Acknowledgments and Credits:
The online lectures on this website were written by Kenney Mencher at Ohlone College in California and Texas A&M International University. 
It was substantially rewritten, edited, revised, and researched by Kenney Mencher and students Christina (Monkey) Paul, Annette Abbott, Tova Ossad, and various others (credited within the text). 



ART 101  An Introduction to Art
Spring 2010 Web Class 

Instructor Bonnie Kuo (Bonnie Kuo <bkuo@ohlone.edu>)

Syllabus

Scroll down this page for schedule of readings and due dates on assignments.
Note: This Calendar is subject to change



Basic Questions about Art (Weeks 1-3)

Week 1 (2/1 - 2/7)
Readings and Online Lectures for Week 1


Helpful links


Assignments for Week 1

Remember: If you miss or are late turning in the first 3 assignments you earn an automatic "F" in the course.  It will then be YOUR responsibility to drop the class.

Also: I do NOT always check my email on the weekends.   DO NOT expect me to answer emails that are sent on Sunday evening a few hours before the assignment is due.  Please plan ahead!


ASSIGNMENTS #1 and #2  Due Sunday February 7 by 11:59 pm or earlier

If you miss or are late turning in the first 3 assignments you earn an automatic "F" in the course.  It will then be YOUR responsibility to drop the class.

Assignment #1:  INTRODUCTORY EMAIL ASSIGNMENT  (Read the directions carefully!)

  • Send an e-mail directly to me (bkuo@ohlone.edu) with your class number in the subject heading (ART 101-3 or ART 101-4)
  • In the body of the e-mail please put your name, telephone number, and e-mail address.
  • Please answer the following questions.

  •    1.  Have you read the Syllabus and the links under "Stuff You Need to Know"?
       2.  What information needs to be in the subject heading of your emails for this class?
       3.  Do I accept email attachments?
       4.  What is the policy on late work in this class?
       5.  Are there any make-ups or extra credit in this class?
       6.  Did you read and understand the List of Assignments and Due Dates found on the Syllabus and throughout the website?
       7.  What constitutes cheating/plagiarism?
       8.  What are the consequences if you plagiarize or cheat on your worksheets or bulletin board postings?
       9.  When submitting a worksheet assignment, what process/method is suggested as a back up in case you lose your work or experience technical problems?
       10. If you have trouble submitting any of the worksheet assignments, what should you do?
       11. Do you have any questions for me?


Assignment #2:  INTRODUCTORY BULLETIN BOARD POSTING
(The bulletin board is located in the left hand margin of the very first page when you first log into WebCT.)

In complete sentences that are properly punctuated and capitalized, please post a message to the class bulletin board in which you introduce yourself to the class.
Provide the following information:

   1.  What you would like to be called (your name or nickname).
   2.  How long have you been studying at Ohlone?
   3.  What is your major?
   4.  Your background in terms of taking any kind of art class.
   5.  Why are you taking this class?
   6.  Something interesting about yourself.  (You can write anything here, except for something rude.)


Week 2 (2/8 - 2/14)

Readings and Online Lectures for Week 2

  • Read Sayre Student Toolkit.
  • Read Sayre Chapters 1-3 on A World of Art, Developing Visual Literacy, and The Themes of Art


Assignment for Week 2

ASSIGNMENT #3  Due Sunday February 14 by 11:59 pm or earlier

The bulletin board is located in the left hand margin of the very first page when you first log into WebCT.

I do not accept late work.  So make sure you turn it in on time!

Choose ONE of the following discussion topics and post your response on the bulletin board.  Please type the discussion question at the top of your posting.

(A REMINDER: If you choose to respond to someone else's post, make sure your reply adds to the discussion. Explain why you agree or disagree with your classmate and provide factual evidence to back up your opinion.  If your reply does not add anything new to the discussion but simply restates another student's answer, it will not receive full credit.  Remember the point of the bulletin board postings is to have a meaningful discussion and demonstrate to me that you have read and understood the material.)

(How to get an "A" while doing this.)
 

  • Name a sculpture, painting, or photograph from Sayre Chapters 2 or 3 and explain why in your opinion it either is or is not a work of art.  In your opinion what constitutes art?  To receive full credit, you must discuss a work of art that hasn't already been chosen by your classmates; OR if you choose the same work, you must add something new to the discussion by providing a critical response to your classmate's posting.  Be sure to first reference the work of art using the artist's name, title of the work, date, and the page or figure number from Sayre on which the work is reproduced.
  • Choose a work of art from the book.  Do you think it is beautiful?  Explain why or why not?  To receive full credit, you must discuss a work of art that hasn't already been chosen by your classmates; OR if you choose the same work, you must add something new to the discussion by providing a critical response to your classmate's posting.  Be sure to first reference the work of art using the artist's name, title of the work, date, and the page or figure number from Sayre on which the work is reproduced.
  • What aspect of Christo and Jeann-Claude's The Gates (1979-2005) do you find most interesting?  Be sure to provide an indepth response.  (Note: DO NOT copy directly from the textbook.)


MONDAY February 15  Last day to drop semester length class without a "W" grade.


Week 3 (2/15 - 2/21)

Readings and Online Lectures for Week 3

ASSIGNMENT #4    Due Sunday February 21 by 11:59 pm or earlier
WORKSHEET 1

Worksheet 1

A note about the worksheet assignments: The questions on the worksheets draw from all the readings assigned for each section.  In this case, Worksheet 1 covers Weeks 1 through 3, which focused on Basic Questions about Art.  Be sure to reference the previous weeks' readings and online lectures to complete each worksheet fully.

I do not accept late work.  So make sure you turn it in on time!
Spelling and grammar do count.

Note: If you do not complete one of the worksheet assignments, it usually drops your final grade in the class by a full letter grade.  Each assignment is an important part of your grade in this class.

Note:  ALWAYS type your worksheet responses in a word processing program such as MS Word first.  That way your work is saved and you have a back up copy.  Then cut and paste your numbered answers into an email and send them to me at bkuo@ohlone.edu.  Should you run into a problem while submitting the worksheets online, you always have a backup copy with your Word document.  Remember, I do NOT accept email attachments or images. 

(Bonnie Kuo <bkuo@ohlone.edu>)
 



Reception of Art and Its Controversies (Weeks 4-5)

Week 4 (2/22 - 2/28)

Readings and Online Lectures for Week 4


Assignment for Week 4

ASSIGNMENT #5   Due Sunday February 28 by 11:59 pm or earlier
BULLETIN BOARD POSTING 2

The bulletin board is located in the left hand margin of the very first page when you first log into WebCT.

I do not accept late work.  So make sure you turn it in on time!

Choose ONE of the following proposed topics and post an answer to the bulletin board or respond to someone else's post.  Please type the discussion question at the top of your posting.

(A REMINDER: If you choose to respond to someone else's post, make sure your reply adds to the discussion.  Explain why you agree or disagree with your classmate and provide factual evidence to back up your opinion.  If your reply does not add anything new to the discussion but simply restates another student's answer, it will not receive full credit.  Remember the point of the bulletin board postings is to have a meaningful discussion and demonstrate to me that you have read and understood the material.)
 

  • (How to get an "A" while doing this.)
    • A work of art can be confusing or even offensive the first time we look at it, but after learning more we often come to a better understanding and appreciation of that same work.  Name a work of art from Chapters 4, 13, or 15 of Sayre in which you experienced this.  Describe your initial reaction and your later understanding of the work once you learned more.   To receive full credit, you must discuss a work of art that hasn't already been chosen by your classmates; OR if you choose the same work, you must add something new to the discussion by providing a critical response to your classmate's posting.  Be sure to first reference the work of art using the artist's name, title of the work, date, and the page or figure number from Sayre on which the work is reproduced.
    • People at first had a hard time adjusting to the newer ideas and forms involved with modern art.  Choose a work of art from Sayre's Chapter 22 that you have a strong reaction to and discuss your feelings and the reasons for them.   Do you agree with the artist's choice of theme or purpose in making the piece of art?  To receive full credit, you must discuss a work of art that hasn't already been chosen by your classmates; OR if you choose the same work, you must add something new to the discussion by providing a critical response to your classmate's posting.  Be sure to fully reference the work of art, so your peers can look it up in Sayre (see note above).

    Week 5 (3/1 - 3/7)

    Readings and Online Lectures for Week 5

    • Read Sayre Chapters 12 and 14 on Painting and Sculpture
    • Grandma Litmus

    •  
    Assignment for Week 5

    ASSIGNMENT #6    Due Sunday March 7 by 11:59 pm or earlier
    WORKSHEET 2

    Worksheet 2

    I do not accept late work.  So make sure you turn it in on time!
    Spelling and grammar do count.

    Note:  ALWAYS type your worksheet responses in a word processing program such as MS Word first.  That way your work is saved and you have a back up copy.  Then cut and paste your numbered answers into an email and send them to me at bkuo@ohlone.edu.  Should you run into a problem while submitting the worksheets online, you always have a backup copy with your Word document.  Remember, I do NOT accept email attachments or images. 

    (Bonnie Kuo <bkuo@ohlone.edu>)
     


    Formal Analysis of Art (Weeks 6-10)

    Week 6 (3/8 - 3/14)

    Readings and Online Lectures for Week 6


    Assignment for Week 6

    ASSIGNMENT #7   Due Sunday March  14 by 11:59 pm or earlier
    BULLETIN BOARD POSTING 3a

    I do not accept late work.  So make sure you turn it in on time!

    Choose ONE of the following  proposed topics and post an answer to the bulletin board or respond to someone else's post.  Please type the question into your response.

    (A REMINDER: If you choose to respond to someone else's post, make sure your reply adds to the discussion.  Explain why you agree or disagree with your classmate and provide factual evidence to back up your opinion.  If your reply does not add anything new to the discussion but simply restates another student's answer, it will not receive full credit.  Remember the point of the bulletin board postings is to have a meaningful discussion and demonstrate to me that you have read and understood the material.)

    (How to get an "A" while doing this.)
     

    • Explain how one goes about determining the symmetry of a work of art.  Then describe the difference between bilateral symmetry and symmetry.  Finally, discuss how a composition can be asymmetrically balanced.
    • What is atmospheric perspective (also known as aerial perspective)? Describe how atmospheric perspective is created in a work of art and the effect it has on pictorial space.
    • If you compare the foreshortening in Mantegna's The Dead Christ, c. 1490-1501 to the drawing below, you may notice that the feet are a bit too small in Mantegna's work and this appears to be done on purpose.    Why do you think this is so?  What purpose do you think it might serve?




    Week 7 (3/15 - 3/21)

    Readings and Online Lectures for Week 7


    Assignment for Week 7

    ASSIGNMENT #8   Due Sunday March 21 by 11:59 pm or earlier
    BULLETIN BOARD POSTING 3b

    I do not accept late work.  So make sure you turn it in on time!

    Choose ONE of the following proposed topics and post an answer to the bulletin board or respond to someone else's post.  Please type the question into your response.

    (A REMINDER: If you choose to respond to someone else's post, make sure your reply adds to the discussion.  Explain why you agree or disagree with your classmate and provide factual evidence to back up your opinion.  If your reply does not add anything new to the discussion but simply restates another student's answer, it will not receive full credit.  Remember the point of the bulletin board postings is to have a meaningful discussion and demonstrate to me that you have read and understood the material.)

    (How to get an "A" while doing this.)
     

    • When looking at a reproduction or photograph of a work of art, why is it important to examine the dimensions of a work of art in the caption information?  Use Do-Ho Suh's Public Figures, 1998-1999 (Sayre, Fig. 241) and Claes Oldenburg's Spoonbridege and Cherry, 1988 (Sayre, Fig. 242) as examples.  How does scale change your understanding of each of these works of art?
    • Describe the concept of optical mixing.  Given an example of a work of art from the online lectures or textbook that relies on optical mixing.  Be sure to reference the work of art using the artist's name, title of the work, date, and the page or figure number from Sayre on which the work is reproduced. 
    • Discuss the difference in the color palette of the unrestored versus the restored version of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel Ceiling (see Sayre Fig. 181 vs. Fig. 182).  Why do you think many people prefer the unrestored version better, even though the restored version shows us what the ceiling looked like in Michelangelo's time?  How does the restored version change your perception of the work?


    Week 8 (3/22- 3/28)

    Readings and Online Lectures for Week 8

    • Read Sayre Chapters 10 and 11 on Drawing and Printmaking
    • Reread Sayre Chapter 12 on Painting
    Assignment for Week 8
    • No assignment due this week.


    Week 9 (3/29- 4/4)
    SPRING BREAK!



    Week 10 (4/5 - 4/11)

    Readings and Online Lectures for Week 10

    • Read Sayre Chapters 10 and 11 on Drawing and Printmaking
    • Reread Sayre Chapter 12 on Painting
    Assignment for Week 10

    ASSIGNMENT #9    Due Sunday April 11 by 11:59 pm or earlier
    WORKSHEET 3

    Worksheet 3

    I do not accept late work.  So make sure you turn it in on time!
    Spelling and grammar do count.

    Note:  ALWAYS type your worksheet responses in a word processing program such as MS Word first.  That way your work is saved and you have a back up copy.  Then cut and paste your numbered answers into an email and send them to me at bkuo@ohlone.edu.  Should you run into a problem while submitting the worksheets online, you always have a backup copy with your Word document.  Remember, I do NOT accept email attachments or images. 

    (Bonnie Kuo <bkuo@ohlone.edu>)
     


    Iconographic Analysis of Art (Weeks 11-12)

    Week 11 (4/12 - 4/18)

    Readings and Online Lectures for Week 11

    Assignment for Week 11

    ASSIGNMENT #10   Due Sunday April 18 by 11:59 pm or earlier
    BULLETIN BOARD POSTING 4

    I do not accept late work.  So make sure you turn it in on time!

    Choose ONE of the following proposed topics and post an answer to the bulletin board or respond to someone else's post.  Please type the question into your response.

    (A REMINDER: If you choose to respond to someone else's post, make sure your reply adds to the discussion.  Explain why you agree or disagree with your classmate and provide factual evidence to back up your opinion.  If your reply does not add anything new to the discussion but simply restates another student's answer, it will not receive full credit.  Remember the point of the bulletin board postings is to have a meaningful discussion and demonstrate to me that you have read and understood the material.)

    (How to get an "A" while doing this.)



    Week 12 (4/19 - 4/25)

    Readings and Online Lectures for Week 12

    • Review Sayre Chapters 5-9 on The Formal Elements and Their Design: Describing the Art You See


    Assignment for Week 12

    ASSIGNMENT #11    Due Sunday April 25 by 11:59 pm or earlier
    WORKSHEET 4

    Worksheet 4

    I do not accept late work.  So make sure you turn it in on time!
    Spelling and grammar do count.

    Note:  ALWAYS type your worksheet responses in a word processing program such as MS Word first.  That way your work is saved and you have a back up copy.  Then cut and paste your numbered answers into an email and send them to me at bkuo@ohlone.edu.  Should you run into a problem while submitting the worksheets online, you always have a backup copy with your Word document.  Remember, I do NOT accept email attachments or images. 

    (Bonnie Kuo <bkuo@ohlone.edu>)



    FRIDAY April 30  Last day to drop from semester length courses with a "W" grade.


    Application of Concepts to Renaissance Art (Weeks 13-14)

    Week 13 (4/26 - 5/2)

    Readings and Online Lectures for Week 13


    Assignment for Week 13

    ASSIGNMENT #12   Due Sunday May 2 by 11:59 pm or earlier
    BULLETIN BOARD POSTING 5

    I do not accept late work.  So make sure you turn it in on time!

    Discuss the following proposed topic and post an answer to the bulletin board or respond to someone else's post.  Please type the question into your response.

    (A REMINDER: If you choose to respond to someone else's post, make sure your reply adds to the discussion.  Explain why you agree or disagree with your classmate and provide factual evidence to back up your opinion.  If your reply does not add anything new to the discussion but simply restates another student's answer, it will not receive full credit.  Remember the point of the bulletin board postings is to have a meaningful discussion and demonstrate to me that you have read and understood the material.)

    (How to get an "A" while doing this.)
     

    • Choose your favorite work of Renaissance or Baroque art reproduced in Sayre Chapter 20 or from one of the online lectures and explain why you like it.  Use the concepts you have learned in this class to support your opinion.  To receive full credit, you must discuss a work of art that hasn't already been chosen by your classmates; OR if you choose the same work, you must add something new to the discussion by providing a critical response to your classmate's posting.  Be sure to reference the work of art using the artist's name, title of the work, date, and the page or figure number from Sayre on which the work is reproduced.



    Week 14 (5/3 - 5/9)

    Readings and Online Lectures for Week 14

    Assignment for Week 14

    ASSIGNMENT #13    Due Sunday May 9 by 11:59 pm or earlier
    WORKSHEET 5

    Worksheet 5

    I do not accept late work.  So make sure you turn it in on time!
    Spelling and grammar do count.

    Note:  ALWAYS type your worksheet responses in a word processing program such as MS Word first.  That way your work is saved and you have a back up copy.  Then cut and paste your numbered answers into an email and send them to me at bkuo@ohlone.edu.  Should you run into a problem while submitting the worksheets online, you always have a backup copy with your Word document.  Remember, I do NOT accept email attachments or images. 

    (Bonnie Kuo <bkuo@ohlone.edu>)
     

    This is your last assignment; there is no final exam in this class.
    After you have finished Worksheet 5 you are free!  Have a great summer!