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THE GOAL: This seminar is the cumulative effort of your art historical
endeavor. Everything that you have learned thus far will play into the
actualization of your senior thesis and, even better, there is yet more
to learn. This course entails the writing of a senior thesis (30-50
pages in length) coupled with a critical look at the methods of art
history. For the first 8 weeks, we will work on two tracks: 1) preparing
your thesis and 2) reading through various recent and productive methods
of art history. These are to serve as both inspiration and critique
for your own emerging ideas and methods. The final weeks of the semester
will be devoted exclusively to your thesis, both in terms of its writing
and its presentation, in a 20 minute formal lecture in Peeler Auditorium.
You have all worked hard to get to this point and many of you will continue
beyond DePauw with work in visual culture, so let’s see what is
still to be learned and what can be accomplished! back
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THE "S" COMPONENT:
The senior thesis seminar is a rare opportunity to delve one
final time into the intricacies of art history within an academic setting. Many of you will go on in careers in the
arts, so this is your chance to hone your critical discourse and your
future discussions in art. More
than ever, I look forward to your comments concerning the readings;
more than ever I expect you to speak your mind to each other about your
work. As ever, the class participation grade
is not a given because of attendance.
In order to do well, you must truly participate - let yourself
be heard one last time on things art historical! back
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THE READINGS: We will be working with the recent text of Jonathan
Harris, The New Art History; a critical introduction (Routledge, 2001),
which is available for you at the University Bookstore or Fine Print.
All readings for presentations will be in the form of critical articles
available to you from BLACKBOARD (http://blackboard.depauw.edu).
The point is to critically discuss these approaches so that when it
comes time to write, you yourself are aware of the approach that you
are taking. We will be “testing” each approach to your topic
with in-class writing prompts. back to top
THE APPROACH: The approach that you take
determines the interpretation you present. The approach that you take
determines the interpretation you present. This is the fundamental idea
behind the different approaches that Harris analyzes: Marxism, Feminism,
Psychoanalysis, Semiotics, Post-Modernism and Queer Theory. You have
all written art history papers in the midst of seminars and classes
before, but here for the first time, you have the opportunity to devote
an entire class to such a paper. The idea is to have you be conscious
of your approach without being self-conscious in your writing –
a tricky balance, but one that I am confident we can master if we approach
these readings critically and together. back to
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INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY: The course’s web page will be your starting point –
there you will find this syllabus, the thesis gallery, and internet
research resources. We will also be using BLACKBOARD for handing in
your work. Yes, that’s right, we’ll be going paperless until
the final handing in of the thesis, as I will be using the EDIT tool
within Word. Please make sure that you have consistent and reliable
access to Word and that you have your “View” set to “Page
Layout” (it’s the mode you need to be in to read editorial
comments). back to top
THESIS COMPONENTS: This
course is designed to work through 15 components of a successful thesis.
For a full explanation of each component, please consult the Thesis
Writing page at http://fits.depauw.edu/aharris/Courses/Seniors/ThesisWriting.html
- I will, of course, present each of the assignments in class as well
and you can always be in touch with me. It must, unfortunately, be stated,
that students sometimes struggle to finish their senior thesis or don’t
finish at all – this leads to quite a few complications for graduation
etc. These components exist as such to break down the formidable task
of a senior thesis into manageable sections – just look at the
project one component at a time, stay in touch with me with any and
all struggles and concerns, and I am confident that you will see all
it all through. back to top
ATTENDANCE AND GRADES: As in all art history courses past, you will
be expected to attend 3 or 4 Punch Card events depending on the total
number. Class attendance is absolutely crucial – missing class
entails making up a great deal of work, so do not let anything get in
the way of coming to class and graduating on time! After one (1) absence,
your final grade will go a third of a letter grade down. Here is the
rest of the grade breakdown:
All grades entail work handed in and class discussion of that work
Stage 1: Determining the Viability of your topic 5%
preliminary bibliography
Stage 2: Researching and Readying your thesis 30%
research bibliography
5-work annotated bibliography
outline
Presentation of article 10%
Stage 3: Writing your Thesis 25%
draft of one section
draft of two sections
draft of three section
draft of completed thesis
2nd draft of completed thesis
Stage 4: Presenting your thesis 30%
edited presentation version (5%)
presentation of thesis (15%)
handing in of thesis (10%)
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AND FINALLY....
Some things I’ve learned over the years about this kind of writing
and the kind of thinking that it requires of us all:
Survival Strategies for Lucid and Successful Thinking:
• don’t do anything that is due for your thesis the night
before
• use fast, reliable technology for research
• devise a clear research recording system
• save often and in multiple places
• have reproductions of images from your thesis up in your dorm
room
• talk about your thesis all the time
• call for help long before class meetings
THE COURSE:
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WEEK ONE
Stage 1: Determining the viability of your topic
Thursday, August 25 - Introduction
of ideas, of topics, of methods
research discussion (BHA, Library Catalog, WorldCat, JSTOR) and stacks
walk
WEEK TWO
Tuesday, August 30 -
Thesis Discussion
100 word introduction of topic
research demo presentation (demonstrate how you found a source)
Thursday, September 1 – The New Art History
Harris – Introduction and Chapter 1:“Radical art history:
back to its future?”
research and writing discussion
WEEK THREE
Tuesday, September 6 - Thesis Discussion
preliminary bibliography (10 items)
3-page image description/introduction
of thesis image
Thursday, September 8 – Marxism
Harris – Chapter 2: “Capitalist modernity, the nation-state,
and visual representation”
Clark, T.J "Olympia's Choice,"in The Painting of Modern
Life.
Princeton, 1984: 79-146.
presented by
WEEK FOUR
Stage 2: Researching and readying your thesis
Tuesday, September 13 - Thesis Discussion
research bibliography (30 items)
discussion of research categories
Thursday, September 15 - Feminism
Harris – Chapter 3: “Feminism, art, and art history”
Rand, Erika. “Depoliticizing Women: Female Agency, the French
Revolution, and the Art of
Boucher and David,” in Reclaiming Female Agency: feminist
art history after postmodernism. ed. Norma Broude and Mary D. Garrard.
University of California Press, 2005: 143-157.
presented by
WEEK FIVE
Tuesday, September 20 - Thesis Discussion
5-work annotated bibliography
discussion of Best Source
Thursday, September 22 – Psychoanalysis
Harris – Chapter 4: “Subjects, identities, and visual ideology”
David Carrier, “Art History in the Mirror Stage: Interpreting
A Bar at the Folies Bergères,” in 12 Views of Manet’s
Bar ed. Bradford R. Collins. Princeton University Press, 1996:
71-90.
presented by
WEEK SIX
Tuesday, September 27 - Thesis Discussion
outline (at least 5 sections)
discussion of argumentation
Thursday, September 29 - Semiotics
Marin, Louis. "Towards
a Theory of Reading in the Visual Arts: Poussin's The Arcadian Shepherds,:" in Calligram; Essays in New Art History
from France. Ed. Norman Bryson. Cambridge University Press, 1988: 63-90.
presented by
WEEK SEVEN
Stage 3: Writing your thesis
Tuesday, October 4 - Thesis Discussion
draft of one section
writing strategies
Thursday, October 6 - Post-Modernism
Harris – Chapter 6: “Searching after certainties”
Nesbit, Molly. "The
Rat's Ass,"October 56 (1991):
6-20.
presented by
WEEK EIGHT
Tuesday, October 11 - Queer
Theory
Harris – Chapter 7: “Sexualities represented”
Whitney Davis, “The Renunciation of Reaction in Girodet’s
Sleep of Endymion,” in Visual Culture: Images and Interpretations.
ed. Norman Bryson et al. Hanover: Wesleyan University Press/University
Press of New England, 1994: 168-201.
presented by
Thursday, October 13 - Where do we go from here?
Harris – Conclusion: “Conclusion: the means and ends
of radical art history”
State of the Thesis discussion
FALL BREAK
WEEK NINE
Tuesday, October 25 – Thesis Discussion
Thesis reappraisal discussion
Thursday, October 27 – Thesis Discussion
draft of two more sections
WEEK TEN
Tuesday, November 1 – Thesis Discussion
developing an argument over 30+ pages
Thursday, November 3 – Thesis Discussion
draft of three more sections
WEEK ELEVEN
Tuesday, November 8 – Thesis Discussion
technical integration of images
strategies for public presentation
Thursday, November 10 – Thesis Discussion
draft of complete thesis
WEEK TWELVE
Tuesday, November 15 – Thesis Discussion
peer edit discussion
Thursday, November 17 – Thesis Discussion
2nd draft of complete thesis
WEEK THIRTEEN
Stage 4: Presenting your thesis
Tuesday, November 22 – Thesis Discussion
edited presentation version (20 minutes,
10 pages)
Thursday, November 24 – THANKSGIVING
WEEK FOURTEEN
Tuesday, November 29 – Taped Run-Through
for presentations I, II, and III
Thursday, December 1 – Taped Run-Through
for presentations IV, V, and VI
WEEK FIFTEEN
Tuesday, December 6 – Public
Presentations I, II, and III
Thursday, December 8 – Public Presentations
IV, V, and VI
EXAM WEEK
Wednesday, December 14, 6 p.m. – Final
Handing in of the Thesis
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