FINAR604 GE: What it Is

In her 1964 essay, "Against Interpretation", Susan Sontag called for a discourse on art that focuses on what it is and abandons the exercise of finding meaning. Sontag's proclamation was not only a critique of the intellectual habit to interpret art but also challenges the view that artists can make work about something. In this course, the question of what it is will function as the catalyst for a rigorous discussion of student work. Guest artists and practitioners in related fields are invited to contribute to the discussion and to broaden its spectrum. This course is open to all graduate students.