VISUAL ART STUDY TOUR: NEW DELHI
AND INDIA’S GOLDEN TRIANGLE
Instructor: Tracy
Featherstone
Credits: 6
Required Text: Vidya Dehejia,
Indian Art, Phaidon
Press, 2006
Email: feathete@miamioh.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course
will explore the culture and history of India through the vehicle of visual
arts. Students will work with local Indian artists
to learn and apply traditional art/craft techniques such as terracotta pottery,
fabric printing and dyeing, miniature painting, embroidery, and enameling. Whenever
possible, we will actively engage in a related creative art activity to achieve
a more “hands on” approach to art and cultural appreciation by making artwork
and practicing the techniques we have studied.
Students
can expect various reading assignments and discussions, short writing
assignments, films, scholarly lectures and participatory art making activities.
Assignments will connect the students physically with the concepts they are
learning and will be evaluated on student participation and understanding of
concepts. No prior experience in studio
art necessary. Beginning exercises and techniques will be fully demonstrated in
the studio workshops prior to application. All studio projects are geared
toward the introductory level student and will be evaluated equally through
elements of research and formal discoveries.
There
will be preliminary orientation classes held on the Oxford campus during the
end of fall semester 2014. The majority
of our stay in India will be established at Sanskriti Artists Residency http://www.sanskritifoundation.org
just outside of New Delhi, India and connected by Metro. The studio facilities, lodging, and food will
all be provided at Sanskriti. During the
program, we will make three group trips to experience the surrounding areas of
India. This triad of cities forms
India’s Golden Triangle.
- New Delhi – Capital of India
- Agra – Taj Mahal
- Rajasthan – Amer Fort and Sheesh Mahal, Jain
Temple, papermaking workshop, and fabric printing workshop
STUDENT LEARNING
OUTCOMES:
-
Empathy
for people from cultures different from your own.
-
Practice
and apply traditional methods of art-making with local Indian artists and apply
these techniques to contemporary/current concepts related to Indian culture.
-
Gain
a basic understanding of the history and culture of India through visual art,
design, and architecture. Understand and
discuss basic visual motifs in Indian art.
-
Learn
and practice critical analysis methods on works of Indian art viewed first-hand
at museums, galleries, and institutions.
-
Develop
techniques to generate ideas.
-
Create
successful compositions through the use of the design principles and
elements. Gain a thorough understanding
of how design principles and elements construct composition in two and three
dimensions.
-
Develop
and use visual vocabulary
-
Demonstrate
good craftsmanship and presentation skills
-
Gain
Basic experience publicly exhibiting finished works in a group exhibition.
MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS:
Below is a list of major graded assignments that will be prepared
during the workshop.
TRAVEL
JOURNAL – students will keep a journal that explores the topics presented in
class through drawing, collage, collections, and written response. (20%)
CRITICAL ARTWORK ANNALYSIS – Student pairs present and discuss a
master artwork housed in the museum collection using the visual vocabulary of
art/design and aligning that with cultural history and context. (10%)
QUIZZES ON READING ASSIGNMENTS. (15%)
DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY NARRATIVE – Reflecting on the use of narrative
in Indian art, students will compose a contemporary visual narrative using 3-5
select photographic images taken during their trip. (15%)
FINAL CREATIVE ARTWORKS – 2-5 artworks will be produced through
workshops with local Indian artists.
Evaluation criteria will be based on concentrated effort, participation,
ambition, application of design principles and adequate application of
techniques demonstrated. Critical feedback
will be delivered through group critique format. (30%)
EXHIBITION/PRESENTATION OF CREATIVE WORK – Students will
professionally display and discuss their travel journals, digital photo
narrative, and final artworks in an open house event at the end of our stay at
Sanskriti. Display will include a
written description of the techniques and concepts applied. A second exhibition may be organized in
Oxford if space and time permit. (10%)
Class Policy:
Courtesy
and kindness at all times.
a. Respect your classmates.
b. Respect the classroom space and
materials provided for you.
c. Respect the privacy and dignity of
all people in your host country.
d. Respect the religious and cultural
traditions of your host country.
e. Show ultimate care and respect for
the cultural treasures you have the privilege to witness.
Miami Plan Educational Goals:
THINKING
CRITICALLY
Critical
thinking lies at the core of discussing and making art. Students achieve perspective combining
imagination, intuition, reasoning, and evaluation. Critical thinking develops
the ability to construct and discern relationships between seemingly
unconnected topics, analyze arguments, and solve complex problems. Another kind of critical thinking is that
which develops as students gain practice in examining works of art. Their
critical faculties sharpen as they learn to identify traditional narratives in
different time periods, media and styles and ask relevant questions of the
material--the art historical sources embodied in the work, the intention of the
artist, the impact of the work on society, the relationship between materials
and style, among others.
As students
learn to read and make works of art, they begin to realize that there are
nonverbal ways of knowing and communicating that include visual reasoning,
imagination and intuition. Students
learn how works of art conveyed meaning in the time and place in which they
were created as well as how they continue to provide a meaningful dialogue with
us today. In distinguishing different artistic styles, students begin to
exercise new modes of critical thinking and ways of understanding the world.
UNDERSTANDING
CONTEXTS
One of the
primary benefits of this course is that it will be taught in New Delhi, India.
Understanding contexts is embedded in the course. Students have the opportunity
to live in the region where the arts are produced, meet and work with local
artists, visit historic and contemporary sights that are embedded with the
creative techniques they are learning.
They will have the ability to learn about themes in traditional Indian
art and see how they remain relevant in contemporary culture. Students will learn that meaning of artwork
is dependent on its location, time period, material and maker.
ENGAGING
OTHERS
Students will
be engaged in a continuous dialog with classmates and the instructor. Readings
and short in-class writing assignments are designed to foster class discussion.
Key works of art will be shown in the classroom and analyzed together. Class
members will travel together to see and discuss paintings, sculpture, temples,
and palaces. Students will work together in a studio environment continually
exchanging problem solving ideas and techniques. At the end of the workshop, students will
exhibit their final creative works in an open-house exhibition at the
residency, which will require them to engage with the public.
Reflecting
and Acting
Methods used
to encourage students to reflect and act on the material covered in this course
include daily group discussions, daily written assignments, instructor and
group feedback on creative work, photographic narrative project, and final exhibition
of creative work. Students will be encouraged to engage with the contemporary
visual culture around them and interpret it in the context of cultural
continuity.
CREDITS:
This course has the opportunity to be taken for 6 credits. Credits can be applied to Miami Plan Foundations
Global Perspectives (III) or Art Electives. Students may
choose petition Liberal Education Committee for MPF Fine Arts (II) approval.
Course schedule is under development. Below is a close example of what to expect.
Day 1
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Arrival (rest)
–get over jet lag
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Day 2
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Day 3
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Day 4
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Day 5
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Day 6
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Day 7
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Day 8
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Day 9
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Day10
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·
Visit to
Agra (whole day) and return at night
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Day 11
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Day 12
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Day 12
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Day 13
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Day 14
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Day 15
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