Instructor: P. Kuo
Office Hours: AAL Slide Library Tuesdays 2:00-3:00 or by
appointment
E-Mail: p1kuo@ucsd.edu
Course Description and Objectives:
The aim of this lower division introductory course is to selectively survey art objects from a number of various places and times which can be considered baroque. That is, art objects which have been purposely left out of traditional art history surveys because of their inherently lewd nature. By baroque, I am not referring to the artistic movement in 16th and 17th Century Europe. Rather, I had intended to use the term in its original context, implying to an art which is grotesque, lewd, obscene, or otherwise inappropriate to be considered high-brow for an elitist, bourgeoisie society.
Since this is a lower division survey, the class will be structured after traditional art history surveys which have been conducted innumerable times before. Hence, the class will emphasize European productions while actively ignoring the Non-Western artistic traditions (as a convention, one week has been set aside for the rest of the world beyond Europe). Furthermore, Contemporary baroque art will also be dealt with briefly.
It must be asked at this time, then, "What exactly is Broke art?" This is no simple question and cannot be answered briefly. For our purposes, however, baroque art will be any art, for whatever reason (the art motives behind the making of baroque art will be discussed in detail during lecture) which presents, represents, or otherwise alludes to an ostentatious (and in some cases, self-aware) display of the sexual member; the pudenda, the shameful parts, if you will. In this course, our study of baroque art will focus primarily on that of the male phallus. The female genitalia will be dealt with in the second part of this sequence, offered in Spring Quarter.
The reasons for the exclusion of baroque art (Identical to pornography for those in the know) in traditional lower division art historical surveys are many. For one, the prominence in the production of main stream art (or, in art history, what has become accepted as main stream art from the Euro-centric point of view) simply does not allow one enough time to deal with the more eccentric and idiosyncratic art of a given period. Another reason is that, recent developments in artistic circles has somehow find it viable that historical instances of pornography can be conceived of as an art form. Hence the beginning of the concept of the term now commonly referred to as ‘erotic’ art.
To be called art, however, does not necessarily carry connotations of any sort in this day and age. And to be an erotic piece of art certainly does not imply that it legitimately evoke a sense of aestheticism which is present in the high, or proper arts. It is under these assumptions that this class is formulated. It must be kept in mind that while we are studying these objects are art objects (that is, objects of artistic endevour), they are not by any means proper and do not justifiably belong to the world of art. That is why these objects have been thoughtfully left out of the conventional art historical survey course. This class is especially formulated for the inquisitive student who is interested in studying art which is morally debased or otherwise corrupted.
Course Philosophy and Intellectual Approach:
It has been noted by this art historian contemporary trends in art historical/critical practices are apprehensive in making absolute value judgements when compared to the old institution in the Victorian Era. Working under the new assumption that all art has equal value and significance (whether it be aesthetic or cultural), it is no longer acceptable to dismiss certain arts as primitive, debased, or even as non-art, even when it is glaringly obvious that it is so. The distinction between high art and crafts has long been discarded in an attempt to appear culturally enlightened. There was a time when it is possible to criticize bad art as such and completely discard non-art objects altogether, but no longer. The contemporary practice to be all embracing has blinded art historians and art critics into accepting outrageous forms of self expression as art forms. Attempting to be politically correct (this impulse, I believe, is the fundamental driving force behind the current principals of criticism. For fear of being politically incorrect, critics and historians are afraid to dismiss even the slightest artifact as non-art—or face the consequence of appearing unenlightened and small minded.), we can no longer label art as being ‘bad’ (rather, it is either ‘refined’ or ‘crude’ – which in themselves are not value judgements), or primitive (because it introduces the assumption of an ‘advanced’ art form). . . and so on and so on. While certain objects are indeed believed to be of a degraded form, no one dares express these value opinions, for they are, after all, only opinions. The only course of action left is to protect the public’s interest by carefully screening it out of the art history survey and to limit the exposure of these objects to as small a circle of audience as possible.
The aim of this course is not to select obscene art from various ages and condemn them. Rather, the course selects art from various ages that have already been condemned as obscene and inappropriate (manifestations of this judgement is only evident in the absence of these arts in conservative introductory art history courses) and to discuss why they have been judged (appropriately, might I add) as such. It is imperative to keep in mind that, if the option was open, this course would NOT be listed as a visual art course at all.
Prerequisites:
Upper Division Standing.
One of either VIS 20 or 21
ECE 165 -- Digital Integrated Circuit Design or,
Consent of Instructor
Texts:
A reading packet has been compiled for this course and is available at Soft Reserves. Readings are assigned by week and should be read by the beginning of lecture of each week as the lectures will not be a regurgitation of the reading but are meant to be supplemental to it.
Assignment and Grading:
The major component of the grade will be determined by a midterm and final exam, accompanied by a 8-10 page research paper. The midterm is due in class at the beginning of lecture on the 7th week of class (February 17). Late papers will be lowered one grade automatically. The research paper is due last day of lecture (March 12).
The papers must be typed or printed. Books, articles or other reference materials must be properly cited (MLA or Chicago); each paper must contain a separate page of bibliography (Works cited page); photo copies of relevant works of art should accompany the text.
You will be expected to drawn on class lectures, assigned readings, and independent readings in the library to address the assignments fully.
Written assignments will be graded based upon the strength of their arguments and overall quality of presentation. Originality is presumed; any plagiarism, failure to provide appropriate citations or misuse of quoted material will result in a failing grade on the project and/or the course, depending on the seriousness of the misuse. Quality of writing will also be a major consideration, and points will be deducted for misspelled words, mistakes in grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, syntax. . . etc. Extremely poor writing will result in a failing grade.
Class attendance is also important; medical excuses should be provided for absences, and more than three absences will result in a lowering of the student’s final grade.
Grade Breakdown:
35% Final Exam
30% Research Paper
25% Midterm
10% Attendance
Slides:
The slides provided on this web page are only a selection from those that will be shown in class. In preparation for your midterm and final exam, slides that you are expected to memorize will be placed at the Under Graduate Library’s Play Back center.
WEEK 1: Introduction to Broke Art (January 5-11)
The class will begin with a through discussion of the general concepts behind the idea of ‘baroque’ art intended to introduce the students to the philosophical basis for this particular class followed by a brief read-through of the class syllabus.
WEEK 2: Prehistoric Broke Art (January 12-18)
 |
The Prehistoric section will primarily focus its attention to the Paleolithic era of art production. Neolithic and later prehistoric cultures will be dealt with briefly as time permits. The focus of this discussion is going to be geared towards the bird-man at the cave of Lascaux as well as the other various signs and symbols of the period. A discussion of the validity of the sign’s being interpreted as being ‘female’ and ‘male’ (that is, the signs are interpreted as alluding to phalluses and ovules) will be pertinent to the understanding of these simple strokes as being broke. |
WEEK 3, 4, 5, 6: Greco-Roman Broke Art (Jan 19-Feb 15)
President’s Day weekend
WEEK 7: Midtem Exam and Medieval Broke Art (Feb 16-22)
WEEK 8: Christian Broke Art (Broke Art in the Renaissance) (Feb 23- Mar 1)
 |
Discussions for this section will primarily deal with the motif of what Leo Steingberg has termed the Ostentatio genitalium of Christ’s pudenda (Italian: le vergogne; French: parties honteuses; German: Schamteile—"shameful parts") in the depiction of the infant Jesus during the Renaissance. The second half of this discussion (which may well overlap into week 9) will deal with the theme of Christ with an erection as well as the motif of the masturbatory Christ. |
WEEK 9: Contemporary Broke Art (Mar 2 - 8)
Since I am sure everyone in class is familiar with the section of the course, Class discussions will not cover this topic. Instead, students are expected to conduct independent (and I do mean independent) research (preferably on the web) for this section. Detailed topics for the research paper will be handed out in class this week.
The research paper is going to deal with the aesthetics of contemporary broke art (a.k.a. pornography) in comparison with the broke art of one of the other periods we have studied. A one-half page thesis statement is expected by the end of the week for the professor’s approval.
To get you started with your independent research, I recommend: Persian Kitty Adult Links
WEEK 10: Non-Western Broke Art (Mar 9 - 13)
 |
That’s right! Even ignorant (i.e. Non-Western) people can consciously produce broke art, and we are going to examine the nature of these broke art in relation to western traditions of broke art. In determining whether their production of broke art is justified, social, cultural, political, economical, and religious structures are going to be examined and compared with the ideas of primitivism and western aesthetics. It must be noted that whatever evaluation you come to, it is only a value opinion and there is no right or wrong answer. |
Papers Due (March 12)-- No Late Papers Will Be Accepted!!
: Monday, March 16. 8:00-11:00 am
Expect to be here for all 3 hours (if not longer) !Bring 3 large, blank blue books to the exam. Please be advised that it is recommended that you write on both sides of the page.
The final will consist of an hour of slide identification (students are expected to know the artist’s name (if applicable), the date of production and the general ‘era’—i.e., Renaissance, Medieval, Paleolithic, etc. associated with the work, the location if the work is in situ, and how the work typifies other works of the same period.
The second part of the final will consist of one essay question pertaining to everything that has been covered in class. Work fast !
GOOD LUCK ON FINALS !!!
