Art, Time and Narrative

Description

"The wall between artist and audience is very thin, all you have to do is walk through."- PICA on Portland’s Time-Based Art Festival

Contemporary art considers maker and audience, it can be materially based and conceptually based, and it can be multi-media and interdisciplinary. How do the various practices relate and inform us as both makers and audience? In this program we will consider the relationship of drawing and writing to other media as a means of examining basic ideas around time and narrative. What is our relationship as art makers and viewers to our perceptions of time?

This visual art and writing program will explore concepts of time and artistic practices with references to temporal space by developing foundational skills in critical thinking, drawing and 2-D art, creative non-fiction and analytical writing, audio recording, basic photography and multimedia editing in the context of contemporary visual culture and art history. We will use personal narratives to explore time, memory, and perspective through words and images; and we will consider the relation of moving and still images, drawings and sound and what happens when we confound the senses by juxtaposing them.

The context of art history and critical theory will be integral to our inquiry. The curriculum will include studio practice, writing, workshops, lectures, readings, research, seminar, screenings, gallery and museum visits, multimedia production and presentations, and critiques. There will be one field trip each quarter to either Seattle or Portland.

In fall quarter we will develop personal narratives in essay form and drawing. Students will be introduced to theories and practices relative to time- and process-based art. Fall quarter work will culminate in collaborative word/sound/image projects on everyday time.

In winter quarter we will advance the study of relationships between art, time and narrative through a comprehensive integration of writing and drawing in the mode of graphic creative nonfiction.  We will start working immediately on creative and research projects that will culminate in a final edition of works on paper and multimedia presentations. This quarter will include additional theory-based texts and figure drawing instruction as well as in-depth studio and writing workshop time. There will be an overnight trip to Portland for First Thursday gallery openings.

This rigorous program is designed for students who are ready for an immersive college experience—academically, creatively, personally. Students are expected to join field trips and attend off-campus film screenings, to participate fully in all program activities, and to work about 40 hours per week including class time.