Topics in Art History:
Selected topics in art history at the intermediate level.
1 unit — Kolarik, Rubenstein
Previously Featured Offering
Using an international perspective established through selected themes and practices, this course will examine global contemporary art! Topics include the dissolution of boundaries between high art and mass culture; the rise of ephemeral and experiential media; the role of the artist as social provocateur; these and many more.

Inspect ancient Maya politics and culture through a study of public sculpture, murals, ceramics, and architecture from sites in modern-day Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras. This course will engage with the impact of colonization, the display of Maya art in museums, and the ethics of working with archaeological artifacts.

Modern Architecture explores the realm of North American and European architectural design from the late 19th century to the early 21st century. In addition to emphasizing prominent figures in the field, the course focuses on theories and major architectural movements.

Modern Architecture is a survey of architecture from the late 19th century to the early 21st century, primarily in Europe and North America, with some attention to modernism in other areas of the world. We study examples ranging from the turn-of-the-century innovations of the Arts and Crafts Movement to work of contemporary “Starchitects.” The course considers the impact of industrial materials and modern institutions on the built environment and new forms and functions such as art museums and skyscrapers. It includes discussion of architectural theory and important movements including the International Style and Post Modernism. We will emphasize major figures such as Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe and Frank Gehry. The twentieth century was the golden age for "hero-architects" who expressed their personal aesthetics and convictions in buildings built for elite patrons. Is this model still relevant to 21st-century issues? We will look at other approaches that have emerged in recent years: collaborative design, social engagement, environmental consciousness, integrative design, computer aided design, as well as new urbanism. The course will work with LoFab, an exhibition of the work of MASS Design, co-founded by CC alum Alan Ricks, in the I.D.E.A Space and participate in related events including talks by John Cary and Alan Ricks. We will study trends in architecture of our region including the City Beautiful Movement in Denver, as well as contemporary Denver architecture by Michael Graves, Daniel Libeskind, David Adjaye and Brad Cloepfil through field trips to Denver. We will also visit the United States Air Force Academy by Skidmore Owens and Merrill, a pristine example of mid-century modernism and architectural consistency. Buildings on the CC campus, on the other hand, provide diverse structures from the 19th and 20th centuries that we will assess critically. We will discuss how campus architecture has shaped the image and identity of our own institution over the decades and also follow plans for new construction on campus.
Offerings
Term | Block | Title | Instructor | Location | Student Limit/Available | Updated |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fall 2022 | Block 1 | Topics in Art History: Mosaics Tessellated Perspectives Topic Details | Ruth Kolarik | Packard Hall 22 | 25 / 8 | 06/02/2023 |
Spring 2023 | Block 5 | Topics in Art History: Modernism in Art and Music Topic Details | Gale Murray, Michael Grace | Packard Hall 125 | 25 / 15 | 06/02/2023 |
Spring 2023 | Block 6 | Topics in Art History: Greek Archaeology Topic Details | Stephanie Kimmey | Packard Hall 125 | 25 / 1 | 06/02/2023 |
Spring 2023 | Block 6 | Topics in Art History: Black Visual Arts Topic Details | Alessandra Raengo | Cornerstone Art Center 131 SCREEN | 25 / 12 | 06/02/2023 |
Spring 2023 | Block 8 | Topics in Art History: Mesoamerican Art Topic Details | Meghan Rubenstein | Packard Hall 125 | 25 / 10 | 06/02/2023 |
Spring 2023 | Block 8 | Topics in Art History: Modern and Contemporary Art in Japan and China Topic Details | Joey Zhao | Packard Hall 23 | 25 / 18 | 06/02/2023 |
Fall 2023 | Block 1 | Topics in Art History: Mosaics Tesselated Perspectives Topic Details | Ruth Kolarik | TBA | 25 / 19 | 06/02/2023 |
Fall 2023 | Block 1 | Topics in Art History: TBA | TBA | 25 / 24 | 06/02/2023 | |
Fall 2023 | Block 4 | Topics in Art History: Special Problems in the History of Architecture and Design Topic Details | Ruth Kolarik | TBA | 25 / 22 | 06/02/2023 |
Spring 2024 | Block 5 | Topics in Art History: TBA | TBA | 25 / 25 | 06/02/2023 | |
Spring 2024 | Block 6 | Topics in Art History: TBA | TBA | 25 / 25 | 06/02/2023 | |
Spring 2024 | Block 7 | Topics in Art History: Maya Hieroglyphic Writing Topic Details | Meghan Rubenstein | TBA | 25 / 25 | 06/02/2023 |
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Last updated: 06/02/2023