PLAH
2007

Art and the City

Parsons School of Design: Sch. Art and Dsgn Hist and Th

Liberal Arts
Undergraduate Course
Degree Students
Art and the City
Spring 2025
Taught By: Andrea Bell
Section: A

CRN: 12807

Credits: 3

Most histories of Modernism prioritize a narrative of the avant-garde’s stylistic experimentation and evolution. Rather than focus mostly on style, this class will consider Modernism as a largely urban phenomena. The city, which is a constructed and heavily symbolic environment, produces certain experiences and conditions certain social relationships to which Modern Art has long oriented itself. This course will consider the city as both subject and condition in the production and spread of Modern and Contemporary Art. We will begin with the great urbanization of the 19 th century and the new viewing subject it produced. We will then consider ways that artists have used the city, either by representing it –the avant-garde movements of the 19 th century provide a starting point – or by incorporating it – for example, artists from the Surrealists to the Situationists have used the city as a ready-made game board, with elements of chance and randomness built in. Finally, we will consider the continued relevance of the city in the interplay between globalized art culture and localized experience in contemporary art. Through critical readings from art history, philosophy, sociology and psychogeography, students will be asked to consider their own experiences of cities and the way they respond to the urban environment.

Open to: University undergraduate degree students, freshman and sophomores only. Pre-requisites: first-year university writing course and at least one prior history or methods course in art, media, film, or visual culture.

College: Parsons School of Design (PS)

Department: Sch. Art and Dsgn Hist and Th (ADHT)

Campus: New York City (GV)

Course Format: Seminar (R)

Modality: In-Person

Max Enrollment: 20

Add/Drop Deadline: February 3, 2025 (Monday)

Online Withdrawal Deadline: April 15, 2025 (Tuesday)

Seats Available: Yes

Status: Open*

* Status information is updated every few minutes. The status of this course may have changed since the last update. Open seats may have restrictions that will prevent some students from registering. Updated: 7:40am EDT 10/8/2024

Meeting Info:
Days: Friday
Times: 12:10pm - 2:50pm
Building: TBD
Room: TBD
Date Range: 1/20/2025 - 5/14/2025