ARTARCH 2020 41 Introduction to Modern Art, Architecture and Design
This course provides an introduction to major developments in modern art, architecture and design in Europe, the Americas, and across the globe, from the mid-19th century to the present. Focus will be on the history and theories of modernism and its international legacies as well as the relationship of the visual arts, architecture and visual culture more generally to the social, cultural and political contexts of the modern era. Although the precise topics covered may vary from one instructor to another, foundational movements and trends to be discussed will typically include the Beaux-Arts style, the Arts and Crafts Movement, Impressionism, Symbolism, Art Nouveau, Cubism, Dada, Surrealism, Purism, Art Deco, the Bauhaus, the International Style, Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, Minimalism and Post-Modernism. Cross-currents in various media will be emphasized as we seek to understand the origins and complexity of modern visual forms in relation to political and cultural history and to critical theory. Students will engage a wide range of readings in historical sources; theories composed by artists, architects and designers; critical responses to the arts; and secondary critical literature. Classroom lectures; smaller biweekly discussion sections.
Taught by Katie DiDomenico
