University Bulletin (2020-2021)

FA 3a Introduction to Drawing I
[ ca ]
Beginning-level course. No previous drawing experience necessary. Preference to first-year students and sophomores. May be repeated once for credit if taught by different instructors.
A studio class that introduces a range of drawing materials and methods, intended for both studio majors and non-majors. Students will draw from direct observation of still-life, landscape, and the human figure. Drawing media may include graphite, charcoal, ink, and collage, as well as watercolor and pastel. The drawings of great artists throughout history will be studied to provide examples of what is possible within this broad and expressive visual language. Usually offered every fall.
Ariel Freiberg, Alfredo Gisholt, Susan Lichtman, and Joseph Wardwell

FA 3b Introduction to Drawing II
[ ca ]
Beginning-level course. No previous drawing experience necessary. Preference to first-year students and sophomores. May be repeated once for credit if taught by different instructors.
An introduction to the materials and methods of drawing, intended for both studio majors and non-majors. This is a topics-based course. Each section will offer basic drawing instruction through focus on a particular theme, such as figure drawing, watercolor, or printmaking. Usually offered every spring.
Ariel Freiberg, Alfredo Gisholt, Susan Lichtman, and Joseph Wardwell

FA 4a Sculpture Foundation: 3-D Design I
[ ca ]
Beginning-level course. Preference to first-year students and sophomores. May be repeated once for credit if taught by different instructors.
Exploration of three-dimensional aspects of form, space, and composition utilizing a variety of materials and sculptural techniques. Emphasizes students' inventing of images through the use of modern materials and contemporary ideas about sculpture. Assignments are based on abstract thought and problem solving. The intent of this course is to give students a rich studio experience and promote a fresh and meaningful approach to visual concepts. Usually offered every fall.
Tory Fair and Christopher Frost

FA 4b Sculpture Foundation: 3-D Design II
[ ca ]
Beginning-level course. Preference to first-year students and sophomores. May be repeated once for credit if taught by different instructors.
See FA 4a for course description. Usually offered every spring.
Tory Fair and Christopher Frost

FA 5a Sculpture: Utilizing Waste Stream Materials
[ ca ]
Encourages students to consider their studio practice through the lens of sustainability. Through out the semester, we will collaborate with the waste stream culture on campus to access materials for fabricating sculptural ideas and installations. Projects will be introduced through images and videos from contemporary artists that help inspire conversations as we move through the semester. A significant part of the course is participating in critique and trying to articulate what we see. Your skills will advance as a maker, and also as a more informed viewer. Usually offered every second year.
Tory Fair

FA 5b Sculpture: Blurring the Boundaries
[ ca ]
This studio course is an opportunity to work both in painting and in sculpture. Students are expected to create a dialogue between methods of collage, drawing, monotype, painting, and methods of constructing three-dimensional objects, including mixed media and installation. We use paintings as a source for sculpture, and sculpture as a source for painting. There will be an additional two hours of monitored shop time that students are required to attend weekly outside of scheduled class time. Usually offered every year.
Tory Fair and Christopher Frost

FA 6a Sculpture: Body as Source
[ ca ]
Explores how the body can be involved in the subject of making sculpture. Examines different ways in which the body is used as a source, including observation, process, fragmentation, narrative, and performance. Projects are introduced through slides from contemporary artists implementing the concepts put forth. Usually offered every year.
Tory Fair

FA 7a Drawing Under the Influence
[ ca ]
Explores various historical and contemporary ideas and techniques. Through differing art practices, students create unique works of art that integrate genres and time periods in the service of self-expression. Students will examine, study and recreate facsimiles from the Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassic eras as well as from Pop, Photorealist, Abstract Expressionist, and Minimalist movements. Usually offered every year.
Joseph Wardwell

FA 8a Introduction to Video Art
[ ca ]
Explores producing moving images as fine art. While a basic overview of Adobe Premiere software is offered, emphasis is on conceptual framework and cultivating methodologies that best suit ideas. Students will experiment with materials, modes of production (performance, experimental documentation, appropriation, non-linear narrative), and exhibition (video monitors, projection, theatrical, installation, Internet) in order to consider the effect of these decisions on generating meaning and to better communicate one's statement through the genre. Usually offered every year.
Lauren Woods

FA 9a Introduction to Digital Photography
[ ca dl ]
Prerequisite: One Brandeis studio art course. May be repeated for credit with permission of the instructor.
An introduction to the visual forms and concepts of the photographic image. A range of digital techniques is covered along with aspects of the history of photography. Students must provide their own digital camera. Field trips and image presentations supplement the studio aspect of the course. Usually offered every semester.
Sheida Soleimani

FA 9b Digital Photography: Portraiture
[ ca dl ]
Recommended prerequisite: FA 9a.
Does a portrait have to include a recognizable form? And what dictates a 'photographic' portrait in a media and image saturated economy? In this class, we will be exploring the history of portraiture in photography and how it has evolved throughout the past century. From Victorian Post-Mortem photography, to social media "selfies', our language of portraiture is rapidly evolving. Students will be creating a range of portrait based projects, using a variety of digital mediums. Usually offered every year.
Sheida Soleimani

FA 10a Digital Photography: Constructing Imagery
[ ca dl ]
Through examining the notion of artifice, the creation of a photograph can adopt an interdisciplinary practice. Constructing photographic imagery concerns the arrangement and fabrication of materials to be represented as a 2-dimensional object frozen in time. This genre makes use of a vast range of techniques including staging, directing, collaging, sculpting and painting, as well as creating a performative studio based practice. Topics will include: the history and theory of the constructed image, lighting equipment and techniques, intro to editing software, as well as philosophical and political perspectives in the history of the constructed image. Usually offered every year.
Sheida Soleimani

FA 10b Intermediate Digital Media and Installation: Image/Object/Place
[ ca dl ]
Prerequisite: FA 4a, 4b, 9a or permission of the instructor. May not be taken for credit by students who took FA 10a in prior years.
Studies the installation of objects in 3-dimensional space as a common art practice and refers generally to an artist's arrangement of aesthetic material to create a theatrical experience for its viewing subject. The goal of this class is to produce installations using image-based and sculptural practices. Field trips and image presentations supplement the studio aspect of the course. Usually offered every year.
Sheida Soleimani

FA 11a Beginning Painting
[ ca ]
Prerequisite: Previous drawing experience.
FA 11a and FA 11b are two parts of a year-long experience, intended to begin in the fall and continue in the spring. This is a six-hour per week studio class recommended for sophomore studio art majors or other students desiring an in-depth painting course. Color theory and various methods of oil painting will be introduced while working from landscape, still life, and the figure. Museum trips and slide lectures will augment studio work. Usually offered every fall.
Ariel Freiberg, Alfredo Gisholt, and Susan Lichtman

FA 11b Beginning Painting II
[ ca ]
Prerequisite: FA 11a or permission of the instructor.
FA 11a and FA 11b are two parts of a year-long experience, intended to begin in the fall and continue in the spring. This is a six-hour per week studio class recommended for sophomore studio art majors or other students desiring an in-depth painting course. Color theory and various methods of oil painting will be introduced while working from landscape, still life, and the figure. Museum trips and slide lectures will augment studio work. Usually offered every spring.
Ariel Freiberg, Alfredo Gisholt, and Susan Lichtman

FA 12a Introduction to Printmaking: Intaglio
[ ca ]
Prerequisite: Experience in drawing is strongly recommended.
Using the etching press in the Printmaking Studio, this course is an introduction to basic intaglio processes of drypoint and etching as well as monotype, carborundum prints and collograph. Students will work on metal, plastic or cardboard plates and make experimental, painterly images in both black and white, and color. Usually offered every year.
Sonia Almeida

FA 12b Introduction to Printmaking: Woodcut and Relief
[ ca ]
Prerequisite: Experience in drawing is strongly recommended.
Introduction to relief printmaking using linoleum and woodblock. Students become familiar with working in a print shop, how to use color in printmaking, planning images, direct drawing on wood, and how to critique printmaking in a group setting. Usually offered every year.
Sonia Almeida

FA 13a Intermediate Drawing I
[ ca ]
Recommended for students who have had previous drawing experience.
Intended for students seeking drawing experience beyond FA 3a and for studio art majors. Various materials and methods of drawing are used, as historical and contemporary works are studied through slides and museum strips. Students hone basic skills and use drawing as an increasingly personal language. Usually offered every fall.
Alfredo Gisholt

FA 13b Intermediate Drawing II
[ ca ]
Recommended for students who have had previous drawing experience.
See FA 13a. Usually offered every spring.
Alfredo Gisholt

FA 14a Intermediate Painting
[ ca ]
Prerequisites: FA 11a and FA 11b or permission of the instructor.
An intermediate-level painting course emphasizing the plastic and formal means necessary to create work that will become an increasingly personal statement. Usually offered every fall.
Susan Lichtman

FA 14b Intermediate Painting II
[ ca ]
Prerequisite: FA 14a or permission of the instructor.
An intermediate-level painting course emphasizing the plastic and formal means necessary to create work that will become an increasingly personal statement. Usually offered every spring.
Susan Lichtman

FA 15a Intermediate Printmaking
[ ca ]
Prerequisite: Experience in drawing is strongly recommended.
Seeks to develop a contemporary attitude toward printmaking. Familiarizes the intermediate printmaker with a range of printmaking techniques, such as intaglio, collagraph, relief, and lithography. Traditional and digital techniques are discussed. Usually offered every year.
Sonia Almeida

FA 16a Intermediate Sculpture
[ ca ]
Prerequisite: FA 4a or FA 4b or permission of the instructor. May be repeated once for credit.
Offers an in-depth examination of sculptural concepts ranging from objects to installations, site-specific works, and more. Students will be encouraged to develop their own visual vocabulary and to understand their ideas in the context of contemporary sculpture. Usually offered every year.
Tory Fair and Christopher Frost

FA 16b Sculpture: Object in Clay
[ ca ]
With clay as the focused material, this course offers an in-depth examination of sculptural concepts ranging from object-making to site-specific works. Numerous techniques and processes will be introduced including hand-building, wheel-throwing, and working from the figure. Students will be encouraged to develop their own visual vocabulary and to understand their ideas in the context of contemporary sculpture.
 Usually offered every year.
Christopher Frost

FA 17a Printmaking: Monotypes
[ ca ]
Offers a hands-on experimentation with Monotype Printing. Monotypes are unique images produced using a plate/matrix. Monotypes can be created on metal, glass, plexiglass or cardboard using subtractive, additive or a combination of multiple processes. Students will also explore collagraphs; a collagraph print is made from a collage of various materials glued together and inked, using relief, intaglio and embossing printing techniques on an etching press, creating dimensional prints. Usually offered every year.
Sonia Almeida

FA 17b Printmaking: Silkscreen
[ ca ]
Prerequisite: Experience in drawing is strongly recommended.
Explores silkscreen using photographic stencil techniques. Students learn how to create stencils that are handmade and computer-generated. The relationship between fine art and commercial printing is discussed. Usually offered every second year.
Sonia Almeida

FA 23b Architectural Drawing and Design
[ ca ]
Priority given to Architectural Studies minors.
Teaches basic architectural drawing, drafting, and modeling skills under the umbrella of a unifying theory and/or theme. It is structured as an introductory studio course requiring no previous knowledge or background in architectural design. Students learn how to build models, execute architectural drawings, and to approach architectural design problems. Usually offered every year.
Staff

FA 24a Architectural Design and Digital Drawing
[ ca ]
Priority given to Architectural Studies minors.
Introduces students to the basic techniques and concepts of architectural design and digital drawing. This course is intended to discover and develop new skills in seeing, conceptualizing, representing, and communicating architectural ideas. Students will be introduced to architectural model making in order to explore the relationship between two and three-dimensional representation in both analog and digital formats, taught through the lens of Modern Architecture as it has developed through the 20th century, through historic and canonic examples. Usually offered every year.
Staff

FA 27a Fabric Workshop
[ ca ]
Offers a hands-on exploration of fibers and fabrics within the disciplines of printmaking, painting and installation. It proposes an understanding of the media related to women’s work through a provoking feminist lenses, including readings that discuss terms such as ornament, decoration and pattern. Usually offered every year.
Sonia Almeida

FA 27b Book Arts and Editions
[ ca ]
Hands-on exploration of the book format and artist book editions, including a brief introduction to the history and aesthetics of bookmaking. Studetns will learn about the form and structure of the book, sequencing, page layout and binding techniques, by doing their own books in class. The class includes demonstrations of various techniques, adhesive and non-adhesive bindings, sewn binding (single/multiple structures), experimental object-book formats and the preparation/layout of a book editions. No previous experience required. Usually offered every second year.
Sonia Almeida

FA 28a Painting Siena
[ ca ]
Course to be taught at Brandeis program in Siena.
Explores the unique cultural and artistic contributions of Siena, Italy. Students will study and practice traditional and contemporary painting techniques with excursions to visit masterworks and experience the cultural life of the medieval city. Usually offered every year.
Joseph Wardwell

FA 92a Internship and Analysis in Studio Art
Usually offered every year.
Staff

FA 98a Independent Study in Studio Art
Prerequisites: Normally open only to studio majors in their junior and senior years. As the number of times FA 98a may be taken is limited by department regulations, the interested student should consult the department studio advising head and his or her adviser.
Usually offered every year.
Staff

FA 99a Senior Research in Studio Art
Prerequisites: A GPA in fine arts courses of 3.00.
Usually offered every year.
Staff

FA 99b Senior Research in Studio Art
Prerequisites: A GPA in fine arts courses of 3.00. Interested studio students must take FA 99a in the fall semester of their senior year, in addition to FA 110a and 110b. At the beginning of the spring semester, students wishing to pursue honors will have their artwork reviewed by studio faculty. Based on this review, eligible students will be given permission to enroll in FA 99b for the spring semester.
Usually offered every year.
Staff

FA 104a Advanced Drawing I
[ ca ]
Prerequisites: FA 13a and FA 13b or permission of the instructor. Studio fee: $75 per semester. May be repeated once for credit.
Offers a wide range of experience in drawing. Perceptual and conceptual issues will be pursued, and students will be encouraged to concentrate on the more complex personal and creative aspects of drawing. Usually offered every fall.
Staff

FA 104b Advanced Drawing II
[ ca ]
Prerequisites: FA 13a and FA 13b or permission of the instructor. Studio fee: $75 per semester. May be repeated once for credit.
See FA 104a for course description. A continuation of FA 104a. Usually offered every spring.
Staff

FA 110a Senior Studio
[ ca ]
Studio fee: $75 per semester.
FA 110a and FA 110b are considered two halves of a full-year experience required for studio art majors. Heuristic in nature, this course culminates in a final studio faculty review of the work produced. Review will take the form of an exhibition. Student work can be undertaken in sculpture or painting or a combination of both. Usually offered every fall.
Sheida Soleimani and Joseph Wardwell

FA 110b Senior Studio II
[ ca ]
Studio fee: $75 per semester.
FA 110a and FA 110b are considered two halves of a full-year experience required for studio art majors. Heuristic in nature, this course culminates in a final studio faculty review of the work produced. Review will take the form of an exhibition. Student work can be undertaken in sculpture or painting or a combination of both. Usually offered every spring.
Sheida Soleimani and Joseph Wardwell

FA 118a Studio Seminar
[ ca oc ]
Introduces students to crucial facets of a successful studio practice that happen concurrently, and in dialogue with art making. Writing, reading, communication, and professional practices will be explored as ways of bolstering students' understanding of their own studio practice within the wider history of art and particularly within the context of contemporary art. Usually offered every year.
Ariel Freiberg and Lauren Woods