Art & Design I: History and Theory

This two part graduate level course is required for all first year JPD students (both MFA and ME students), and open to all MFA Art Practice students. The first quarter of the course is a seminar, which focuses on the history of design practices and theories in a broad range of fields including design, art, and architecture. We will examine how well known concepts such as "The Bauhaus", "the designer", "Design Thinking", and metaphors such as "workshop", "school", "laboratory", "studio", or "post-studio" arise, and how they shape the artist or designer's work in a particular cultural context. Through reading, writing, and discussion, students will attempt to define their current position within a historical context and chart their future vision. The course may involve guest lectures and visits to various collections and archives.