History of Graphic Design

Information and Syllabus

History of Graphic Design

Required Text
Description
Syllabus
Goals & Learning Objectives
Studio Project
Evaluation
Web Resources

Instructor: Robert Spahr
Contact: rob@robertspahr.com AIM: rospahr
Office Hours: TBA

Course Syllabus Location: http://www.robertspahr.com/hgd/

Required Text:

Meggs, Philip B. Meggs' History of Graphic Design. John Wiley & Sons; 4th edition

Description:

This lecture course has a studio component, where students will work on a graphic art project while completing their traditional studies. Students will explore the ways visual communications relate to other visual endeavors, the development of new technologies, and the rise of mass culture. Field research is required. For each weeks topic you are required to read the sections of the Meggs book listed for that date designated as [M/1-3].

Syllabus:

Jan 30
Origins of writing to moveable type [M/1-4]

Feb 06
Gutenberg to Garamond and beyond [M/5-8]

* SUNDAY Feb 12
Between Body and Object, Artist's Reception, 1:00 to 4:00 pm, Panel discussion by the artists at 2:00 pm
Written review #1 due next class

Feb 13
Industrial Revolution/Photography/Arts & Craft [M/9-10] Fox Talbot/Niepce et al/Morris et al

Feb 20
Presidents Day - No Class Meeting --

Feb 27
Art Nouveau/Genesis of 20th Cent. Design [M/11-12] Mucha/Wright/Moser/Behrens

Mar 06
Exam #1 Slide List 1 -- Influence of Modernism/Futurism/Dada/Pictorial Modernism [M/13-14] Walter Benjamin

Mar 13
Russians & Dutch [M/15] Malevich/Lissitzky/Rodchenko/De Stijl

Mar 20
Studio Project Proposal Due -- Bauhaus/New Typography/Modern Movement in America [M/16-17] Moholy/Bayer/Gropius/Breuer

Mar 27
International Style/New York School [M/18-19] Mies/Hoffmann/Rand

* SUNDAY Apr 02
The Living Classroom: Ruth Hardinger - Woven Matter , Artist's Reception, 1:00 to 4:00 pm,
Q & A Session by the artist at 2:00 pm, Written review #2 due next class

Apr 03
Exam #2 Slide List 2 -- Corporate Identity & Visual Systems [M/20]

Apr 10
Spring Recess - No Class Meeting

Apr 17
Museum exchange day - No formal class

Apr 24
Studio Session, Individual Consultation and class time to work on your Studio Project

May 01
The Conceptual Image / National Visions within Global Dialogue [M/21-22] -- Studio Project Final Critique

* May 4th - 18th
Exhibition of Studio Projects in the Fortunoff Showcase

May 08
Postmodernism/Digital Revolution and beyond/review/class discussion [M/23-24]

May 15
Exam #3 Slide List 3 Take-home essay question

Goals & Learning Objectives

1. Basic knowledge and critical analysis of art forms and art-related vocabulary throughout the history of western and non-European civilizations.

Outcomes Assessment:
Written skills -- Slide exams and essay assignments, Take-home projects, On-site museum reports, Research papers, Textbook review, Exhibition reviews related to the Anthony Giordano Gallery
Oral skills -- Oral presentations, Class participation
Visual Skills -- Slide Exams and essay assignments, Museum reports, Research papers

2. Context of art forms and the interdisciplinary nature of art from diverse cultures.

3. Iconographic, media-related, and process-related content.

4. Stylistic and formal analysis of art forms from diverse cultures.

Studio Project: Metamorphosis: Generative & Regenerative

Studio Project / Field Work Research

Instructor will work with students to select a topic that has individual relevance and interest to course work. This is based on the general direction of the course content. On-site research (save proof of attendance) at: the Metropolitan Museum of Art, or the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in NYC. The student will select 3 works of art to study and use as a starting point for their project. Make sketches and notes about each of the works. The student will then use the sketches as source images to make generative/regenerative works that will the be used in a poster/book.

metamorphosis

A transformation, as by magic or sorcery.
A marked change in appearance, character, condition, or function.
Biology. A change in the form and often habits of an animal during normal development after the embryonic stage. Metamorphosis includes, in insects, the transformation of a maggot into an adult fly and a caterpillar into a butterfly and, in amphibians, the changing of a tadpole into a frog.
Pathology. A usually degenerative change in the structure of a particular body tissue.

Think about the word "metamorphosis", and consider many of it's possible interpretations. A transformation from one state to another. Is this a gradual change? A violent change? Is it a revolution, or an evolution? A conversion, a distortion, a reshaping, a rebirth, or a death? Think about these possible meanings as you go to the museum to do your on-site research. Working with your drawings from the museum as source images, consider scanning the images and painting on them. Or Xerox the images many times until they have changed, and then scan and rework the image in an image editing program such as Photoshop. Working quickly, experiment and take chances. Generate/regenerate several iterations of the source images.

Using your generated images, I want you to create a poster/book keeping in mind the word "metamorphosis" as your starting point. You will be creating a new composition: a book that unfolds into a poster. Consider the overall composition of the poster as well as the detailed views of each page of the book. Consider what is included and excluded from the frame.

Successful designs will maintain the two levels of composition -- the overall poster and the multiple frames within the folded book. Please also consider the sequence of images as well as the beginning and the end. Keep in mind that the viewer may refold your poster back into a book in a manner you did not intend, thereby changing its sequential order.

Begin with a single sheet of paper, at least 24"x30". Here is PDF file for more information how to cut/fold your paper.

Evaluation:

Your final grade will be determined by the following:

10% Participation
20% Exam #1
20% Exam #2
20% Exam #3
10% Anthony Giordano Gallery Reviews
20% Studio Project/Research

Attendance and attitude
Students should consult the syllabus for dates when class is not officially scheduled. Students should refrain from missing class, with ONE unexcused absence being the limit. When attendance becomes a problem it is the student's responsibility to request a withdrawal from the course before the semester deadline has passed. Requests from the instructor after the deadline result in an F on your transcript. Three or more absences will result in a lowering of the final grade, in steps of half and whole grades. When attendance becomes a problem students will report directly to the Dean of Students. An inappropriate attitude coupled with a lack of class participation will also result in a negative influence on the final grade. Students who need help should approach the instructor sooner rather than later. Emergencies aside, please notify instructor by email of absence, by 10 am prior to class.

Plagiarism
If you are inclined to plagiarize, you will fail the course. Please refer to your college catalog and read the Academic Honesty Policy.

Web Resources:

Art and Design Glossary
HTML Version
PDF Version

Hackers and Painters
http://www.paulgraham.com/hp.html

UBUWEB
http://www.ubu.com/

Aspen: The Multimedia Magazine in a Box
http://www.ubu.com/aspen/