Course Description Over the course of history, artists have been using discarded materials—the various kinds of trash left behind by human production and consumption—for a variety of reasons, ranging from cultic worship to environmental concerns. In this studio course, we will learn about these motivations and develop our own creative and critical responses to the challenges posted by the growing mass and hazard of waste produced today. For artistic as well as practical purposes, we will focus our responses on the composition of 2D-collages from nontoxic post-consumer plastic and paper. In this process, we will also discuss the history of collage, from its early manifestations in Asia and medieval Europe to its emergence as a prominent modernist artistic practice in the 20^th century and contemporary experiments. The majority of class time will, however, be spent working in the studio and learning a variety of artistic techniques related to the making of collages, including the composition of color and shape and the assemblage of different kinds of materials. Students will have the opportunity to discuss their work one-on-one with the instructor and each other as well as in groups. Introduction to techniques as well as historical and cultural background information will be provided through slide-presentations and demonstrations. A field trip to a nearby recycling facility will provide us with an authentic experience of a place where trash ends up. Pre-requisite: VISA 101 2D Visual Language.
4 credits