Issues and Artists This syllabus is subject to change Course Number: ART 80V at Instructor’s discretion. Instructor: Robert Flynn Johnson Spring 2010 Syllabus

Meeting time and place: Class: Mondays and Wednesdays 7:00-8:45 pm MEDIA THEATER M110 Sections: 01A Tues 6:00-7:10 pm PORTER ACAD 249 01B Tues 7:30-8:40 pm PORTER ACAD 249 01C Wed 9:30-10:40 am PORTER ACAD 249 01D Wed 11:00 am-12:10 pm PORTER ACAD 249 01E Thurs 6:00-7:10 pm PORTER ACAD 249 01F Thurs 7:30-8:40 pm PORTER ACAD 249

Office Hours, Phone, Email: Office Hours: on campus (by appointment) Phone: (415) 752-2636 Email: [email protected]

Teaching Assistants: Lyes Belhocine [email protected] Meredith Drum [email protected] Fabiola Hanna [email protected]

Course Description Issues and Artists will focus on key issues in contemporary art, art theory, and curatorial practice through lectures, discussions, readings, , and museum visits. The course will consist of a series of lectures designed to familiarize students with the theories and practice surrounding current (and shifting) topics of interest in the larger art world. There will be a broad range of mediums and ideas covered.

Themes will include the continuing ferment in the art world between conceptualism (ideas) and actuality (the actual making of art). As my background includes thirty-five years as an art museum curator, I will be emphasizing my real life experience in dealing with art as it involves art history, evaluation, exhibition, context, criticism, the art market, new technology, etc. Students will meet for two 1 hour and 45 minute classes per week as well as in section. The instructor will introduce a topic in his lecture that will be associated, in part, with the guest lecturer that same week. Nine guest artists, writers, or arts administrators will present their viewpoints on their roles in the art world. Readings and videos to be viewed on each weekly topic will be assigned and students will discuss and creatively respond to readings, videos, supporting materials, and lecturers in a section meeting with a TA. Students will also be required to write a short paper in response to either one of the assigned readings (or videos) or the speaker for that week. In addition, all students will visit the San Francisco , currently celebrating their 75th anniversary, and write a response to a particular artist or exhibition in relationship to the ideas discussed in this class.

Required Texts

Week 1 The Child: Works by Gottfried Helnwein (2004), Robert Flynn Johnson (Mar 29, 31) “Port Minimal to the Max”, Roberta Smith, The New York Times (2010) “On the Ground: Practical Observations for Regenerating Art Education”, from Art School (Propositions for the 21st Century), Ernesto Pujol (2009)

Week 2 (on YouTube) The Mona Lisa Curse (12 parts), Robert Hughes (2008) (April 5, 7) “Andy Warhol”, N.Y. Review of Books, Robert Hughes, (1982)

Week 3 “A Truth or Two About Art History”, A. Hyatt Mayor, Record of the Art (April 12, 14) Museum, Princeton University (1977) “A Conversation with Philippe de Montebello”, Carol Vogel, The New York Times (2010)

Week 4 “America, Seen Through , Darkly”, Susan Sontag, essay from (April 19, 21) On (1977) Selected excerpts from Lucida, Roland Barthes (1981)

Week 5 “Accidental Art”, Robert Flynn Johnson, from Anonymous: Enigmatic (April 26, 28) Images from Unknown (2004) “Whole in One”, Robert Flynn Johnson, from The Face in the Lens: Anonymous Photographs (2009)

Week 6 video (on YouTube) Power of Art- Rothko (7 parts), Simon Schama (2006) (May 3, 5) “Almost Free of the Mirror: Richard Diebenkorn,” Dan Hofstadter, from Temperaments: Artists Facing Their Work, (1992)

Week 7 “The Art World: No Offense,” Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker (2010) (May 10, 12) “The Art World: Big Time,” The New Yorker (2010)

Week 8 videos (on YouTube) (May 17, 19) Francis Bacon (6 parts), London Weekend Television (1985) Lucian Freud (5 parts), Jake Auerbach (1988)

Week 9 “Dear Colleague, Robert Storr”, from Art School (Propositions for the 21st (May 24, 26) Century) (2009) “Nobody Asked You to Do Nothing/A Potential School,” Liam Gillick and class, from Art School (Propositions for the 21st Century) (2009) “Dear Steven”, Ken Lum, from Art School (Propositions for the 21st Century) (2009)

You will also be required to go to artist web sites and do basic online research into the visiting lecturers, prior to their talks. Some artist’s works fall outside the themes of the primary texts. On occasion, you will be asked to read brief essays to give context for your discussion in section. All required readings will be available on the course web site. To download these readings, please go to the WebCT website and refer to the course materials link for the appropriate course. Please bring all readings with you to class/section on the day they are due. Course Website To login to WebCT, go to: ic.ucsc.edu/webct/ Log in using your same username and password. There is a help page to assist students in logging in to WebCT. It is at: http://ic.ucsc.edu/services/learning_management_system/login.php

Easy access to online reading: http://eres.ucsc.edu/eres/default.aspx search by department: art find 80V password: art

Course Requirements Class/Section Attendance/Participation (33% of final grade) During class we will be viewing and discussing an array of visual material and hearing guest lectures. It is absolutely essential that you attend all sections and lectures. An attendance sheet will be passed out at the beginning of sections, so be there to sign in. Also, be sure to inform your TA in advance if you know you will be unable to attend one of these sessions for medical reasons, due to religious holiday observance, etc. Students who anticipate being absent from class due to religious observance should inform their TA by email previous to their absence. If you are absent from class, you are responsible for contacting a classmate for the information you missed. Three unexcused absences from class, or sections, will result in failure of the course.

Typed Synopses/Reflections (34% of final grade) Students must submit a response 1-2 double spaced typed pages in response to each guest speaker or in response to an assigned reading or video of that week (your choice) which illustrates your understanding of their work, illustrates your understanding of their work, your questions, and challenges of the material.

Sections will largely be used to discuss your responses and clarify details for the exams. These will form personal study-sheets for your midterms and final. Please use paragraph format, and spell-check—no bullet points. Keep a copy for yourself on your computer or storage device in the event the submitted assignment is lost or destroyed. Notes will be assessed based upon the relevance of your responses, specificity, and attention to key ideas. These are due during section the week after presenters speak. Responses to speakers from Week 2 are to be submitted during your Week 3 section (unless changed by the TA, etc. Therefore, sometimes you’ll have one to complete, sometimes two, depending upon the speaker schedule.)

Final (33% of final grade) A five page written review of an artist or exhibition of contemporary art at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. This response should reference the text, ideas raised in the talks and section discussions. You should review the exhibition curatorial statement, catalogs, and artists materials from the venue and online. Papers will be due at the beginning of the 10th week. The major exhibition Focus on Artists is on view at SFMOMA until May 23, 2010.

If you fall behind for more than two weeks, you’ll have difficulty catching up—fall behind for too long and you’ll likely fail the course. Excessive or repeated lateness in submitting reflections will result in grade deduction.

Lateness and Extensions All assignments and exams must be turned in on time. Assignments will not be accepted if more than one week has elapsed past their deadline. Extensions will be granted in case of medical emergency. If you are confused by an assignment, or have difficulty completing the course, contact your TA right away, or arrange to meet with me.

Standard Formatting - No handwritten work. - Use only 10 or 12 point type in Times, Palatino, Helvetica, or Garamond. - The essays should be double-spaced. - Use 1.25-inch or smaller margins on the left and right, 1-inch margins on the top and bottom. - Your name should appear on each page of your essay, along with page numbers. - All essays should have your typed name, date of submission, and “ART 80V-S09” on them. - Use a stapler. (No bent corners or paper clips, please.)

Grades Your final grade will be based upon the quality of your responses, as well your participation and attendance.

Academic Honor Code Cheating, plagiarism, or fabrication will be dealt with in accordance to the University’s policy as outlined in the Student Handbook. You are expected to be familiar with the University policy on dishonesty and disruption of the academic process. If you use outside sources in your work, you must attribute them.

Cheating and Plagiarism (from the Student Policies and Regulations Handbook) --102.011: Cheating is defined as fraud , deceit, or dishonesty in an academic assignment, or using or attempting to use materials, or assisting others in using materials, which are prohibited or inappropriate in the context of the academic assignment in question. This includes, but is not limited to: A. Providing answers to or receiving answers from others for any academic assignment. In “group assignments” and “cooperative learning” situations, it is the responsibility of the student to ascertain from the instructor to what degree the work must be done exclusively by the student or may be done in collaboration with others; B. Using notes, information, calculators, or other electronic devices or programs during exams or for assignments from which they have been expressly or implicitly prohibited; C. Improperly obtaining or using improperly obtained information about an exam or assignment in advance of its availability to other students, or assisting others in doing so; D. Putting one’s name on another person’s exam or assignment; or E. Altering previously graded work for purposes of seeking a grade appeal.

--102.012: Plagiarism is defined as the use of intellectual material produced by another person without acknowledging its source. This includes, but is not limited to: A. Copying from the writings or works of others into one’s academic assignment without attribution, or submitting such works as if it were one’s own; B. Using the views, opinions, or insights or another without acknowledgment; or C. Paraphrasing the characteristic or original phraseology, metaphor, or other literary device of another without proper attribution. Finally, I ask that you refrain from audio- or video-recording this course, selling class notes, or recordings to any notetaking services.

Week 1 March 29: Introduction: The Best of Times, the Worst of Times

March 31: Guest speaker: Travis Somerville (artist, San Francisco)

Week 2 April 5: The Question of Marcel Duchamp: The Trend of Ideas Over Actuality

April 7: Guest speaker: Don Farnsworth (artist and publisher of Magnolia Editions, Oakland)

Week 3 April 12: The Reality/Unreality of the Contemporary Art Market

April 14: Guest speaker: Richard Polsky (art dealer and writer, author of I Sold Andy Warhol (Too Soon) )

Week 4 April 19: Museums: Temples of Learning or Populist Funhouses?

April 21: Guest speaker: Cathy Kimball (arts administrator, San Jose, Director of the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art)

Week 5 April 26: The Ascendancy of Contemporary Fine Art Photography

April 28: Guest speaker: Kate Schermerhorn ( and Emmy award winning documentary filmmaker, San Francisco)

Week 6 May 3: A Parallel Universe: Vernacular Photography as a Source of Inspiration

May 5: Guest speaker: Deborah Munk (Director of the Arts Program, San Francisco, Recycling and Disposal, Inc.)

Week 7 May 10: Non-Objectivity in Art: Deep Profundity, Shallow Decoration, or Both?

May 12: Guest speaker: Jimin Lee (artist and educator, UCSC)

Week 8 May 17: Words: The Language of Criticism; to Enlighten or Merely Impress?

May 19: Guest speaker: Peter Frank (writer, curator, and critic, Los Angeles)

Week 9 May 24: The Challenge of Representation in an Era Where Technique is Suspect

May 26: Guest speaker: Eleanor Dickinson (artist and educator, San Francisco)

Week 10 May 31: No class (Memorial Day)

June 2: The Future of Art in a World of Ever Increasing Distractions