This course provides a progressive approach to clay modeling from the live model. Students learn how to create a likeness from observation with the aid of anatomical structure, and how to develop the abstract composition of the body. They will grow to understand and control contour in three dimensions, learn to subdivide and resolve organic volume, achieve dynamism and expression through form. In class and through written assignments, students will consider choices in rendering based upon their goals as an artist.

3 Credits

Core Learning Outcomes

• Ability to sculpt the figure by combining observation and understanding of underlying structure
• Understanding of linear and volumetric systems of proportion
• Observation, analysis, and synthesis of form based upon the live model and the ability to work independently from the model
• Introduction to ceramics, mold making/casting

This two-semester course begins with the construction of a proportionally accurate, highly detailed representation of the complete skeleton at one-half scale. During the Fall semester, muscular structures and their groupings are modeled, in sequence from deep to superficial. Both the fall and spring semesters will include three-hour weekly detailed lectures and hands on instruction. The spring semester will continue with the further development of the most superior muscular structures, their groupings, description of kinesthetic function and its effect upon surface form. During the spring semester, concurrent with the final development of the structural representations presented by the Ecorche; a perceptually developed sculpture, at 36 inches, from the live model, in the same pose as the Ecorche, will be completed.

3 credits

 Core Learning Outcomes

• The understanding that of the osteology determines the linear proportions of the limbs, as well as the volumetric proportions of the three monumental forms of the body, head, torso and pelvis
• A comprehensive understanding of interior and superficial musculo-skeletal structures and their effect on the kinesthetic character of surface appearance of form
• The ability to convert observed anatomical knowledge into sculptural convention
• The ability to work collectively from perception and memory

This course focuses on the fundamental elements of drawing from direct observation. By identifying drawing’s underlying principles, studying them independently, re-constructing and combining them with the other elements to create unified drawings of various pose-lengths, students hone the ability to perceive the visual experience with intelligence, apply this knowledge to their work, and cultivate an ability to problem-solve as they approach figurative representation. Students are introduced to both direct (perceptual) and indirect (conceptual) modalities of drawing to better understand the relationship between gesture, proportion, perspective, and the effects of light.

3 Credits

Core Learning Outcomes

• The ability to organize a strategic approach to figure drawing from observation
• A practical understanding of direct (perceptual) and indirect (structural) approaches to figure drawing
• A practical understanding of the integrated relationship of gesture, proportions, and perspective in the human figure through the study of anatomy and kinesiology
• A practical understanding of tonal structure through the study of light on form

Through readings, slide lectures, and discussions, the Art & Culture sequence offers two semesters of advanced study and guided research. It explores a range of historical and current perspectives that shape visual art and reflects on the human figure’s enduring role. Art & Culture I presents the various meanings that have accrued over the past century of Western visual art beginning with the onset of Modernism. Students will closely examine the major art movements and artists of European Modernism in the context of related philosophical, critical, and literary texts. Critical rigor and objectivity is introduced through lively and informed class discussions.

Students will develop their analytic skills by writing a research paper that compares the various historical roles of figuration and abstraction in painting, drawing, and sculpture within their attendant cultural arena. This research will allow students a broad base for understanding the relationship of recent history to contemporary concerns in art.

3 Credits

Core Learning Outcomes

• Knowledge of the major visual artists working from 1860-1960, with seminal examples of representational art, abstraction, architecture, photography, literature and psychology.
• Improved analytical and critical thinking.
• Refined rhetorical skills.
• Preparation for thesis research.

This course employs lectures, reading and the rigorous discipline of classroom exercises to investigate several key figures in the history of Western sculpture, focusing on the relationship between technique and broader cultural issues in the associated period. Class lectures will retrace different trajectories of carved and modeled figure sculpture up to the threshold of Modernism, studying the connection between methods of execution and evolving concept of form. Collectively, the exercises promote a comparative historical analysis that elucidates the changing metaphoric content of technique itself, and provides a theoretic foundation for the student’s personal segue into contemporary practice.

3 credits

Core Learning Outcomes

• Knowledge of key figures in Western sculpture
• Working understanding of the basic compositional structures of the major periods in art history
• Understanding of the relationship between technique and broader cultural issues up through early modernism
• Ability to create a maquette as a tool for exploring formal and iconographic vocabulary
• Ability to emulate the methods of specific artists or time periods to promote comparative historical analysis
• Develop skills in life modeling
• Ability to work from the imagination

During this course, students produce two figures of life scale, while developing conceptual and formal basis for independent work. Anatomical analysis will support the abstract content of sculptural mass and composition. This course is designed to give students the technical and formal basis for independent work. It continues the process of developing the student’s perceptual abilities through direct observation of the model, and expands upon the structural material introduced in Sculpture I. This course will help direct students toward their personal direction and gain better understanding of how to bring final pieces to closure.

3 Credits

Core Learning Outcomes

• Expanded understanding of materials introduced in Sculpture 1
• Enhanced analytical and perceptual skills
• Ability to use anatomical analysis to support abstract content of mass and composition.
• Experience with life scale work
• Exploring independent work

This two-semester course begins with the construction of a proportionally accurate, highly detailed representation of the complete skeleton at one-half scale. During the Fall semester, muscular structures and their groupings are modeled, in sequence from deep to superficial. Both the fall and spring semesters will include three-hour weekly detailed lectures and hands on instruction. The spring semester will continue with the further development of the most superior muscular structures, their groupings, description of kinesthetic function and its effect upon surface form. During the spring semester, concurrent with the final development of the structural representations presented by the Ecorche; a perceptually developed sculpture, at 36 inches, from the live model, in the same pose as the Ecorche, will be completed.

3 credits

Pre-requsite: Artistic Anatomy: Ecorche Intensive B

 Core Learning Outcomes

• The understanding that of the osteology determines the linear proportions of the limbs, as well as the volumetric proportions of the three monumental forms of the body, head, torso and pelvis
• A comprehensive understanding of interior and superficial musculo-skeletal structures and their effect on the kinesthetic character of surface appearance of form
• The ability to convert observed anatomical knowledge into sculptural convention
• The ability to work collectively from perception and memory

This is a hybrid studio and art history course with emphasis on the development of self-directed work in preparation for the MFA thesis.  The history component begins where History and Theory of Composition ends.  Beginning with the birth of Modernism, it takes students through the various strategies of representing form and content from the middle of the 19th century to the present. Formal aspects and compositional strategies will be examined and evaluated in their social and political contexts. Relationships of past art to the development of contemporary figurative art will be addressed with special regard for how this occurs within the students’ self-directed projects which will be reviewed periodically during the course.

3 credits

Core Learning Outcomes

• Knowledge of compositional construction in Western figurative art from Modernism to the 21^st century
• Understanding of the formal and compositional strategies utilized, as well as the social and political context, of this time period
• Understanding of the relationship of art history to contemporary figurative art
• Ability to articulate these modes and apply them to their artwork
• Understanding of the relationship between craft, design, materials and content and the connection of these to conceptual and social construction of artworks
• Ability to defend work in context with relevant critical and historical discourse
• Development of the conceptual framework and language necessary to discuss artists’ work, the students’ own work and their classmates’ work

The goal of this course is to improve the student’s powers of observation by providing a basic understanding of the human body’s underlying structures and to develop strategies for representing volumetric forms in two-dimensions. Emphasis is placed on osteology; the origin, insertion, and function of muscles; and their relationship to surface form and proportion. Focus is also placed upon the varieties of human form as represented by artists both historical and contemporary.

3 credits

Core Learning Outcomes

• The ability to establish the proportions of the body, both linear and volumetric, in an architectonic format. With the basic light source and shadow mass established
• The ability to structurally organize a drawing with a schematic mapping of superficial anatomical structures
• The ability to distinguish between a silhouette and a three-dimensionally considered contour
• The ability to compose the interior forms within the larger context of the drawing

In the second semester, students select one elective course based on their area of interest. Electives provide students with the opportunity to enrich their core curriculum and gain experience with new concepts and techniques. Students are encouraged to select an elective outside their concentration. Click here to view offerings.

3 Credits

How do figures relate to one another and to larger spacial environments? In preparation for Sculpture IV, this class focuses on compositional questions, primarily through the building of small maquettes. The objective of Sculpture III is, in part, to reinforce skills in the context of independent work, from design into execution. This course will build upon the experience of perceptual, analytical, empirical and the technical content of prior sculpture curriculum, in particular modeling skills and bringing closure to their work (including mold making and casting). The students will gain a better understanding of their individual strengths, through the development of their independent work. The analytical skills developed in Sculpture I and II are further applied to the structural knowledge of the figure gained from the anatomy sequence. This course provides a critical forum for addressing the various problems faced by sculpture students in the early stages of the MFA Thesis.

3 Credits
Prerequisite: Sculpture I and/or Sculpture II

Core Learning Outcomes

• Advanced perceptual, analytical, empirical and technical skills
• Understanding of mold making and casting
• Ability to combine analytical skills and anatomical knowledge to the figure
• Understanding of individual strengths and ability to apply to independent work

Through readings, slide lectures, and discussions, the Art & Culture sequence consists of two semesters of advanced study and explores a range of perspectives that shape attitudes towards visual art and reflect on the human figure’s enduring role. Art & Culture II addresses the late Modernist and Post-Modern underpinnings of the emerging contemporary milieu. Students explore the ways in which contemporary artistic practice and critical theory inter-relate. The course introduces methods of art criticism, provides an academic and theoretical basis upon which to discuss current artistic practice, and teaches students to gage personal reactions against established scholarly approaches. This third semester seminar is envisioned as both a forum for lively debate based on shared knowledge and a setting for the individual MFA candidate to focus on salient aspects of their thesis. This guided research culminates in students writing the “thesis research paper”.

3 Credits

 Core Learning Outcomes

• Expanded knowledge of contemporary artistic developments as well as a deeper understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of academic discourses on visual art.
• Ability to research and write a convincing argument for the MFA Thesis and to recognize the need to adjust one’s argument and research to achieve this goal.
• Ability to articulate orally and in writing a wide range of philosophical positions underpinning contemporary art.

In the first semester of the MFA Thesis, the emphasis is placed on developing individual direction through the exploration of ideas resulting in the execution of artwork. These ideas may first be outlined in maquettes, studies and compositional plans that clarify, refine and consolidate the developing work. Photographs and other material not hand-crafted by the artist may serve as valuable references but do not qualify as gradable material in this context. The MFA Thesis I works are presented in-progress during the mid-semester critique and should show significant development as coherent artworks for the end-of-semester critique.

3 Credits

In the third semester, students select two elective courses based on their area of interest. Electives provide students with the opportunity to enrich their core curriculum and gain experience with new concepts and techniques. Students are encouraged to select electives outside their concentration. Click here to view offerings.

Elective One: 3 Credits

Elective Two: 3 Credits

This course allows great latitude for self-directed work in support of thesis completion, while also requiring the student to demonstrate an assimilation of the content of the previous sculpture sequence. At the outset of the term, the student will be asked to present a proposal for a single project that will occupy the entire semester. Instruction will be specific to each proposal and adjusted to the needs of the individual student. Every five weeks, the instructor will discuss the work in a group critique that includes student peer review and will provide technical support to achieve goals of individual projects.

3 Credits

Core Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrated ability to assimilate the content of the previous sculpture sequence
• Ability to produce a proposal for a single project and complete the project
• Exploring various ways of finishing surfaces
• Critical discussion and technical support of diploma projects through individual and group discussion

In this course, students continue building on the body of work and themes addressed in MFA Thesis I. In addition to completing paintings, drawings or sculpture over the semester, students are required to refine their research paper that began in the fall semester in Art and Culture II.

6 Credits

In the third semester, students select two elective courses based on their area of interest. Electives provide students with the opportunity to enrich their core curriculum and gain experience with new concepts and techniques. Students are encouraged to select electives outside their concentration. Click here to view offerings.

Elective One: 3 Credits

Elective Two: 3 Credits