Course Syllabus
Course: ART 2630
Division: Fine Arts, Comm, and New Media
Department: Visual Art
Title: Mixed Media: Collage + Assemblage
Semester Approved: Fall 2021
Five-Year Review Semester: Summer 2026
End Semester: Summer 2027
Catalog Description: This studio course explores mixed media methodology through the lens of collage and assemblage. It will include the study of aesthetics, conceptual theory, critical dialog, historical context, legalities, material manipulation, and technical processes associated with appropriating and altering discarded media and found objects. Applied studio projects, research, and writing will revolve around the genre of 2D collage and 3D assemblage. A fee is required.
Semesters Offered: TBA
Credit/Time Requirement: Credit: 3; Lecture: 3; Lab: 3
Justification: The use of mixed media is an historical artistic practice that can be traced, through relics, to all major civilizations on every continent. During the Twentieth Century, mixed media, collage, and assemblage experienced a renaissance through the innovations of the Dada, Surrealist, and Pop Art movements. The resurgence of these historical processes has continued to thrive into the 21st Century and today collage and assemblage are major genres of creative output. It is one of many courses for students to choose from to fulfill their Art Studio Electives as part of the AFA in Visual Studies degree at Snow College. This course also provides students with a diverse studio offering, enhancing programming and assisting in recruitment and retention.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Material Proficiency: Demonstrate a proficiency in materials and techniques. Students will be exposed to a variety of mixed media techniques, mediums, and unique materials utilized for the creation of collage and assemblage works. Students will learn by imitating methods learned during demonstration and through guided research. This working knowledge will then be adapted into unique creative work as students begin to speak in their own voice using this newly acquired visual dialect. Students will be evaluated on each completed collage and assemblage project based on the recontextualization of discarded media and found objects. Assessment will be based on the completion, artistic merit, innovation, and level of craftsmanship of each creative studio project. This also includes application of concept based on assigned creative prompts. Also, through attendance at and participation in various opportunities for lecture, demonstration, research and critical analysis, students will gain an informed ability to critique and recognize historic and modern works as well as contemporary mixed media work, ultimately, enhancing their own work and the work of their peers.
Principles of Concept: Demonstrate an integration of conceptual principles. Each unit within the complexities of collage and assemblage students will be provided prompts in which to inject concept into their creative work. These prompts are designed to promote conceptual linkages to the physical aspects of the works of art. As this outcome is a significant aspect of many art studio elective courses, students will begin to strive for a balance of successful formal and conceptual qualities and critically implementing content into their creative practice. Students will be evaluated on each completed collage and assemblage project based on the recontextualization of discarded media and found objects. Assessment will be based on the completion, artistic merit, innovation, and level of craftsmanship of each creative studio project. This also includes application of concept based on assigned creative prompts. Also, through attendance at and participation in various opportunities for lecture, demonstration, research and critical analysis, students will gain an informed ability to critique and recognize historic and modern works as well as contemporary mixed media work, ultimately, enhancing their own work and the work of their peers.
Historical Context: Demonstrate a fluency in historical content and context. The use of mixed media is an historical artistic practice that can be traced, through relics, to all major civilizations on every continent. The Genre of utilizing appropriate materials and recontextualized found objects grew in popularity during the 20th Century. It can be traced through the roots of DADA, Surrealism, and Pop Art and is thriving as a contemporary approach for artists in the disposable 21st Century. Students will be exposed to major historical figures, be required to conduct major research on them, and be able to recognize their art and influence on contemporary artists currently working the genre. This recognition is important for students to understand their own artistic pedigree and how they are derivatives of their artistic ancestry. Students will be evaluated on each completed collage and assemblage project based on the recontextualization of discarded media and found objects. Assessment will be based on the completion, artistic merit, innovation, and level of craftsmanship of each creative studio project. This also includes application of concept based on assigned creative prompts. Also, through attendance at and participation in various opportunities for lecture, demonstration, research and critical analysis, students will gain an informed ability to critique and recognize historic and modern works as well as contemporary mixed media work, ultimately, enhancing their own work and the work of their peers.
Critical Theory: Demonstrate the ability to critically analyze a work of art. Students will learn the process of critical analysis as it applies to the work of collage and assemblage. This includes a dialog pertaining to working with altered objects, context, and copyright and the legalities of working with appropriated materials. It also includes discussion of the aesthetics, context, and mechanics of repurposing 2D surfaces and 3D objects to create altering art. Students will be encouraged to practice casual discourse with their peers as they engage in a collective studio environment. Strategies for group critiques will also foster development and improvement of creative works. Utilizing critical analysis skills, students will develop a critical eye to inform development, identify weaknesses, and foster improvement in current and future work. Students will be evaluated on each completed collage and assemblage project based on the recontextualization of discarded media and found objects. Assessment will be based on the completion, artistic merit, innovation, and level of craftsmanship of each creative studio project. This also includes application of concept based on assigned creative prompts. Also, through attendance at and participation in various opportunities for lecture, demonstration, research and critical analysis, students will gain an informed ability to critique and recognize historic and modern works as well as contemporary mixed media work, ultimately, enhancing their own work and the work of their peers.
Creative Process: Demonstrate the application of the creative process. This course will promote unique strategies as it pertains to the act of appropriating images and objects. Participants will be encouraged to imitate the creative process of the instructor and historical mixed media artists. After gleaning from these new approaches, students will begin to integrate what they have learned into their own practice. Students will be evaluated on each completed collage and assemblage project based on the recontextualization of discarded media and found objects. Assessment will be based on the completion, artistic merit, innovation, and level of craftsmanship of each creative studio project. This also includes application of concept based on assigned creative prompts. Also, through attendance at and participation in various opportunities for lecture, demonstration, research and critical analysis, students will gain an informed ability to critique and recognize historic and modern works as well as contemporary mixed media work, ultimately, enhancing their own work and the work of their peers.
Content:
Through critiques, demonstrations, guided research, practical application, slide lectures, and readings, students will integrate a mixed media philosophy into their creative studio work. These inclusive and diverse teaching methods are tailored to accommodate unique learning styles that will culminate with a variety of rigorous experiential, creative projects. This course will include study of the following:
· Aesthetic theory as it relates to appropriation from popular cultural sources;
· Demonstrations of diverse mixed media processes;
· Development of concept and meaning to their mixed media work through guided prompts provided by the instructor;
· Discussion the of legalities and ethics of utilizing recontextualized imagery and objects in works of art and how appropriation differs from plagiarism;
· Group critiques designed to promote a critical dialog between the artist, the artwork, and the viewer utilizing strategies designed to promote improvement as students critically evaluate their own work and that created by their peers;
· Exploration of historical context, including the study of major figures and movements within the genre of mixed media;
· Practical application of collage and assemblage: Projects will encompass, but are not limited to, the following structures: Altered postcards, album covers, and books, collage, raised panels, box structures utilizing elements of 2D (collage and decoupage) and full 3D (assemblage);
· Readings from the text to supplement information provided during demonstrations and lectures;
· Slide lectures directly related to the process, history, and contemporary application of each mixed media technique.
Key Performance Indicators:
Completion and quality of applied studio projects 80 to 90%
Attendance and participation in discussions, research, and critiques 10 to 20%
Representative Text and/or Supplies:
Altered Art: Techniques for Creating Altered Books, Boxes, Cards, & More. Terry Taylor, Lark Books, current edition.
Other research readings may be required at the discretion of the instructor.
Each student will be required to provide tools, supplies, and consumables at the instructor’s discretion in addition to what is provided through the course program fee.
Pedagogy Statement:
This course will include, applied studio projects, class discussions, critiques, demonstrations, and slide lectures, as they apply to the mixed media practice of collage and assemblage. This diverse and multi-faceted learning environment promotes productivity and a high level of engagement and inclusion during each three-hour studio block. It also promotes a meaningful and productive work ethic as students perform independently in the studio between each class.
This course privileges a community studio environment. From the first day of class, students are encouraged to spend time collectively, not only within the structure of class time but outside of class, together in the studio working in an informal creative environment and at thrift and antique stores discussing the possibilities of their finds. This creative behavior is where ideas flow freely between student colleagues and trust and belonging is developed amongst members of a diverse and creative team. This prepares students for the highly-collaborative and creative industry where diverse ideas and brainstorming are combined to problem solve. During class, casual critical dialog is practiced between students and instructor. Formal group critique strategies are tailored to enhance the worth of each student’s creative vision and to critically evaluate the work of each student in a constructive manner. Prompts for each project are designed to promote a wide range of visual interpretation and inclusion of various conceptual insights, including but not limited to, age, ethnicity, culture, gender, and religion. Visual art, in its essence, promotes inclusivity as students explore unique personal concepts.
Instructional Mediums:
Lecture/Lab
Maximum Class Size: 12
Optimum Class Size: 12
