StudioProgram Director: T. Mars (416-287-7137) Email: mars@utsc.utoronto.ca The Studio program at UTSC offers courses in drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, performance art, video, new media, animation, and conceptual practices. Students can also take specialized courses in digital imaging, sound art, or thematic courses that explore such things as the relationships between art and globalization, or art and politics, or time-based art practices. UTSC Studio students develop a combination of technical, theoretical, conceptual and critical skills that enable them to express and communicate their ideas confidently in a variety of visual languages. Students explore art as a tool for examining and intervening in visual culture, to consider the role of creativity in shaping communities locally and globally. Our students are encouraged to engage with the diversity of contemporary art by examining art-making from aesthetic, intellectual, social, and political perspectives. They are exposed to current positions in contemporary art theory, criticism, and curation and study the history of art from various cultural and historical viewpoints. The wide range of artistic experiences offered by the UTSC Studio program provides a rigorous general visual arts education for students interested in careers in the cultural and design sectors. Studio also offers focused preparation for students interested in pursuing advanced visual art study at the graduate level. The Studio program is connected to the department of Visual and Performing Arts, which offers students an interdisciplinary framework for analyzing the ideas and theories connecting the arts, and encourages students to explore the related fields of literature, history, anthropology, and other areas of Humanities and Social Sciences. Guidelines for 1st year course selection The Studio Study Guide is available at: www.utsc.utoronto.ca/~humdiv/prg_st.html Studio ProgramsMAJOR PROGRAM IN STUDIO (ARTS)Undergraduate Advisor Email: studio-program-supervisor@utsc.utoronto.ca
Undergraduate Advisor Email:
studio-program-supervisor@utsc.utoronto.ca Enrolment in the Minor in Studio is limited. Students must apply to enter the program after completing four credits including VPSA62H3 and VPSA63H3. Decisions are made on program admissions only twice a year, in May and August, and are based on student requests submitted to the registrar through ROSI. Admission is determined on the basis of a student's overall GPA and grades in VPSA62H3 and VPSA63H3. Program Requirements: Studio CoursesVPSA61H3 Painting I An investigation of the basic elements and concepts of painting through
experimentation in scale and content. An introduction to the importance of content and context in the making
of contemporary art. This introductory seminar examines the key themes, concepts, and
questions that affect the practice of contemporary art. We will look
at specific cases in the development of art and culture since 1900
to understand why and how contemporary art can exist as such a wide-ranging
set of forms, media and approaches. An investigation of the various approaches to drawing, including
working from the figure and working with ideas. This course introduces students to the use of three-dimensional materials
and processes for creating sculptural objects. Traditional and non-traditional
sculptural methodologies and concepts will be explored. An introduction to fundamental photographic concepts including depth,
focus, stopped time, lighting and photographic composition in contrast
to similar fundamental concerns in drawing and painting. A practical
and historical discourse on the primary conceptual streams in photography
including various documentary traditions, staged photographs and aesthetic
approaches from photographic modernism to postmodernism. An introduction to the basic principles of video shooting and editing
as well as an investigation into different conceptual strategies of
video art. The course will also provide an introduction to the history
of video art. An introduction to pixel and vector-based, two-dimensional image
processing, printmaking and web illustration. Basic digital skills
and quality control issues will be addressed through studio investigation
of Adobe Photoshop and the production of professional digital prints. A continuation of Painting I with an emphasis on images and concepts
developed by individual students. Contemporary sculptural practice is a diverse and expanded field
that covers a range of strategies that confound traditional definitions
of sculpture and blur the boundaries with other contemporary art forms.
We will explore key ideas that transform sculpture into three-dimensional
practices that embrace time, found material, architecture and audience
interaction. Exploring the production, history and use of artists' books, students
will focus on visuals and text, incorporating low-tech and printmaking
approaches to multiples. A course for students interested in publishing artworks in digital
formats such as e-books, short-run printed catalogues and blogs. Lessons
will identify common editorial and image preparation concerns while
introducing software for assembling images, videos, sounds, graphics,
and texts into coherent and intelligently-designed digital publications.
Creative solutions are expected. This course is designed to offer students direct encounters with
artists and curators through studio and gallery visits. Field encounters,
written assignments, readings and research focus on contemporary art
and curatorial practices. The course will provide skills in composing
critical views, artist statements, and writing proposals for art projects. A continuation of VPSA70H3 with
an increased emphasis on the student's ability to expand her/his personal
understanding of the meaning of drawing. A studio course in digital photography as it relates to the critical
investigation of contemporary photo-based art. This course is designed to provide a history of contemporary video
art production. The course will familiarize students with more advanced
methods of production and contemporary video works. Classes will include
technical instruction, screenings and discussions of tapes, critiques,
written assignments and assigned readings. This course covers the history and practice of performance art. Students
will employ contemporary performance strategies such as duration,
ritual, repetition, intervention, tableau vivant, endurance and excess
of materials in their projects. We will also study the relationship
of performance to other art disciplines and practices such as theatre
and sculpture. An in-depth investigation of digital imaging technologies for serious
studio artists and new media designers. Emphasis is placed on advanced
image manipulation, seamless collage, invisible retouching and quality
control techniques for fine art production. Project themes will be
drawn from a critical analysis of contemporary painting and photo-based
art. This course will explore contemporary artistic practices that blur
the boundary between art and activism. An elementary study of the typographic arts will inform presentation
strategies, but the investigation of critical cultural discourse through
language as visual art will form the most important content of this
course. How do visual artists employ words in their art? Students will be introduced to both the principles and practicalities
of working with the concept of change as it relates to sculpture.
Students will use both traditional and non-traditional materials in
combination with technologically based media and processes including
such things as simple circuits, machines, switches, LEDs, etc. Photography has a rich tradition both as an art form and as a documentary
practice. Each of these has engendered its own technique, aesthetic
and cultural context. This course is designed to introduce students
to the documentary branch of photography through focused, personal,
photo-journalistic projects accomplished outside of the studio. Students will be introduced to sound as a medium for art making.
Listening, recording, mapping, editing, and contextualizing sounds
will be the focus of this course. Sound investigations will be explored
within both contemporary art and experimental sound/music contexts. A non-traditional course in the digital production of non-analog,
two-dimensional animation through the use of computer-based drawing,
painting, photography and collage. Students will learn design strategies,
experimental story lines, sound mixing, and video transitions to add
pace, rhythm, and movement to time based, digital art projects. This course focuses on the finer details of curating and contemporary
art. Students will delve into the work of selected artists and curators
with an emphasis on the conceptual and philosophical underpinnings
of their projects. Term work will lead to a professionally curated
exhibition organized by students. This course is designed to introduce students to documentary video
approaches in video art. Students will gain insight into the history
and development of the experimental documentary genre through screenings,
readings, and field trips. The course will provide students with the
opportunity to research, develop, and produce a short documentary
project. Students will produce art projects using mechanical principles to
create sculptural forms that change over time. Students will be encouraged
to use altered machines, simple electronic components and a wide range
of materials. An advanced course for students who are able to pursue individual
projects in painting, with a focus on contemporary practice and theory. An advanced course for students who are able to pursue individual
projects dealing with the complex relationships between drawing and
other art practices like installation, painting and mixed media. A supervised course focused specifically on the development of the
student's work from initial concept through to the final presentation.
Students may work in their choice of media with the prior written
permission of the instructor. Focusing on both theory and practice, this is a portfolio-based course
aimed at the development of idiosyncratic photographic styles and
subject matter. Printing and presentation will form an important part
of this portfolio's development. Students will research international
networks, publications and institutions devoted to photographic discourse. This course will focus on all aspects of large-scale installation
including architecture, projections, multi-media, and conceptual works. An advanced course focusing on complex video techniques and contemporary
presentation strategies. The course will cover such areas as video
projection, multi-channel works, feature length projects and advanced
post-production techniques. An exploration of ideas and practice with an emphasis on two-dimensional
work, including digital imaging. An exploration of ideas and practice with an emphasis on time-based
media: performance, video, audio, time-based sculpture and installation. This course will focus on the influence of global visual culture
on contemporary art practices; exploring how artists respond to orientalism,
colonial histories, migration, media, tourism, and the international
art world. The culturally diverse backgrounds of students and their
understanding of global media will be starting points for studio projects. Information technologies are radically and rapidly transforming our
culture. Networking, robotics, WiFi, GPS, ubiquitous computing, data
mining, rfid, biotech, kinetic art, surveillance, sound installation,
digital image processing and interactive display are all offering
new opportunities for the artist as well as new critical issues to
address. Students will create affordable projects that address these
issues. This course investigates the relationship of the body to the camera.
Using both still and video cameras and live performance students will
create works that unite the performative and the mediated image. The
course will cover how the body is framed and represented in contemporary
art, advertising and the media. Interdisciplinary Drawing Concepts will extend drawing into a range
of other media, allowing students to explore the sculptural, temporal
and performative potential of mark-making. Advanced Sculpture will provide students with an opportunity for
a deeper investigation into various materials and fabrication techniques.
This course will focus on the theory and practice of object making
through studio assignments that develop a critical and technical literacy
towards both traditional and non-traditional sculpture materials. A project based course, building upon concepts developed in VPSB89H3
Introduction to Digital Animation. Students will refine their control
of sound, movement, and image quality. This course will also introduce
three-dimensional wire frame and ray-tracing techniques for constructing
convincing 3-D animated objects and scenes as they apply to contemporary
artistic practices. Selected topics for intensive practical and theoretical study in studio. Topics will change from session to session. Prerequisite: 1.5 full credits at the C- and/or D-level in Studio An advanced course for students ready to work independently on their
own projects. Students will be expected to work on their projects
from conception to a final exhibition in the student-run gallery.
Students may work in their choice of media with the written permission
of the instructor. An opportunity for students in VPS to explore aspects of contemporary
inter-media practice and theory. Students will make work in their
choice of media with the written permission of the instructor. Students who have developed strong portfolios in painting, drawing
or printmaking and intend to pursue professional exhibition careers
will continue their investigations into two-dimensional expression
and develop professional quality projects with thorough promotional
strategies. This studio-seminar will address contemporary issues in sculpture
and installation art through independent art production, research,
discussions, presentations and assigned readings. Students are expected
to develop a body of exhibition quality work and professional support
materials. This option is available in rare and exceptional circumstances to
students who have demonstrated a high level of academic maturity and
competence. Qualified students will have the opportunity to investigate
an area of contemporary art that is of common interest to both student
and supervisor. See Art History in the Visual and Performing Arts section of this Calendar for a full course description. VPAC04H3 "Live"See the Visual and Performing Arts section of this Calendar
for a full course description. |
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