Onoyom Ukpong's Art in Life Course Syllabus

Art in Life
Course Syllabus, spring 2010
Art 1000, CRN 15581 F, 3 Credits Hours, prerequisite not required
Instructor: Dr. Onoyom Ukpong
Session: Mondays & Wednesdays, 11.00 - 12.15pm, Room 2071
Office Hours: Mondays & Wednesdays, 1.30 - 3.30 p.m., Room 2001

Georgia Southern University College of liberal Arts and Social Sciences
Ukpong. Art in Life, Spring 2010 Page 2 of 9
Introduction
From the beginning art was in human life, and vice versa. As early as 10,000 B.C., humans had begun to
use their hands to create such “art” that was to make them economically self sufficient—to satisfy the
nostalgia for improved subsistence—having rejected nomadic way of life. They manufactured tools,
built the first manmade structure, and began an agrarian society almost simultaneously with the first
dynasty. Through these activities were humans able to move on to a new phase of development we have
come to know as historic societies, which have been with us ever since. Thus, it could be argued—as I
will in the course of my instruction—that art is in life and probably will continue to be. Unless we study
each work of art capriciously, its nature and composite parts, the belief systems in societies from which
it has emerged, the underlying polities in some of the ancient traditions, the concepts employed in
visualizing many of the postmodern genres, the political systems in which traditions of art have risen
and flourished, we might not fully understand some of the artistic necessities without which life would
worth nothing more than a series of dissatisfactory events and experiences.
As we shall examine the various ways in which art interplays with aspects of our individual lives—and
even the circumstances in which skeptics may see art not to have any connection with life whatsoever—
venturing a walk through what may well be an undulating terrain of inquiry, we should be prepared to
use our eyes analytically to study: looking closely at a variety of digital images of work to be shown in
class and those in the required text for the course. The principal aim is to discover the artistic in these
images and be aware of the art “properties” within, as well as the associated meanings and uses. But for
art or a work of art to be and be used, it had to be created at some point in time, by someone, in some
style and medium, for some reasons or for no reason. However, whatever the reason for creating art
might or might not be, in recognizing the presence of art in life we will take for granted that art is art and
nothing but art, and that the work of art, a good one for that matter, is a product of human thought and
virtuosity, even more so as we see these thought and skills visualized in some aspects of art of our days
when, for example, found objects have been galvanized and parlayed into masterpieces of considerable
visual delight.
Course Description
Course introduces students to visual arts and their places in human life: major forms of visual culture
and their stylistic appearances in our surroundings, the belief systems, concepts and events provoking art
creation and use around the world; begins with analysis of the visual elements, moves on to examine the
application of these elements to divergent forms of art: architecture, sculpture, painting, ceramics,
drawing, printmaking, photography, design, and other such forms of art (which command great deal if
interest at various levels); explores the fields in which these forms are located in circles of life; and
reviews the different levels at which they may be seen to have served humanity in and through
successive historical periods.
Course fulfills one three-hour humanities course credit for Core Area F.

Aims and Objectives, to:
1. Study and be familiar with the visual elements;
2. Introduce basic principles of looking, seeing, interpreting, knowing, and saying;
3. Match works of art with their creators, period styles, historical periods, and familiarize with
probable art concepts, meanings, and artistic intentions;
4. Guide students through the process of differentiating between representational and conceptual
art works;
5. Explain how art concepts and modes of art creation have influenced the evolution of period
styles across cultures, and
6. Analyze work properties by commenting on the effective use of color within the artistic
framework (i.e., the intensity of hues, the status of values, Chroma, and gestural forms and their
relationship with other forms within the larger massive form.
Procedure
We begin by studying pictorial and literary materials in the required textbook for the course; proceed
from chapter to chapter (not necessarily sequentially but sporadically as this course syllabus shall
direct); look at each production (individually and/or collectively); see and be aware of artistic elements
within; discuss these elements from our individual perspectives of art interpretation; evaluate effective
uses of these elements in conveying artistic intention to the extent of arousing viewers attention; gain
knowledge of the elements, and be able to say and write short essays about composite elements in the
works.
We then assess the effective use of color on art-creating surfaces (canvas, board, stone, glass fiber,
textiles, and stained glass), on flat and undulating surfaces; the changeability of hues and their values
when perceived under artificial and/or natural lighting; attempt providing answers to the questions of
work theme, concepts, composition, and style, mass, medium, texture, space, motion; as well as the
validation of artistic dexterity.
Warning:
Some of the human images to be shown in class may be shown in nude forms or reflect considerable
violence, but the very fact that these images are crucial subjects/objects of public theater (the class) and
significant to learning, the instructor is immune to showing and discussing them.

Expected Learning Outcome
Upon completing the course students will be able to:
1. See the various forms of art in life; locate visual elements and their uses in works of art,
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the institutional references to art creation; art concepts and
context, and of art taste and value across cultures;
3. Discuss the evolution of proliferation of the various natures and styles of art through the ages,
and
4. Think critically through art and art publications; evaluate art forms from their individual
perspectives of interpretation, guided by their earned basic knowledge of cultural theory.
Texts
Required. Frank, Patrick. Artforms [9th
ed]. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Inc., 2008.
Recommended. Barnet, Sylvan. A Short Guide to Writing about Art [8th
ed]. London: Longman,
2005.
Reference. Murray, Peter and Linda, A Dictionary of art and Artists [7th
ed]. London: Penguin
Books, 1997.
Purchasing and using the required textbook in class are mandatory.
Additional Resources/Companion Companion Website
A CD-ROM (CD) is enclosed in the required textbook for the course for your after-class lecture review
sessions and reference. (The CD can be found in an envelope enclosed in the last but two page of the
textbook.) Also, you are encouraged to visit frequently the course website for announcements, lecture-
supporting materials, instructions, and assignments. As the need arises, these resources will either be
distributed in class or posted on the course website/My GeorgiaView for you to access and use. When
information is so posted, it is your responsibility to find, retrieve, read and use same as will be guided.
For additional resource please visit the Companion Website: www.prenhall.com/preble.
Testing
A total of three (3) tests will be given in the semester each comprising of multiple-choice section, true or
false, fill-in the blank and the short essay part. Students will need a 2052 Scranton (the orange/brown
one) and a #2 pencil for each test. (Please do not use a pen!) No make-up test will be given in lieu of
missed test. However, certain circumstances beyond the student’s control may compel the instructor to
give a makeup test, but the acceptance of such circumstances will be the sole discretion of

the instructor, including granting a qualified student the opportunity to improve his or her cumulative
test scores. If a student requests for grade improvement and is qualified to do so, the instructor will
substitute two lowest earned scores from the three tests with two highest earned scores from any
impromptu quizzes that may be given which the student had taken, or; by any other form of testing the
instructor may deem fit in the circumstance.
Class Attendance Policy
Attendance policy of the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art at Georgia Southern University (GSU)
holds that while illness, deaths in the family, accidents, court appearances, doctor appointments, sporting
events and similar callings, and that while unforeseen circumstances are valid life experiences, student
ABSENCE from class is unacceptable; therefore, with the exception of pre-planned religious
observations and documented student ill health condition, or testamentary evidence of illness, no
ABSENCE will be considered an excused absence from any and all courses offered in the department. In
the event of ABSENCE from class resulting from ill health, students are required to provide doctor’s
excuse which shall be made on appropriate documentation and submitted to the course instructor on the
student return to class. In the case of anticipated ABSENCE from class due to death in family, accident,
or court appearance requirement, the student should request for absence prior to the day for which
absence will have been requested. (See page 38 of the University Catalog and in page 50, section 309 of
Faculty Handbook.)
Proof o attendance is recorded beginning from the first class meeting and continues up till the final day
of class, even if not formally, regardless of course drop/add privileges. A student who will have
registered late for the class and missed classes is responsible for obtaining from his or her fellow(s) all
course-related materials (including all announcements and assignments pertaining thereto) given in the
class the student was absent from.
No makeup testing will be given in lieu of missed test and/or failure on the part of the scheduled student
examinee to arrive punctually for testing. A student who will have arrived ten-minute late for testing
may be allowed to take the test, but if allowed will not be given extra time to complete the test. Any
student wo arrives sixteen-minute after testing will have begun, or later, will not be allowed to take the
test.
THE RATIONALE OF STRICT ADHERENCE TO ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Studio Art, Art History, Art Education, and Understanding the Arts courses are practice- or skill-based
courses; as such, class attendance is crucial to the learning process. Instructional procedures such as
demonstrations, group critiques and oral presentations hardly can be repeated or rescheduled and are
structured in and for dialogical sessions to maximize learning, thus, class attendance is essential and
required.
Art courses meet twice weekly for approximately fifteen weeks, cumulating into 30 class periods. And
so missing 3 classes (or 10% of a semester’s class periods) is unacceptable but may be tolerable.
Correspondingly, missing more than 3 classes –for whatever reason—augurs a fail grade for the
missing party. On the forgoing account:

4 absences = final course grade drop to one full letter grade;
2 recorded absences = final course grade drop to two full letter grades;
3 recorded absences = final course grade drop to three full letter grades.
KEEP IN MIND that:
Students who will be absent from 4 or more classes will each earn a fail (‘F’) grade in the course. (In
such instance, the ‘F’ grade will have represented failure to attend 25% of the total number of classes
scheduled for the semester.) However, the defaulting students will have the right to continue attending
classes after missing the 4 classes but will not, as stated above, receive a grade commensurate with the
students overall performance in the course.
Attendance Monitoring
Because of the large size of the class, roll call may not be taken on per-class-session basis. Nonetheless,
certain untraditional machinery of monitoring attendance has been put in place to augment for the
traditional method of roll taking, which includes frequent impromptu testing and random identification
of attendees. And so, please endeavor to attend all scheduled classes and to read all prior-to-lecture
assigned readings, announcements, instructions, and assignments. It is your responsibility to do so.
Assignments
Reading of assigned reading prior to delivery of lecture is mandatory. This means that students should
read the assigned chapter preparatory for lecture delivery in each and all class sessions before attending
class; and is designed for ease of student comprehension of lectures. I should underscore that the
pressure a student may experience due to other class workloads/responsibilities will not constitute
sufficient grounds upon which he or she will be excused for not reading the assigned chapter reading
preparatory to attending classes.
Grading
Information about Scoring /Testing Dates
Test 1 100 points ________ 08th February
Test 2 100 points ________ 10h March
Test 3 100 points ________ 05th May
=Total cumulative points: 600 divided by 3 = 100 points in final grade.
A=100-90 B=89-80 C=79-70 D=69-60 F=59-0
Disabled Students
Students seeking accommodation for their disability must follow the University policy by providing the
course instructor with documentation from the student Disability Resource Center (SDRC) stating such
disability. The SDRC telephone number: 871-1566.

Academic Integrity
In the event that a student is caught in an act of examination dishonesty during testing and is found to be
guilty of such an act, the student will be assigned a failed letter grade "F" in the course. The same
penalty will apply to any such student who may be proven to have plagiarized. For more information on
GSU recommended penalty for plagiarism, please refer to your student handbook, page 19.
Conduct
Students are expected to maintain polite interpersonal communication culture with their peers and the
instructor. Cellular phone use, text messaging IPods and use of other electronic devices interfere with
class proceedings, assault tranquility, and thus are prohibited during class sessions. These devices must
be turned off and stored properly away from reach. Late arrivals and early departures will not be
condoned, as these activities disrupt smooth delivery of instructions and may be recorded as absences.
Visits to the bathroom and concession during class sessions stand must be conducted quietly. These
fundamentals should be observed strictly to ensure a conference environment conducive for
maximization of learning. Even if overemphasized, plagiarism is prohibited. (Please refer to the student
handbook, page 19, for stipulations on this and the penalty for violating this code of conduct.)
Civility Statement
Students are expected to be polite at all levels of interaction with peers and the instructor: when raising
questions about instructions and answering questions during class sessions. Confrontational approach to
all aspects of class-related matters (comments and inquiries including accepting and rejecting grounds of
dispute) is unacceptable. This means that conversations and interactions between students should show
optimal interpersonal respect. Failure on the part of students to maintain an atmosphere that reflects the
foregoing fundamentals shall constitute sufficient ground upon which the students in violation may be
rusticated from class, consistent with procedures set forth in the Student Conduct Code to address such
and similar circumstances.

Schedule of Classes
This class schedule is tentative and is subject to change by the instructor at anytime during the semester. Assignments may
be eliminated from or added to it, as the need will have arisen. Students must keep up with all changes to the schedule,
which might include verbal announcements. From time to time after-class lecture review materials that may be posted on
My GeorgiaView for you, including information about assigned pre-lecture chapter reading(s).
Week 1 11 January
13 January
Introduction Chapter 1, Art Is… (The Nature of Art)
Part 1, Art Is… (Awareness, Creativity, and Communication
January 11 – 14 is the period of adding and dropping classes
Week 2 18 January
20 January
MLK Holiday, No Class
Part 2, The Language of Visual Experience
(Visual Elements, Principles of Design, Evaluating Art)
Week 3 25 January
27 January
Part 2, … continued
Part 3, The Media of Art (Drawing, Painting, and Printmaking)
(Camera Arts, Graphic Design, Sculpture, Architecture, and more)
Week 4 01 February
03 February
The Media of Art … continued
Review of Chapters 1 through 3. Assignment 1 Given
Week 5 08 February
10 February
Test # 1 Given (on chapters 1 through 3)
Part 4, Art and Cultural Heritage (from the earliest art to the Bronze Age,
The Classical and Medieval West)
Week 6 15 February
17 February
Part 4, … continued (Renaissance and Baroque Europe)
Part 4 … continued, (Renaissance and Baroque Europe)
Week 7 22 February
24 February
Part 4 contd., Renaissance and Baroque
Part 4 contd., Traditional Arts of Asia Assignment # 1 Due
Week 8 01 March
03 March
Part 4 … continued, The Islamic World
Part 4 … continued, The Islamic World
March 8th is the last day to withdraw without academic penalty
Week 9 08 March
10 March
Part 4 … continued, African Art; Oceania Art; Art of the Americas
Test # 2
Week 10 15 –20 March Spring Break
Week 11 22 March
24 March
Part 5, The Modern World (Late 18th and 19th Centuries)
Part 5, The Modern World (Early 20th Century Art)
Week 12 29 March
31 March
Part 5 contd., Postwar Modern Movements (Abstract Impressionism
(Photography, Architecture, and Pop Art)
Review of Chapters 4 and 5
Week 13 05 April
07 April
Part 5 contd., Modern Art Beyond the West (Japan, China, and India)
(Islamic and Africa)
Week 14 12 April
14 April
Part 6, The Postmodern World
Part 6, The Postmodern World … continued
Week 15 19 April
21 April
Part 6 contd., The Postmodern World
Revision of parts 5 and 6 begins
Week 16 26 April
28 April
Revision week, NO CLASS
Week 17 03 May
05 May Test # 3 (final testing) 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Notes

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