processes.

Lessons involve individual or group design and realization of a project through foundry techniques under the supervision of the instructor. In addition, the course includes hours dedicated to the discussion and review of projects, until the final exam. The exam is an evaluation of the project and of the theoretical knowledge acquired by the student. To pass the exam, students must attend regularly, complete the project, and submit a final report with pictures illustrating the work phases, as well as the content and stylistic choices.

This is course that runs for the entire year. Part A, offered during the fall semester, is worth 6 quarter units.

This is an advanced level art studio course in the field of drawing for students with prior experience. 

This course examines the dynamics, roles and politics of culture, art and creative agency in the reproduction and transformation of society. It focuses on the ways art and artists respond to, dismantle and reimagine beyond the discursive and institutional formations that construct difference as ‘problematic’, and the injustices they give rise to. This is an empirically and practice-based course that interrogates the relationships and tensions between knowledge, aesthetics and pedagogy through examination of ground-breaking works of art and scholarship across a range of pressing social justice issues and national contexts. It is interdisciplinary, convening readings from sociology, anthropology, art history and social movement studies. Course materials are gathered across theoretical traditions of feminism, Black, indigenous and queer studies, as well as post-colonial and decolonial studies. There is no ‘textbook’ or singular approach to this area of study. Coursework requires equal measures of weekly scholarly and weekly arts-based work: it involves a variety of exercises using a range of visual art techniques, and students are welcome to experiment with sonic and performative practices for the final project. Completing work on a weekly basis is essential.

This class studies the potential of graphic design in terms of productivity and usability while also questioning what value system we can convey through design. It explores the role of promoting through visual communication and adding value to digital products.  

This class researches what potential there is in graphic-driven product design when decoupled from productivity and usefulness. What happens when we consider the ideas of design and products as “useless machines” rather than productive tools. What do products look like that encourage formal experimentation, self-reflection, meaningful interpersonal communication, and logging off? What are the value systems embedded in our interfaces and goods, and how do they perpetuate ideologies? What sort of productive opportunities can be found in being adamantly unproductive?   

This course combines academic inquiry with practical hands-on experience. Students should be comfortable using design software and producing graphic outcomes (these can range from digital outcomes like webpages or videos, to physical materials such as books, posters, textiles, etc.) 

The following activities will take place in-person and online via several platforms: Reading discussion, Topic/lecture/discussion, Project critique/discussion, Group exercises, A weekend workshop, One-on-one meetings, Group meetings.  

Students should also be prepared to complete two individual projects and a group projects and be aware that these projects may comprise up to 70% of the final assessment. 

This course covers principles of composition and specific techniques for developing language in design. Students learn representation techniques including representation in 2D, 3D, space and time. Practices include analog and digital images, photographic images, principles of audiovisual language, image creation and processing, introduction to digital sound and audio, laboratory theory and practice, and experimental processes. Students also work on their development of ethical and socio-environmental responsibility.

This is an advanced level art studio course for students with prior experience. The course develops an understanding of the defining features and structural elements of fine art graphics in many forms, while teaching engraving and printing techniques both theoretically and practically. Course contents include: familiarizing with studio spaces, safety regulations, and respectful conduct; introducing the concept of original fine art print and distinguishing among intaglio, woodcut, lithography, and screen printing; analyzing original prints and reproductions to study the graphic work of professional artists and to understand the different engraving techniques and their opportunities for expression; using equipment and tools; graphic design and project development; differences between direct and indirect intaglio techniques; preparing printing plates; methods to transfer drawings; etching techniques for coverage and additions, soft ground (line and impression), drypoint, and aquatint; understanding etching times; inking, cleaning, and printing methods; paper soaking and drying; constructing a register; cleaning and preservation of plates. 

More experienced students in the course also experiment with new techniques. Students develop personal projects, with particular attention to the formal and compositional aspects and to the modulation of the sign. Students are guided, throughout their artistic research, to understand the close relationship between content and sign. Teaching methods include: theoretical lessons and collective and individual practical demonstrations; individual discussions on current projects. A classroom platform is available for general communication. Educational outings, exhibitions, and participation in workshops may be proposed.

This is an advanced level art studio course for students with prior experience. The course focuses on from drawing to sign, learning to see and observe as a starting point for drawing. Students learn about pictorial materials and classical and modern drawing techniques. Students engage in self-analysis and inner exploration, and they learn how to use the sign to translate the emotion of gestures. The sign becomes an opportunity for analysis and research for students, who use their own expressive language. Teaching methods include drawing from life with posed models. 

Drawing on methods developed by ground-breaking musicians, performers, dancers, writers and screen artists, students will be given practical strategies to take risks with their imagination. Hands-on workshops will provide students with the courage to discover through collaboration. 

This course examines conceptual and technical principles of publication design. It emphasizes the development of skills using standard industry software, and the positioning of briefs in real world contexts. It covers the systematic processes that make designing publications more efficient. 

This hands-on course covers the theory and practice of calligraphy.  

Through the appreciation and practice of calligraphy, students enhance their eye for evaluating handwriting and learn practical applications for everyday life.