Mothers in Art, Literature and Culture.
Utah Valley University, Summer Semester, 2018
What is a mother? Is she an endlessly nurturing, self-sacrificing subject, or is her character more complex? Must she exhibit unconditional love for her children, or can she be conflicted, or even malevolent? Is her role timeless and universal, or has it evolved over time –to be usurped by extended family, nannies or even men? Citing a broad range of material, from short stories and sculptures to plays and paintings, these and other questions will be addressed as we consider a range of themes such as birth, sacrifice, caregiving, love and identity. We will consider the experiences of step-mothers, adoptive mothers, working mothers, stay-at-home mothers, surrogate mothers, Mormon mothers, Black mothers, Tiger mothers and trans-parents. Ultimately, our inquiry is directed at ascertaining what exactly Mothers are, and what authors and artists tell us about their identities and experiences. Examples: Venus of Willendorf - Madonna Lactans - Roman Charity - Medea - Dorothea Lange - Frida Khalo - Paula Modersohn-Becker - Dove Song / Heavenly Mother - Disney Mothers - Football Mothers - Michaelangelo's Pieta - Mizoku Kuyo - Mammies - The Help - Precious - Louise Bourgeois - Sylvia Plath - Mother Courage - Kathe Kollwitz - Sophia in Orange is the New Black - Mary Kelly - Tully - & more Mothers.
Monsters: Antiquity to Present
Utah Valley University, Spring Semester 2015
Monsters lurk at the intersection of morality, morphology and taxonomy. They are products of both nature and our imagination and fulfill a variety of roles; from harbingers of political unrest and biological boundary markers, to literary anti-heroes and embodiments of otherness. This course will chart the emergence of monsters throughout western art and culture, from antiquity to the present. Ranging from the beasts of classical mythology, to medieval devils and renaissance grotesques, we will also consider more apocryphal creatures such as Darwinian Neanderthals, science-fiction aliens and the terrible lizardsof the American West.
For iconographers, monsters present unique problems. What visual cues or signs characterize the parameters of each group? Are monsters impacted by regional bestiaries, or shifting concepts of nature that change through time? What are we to make of red herrings that also exhibit composite bodies, such as Egyptian gods, physiognomic studies, talking animals or shamanic spirits? Finally, how do monsters differ from other misshapen, transformational portents, such as zombies, vampires or the fruity fantasies of Hieronymus Bosch? These and other questions will be addressed in a seminar style course, as we wind our way through the web of cultural significations and develop a critical framework for understanding and taming these cultural beasts.
Art and Science
University of Utah, Summer 2007
Art and Science have had many points of intersection throughout the centuries. This is due to the scientist’s reliance on visual modeling, and the artist’s development of representational devices. This interdisciplinary course will examine the reciprocal nature of this phenomenon and explore the areas in which these collisions occur. It will primarily consider the contribution that artists have made to science, and the role that science has had on artistic production, while emphasizing the iconographic parameters of each discipline. As a prelude we will review pre-scientific approaches to Nature, such as ancient Greek concepts of origins manifest in red vase painting, and depictions of fauna and flora in medieval illustrated manuscripts. This will be followed by a survey of works generated in the Renaissance, in the emerging disciplines of anatomy and natural history. We will address the changing role of the scientist and artist throughout and beyond the Enlightenment, as manifest in the emerging fields of zoology and paleontology. Thereafter, we will consider the influence of the microscope and molecular biology on twentieth century art production. Finally, the impact of Genetics will be considered through a variety of installations made by contemporary artists.
This course will utilize a broad range of readings (from ancient to contemporary), and make full use of campus resources, including visits to the Marriott Special Collections, and the Scientific Visualization Centre. The primary objective of our inquiry will be epistemological, whereby we will seek to establish the nature of knowledge that is yielded by each artistic and / or scientific contribution. This is particularly pertinent where examples digress from more conventional notions of art and science. Generally, classes are organized according to discipline and theme. Weekly lectures will be augmented with online demonstrations, as well as student presentations (description to follow).
Humanities Through the Arts
Utah Valley University, 2014 - 2019
People have been reinventing themselves throughout history. They have been producing images and objects, songs and dances that distinguish them from their predecessors and neighbors, that make sense of their lives and the world around them. Scholars of the Humanities study these works; be they poems, paintings, sculptures or songs. By studying these works, students not only learn about the significance they had for the people who produced them. They also come to appreciate the complexities of human nature and the nature of creativity. Finally, we learn how people envisioned new identities and ultimately, manifest new futures for themselves. By studying them, we can acquire skills that can help us reinvent ourselves for our own life-journeys. Some questions addressed: What are the differences between oil, acrylic and fresco painting? What are the architectural differences between mosques, churches and synagogues? What are the Elgin Marbles and why do the Greeks call them the Parthenon Marbles? Why is the Mona Lisa smiling? Also: Alison Lapper on London's Fourth Plinth, Depictions of Kim Phuc (Nick Ut, Banksy, Adel Abdessemed), African American artists Nick Cave, Titus Kaphar and Kara Walker and more.
Utah Valley University, Summer Semester, 2018
What is a mother? Is she an endlessly nurturing, self-sacrificing subject, or is her character more complex? Must she exhibit unconditional love for her children, or can she be conflicted, or even malevolent? Is her role timeless and universal, or has it evolved over time –to be usurped by extended family, nannies or even men? Citing a broad range of material, from short stories and sculptures to plays and paintings, these and other questions will be addressed as we consider a range of themes such as birth, sacrifice, caregiving, love and identity. We will consider the experiences of step-mothers, adoptive mothers, working mothers, stay-at-home mothers, surrogate mothers, Mormon mothers, Black mothers, Tiger mothers and trans-parents. Ultimately, our inquiry is directed at ascertaining what exactly Mothers are, and what authors and artists tell us about their identities and experiences. Examples: Venus of Willendorf - Madonna Lactans - Roman Charity - Medea - Dorothea Lange - Frida Khalo - Paula Modersohn-Becker - Dove Song / Heavenly Mother - Disney Mothers - Football Mothers - Michaelangelo's Pieta - Mizoku Kuyo - Mammies - The Help - Precious - Louise Bourgeois - Sylvia Plath - Mother Courage - Kathe Kollwitz - Sophia in Orange is the New Black - Mary Kelly - Tully - & more Mothers.
Monsters: Antiquity to Present
Utah Valley University, Spring Semester 2015
Monsters lurk at the intersection of morality, morphology and taxonomy. They are products of both nature and our imagination and fulfill a variety of roles; from harbingers of political unrest and biological boundary markers, to literary anti-heroes and embodiments of otherness. This course will chart the emergence of monsters throughout western art and culture, from antiquity to the present. Ranging from the beasts of classical mythology, to medieval devils and renaissance grotesques, we will also consider more apocryphal creatures such as Darwinian Neanderthals, science-fiction aliens and the terrible lizardsof the American West.
For iconographers, monsters present unique problems. What visual cues or signs characterize the parameters of each group? Are monsters impacted by regional bestiaries, or shifting concepts of nature that change through time? What are we to make of red herrings that also exhibit composite bodies, such as Egyptian gods, physiognomic studies, talking animals or shamanic spirits? Finally, how do monsters differ from other misshapen, transformational portents, such as zombies, vampires or the fruity fantasies of Hieronymus Bosch? These and other questions will be addressed in a seminar style course, as we wind our way through the web of cultural significations and develop a critical framework for understanding and taming these cultural beasts.
Art and Science
University of Utah, Summer 2007
Art and Science have had many points of intersection throughout the centuries. This is due to the scientist’s reliance on visual modeling, and the artist’s development of representational devices. This interdisciplinary course will examine the reciprocal nature of this phenomenon and explore the areas in which these collisions occur. It will primarily consider the contribution that artists have made to science, and the role that science has had on artistic production, while emphasizing the iconographic parameters of each discipline. As a prelude we will review pre-scientific approaches to Nature, such as ancient Greek concepts of origins manifest in red vase painting, and depictions of fauna and flora in medieval illustrated manuscripts. This will be followed by a survey of works generated in the Renaissance, in the emerging disciplines of anatomy and natural history. We will address the changing role of the scientist and artist throughout and beyond the Enlightenment, as manifest in the emerging fields of zoology and paleontology. Thereafter, we will consider the influence of the microscope and molecular biology on twentieth century art production. Finally, the impact of Genetics will be considered through a variety of installations made by contemporary artists.
This course will utilize a broad range of readings (from ancient to contemporary), and make full use of campus resources, including visits to the Marriott Special Collections, and the Scientific Visualization Centre. The primary objective of our inquiry will be epistemological, whereby we will seek to establish the nature of knowledge that is yielded by each artistic and / or scientific contribution. This is particularly pertinent where examples digress from more conventional notions of art and science. Generally, classes are organized according to discipline and theme. Weekly lectures will be augmented with online demonstrations, as well as student presentations (description to follow).
Humanities Through the Arts
Utah Valley University, 2014 - 2019
People have been reinventing themselves throughout history. They have been producing images and objects, songs and dances that distinguish them from their predecessors and neighbors, that make sense of their lives and the world around them. Scholars of the Humanities study these works; be they poems, paintings, sculptures or songs. By studying these works, students not only learn about the significance they had for the people who produced them. They also come to appreciate the complexities of human nature and the nature of creativity. Finally, we learn how people envisioned new identities and ultimately, manifest new futures for themselves. By studying them, we can acquire skills that can help us reinvent ourselves for our own life-journeys. Some questions addressed: What are the differences between oil, acrylic and fresco painting? What are the architectural differences between mosques, churches and synagogues? What are the Elgin Marbles and why do the Greeks call them the Parthenon Marbles? Why is the Mona Lisa smiling? Also: Alison Lapper on London's Fourth Plinth, Depictions of Kim Phuc (Nick Ut, Banksy, Adel Abdessemed), African American artists Nick Cave, Titus Kaphar and Kara Walker and more.
