SITES OF INVENTION : MONUMENTAL PARIS ARH 4890-001 Syllabus and Schedule, Paris, June 2015 Instructor: Anne Jeffrey MA The schedule below will remain somewhat tentative: learning experiences in Paris rarely submit to advance planning when the city itself in your classroom! But the overall themes will remain. The readings will not change! And, be assured, you will always receive advance notice of any changes. This course does not require Internet access. Located at the end of the syllabus is a brief guide to writing about architecture AND an historical TIMELINE. Bring with you! Very important: Bring your Michelin The Green Guide to Paris and your Class Readings (loaded onto a tablet or printed double sided, less weight). COURSE DESCRIPTION…… We visit the sites together as a group; we prepare for each visit through assigned readings, and discussions/ mini-lectures beforehand. At the site, you will take notes for written responses to assignment questions and for later reference when writing in your journal. Paris, at first, will appear like a stranger to you. But, as we ‘unpack’ the layers of history, iconography, placement, scale and meanings embedded in this city, (caution: this is not tourist “looking”) before long you will know Paris like an amiable companion! Our enhanced viewing of “iconic” monuments, museums and special exhibitions enrichs your everyday experience of the city. At the end of the course, as part of a group project, you will unpack and present to us a monument we have not visited in class. Note: All grades in this course are determined on an individual basis. Assignments and grading Class participation and attendance 30% 15 scheduled class meetings More than one late arrival to class will reduce final grade by one letter. Your active participation during class and during the final project presentations is critical to the success of your learning experience in Paris, and your final grade! I expect to see/hear evidence that you have prepared for each class meeting! Written responses to onsite assignment questions 25% Questions are based on an assigned reading and your observation and reflection on the site/objects we visit. A daily class assignment may include sketching a building or individual features--- no artistic ability is required! The questions will be distributed during class discussion, prior to onsite visit. Bring a light weight notebook or separate pages to each class. Respond critically to the question referencing points made in the reading. A description of the site alone is not sufficient. 500 to 600 word minimum. On Thursday, June 11 the first 5 assignments (for June 4, 5, 8, 9, 10) ARE DUE IN CLASS. On Monday, June 22 the second 5 assignments ( for June 11, 15, 16, 17, 18) ARE DUE IN CLASS. PLEASE write legibly! Grade penalty for late submissions. Journal 25% The Journal provides you with a rich souvenir of your visits to museums, architectural sites, monuments, and neighborhoods --- all of which inform our class excursions. Think of your journal as a record of impressions, observations, and your own reflections about what you’re seeing and experiencing when we visit a site. Be attentive to your environment and daily life as it unfolds around you. Your journal of course can include weekend trips. Try to spend some alone time in Paris! Your journal is your own and there are no rules except write every day. Feel free to add sketches or paste in other reminders of place. You may wish to bring with you a small pair of scissors - in your checked baggage! Tape and glue you can buy in Paris. Have fun with this! Be as creative and ‘old school’ as you'd like! Your grade is based on your effort and engagement in this activity. Journals will be returned to you after submitted to me for grading. Journals & final assignments are due in class Wednesday, June 24th. Final group project 20% The group project may seem daunting now but by the end of June you will have the skills and comfort level to complete this assignment successfully. Grading on an individual basis. Each project location differs from the other, but each group can base their presentation on exploration of the following themes. By the week of June 15 your group will have visited the site and developed a presentation plan. I will meet briefly with each group towards the end of that week to answer questions or concerns. THEMES Brief history of the site, emphasizing significant facts Significance of scale/ornamentation of edifice/grounds Brief description of key objects/contents Assessment of display strategies Assessment of cultural/institutional objectives General atmosphere and visitor participation/ expectations. Conclusion and discussion PROCESS 1) Either in the classroom or after lunch break prepare us for the site, describing how we will navigate the site, key points about the site 2) Guide us through the city to the site and be available to direct us to your key objects, objectives or points you wish to demonstrate. 3) Develop 2 to 3 points/questions/issues for a brief discussion afterwards to conclude the visit. This ‘debrief’ occurs on the grounds or some other quiet spot outside the site. ______________________________ Wednesday, June 24 PM JOURNALS & FINAL ASSIGNMENTS DUE IN CLASS! PM Quai Branly: Dario, Tara, Nicole, Knoel (open some evenings) …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Thursday : June 25 AM Arab Institute : Maria, Victoria, Qiara, Rachel (closed Mondays) PM Rodin Museum: Cieran, Nahye, Emily (closed Mondays) …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Friday: June 26 PICK UP YOUR JOURNALS! PM Palais de Tokyo: Tatiana, Tierney, Jordan (closed Mondays) ___________________________________________________________________________ …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Wednesday in class, June 24 Journals and Assignments for June 22, 23 due. Penalty for late submission. ___________________________ CLASS SCHEDULE…… Each class day we meet in an FIE classroom, at the time noted in the following schedule, for approximately one hour. Note that these times may vary! Please note all starting times in the schedule carefully. June 4, Thursday Meeting: FIE classroom 10:30 AM. Bring water & a lunch. Handout for Louvre visit distributed today Syllabus review. Site Visits: Place de la Concorde (historical significance, see reading below). Introduction to the Louvre museum as a complex cultural document. Today, we focus on the museum’s architecture only. Visit ends at Daniel Buren’s 2007 installation Les Deux Plateaux located in the Palais Royal courtyard. Discussion: Intersections of Art & Politics; Bring guidelines for writing about architecture (located at the end of the syllabus). Syllabus review. During your reading of any article you need to be working at uncovering the point of view of the author. Porterfield, in his discussion of the Obelisk and its placement, is developing a particular argument. What is meant by the murderous revolutionary/counter revolutionary dialectic? How did the obelisk support French imperialism? What is the significance of the Place de la Concorde as a location? How might the West’s historical view of Islam be influenced by the 1836 opinion of Egyptian culture? Required reading: The Obelisk at the Place de la Concorde, Todd Porterfield pp.13-40 from The Allure of Empire: Art in the Service of French Imperialism. A guide to the architecture of the Louvre can be found in the Art and Culture section of Michelin, The Green Guide to Paris. For this reading, refer to the dates and events in the attached timeline. If you don’t, terms such as Restoration,the July Monarchy, the Second Republic, etc. will remain confusing. …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. June 5, Friday Meeting: FIE classroom 8:30 am Bring water & a lunch, and your Louvre youth card for museum entry. Site Visit: The Louvre museum, 19th century painting will be our focus along with other galleries. Discussion. 19th Century French Painting and the intersection of art and politics.s We’ll begin our Louvre tour with the historical origins of this monument in the basement of the Sully Wing and continue through other wings to view the Venus de Milo, Nike of Samothrace, the Apollo Gallery and the Napoleon III apartments. Required reading: Handout distributed on Thursday. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. June 8, Monday, Meeting: FIE classroom 8:30 am Bring water & a lunch, and dob proof for museum entry Site Visit: the Grand Palais as cultural monument AND the major exhibition Diego Velázquez (1599-1660) Discussion: Portraying the 17th century Spanish Court Required brief readings (1-2 pages each): Tone and the Realization of Form and Space; Queen Maria of Austria; Infanta Margarita in a Blue Dress; Infante Felipe Prospero; Infanta Maria Teresa. ...................................................................................................................... .................................. June 9, Tuesday Meeting FIE classroom, 11 am. Bring water Site visit: Walking tour of the historic and hip Le Marais, to include lunch on Rue des Roisiers, Visit to the newly restored Picasso Museum. Required reading: A Review of Life of Picasso, Vol 3, Pages 1-4, by Andrew Butterfield Discussion: The institution of Pablo Picasso …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. June 10, Wednesday, Bring water & a lunch Meeting FIE classroom, time TBA Site: Père- Lachaise Cemetery: Guided tour by a very knowledgeable Parisian! At this monumental site students are encouraged to take photographs, add to their journals, as well as complete