FIN 250 fall 2021

30% Assignment: Multi-disciplinary Dialogue Project

(10% ea) Material Practice (dialogue with thematic artworks)

Texts (Summary Statement + MLA formatted annotated bibliography, Artist Statement)
Presentation (5 minutes – pre-recorded or live)

Students must post submissions to BBl before the start of class.

● Select a thematic topic (Places & Spaces, Art & Identity, Transforming Everyday Objects, and Art & Society*).
● Identify three different art and/or design works (by different artists from the assigned readings and lectures)
for the course that “fit” the selected thematic (research strategy: browse the term lectures and textbook
chapters – shortlist 10 artists spanning the Modern Art Period** and then narrow down to 3)
● Produce a summary statement about the three selected artworks, describing key areas of thematic focus.
● Develop a conceptual and material dialogue/ response to the thematic artworks. The material dialogue is
intended as a creative response (an artwork), using a medium/media of choice.
● Prepare an artist statement outlining your intentions and areas of focus for the material dialogue – what
aspects of the thematic works are you speaking to/about?
● The summary statement, artist statement and final artwork (digital documentation – multiple views) will be
submitted as digital files (word.doc and pdf) and presented in class as part of a group discussion. 

*Places & Spaces, Art & Identity, Transforming Everyday Objects, and Art & Society - from Modern Art & Ideas learning
module, by the Museum of Modern Art
**Modern Art Period - for this course we cover chapters 1-21 in the textbook and in the video lectures. The timeline
spans 1850-1960. This range will serve you in your research and select artists/artworks.

NOTE: BY THE END OF DAY(SEPT 15)I WILL UPLOAD THE PDF (NO AUDIO) VERSIONS OF THE VIDEO LECTURES FOR
THE TERM SO THAT YOU HAVE A QUICK VISUAL REFERENCE FOR ARTISTS/DESIGNERS/ARCHITECTS AND THEIR
WORK. I WILL UPLOAD THE VIDEO LECTURES AS WE GO WEEK BY WEEK.

IMPORTANT DATES:

Sept 15 ASSIGN: Multi-disciplinary Dialogue Project

Sept 29 (steps 1-9)

● DUE: Multi-disciplinary Dialogue Project Assign PT 1 (theme + artworks selected (images) + summary
statement draft
● UPLOAD Multi-disciplinary Dialogue Project Assign PT 1 (prior to class)
● *Discussion (break out groups) – Multi-disciplinary Dialogue Project PT 1 (theme + artworks selected (images)
+ draft summary statement – from your notes) 

Oct 13 (steps 10-12)

● DUE:  Multi-disciplinary Dialogue Project PT 2 and any revisions from part 1
● UPLOAD Multi-disciplinary Dialogue Project PT 2 (prior to class)
● Discussion (break out groups) – Multi-disciplinary Dialogue Project PT 2 (in progress – artwork, summary
statement revisions, draft artist statement)

Oct 27 (steps 13-14)

● DUE: Multi-disciplinary Dialogue Project Assign
● UPLOAD Multi-disciplinary Dialogue Project FINAL (prior to class)
● Presentations – Multi-disciplinary Dialogue FINAL PROJECT (Powerpoint – selected artwork, student artwork,
final summary statement, final artist statement)
 STEPS:

1. Review the package of thematic video lectures from Modern Art & Ideas learning module, by the Museum of
Modern Art. Playlist on YOUTUBE (click here)

Video screenings links and synopses:

i. Introduction to Modern Art and Ideas (1:27 min.)

This overview provides a context for understanding the organization of Modern Art and ideas through
accessible and relevant themes.
ii. Places & Spaces (4:44 min.)
Discover some of the many ways that artists represent place and take inspiration from their environment.
iii. Art and Identity (4:36 min.)
See how artists create works of art to express, explore, and question identity.
iv. Transforming Everyday Objects (4:08 min.)
Discover how artists use everyday objects to challenge assumptions about what constitutes art and how it
should be made. Explore a variety of artistic and design choices, and the creative acts of inventing and
transforming everyday objects.
v. Art and Society (4:42 min)
Explore works of art created in response to the social, cultural, and political issues of their time. Gain a deeper
understanding of history and contemporary society. Be encouraged to think critically about world events and
how they are depicted.

2. Take notes about key issues arising from the thematic topics in each video.

3. Choose one theme to explore for your assignment. Keep in mind that the theme you select will serve as your
critical lens for the rest of the assignment to:

a. conduct research about three artists and/or designers;

b. write a summary statement about their work in relation to the theme;
c. act as a framework for your material response (artwork) and artist statement.

4. Once you have selected a theme and three artists/designers. Have a look at the work they have produced
during the period of the Modern Art Movement (note if their work began before or extended after the
Modernist Art Movement timeline). Look for several examples of their artworks or design projects that speak
to the thematic considerations you have selected. Make rough notes (annotated – identify sources of research)
about how the theme is exemplified in the artistic content, context of production, and public
reception/perception.

5. Narrow down your selection to three works* (1 by each artist/designer). *Your three final works must not be
represented/analysed in the textbook.

6. Research image and theoretical sources beyond the course readings and lectures. Make sure to cite your
research sources, using MLA formatting. Include in your research notes, reflections on representations,
material practices, contexts of production and presentation and outcomes/impact of public engagement.
Spend about 3 hours on this part of the project.

7. Select images that strongly represent the theme you have decided to focus on. Consider the ways in which the
theme is expressed in the work (production); and how as viewers, we understand a work of art through a
 thematic perspective (reception). Make notes about each of the three works in relation to your theme. Focus
on the production and reception.

8. Include formal analysis of elements and principles of art and design in your notes (this part of the assignment is
a primer for your essay assignment). Watch the video link for a refresher on this approach: How to do visual
(formal) analysis in art history https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sM2MOyonDsY

9. Write a summary statement about your findings. (due: first draft Sept 29 – see remainder of schedule)

10. Produce a work of art, using a medium/media of choice, to further engage with and respond to your thematic
inquiry and associated artists/artwork research. Keep in mind that thematic explorations traverse various styles
and media (you are not restricted to making something that utilizes the same material approaches). The
assignment is intended to provide an opportunity for you to explore thematic topics of interest and to deepen
your understanding of concepts and theories. (Due: artwork in progress Oct 13 – see remainder of schedule)

11. Consider the approach to art practice-led research and creation as a dialogue. The thematic inquiry is intended
as an opportunity to explore key ideas with greater depth. The blended strategies and perspectives that you
employ to approach your material engagement response, serve as a platform for instigating connections and
reflections, and may include (but are not limited to): recreating, challenging, decontextualizing, responding,
intervention, aligning, recontextualizing, disruption, exposure, refocusing, relevance, reframing. What are
other artistic strategies that come to mind for content creation and instigating dialogue?

12. Along with the thematic summary statement (about the 3 artworks/artists), prepare an artist statement (min.
1 page) describing your intentions and outcomes and key areas of thematic focus in the selected artworks and
connecting this to your thematic artwork.

13. The written work and final artwork (digital documentation) will be submitted (posted to BBL as digital files –
source file type and as pdf), and presented in class as part of a group discussion.

14. For the group discussion, you will synthesize your findings into a 4-5 min. presentation with high quality
documentation images – this may be live or pre-recorded voice over, synchronized with a powerpoint or
keynote file (or using other software that you are more comfortable with). Practice your presentation. Make
sure you can upload the file to my media to share. You can export as a video from powerpoint or keynote. You
can also export to a PDF if you are presenting live.
Thematic connectivity: engaging through visual and material culture
A FEW IDEAS TO GET YOU STARTED

Instagram Account Features Museum Masterpieces Recreated During Quarantine

https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2020/05/07/instagram-painting-recreations

What is art history and where is it  going? Dr. Robert Glass.
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/start-here-apah/intro-art-history-apah/a/what-is-art-history

Art Of Quarantine: 9 Famous Art Posters Adjusted To Quarantine

https://www.boredpanda.com/digital-art-of-quarantine-posters-looma-prokopchuk/?
utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic

Explore Themes in Art – Smithsonian Institute

https://americanexperience.si.edu/themes/

Art in Quarantine Assignment

http://arthistoryteachingresources.org/2020/07/art-in-quarantine-assignment/

Quarantine Through Art Bobbie Denton

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCS_Dak6iQM

People Are Recreating Paintings In This Dutch Instagram Account And Here Are 30 Of The Best Ones
https://www.boredpanda.com/recreation-art-quarantine-tussenkunstenquarantaine/?
utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic

What 11 Artists Have Created During Quarantine

For these inspiring minds, sheltering in place has brought with it the ability to tap into untold creativity
By Gay Gassmann
https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/artists-work-in-quarantine

The Feminist Artists Whose Work You Need To Know

Discover the trailblazing women who made waves in the art world
https://artsandculture.google.com/theme/the-feminist-artists-whose-work-you-need-to-know/IQISUC6SwwhEKw?
hl=en

The Challenge: A Tribute to Modern Art

https://www.learnoutloud.com/Free-Audio-Video/Arts-and-Entertainment/Painting_-Architecture_-and-
Sculpture/The-Challenge-A-Tribute-to-Modern-Art/79409

Artists Respond: American Art and the Vietnam War, 1965–1975

https://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/vietnam

Art History In Action: 7 Contemporary Artworks That Reference The Revered

https://www.artspace.com/magazine/art_101/on_the_wall/art-history-in-action-7-contemporary-artworks-that-
reference-the-revered-56532

How Contemporary Artists Have Used “Washington Crossing the Delaware” to Challenge History
https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-contemporary-artists-washington-crossing-delaware-challenge-history

10 Controversial Artworks That Changed Art History

https://magazine.artland.com/10-controversial-artworks-changed-art-history/
Digital Toolkit, Excerpts by Naraelle Hohensee (google drive shared source)

Digital Toolkit for Art History and the Humanities

Online, open-access resources for art history research

Things to ask when evaluating a website:

● Does it have a trustworthy author?
● Is it associated with an educational institution? Or is it a .com? If it is a .com, has it partnered with
trustworthy institutions?
● Does it have ads? Is it selling anything (like prints)?
● Is it current?
Here is an example of a website that does not fit the bill.

*This list is far from complete. You may find other sites to include in your bibliography.

Wikipedia
● Feel free to use Wikipedia as a starting point. You’ll want to double-check everything you read there, however.

Trustworthy independent resources:

● Smarthistory/Khan Academy (same content mirrored across both sites)
● Google Cultural Institute
● Artsy (even though they act as a clearinghouse for selling art, the information they include is trustworthy)
● The Art Story
● Large newspapers such as
o The Independent
o The Guardian
o The New York Times

Museum websites
● The Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History (this is connected to the Metropolitan Museum of Art website)
● Museum websites such as 
o MoMA
o The Rijksmuseum
o Tate
o The Guggenheim
o The Louvre
o Musee D’Orsay
o The Prado
o Smithsonian
o There are tons more!

Scholarly journals
● JSTOR allows free downloads of some of its content
● Nineteenth-Century Art Worldwide

A primary source is an original historical document that constitutes evidence in itself (for example, an artwork, a
letter, or a newspaper report from the time).
 A secondary source is something written about a primary source (or sources) by others (for example, a book, an
article, or an essay).

Secondary sources will be more useful for the research you’re doing here.

Libraries and Archives (mainly useful for primary sources and images)
● New York Public Library digital collections
● Bibliotheque Nationale de France/Gallica database
● Library of Congress
● National Archives
● David Rumsey historical map collection
● John Carter Brown Library (Brown University)

Aggregator sites for primary sources

● Europeana
● Digital Public Library of America 
● Archive.org
● World Digital Library 

Digital Toolkit for Art History and the Humanities

Thinking about image copyright 

For your reference, you may consult the fair use guidelines that have been developed specifically for art history, such as
The College Art Association’s Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for the Visual Arts and the Association of Art Museum
Directors Guidelines for the Use of Copyrighted Materials and Works of Art by Art Museums.

In general, especially if you are producing content for wide distribution, it is ideal to always use images that are
public domain or have an explicit license that allows for non-commercial use.
 
In general, there are two levels of copyright to consider:
1. The copyright that applies to the work of art itself 
2. The copyright that applies to the reproduction (usually a photograph) of the work of art

Copyright that applies to the work of art itself

This chart outlines different levels of copyright and public domain per U.S. law. 

First, you should find out if the work itself is in the public domain. This can be tricky, but generally speaking…

● If the work was created before 1923, it is not protected under United States copyright law—in other words, it
is considered public domain in the U.S. (Note that this does not necessarily apply worldwide.) 

● If the work was created after 1923, you will need to assess what type of image rights apply to the work itself.
This varies. You can generally find this information on the webpage of the institution that owns the work. 

Copyright that applies to the reproduction of the work of art

Here, you will need to consider whether the work pictured is two-dimensional (a drawing, painting, print, photograph,
etc.) or three-dimensional (a sculpture, monument, building, etc.). Different legal standards apply to reproductions of
two- and three-dimensional works.
If the work pictured is three-dimensional (a sculpture, installation, building, monument, etc.), no matter whether the
work itself it is in the public domain or not, you will need to search for a reproduction (usually a photograph) of the
work that is public domain or licensed for reuse.

If the work pictured is two-dimensional, and the work itself is in the public domain (see definition above for “public
domain”) there is precedent in case-law (known as the Bridgeman case) that states that faithful reproductions of the
work are not protected under U.S. copyright. Remember that, while the ruling in the Bridgeman case is widely accepted,
it is not law.

How do I know if an image is licensed for non-commercial use?

Museums are increasingly including image rights directly on the webpages where works are displayed. If the page you
are looking at does not include this information, refer to the general guidelines available on the institution’s website
(usually under “Rights and Reproductions” or similar).

On sites such as Wikimedia Commons and Flickr, licenses are clearly displayed at the bottom of the page. These
generally follow the Creative Commons (or CC) licensing format.

There are several components to CC licenses:

● BY: short for “byline,” meaning you must credit the author of the image
● NC: “non-commercial,” meaning that the image can’t be used for commercial purposes
● SA: “share alike,” meaning you need to openly license the  work you create using the image in question in the
same way that the image itself is licensed
● ND: “no derivatives,” meaning the image can’t be edited (color changed, cropped)
● 2.0, 3.0, etc.: usually the license is followed by a version number, referring to the version of Creative Commons
licensing under which it was released

When using a CC-licensed image, it is common practice to display the license alongside the credit. It is also nice to
provide a link to the image. For example:

Caravaggio, The Calling of St. Matthew, c. 1599-1600, oil on canvas, (Contarelli Chapel, San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome)
photo: Steven Zucker, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 <https://flic.kr/p/FV2RkF>

Museum overreach

Sometimes museums claim copyright on photographs of works of art that are in the public domain (sometimes referred
to as overreach). For instance, a photo of a Rembrandt (a 2-D work) that is shot straight-on, as a reproduction, is, per
the Bridgeman decision, considered public domain. And yet, some museums claim copyright on such reproductions.

For more information on this practice, see:

“Museum Policies and Art Images: Conflicting Objectives and Copyright Overreaching” by Kenneth D. Crews
“Museum Image Fees: A call to Arms” by Bendor Grosvenor
”’Can I Use This?’ How Museum and Library Image Policies Undermine Education” on the Smarthistory blog