Course Name: ...but is it art?
Section 01
Instructor: Martha Gehringer
Henri Matisse was derided as a "wild beast" and, to the horrified critics of his day, his bold colors and distorted forms were considered outrageous. Here, a century later, what they considered shocking in his work is now considered beautiful.
In the art world, a lot of strange things get labeled “Art”--some of it just might be. In this section of the First-year Research Seminar you will encounter “working artists” and grapple with the questions posed by their work. You will visit art galleries, meet with the artists in their studios, and conduct research designed to help you explore the local art scene in its richness and its variety.
The author of our primary text (Cynthia Freeland, But is it art? Oxford University, 2001) will provide a foundation upon which to base your course research and help guide you to an understanding of “how cultural significance is captured in a physical medium and why challenging our perceptions is, and always has been, central to the whole endeavor.”
300 North Broadway