In this course we will confront what “sound art” means in the context of a studio practice. Sound has been part of art making for a long time, beginning perhaps with the provocations of the Futurists and Dadaists in the early 20th century, but it is only recently that it has gained prominence in galleries and museums worldwide. We will explore strategies for sound-based or sonically inspired works, beginning with the physical and perceptual aspects of the auditory and its impact on our bodies, our sensory system, and our minds. We will work with sound as a physical sculptable material while learning about key figures like R. Murray Schaefer, Christina Kubisch, John Cage, and Max Neuhaus. In addition, we will move beyond a purely perceptual model, to works that engage political, cultural, psychological, and emotional possibilities of the sonic, and we will expand the definition of sound art by learning about the work of artists like Christine Sun Kim, Raviv Ganchrow, and Susan Philipsz. Students will have the opportunity to explore multiple strategies for working with sound including: intensive listening, generating sound with a variety of tools and materials, recording and editing sound, and finally, the creation of works that explore the impact of context and presentation on our reception of the work.

The word "painting," is both a noun (I made a painting) and a verb (I love painting). The prefix "trans-" suggests a movement across, beyond, through, or on the other side of something. Through playfully attaching the prefix trans- to painting, this course invites students to investigate modes and methods of painting that extend across, beyond, and through traditional formal parameters. What could it mean to make a transnational, transitional, or transgender painting? Is there a difference between a painting that is about transThe word "painting," is both a noun (I made a painting) and a verb (I love painting). The prefix "trans-" suggests a movement across, beyond, through, or on the other side of something. Through playfully attaching the prefix trans- to painting, this course invites students to investigate modes and methods of painting that extend across, beyond, and through traditional formal parameters. What could it mean to make a transnational, transitional, or transgender painting? Is there a difference between a painting that is about translation, verses a painting that translates? Or a difference between a painting that is about transition verses a transitional painting? Projects will provide a platform for students to explore expanded parameters of painting, at first within the illusionistic space of the 2D frame, and later opening up painting beyond the parameters of the frame, into sculpture, installation, and performative experiments. Discussions and assignments will be grounded in readings, significant art historical references, and weekly exposure to relevant contemporary practices, including the work of Molly Zuckerman-Hartung, Maryam Hoseini, Leidy Churchman, Kara Walker and Katharina Grosse, among many others. Students will be encouraged to take risks and work outside of their comfort zone, with ample room to pursue individual material interests and approaches to painting.lation, verses a painting that translates? Or a difference between a painting that is about transition verses a transitional painting?