Art Studio

In this studio practice course students further expand content, context, methodology and the role of critical dialogue in the production of contemporary art. Study is through a series of studio projects, media workshops, and a program of gallery visits and guest speakers.

This course provides an introduction to basic concepts and computer tools used in creating, editing, and retouching digital photography.

This course is a passionate invitation to a collective exploration of and adventure in photography as an art form. The course combines theoretical aspects of photography, its aesthetic, and cognitive value with practical exercises. Students participate in several outdoor activities, an integral part of the course in order to improve students' individual skills in artistic self-expression. Through students' presentations, the course also offers a brief history of Czech(oslovak) photography. By the end of this course, students submit a final paper consisting of a portfolio of 12 images and a short 2000 character essay which represents the application and integration of their learning about technique, artistry, and Czech photography.

This course introduces students to the world of photography by examining the works of various artists and selected projects. Students learn the technical aspects of the camera and photographic process, implementing studied techniques and modes of expression by creating their own portfolio on a subject of their choosing. An emphasis is placed on how to judge, outside of one's personal taste and to develop a sense of critical thinking in relation to the medium. Open critiques play an important role in this domain. This class follows the tradition of an atelier by focusing on the practice of making a body of work parallel to an academic context. The structure of the course varies, while several classes are devoted to outside shoots in designated locations others consist of slide lectures, short film clips, and critiques of selected assignments where students view and respond to the work of their peers. These critiques are essential to the progress of the personal projects, to be presented in the final 2 weeks of class. A collective class project culminating in a book concludes the semester.

This course covers the different techniques of wood engraving, including the construction of matrixes that allow multiple reproductions of an image. Hands on work with blocks of wood and carving techniques are combined with lectures on the history of printmaking.

Comic books in the reporting style is a genre that is growing, with several major works already published. The success of the REVUE DESSINEE shows this, as well as the large selection of comic books in the reporting style that cover topics from gastronomy to geo-strategy, rurality, feminism, and the Dayak Indians. This type of structure, based on the long form lets the author be subjective, as he shows his work style. Using the City as a theme, its transformations and its innovations, students work in pairs and create a reporting style comic strip, choosing the subject and the angle of attack. They complete two or three storyboards and each pair creates a documentary, a script, and a storyboard drawn in pencil or ink.

Open Art is designed to introduce, familiarize and induct students into workshops and labs. Practical and conceptual lines of inquiry are examined through set projects in classes and workshops. This course provides the opportunity for an immersive, experiential exploration of concepts through a range of traditional and new media technologies. Classes and workshops offer relevant practical information designed to stimulate and develop technical skills and diverse modes of inquiry. Projects are designed to complement and underpin individual studio-based research in the first year of study.