Faculty of Arts & Science 2012-2013 Calendar

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Art

Faculty

Royal Ontario Museum
    D. Dewan, MA, Ph D
    A. Gehmacher, MA, Ph D
    A. Liivandi, MA, MLS
    A. Palmer, MA, Ph D
    S. Stock, MA, Ph D 

Courses in the Department of Art are offered in two basic areas: lecture courses or seminars in the History of Art (FAH) and practical studios or seminars in Visual Studies (VIS). Minor, Major and Specialist programs are offered in both the History of Art and Visual Studies.

The FAH curriculum covers the Bronze Age to the present in several global regions: the Mediterranean area, Europe and North America, and Asia. FAH101H1 is an overview of the major periods and monuments in the history of art and architecture, and FAH102H1 serves as a practical and critical introduction to the practice of art history and is a mandatory component of the curriculum; students are encouraged to take this class early in their progress toward an FAH program. Half courses at the 200 level are more comprehensive surveys that thematically introduce the material from specific chronological periods, regional areas, or the history of architecture. Many of these courses, which are offered on a regular basis, serve as “gateway” prerequisites for courses at the 300 and 400 level; students are advised to check the prerequisites for each upper-level course carefully.

Visual Studies is the studio component of the Department of Art. Visual Studies Foundation courses are designed for Humanities and Social Science students who intend to seriously pursue Visual Studies upper level courses. There is a two-stage enrolment process. Humanities and Social Science students who have been accepted into a Visual Studies Program of Study may register for Visual Studies courses from mid-July until early August. First-year students and other upper-year students may apply for available spaces in late August.

Foundation courses: VIS120H1, Visual Concepts, a lecture-based course that investigates a wide range of topics situated in Modernism and Post-Modernism. This course rigorously examines diverse art concepts in order to prepare students for interdisciplinary perspectives on art practice and critical theory in upper level courses. VIS130 is an intensive interdisciplinary course that stresses the formulation and communication of visual ideas, primarily through a variety of media and must be taken in conjunction with VIS120H1, Visual Concepts. It is offered in the Winter term, and is available only to those students who achieve a grade of 60% or greater in VIS120
Visual Studies emphasizes a strong commitment to the social, cultural and theoretical issues embodied in contemporary art practice. Some Visual Studies courses are credits in other programs, for example, Women in Visual Art, and Performance in the Women’s Studies program, Video for Artists in the Cinema Studies program and the Sexual Diversity program. . Students in these programs will need to fulfill the VIS120 and VIS130 prerequisites for upper level VIS courses and might consider entering a VIS Minor POSt. The scope and variety of available courses will provide students with preparation for careers in teaching, museum and gallery work, conservation and complementary fields, though further professional training will normally be necessary.

Courses in the history of art (FAH) and in the practice of art (VIS) are useful to students in other departments or faculties; history, literature, music, and philosophy are likewise concerned with systems of thought and imagery. Fundamental concepts in such disciplines are embodied or reflected in related works of art of the same general period and area. Students in architecture, geography, or city planning will find courses in the history of architecture of benefit. Those with a special interest in the practice of architecture will find studio courses of value.

At the same time, the Department directs the attention of its students to the wide range of offerings in other departments and urges them to acquire the broad cultural background essential to an understanding of the arts. Of special importance are familiarity with history, a knowledge of the various traditions of literature and mythology, and an acquaintance with philosophy. Courses in cultural, historical or urban geography may also be relevant in programs that include the history of architecture. It is imperative that students interested in pursuing an advanced degree in art history acquire the foreign languages necessary for such work. Although the choice of languages will be dependent on an individual’s program of study, it is generally recommended that students learn German and at least one other European language. The Department web site provides a list of courses in other departments that can be counted toward an art history degree.

In conjunction with Woodsworth College, the Department offers courses during the summer term at the University of Siena, Italy, and at other locations abroad. For information about these degree-credit courses, please consult the Department of Art web site or contact the Summer Abroad Program at Woodsworth College, 119 St. George Street (416-978-8713).

The Fine Art Student Union (FASU) sponsors a variety of lectures and other activities for members of the departmental community.

Many courses in the Department, whether history or studio, are offered in alternate years only, or on a three-year cycle. The studio program requires no prerequisite at the secondary school level, but enrolment is limited in all studio courses. For more detailed information on courses and degree programs, consult the Department of Art web site and Undergraduate Handbook at www.art.utoronto.ca. Counselling is available, by appointment, from the Undergraduate Coordinators.

Enquiries:

FAH: Ms. Louise Kermode, Undergaduate Secretary, Sidney Smith Hall, Room 6036 (416-978-7892)
VIS: George Hawken, Number 1, Spadina Crescent, Room 226 (416-946-8153)

Art Programs

1 course=1 FCE (one full course equivalent); e.g., FAH101H1 + FAH102H1 = 1 course or 1 FCE

One half course = 0.5 FCE; e.g., FAH102H1

This is a limited enrolment program.  All students who request the program and obtain at least the specified mark(s) in the required course(s) will be eligible to enrol.

Required courses:At least four half courses from the Department’s art history offerings, with marks of at least 70% in each course.

1 course=1 FCE (one full course equivalent); e.g., FAH101H1 + FAH102H1 = 1 course or 1 FCE

One half course = 0.5 FCE; e.g., FAH102H1

(11 FCES)

At least nine FAH FCE’s, and two FCE’s in one or more languages including at least one German, French, or Italian, though an acceptable alternative modern language such as Dutch or Russian (or Chinese and/or another Asian language) may be acceptable. It is strongly recommended that students acquire a reading knowledge of German, Franch, or Italian by the end of the third year. Students specializing in Ancient or Medieval art should also recognize the necessity of studying Greek and/or Latin. Students interested in pursuing Asian art history will need to acquire Chinese and/or Japanese and/or another Asian language.

First Year:

FAH102H1

Higher Years:

1. At least one half course in each of Groups A, B, C, and D (see below for definitions).
2. One additional half course in Group A and Group B.
3. No more than 3.5 FCEs may be taken at the 200-level.
4. 3.5 FCEs at the 300+level
5. 1 FCE at the 400 level. No more than 1.5 FCEs at the 400-level will be counted toward fulfilling program requirements.
6. No more than 10 FCEs of FAH courses may be taken in total. No more than 13 FAH and VIS FCEs may be taken in combination.
7. Approved courses in other programs may be substituted for up to two FAH FCEs. See Department web site for details.

In addition, the Faculty of Arts and Science requires Fine Art History Specialists who do not complete FAH338H1 to complete at least 0.5 FCE in Arts and Science courses in Breadth Category 5: The Physical and Mathematical Universes.

Enrolment in this program requires the completion of 4.0 courses.

1 course=1 FCE (one full course equivalent); e.g., FAH101H1 + FAH102H1 = 1 course or 1 FCE

One half course = 0.5 FCE; e.g., FAH102H1

(6 FCEs)

At least six FAH FCEs fulfilling the following distribution requirements:

First Year:

FAH102H1

Higher Years:

1. At least one half course in three of the four FAH Groups (see below for definitions).
2. Three FCEs at the 300+ level, including at least one half-course at the 400-level.
3. No more than 1.0 FCE at the 400-level will be counted toward fulfilling program requirements. No more than 7.5 FCEs of FAH courses may be taken in total.
4. No more than 13 FAH and VIS FCEs may be taken in combination; of these, no more than 7.5 may be FAH FCEs.
5. Approved courses in other programs may be substituted for up to one FAH FCE. See Department web site for details.

In addition, the Faculty of Arts and Science requires Fine Art History Majors who do not complete FAH338H1 to complete at least 0.5 FCE in Arts and Science courses in Breadth Category 5: The Physical and Mathematical Universes.

Enrolment in this program requires the completion of 4.0 courses.

1 course=1 FCE (one full course equivalent); e.g., FAH101H1 + FAH102H1 = 1 course or 1 FCE

One half course = 0.5 FCE; e.g., FAH102H1

(4 FCEs)

At least four FAH courses fulfilling the following distribution requirements:

1. FAH102H1
2. At least one half course in two of the four FAH Groups (see below for definitions)
3. At least one FCE at the 300-level.
4. No more than 5 FCEs of FAH courses may be taken in total.

Group A:  Ancient, Medieval
FAH courses numbered 200–229, 300–329, 400–429

Group B: Renaissance–Baroque, Modern–Contemporary–Canadian
FAH courses numbered 230–59, 330–59, 430–59

Group C: Asian
FAH courses numbered 260–69, 360–69, 460–69

Group D: History of Architecture
FAH courses numbered 270–79, 370–79, 470–79, plus FAH300, 309, 328, 362, 364, 404, 421

Note:
1.  Certain courses, including FAH101H1, do not satisfy the requirement for any group, but do count toward any FAH degree program.
2.  Students who have already taken FAH100Y1 are encouraged, but not required, to take FAH102H1 for the fulfillment of degree requirements.
3.  Courses used to satisfy one group requirement, e.g., FAH300, cannot be counted toward another group requirement.

This is a limited enrolment POSt that can only accommodate a limited number of students.  Eligibility will be based on a student’s mark(s) in the required course(s).  The precise mark thresholds outlined below are an estimate of what will be required in the coming POSt admission cycle.   Achieving those mark(s) does not necessarily guarantee admission to the POSt in any given year.

Required courses: completion of at least four full course equivalents including VIS120H1 and VIS130H1 and an average of at least a B in each of VIS120H1 and VIS130H. 

Program requirements

(Ten full courses or their equivalent, including fOUR 300/400 VIS half courses, two of which must be VIS401H1 and VIS402H1, and two FAH full courses or their equivalent including FAH102H1 and three other FAH half courses)

Requirements as follows: at least eight VIS and two FAH full courses or their equivalent including FAH102H1 and three other FAH half courses

First Year:

VIS120H1, FAH102H1 and VIS130H1

Higher Years:

1. 14 half-courses in VIS
2. Thesis Text/Critique VIS401H1; Thesis projectVIS402H1

Notes:
1. A full 400-series course is mandatory
2. Prerequisites for all courses beyond first year will be VIS120H1 and VIS130H1
3. No more than 13 FAS/VIS and FAH full courses may be taken in combination

This is a limited enrolment POSt that can only accommodate a limited number of students.  Eligibility will be based on a student’s mark(s) in the required course(s).  The precise mark thresholds outlined below are an estimate of what will be required in the coming POSt admission cycle.   Achieving those mark(s) does not necessarily guarantee admission to the POSt in any given year.

Required courses: completion of at least four full course equivalents including VIS120H1 and VIS130H1 and an average of at least a B in each of VIS120H1 and VIS130H. 

Program requirements

(Six Visual Studies full courses or their equivalent, including at least two 300+ half courses)

First Year:

VIS120H1 and VIS130H1

Higher Years:

Ten half-courses in VIS

Notes:
No more than 13 FAH and FAS/VIS full courses may be taken in combination

This is a limited enrolment POSt that can only accommodate a limited number of students.  Eligibility will be based on a student’s mark(s) in the required course(s).  The precise mark thresholds outlined below are an estimate of what will be required in the coming POSt admission cycle.   Achieving those mark(s) does not necessarily guarantee admission to the POSt in any given year.

Required courses: completion of at least four full course equivalents including VIS120H1 and VIS130H1 and an average of at least a B in each of VIS120H1 and VIS130H. 

Program requirements

(No more than four Visual Studies full courses or their equivalent, including at least one fULL 300-level course or its equivalent.)

Note:

No more than 4 full courses may be taken in a Minor Subject POSt
1. VIS120H1 and VIS130H1
2. Six half-courses in VIS
3. Note: VIS minors are not permitted to take VIS401 and VIS402, or any Independent VIS courses

Art Courses

The 199Y1 and 199H1 seminars are designed to provide the opportunity to work closely with an instructor in a class of no more than twenty-four students. These interactive seminars are intended to stimulate the students’ curiosity and provide an opportunity to get to know a member of the professorial staff in a seminar environment during the first year of study. Details here.

Consideration of the stylistic and contextual significance of representative monuments in the history of art.

An investigation of the intellectual foundations of the discipline and an introduction to working methods in the study of art history.

The recommended preparation for ALL 200 level courses is FAH102H1

An overview of the major monuments, artifacts, themes and problems in the study of the archaeology, art and architecture of the Aegean region and the east Mediterranean to 1000BC.

An overview of the major monuments, artifacts, themes and problems in the study of the archaeology, art and architecture of the civilizations of Greece and Rome.

An overview of major monuments and themes in the art and architecture of Western Europe and the Byzantine East from the third until the eleventh century.

An overview of major monuments and themes in the art and architecture of Western Europe and the Byzantine East from the eleventh until the fifteenth century.

A selective survey of the major art centres and types of artistic and architectural production in Italy and northern Europe, from the early fifteenth century to the mid-sixteenth. Themes include the relations--artistic, economic and ideological--between northern and southern Europe during this period, the changing role of art in religious life, the emergence of secular themes, and the legacies left by Renaissance art to modern life and culture.

Major forms of expression in the visual arts ca. 1600 - ca. 1750 with particular attention to forms, techniques, theories, and patronage of the arts as well as biographies of artists in Italy, France, the Netherlands, Flanders, Germany and England.

An introduction to the advent and development of art movements including Rococo and Neoclassicism; Romanticism and Revolution, Realism and the advent of Photography, Impressionism; Academic art; Post-Impressionism.

An introduction to the consolidation of Modernist tendencies in Europe to the mid 20th century and to the many contemporary responses to these achievements. Individual artists, including Picasso, Matisse, Duchamp, and Matthew Barney are considered in their relationship to various art movements and the theories that supported them, including Expressionism; Abstraction and Constructivism; Dada and Surrealism; Neue Sachlichkeit; Abstract Expressionism; Pop; Conceptual Art; Earth Art; Feminist Art; Postmodernism; New Media Art.

An introductory survey of the history of painting and sculpture in Canada from the 17th to the 20th century.

An overview of major monuments and themes in the art and architecture of East Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Mongolia and Tibet), from the neolithic to the present.

An overview of major monuments and themes in the art and architecture of East Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Mongolia and Tibet) and its diaspora in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

A survey of architecture from pre-history to the start of modernism, with attention given to the ways in which architecture shapes human experience.

An introduction to the buildings, issues and ideas from Neoclassicism to the present.

Credit course for supervised participation in faculty research project. Details here.

 In addition to the Prerequisites listed below, enrolment is also possible for each course with permission of instructor.

An investigation of the major archaeological sites and landscapes of the ancient Greek world, c.750-100BC.

This course investigates the material culture, art and architecture of the Aegean civilizations from the Neolithic through to the building of the palaces of Crete around 2000BC.

An investigation of the palace civilizations of Minoan Crete and Mycenaean Greece in the second millennium BC; their development, art, architecture, foreign connections, religion, and collapse, and role in the foundations of Classical Greece.

The art, archaeology and architecture of the Roman empire outside Rome.

The art, architecture and archaeology of the city of Rome to AD476.

Transformation in the visual arts, paintings, sculpture, and mosaics of the expanding Greek world c.400BC to c.100BC; the response to Hellenization from the new artistic centres of Asia Minor and Italy.

A general introduction to Greek mythology and its uses (and abuses) by the Greeks and Romans through the art of antiquity. Students will learn about gods and goddesses, heroes and heroines, their attributes and stories which constituted the subjects of (not only) ancient art.

Pilgrimage, relics, and icons are among the vehicles for gaining access to God and the saints in the Middle Ages that are examined in this course.

An examination of the role played by monks and nuns in the creation and use of art and architecture in the Middle Ages.

A focused survey of different types of manuscripts and their images from the origins of the book in Late Antiquity to the invention of printing.

The church was the primary locus of artistic elaboration in the Middle Ages. This course explores the wall paintings, mosaics, sculptures, textiles, and stained glass programs used to decorate churches throughout the medieval period.

Religious practices in the Middle Ages were expressed and enhanced with a variety of objects often made of precious materials. This course examines the forms and functions of these sacred implements.

A consideration of art and architecture made for the court, the aristocracy, and other patrons outside the realm of the Christian church.

An examination of the Gothic cathedral from its origins in Paris in the 1130’s through its development and elaboration in France, England and Italy. This course also considers monumental decorations in painted glass, wall painting, tapestry and portal sculpture.

Albrecht Dürer and the painting and printmaking of his contemporaries. Consideration of the great Hall churches of Saxony and the altarpieces of Tilman Riemenschneider and his contemporaries; the status of the arts and attitudes towards Italian art, and the consequences of the Reformation for religious imagery.

Painting, sculpture and architecture of the Netherlands in the sixteenth century with reference to the arts in Italy, France, Germany and Spain. Consideration of Netherlandish art in the context of literature, religion, urban expansion, political and economic developments; and as a system of communication. Particular attention devoted to Hieronymus Bosch, Pieter Bruegel, the rise of secular art.

Focusing on developments in Venice, Florence and Rome during the Renaissance, this course examines altarpieces both as aesthetic objects and as expressions of the social, religious and political structures for which they were made.

Love is studied not only as a favorite theme of Renaissance art, but as the basis of some of its fundamental aesthetic claims. The question of love connects Renaissance art to important strains of philosophical thought and religious spirituality, as well as to some urgent realities of social life.

This course examines works in different art media, including painting, sculpture and prints, produced from 1400 to 1600, discussing how artistic practice of imitation and emulation stimulated the development of individual styles. In addition, this course addresses notions of disruptive rivalry, and the representation of slander and envy.

It has long been said that the material culture of the Renaissance generated the first stir of consumerism with a variety of artifacts produced from 1400 to 1700 in Italy.  This course explores the material culture of Renaissance consumerism and discusses the production and function of works in different art media.

Concentration on the major masters of Holland’s Golden Age, ca. 1580-ca. 1700. Particular attention is paid to genre painting and the notion of “Dutch realism.” Consideration of art within its social and historical contexts.

Form and meaning, theory and practice of painting and architecture in Venice, ca. 1450-ca. 1600. Social, political and cultural contexts of making and viewing art, including works by Giorgione, Titian, Veronese, Tintoretto and Palladio.

The symptoms and causes of Mannerism, ca. 1520 to ca. 1600, as seen through shifting historical perspectives. The contested status of Mannerism opens questions about the relation of style and content, the uses of quotation and formulae in art, and the rhetorical functions of beauty in religious art.

Introduction to the art of Rembrandt and Rubens in the context of Netherlandish painting of the seventeenth century. Lectures will treat the approaches of these two artists to biblical and mythological subjects, landscape, portraiture, and their involvement in contemporary politics.

This course explores the painting, sculpture, and graphic arts of the Romantic era in France, from abOUT 1820 to 1850. Major emphasis on Gericault, Delacroix, and Ingres in their artistic, cultural, and political context. Key topics in Romanticism, including Orientalism and gender, are also explored.

The origin and development of Impressionism in France and Europe, 1860-1886, in its social, political and intellectual context. Painting, graphics and sculpture by Monet, Renoir, Degas, Pissarro, Sisley, Cassatt and Morisot.

An investigation of the birth and development of Cubism, Futurism and Orphism in Europe and North America.

The origins and development of the Dada and Surrealist movements in early 20th-century Western art, and their lasting impact on art after World War II. Painting, sculpture, graphic arts, and the theoretical preoccupation which accompanied artistic production.

The origins, development, and critical issues pertaining to abstract or non-figurative modes of art as manifested in painting, sculpture and other selected media in the 20th century. Movements include European abstract art before World War II as well as post-war developments.

An investigation of the different definitions and issues of minimal art including seriality, materials, process, objecthood, chance, installation, reception, relations to music and film, and the influence of structuralism.

The role of Theory in the art of the modern period. The texts studied include works by the principal theoreticians and critics from the late 18th century to the present.

An introduction to the major artists, movements, and debates in photography in Europe and North America, from its prehistory to the turn of the century.  Issues considered include the relationship of social class to aesthetics, the role of illusion, the rise of mass reproduction.

An examination of the visual arts in Canada from the 1960’s to the present. A large and diverse range of media, practices, artists, and theoretical contexts will be examined. Emphasis is placed on work that can be seen in the original.

Bronze vessels, tomb furnishings, and Buddhist images are among the images and objects explicitly manufactured for ritual use to be examined in this course.

In East Asia the idea of landscape significantly shaped artistic production. This course explores human representation of, and architectonic intervention in the landscape through media that include tombs, Buddhist caves, painting, gardening, and architecture.

East Asian images differ from Western ones in material support, format, and technologies of image-making. This course probes how East Asian images -- painting on objects, handscrolls, prints, optical media, film, and new media – work.

An overview of major monuments and themes in the art and architecture of South Asia (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, Afghanistan), from the Indus Valley Civilization (3500 BCE) to the present. Includes first-hand study of objects in ROM collection.

Intersections of politics and the production of visual culture during the 19th and early 20th century are examined in this course, from picturesque paintings by European visitors to early Bollywood cinema. Includes first-hand study of objects in ROM collection.

Artistic production moved fluidly within and beyond East Asia. To understand the artistic world of East Asia, this course probes phenomena that may include Buddhist art, art of conquest dynasties, Chinoiserie, art of the Pacific Rim, film, and contemporary art.

Architecture and architectural theory ca. 1400 – ca. 1600.

Architecture studied through its various building types and in its urban context. Themes include architecture and power under Absolutism, and the rise of the modern city.

Major monuments and key figures in architecture and urbanism in Europe and North America from the Enlightenment to the birth of Modernism.

Major monuments and key figures in architecture and urbanism from Industrialization to the mid-twentieth century. Topics may include architectural theory, colonialism, and new technologies.

 An examination of architectural theory and practice from the end of Modernism to the present.

Vernacular traditions of the colonial period, patterns of settlement and urbanization, the emergence of the architect and development of high styles of architecture throughout representative parts of what is now the United States, from ca. 1650 to ca. 1925.

Vernacular traditions in building, patterns of settlement and urbanization, and development of high styles in architecture in New France, British North America, and what is now Canada, from ca. 1650 to ca. 1925. Material economy, cultural identity, local character, regional expression, national symbolism and international influences.

This course examines landscape architecture in relation to its political and social contexts from the mid-nineteenth century to the present when it emerged as a profession in North America. It looks at how landscape architecture embodies and challenges our understandings of culture's variable, tangled relationship to nature. It discusses specific projects, designers and their writings that shaped popular understandings of society's connection to the environment.

 The study of various aesthetic, cultural, social, political, and theoretical aspects of Western art and photography across the centuries.

 The study of various aesthetic, cultural, social, political, and theoretical aspects of Western art and photography across the centuries.

This course investigates the changing definition of Jewish art and the status of Jewish artists. Other issues explored include Jewish-Christian visual polemics, the construction of individual and communal Jewish identity through art, architecture, and texts, and the conceptual transformation of Jewish craft and ritual objects into art.

 Studying original works of art and architecture is a key component in the history of art. The Department of Art offers, through Woodsworth College, courses abroad on a regular basis and encourages students to consider enroling in these. Courses are offered on a rotating basis; please consult Woodsworth College Summer Abroad web site, www.summerabroad.utoronto.ca, the department’s web site, and the registration handbook for information on specific courses offered in any given year.

Studies Abroad in Ancient Art and Architecture

Studies Abroad in Medieval Art and Architecture

Studies Abroad in Renaissance and Baroque Art and Architecture

Studies Abroad in Modern and Contemporary Art and Architecture

Studies Abroad in Canadian Art and Architecture

Studies Abroad in Asian Art and Architecture

Studies Abroad in Architectural History

An instructor-supervised group project in an off-campus setting. Details here.

An instructor-supervised group project in an off-campus setting. Details here.

Note

Enrolment is limited in 400 level courses. In addition to the Prerequisites listed below, enrolment is also possible for each course with permission of instructor. For additional information, refer to the annual registration handbook and timetable.

Investigation of the wall-paintings of the Minoan, Cycladic and Mycenaean worlds in the second millennium BC: context, associations, viewing and historical interpretations.

Issues explored might cover Republican and Imperial painting; its Hellenistic sources and parallel media (mosaic, relief). The four distinctive genres of Roman sculptural production: the portrait, the historical relief, sarcophagi, and replicas of famous Greek sculptures. Styles, themes and modes of display in cultural context.

In-depth examination of key monuments and issues in art and architecture from the Early Christian (1st-5th centuries) or Byzantine (6th-15th centuries) periods.

In-depth examination of monuments and issues in the art and architecture of Western Europe from the sixth to the fifteenth century.

A focused examination of urbanism, art and architecture of a specific medieval city, such as Jerusalem, Rome, Constantinople, or Paris.

Around 2000 BC, the island of Crete sees the emergence of what are arguably the earliest towns and states in European prehistory. At the heart of this new social order are the so-called ‘palaces’, massive architectural complexes usually interpreted as seats of administrative and political authority. However, fresh discoveries over the past two decades, coupled recently with radical new interpretations, require a fundamental rethinking of the nature of the palaces and their role in Minoan society. This course will provide students with an active opportunity to learn about the latest developments in Minoan art, architecture, and archaeology.

A consideration of individual types of books, their decoration, function, and cultural context. Topics might include, for example, Gospels, Psalters, or Books of Hours.

An investigation of the role played by gender in the creation and use of art and architecture in the Middle Ages.

First hand examination of objects of medieval art from local Toronto collections.

The study of Pieter Bruegel’s works in the context of Netherlandish culture. Emphasis on secular works.

The life and work of Caravaggio in the context of 17th-century Roman and Neapolitan art theory and patronage, with a particular emphasis on the contentious issue of realism.

This seminar examines major critical developments in the interpretation of High Renaissance art in Italy by looking at key works produced by Leonardo, his contemporaries, and followers (1470-1530).

In Vasari’s Lives of the Artists and their “after-lives,” painters and humanists explored questions of word and image, art and life, biography and history, the psychology of style, the economics and politics of art and the languages of art.  How and why did art history originate?

Consideration of European art ca. 1500 in the context of the reform debates that mark the period. Students study original works of art in the AGO and read period texts by, among others, Girolamo Savonarola, Desiderius Erasmus, and Martin Luther.

Study of so-called “scenes of everyday life.” Special attention given to cultural context and problems of interpretation, the work of Jan Vermeer, and the reputation of this art in following centuries.

French painting, sculpture, and criticism of the mid-19th century, with particular to the key role played by the Paris Salon: its emergence and decline as a public space for exhibitions, its impact on the shape of artistic careers, and the relation between the Salon and artistic practices. Attention both to Modernist artists, such as Manet, and to their opponents. Students will engage in critical readings of primary and secondary texts (Baudelaire, T. J. Clark, Michael Fried), as well as conduct original research on important Salon paintings and sculptures. Assignments will include a book review, an annotated bibliography, and a research paper.

An examination of mid-19th century French Realism with emphasis on Courbet, Millet, the Barbizon School, Daumier and Manet.

Investigation of English, French, German and Swiss landscape painting from the birth of the Romantic movement to Post-Impressionism.

Developments in the mainstream of Western painting and sculpture since World War II with special emphasis upon interrelations between Europe and North America.

Selected aspects of the complex array of international contemporary art movements, their artists, objects, and critical discourses. Potential issues include the theoretical, philosophical, and political concerns addressed by given artworks and artists; the role of art journals, the private patron, and museum display.

Focused, thematic examinations of the visual arts in Canada in the first half of the twentieth century.

Focused, thematic examinations of the visual arts in Canada from 1940 to the present.

Methodologically-focused seminar engaged with recovering and articulating in Western terms indigenous ways of seeing and thinking about East Asian art.

Methodologically- and historiographically-focused seminar that attends to the contiguities and ruptures of approaching East Asian art through Western art historical methods.

Seminar based on firsthand examination of East Asian objects in Toronto collections that attends to the historical processes by which such objects were valued and collected.

In-depth examination of the play of East Asian Art within and beyond East Asia.

Examination of current issues in and methods of studying contemporary art from South Asia and the South Asian Diaspora. Includes first-hand study of objects in ROM collection, exhibit and studio visits, and possible guest lectures.

An in-depth study of themes and problems in architecture in Renaissance and Baroque Europe.

A close study of the major architects, designers and theorists of 20th-century architecture

A first-hand study of the architecture and urban planning of Toronto.

Students work together designing and installing an exhibition of works of art, normally drawn from the collections of the University Art Centre. The course meets every two weeks at the University Art Centre over the entire academic year.

 The internship is designed to offer hands-on experience pertaining to the study, exhibition, and care of works of art, focused on the collections and activities of the University Art Centre, an auction house, a public museum, or a private gallery. Students must provide proof of their acceptance as an intern by the Art Centre/auction house/museum/gallery in order to be enrolled in the course. .

 The internship is designed to offer hands-on experience pertaining to the study, exhibition, and care of works of art, focused on the collections and activities of the University Art Centre, an auction house, a public museum, or a private gallery. Students must provide proof of their acceptance as an intern by the Art Centre/auction house/museum/gallery in order to be enrolled in the course. .

This course develops art historical, connoisseurship, and analytical skills based on works of art in the permanent collection of the Art Gallery of Ontario. The course is designed to expose students to key issues in visual analysis, art history, and art historical interpretation arising from the direct study and investigation of art objects. The course will be located at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Its focus may shift around different aspects of the collections (works on paper, modern and contemporary art, the Thompson Collection, and other collections, depending availability and access.

An introduction to conservation, designed to give students a basic understanding of the field, its techniques, and its purposes. Sessions conducted by specialists in the Royal Ontario Museum conservation department.

This course examines the history, meaning and consumption of Western European textiles (Late Antique - 18th century) and fashionable dress (18th - 21st centuries). Analysis and research will combine student seminars with the study of actual artefacts in the Textile & Costume Collection of the Royal Ontario Museum.

Theoretical and first-hand practical engagement with the Canadian picture collection (18th-20th C) in the ROM. Through seminars, workshops, and lectures, we address issues of collecting, display, and the interpretation of objects that historically have been collected primarily as “documentary art.”

In-depth investigation of objects at the Royal Ontario Museum. Content will vary according to the museum department offering the course in any given semester.

Focused examination of special topics in any period of Mediterranean, European, North American, or Asian art and architecture.

 Students may request to undertake supervised research projects culminating in a major research paper. Such projects are often the continuation of work in a previous FAH course, usually at THE 400 level. Not more than one course in Independent Studies may be taken in a single year. Students must obtain in advance the written consent of a faculty supervisor(s) and the Undergraduate Secretary before registering.

Prerequisite for all independent studies: five FAH courses; permission of instructor

Independent Studies in Ancient Art and Architecture

Independent Studies in Ancient Art and Architecture

Independent Studies in Medieval Art and Architecture

Independent Studies in Medieval Art and Architecture

Independent Studies in Renaissance and Baroque Art and Architecture

Independent Studies in Renaissance and Baroque Art and Architecture

Independent Studies in Modern and Contemporary Art and Architecture

Independent Studies in Modern and Contemporary Art and Architecture

Independent Studies in Canadian Art and Architecture

Independent Studies in Canadian Art and Architecture

Independent Studies in Asian Art and Architecture

Independent Studies in Asian Art and Architecture

Independent Studies in Architectural History

Independent Studies in Architectural History

Note 1.

Visual Studies has replaced the previous FAS program. Students in the FAS program requiring credits should select courses from the VIS program to complete their FAS program requirements.

Note 2.

VIS and FAH courses except VIS120H1 and VIS130H1 give priority to students enroled in our Specialist, Major and Minor programs. Students must follow procedures as outlined in the Registration Handbook and Timetable and instructions in the Department of Art web site.

Note 3.

Exclusions have been included for many FAS studio courses at the University of Toronto Mississauga. St George students wishing to take any remaining FAS courses there will need the written permission of the Undergraduate Coordinator for VIS.

The 199Y1 and 199H1 seminars are designed to provide the opportunity to work closely with an instructor in a class of no more than twenty-four students. These interactive seminars are intended to stimulate the students’ curiosity and provide an opportunity to get to know a member of the professorial staff in a seminar environment during the first year of study. Details here.

Visual concepts introduces students to a wide range of topics situated in Modernism and Post-modernism that inform current art practice and critical discourse. The course investigates post-1970 art practice through the diverse societal, cultural and political influences of post-modernism.

A studio based course that employs intensive and diverse investigation of drawing strategies that stress the formulation and communication of visual ideas.NOTE enrolment instructions in the Registration Handbook and Timetable for this course! A studio fee of $50 is payable with tuition.

This is a hands-on course that deals with technical and theoretical issues of painting in the early 21st century. The act of painting and the relevance of painting are stressed through both historical and current issues. This course is very project oriented. A studio fee of $50 is payable with tuition.

A studio course that introduces the history and contemporary practice of video art. In addition to hands-on instruction in digital production and post-production, the course includes seminars, readings and screenings. Students produce a number of short digital video projects and participate in group seminars and critiques. A studio fee of $100 is payable with tuition.

A studio course examining the particular properties of various time-based art forms, including audio and audio installation, video and video installation, interactive performance and other time-based media used by artists. Readings, gallery visits and screenings and slide presentations provide background to these art practices. Students produce projects responding to assignments. A studio fee of $100 is payable with tuition.

This course is designed to introduce students to the basic principles of working in 3 dimensions, using projects, slide lectures and writing. A studio fee of $60.00 is payable with tuition.

Studio-based projects explore drawing practice in the early 21st century. Materials and approaches both bear witness to continuity and respond to changing contemporary cultural issues. (A studio fee of $25 is payable with tuition.)

Principles and practices of Relief Printmaking. Projects in single and multiple block edition production. (A studio fee of $150 is payable with tuition.)

An introduction through studio projects to the principle forms of intaglio printmaking, including etching and collagraph. (A studio fee of $150 is payable with tuition.)

Practical and aesthetic concerns in the evolution of Performance against the backdrop of critical and historical perspectives. Students explore a range of Performance possibilities, alone and collaboratively to develop both intellectual and physical skills which will inform both their performance work and their view of art. Seminars focus on critical aspects of Performance.

The emergence and incorporation of the feminist perspective in current art theory and practice form the basis of lectures, seminars, projects and essays that focus on language, photography and other mediums that signal the shift to a variety of strategies shaping art in the post-modern era.

A studio based course which explores the potential of paper from drawing to object making, in the context of contemporary art practice. A studio fee of $25 is payable with tuition.

Colour may be claimed as the property of all: for most everyone sees, uses, and knows colour. Studying colour takes us into areas of humanities and sciences. This study, through lectures, projects and readings aims to develop a student’s understanding and use of colour. A studio fee of $50 is payable with tuition.

Drawing strategies and media are explored through the reference of the human form. The body becomes the site of self and a vehicle for expression. A studio fee of $50.00 is payable with tuition.

Photobased projects in which the fundamentals of optical-chemical-mechanical photographic processes and technologies are integrated with concepts in contemporary photobased practice. A studio fee of $100 is payable with tuition.; student must have light metre and 35mm camera that allows full manual control.

Photobased projects in which the fundamentals of optical/digital photographic processes and technologies are integrated with concepts in contemporary photobased practice. A studio fee of $100 is payable with tuition.

Representation and abstraction are investigated through the development of subject matter and themes drawn from personal, social and cultural sources. A studio fee of $50 is payable with tuition.

This studio based, project oriented course critically examines contemporary visual culture through painting. Projects are presented and discussed during regular class critiques. Lectures will take place throughout the course. A studio fee of $15 is payable with tuition.

Emphasis on pre-production, production and post-production of a video project. Students script, shoot and edit a tape through rough cut to fine cut. Class discussions focus on all stages of the work-in-progress. Strategies for distribution, exhibition and funding are examined. A studio fee of $75 is payable with tuition

A studio course that continues the students’ development in all areas of time-based art practice through seminars, readings and self-directed projects. A studio fee of $100 is payable with tuition.

Time and place in drawing and painting. This course provides a discourse with which to continue the evolution of the students’ work in drawing and painting. A studio fee of $50 is payable with tuition.

An investigation into the history and practice of site/installation and 3 dimensional fabrication through slide lectures, projects and seminar discussions. Earth works, large scale public projects, and site specific installations will be explored. A studio fee of $50 is payable with tuition.

Applying art to the borders of other disciplines or issues within the university community, students develop projects with the objective of opening spaces for discourse: art as a transgressive device.

Seminars and studio projects give the more advanced students the opportunity to address issues of transformation in Print technology. A studio fee of $150 is payable with tuition.

Studio projects complemented by seminars and readings examine plastic, social and gender politics in contemporary imaging.

Students propose and produce projects in media that are offered in Visual Studies.

An investigation of collage through the 20th century. The evolution of collage as a means of expression will be explored in the form of studio projects and lectures. A studio fee of $50 is payable with tuition.

Ideas about the body are challenged by developments in technology, culture and politics. This course studies the metamorphosis of gender, age and culture through projects, lectures and readings. A studio fee of $50 is payable with tuition.

Studio projects are based on issues and writing relevant to contemporary photobased practice; seminars and readings are integral. Students will work with both chemical and digital processes. A studio fee of $100 is payable with tuition.

The concept of “landscape” is the entry point for investigating the relationship between people and their environments: landscape as both the source of inspiration and the vehicle of expression. Exploration through open media studio projects, written work, readings and seminars.

Projects and seminars develop an understanding of curatorial and critical practice in contemporary visual and media arts.

Production of artists’ multiples in various media is augmented with gallery and archive visits, screenings and artist talks. Historical and contemporary technologies for reproduction are examined.

Composing an image is a skill. Students increase their skill and methodology in constructing their own images; they explore the construction of the image as an intersection of theory and practice.

Painting: Contemporary Practice introduces philosophical and theoretical issues raised by the conceptual relationship of painting to other artistic strategies and the contemporary environment. Studio work will be complemented by the study of advanced artists working in this medium.

This interdisciplinary seminar course examines the aesthetic qualities of objects and experiences not usually considered by philosophers, including such things as sports, food, human relationships and weather. Projects are based on the textbook, “The Aesthetics of Everyday Life” and students will be evaluated through open-media studio projects and class participation.

Everything was contemporary once; this course explores the idea of contemporaneity. Students will be asked to identify themselves in the present-day landscape and to convey that awareness in seminar discussions and studio projects.

A project-based studio course in which each student works to advance and to articulate their visual arts practice, and to develop individual process, themes and influences, the articulation. Group critiques, seminars, reading and writing assignments. Open media, students must have access to own means of production.

Urban Studio uses the dynamic urban fabric of Hong Kong as a laboratory for art-making. Students will explore the city to develop visual research that examines social, spatial, and urban issues. The course consists of site-research, field trips, guest speakers, art production, and culminates in an informal public exhibition.

A detailed exploration of theatrical stage and costume design, historical and contemporary, theatrical and practical.

This course is taken in conjunction with VIS402H1 : Thesis Project students develop and fabricate a series of projects over the course of the academic year. Studio, ,textual and critical analysis forms the basis for the final exhibition. The student is required to actively participate in all aspects of the course. Class discussions with faculty. This class is intended for 3rd and 4th year VIS Majors and Specialists.

Students realize projects embarked upon in VIS401H1 Thesis Text and Critique. Class discussions with faculty.

A variety of projects developed in various media with a strong interdisciplinary focus.

Only three of VIS311H1, VIS403H1, VIS404H1, VIS405H1 may be taken.

Independent Studies credits (VIS311H1, VIS403H1, VIS404H1, AND405H1 are only open to VIS Specialists and VIS Majors.

Individual advanced projects, including texts, that are subject to group critiques.

A one semester Internship provides placement at a gallery, media arts centre, artist run centre, artist or publication with a focus on contemporary art practice

Students work under the supervision of a visiting artist who provides the students with a full introduction to the specifics of her/his practice as an artist. A variety of media are explored specific to the visitor’s own practice. Seminars are augmented with critiques in response to assignments.