FINAR604 FAS: Material Worlds

What does it mean to make "objects" in a world already glutted with object-products? How does the mechanical or mass production of object-products inform or create friction against the intimately handmade? This class will ask students to examine their own methods and materials of "object-making", situate themselves against a contemporary context of global manufacturing and "product-making," and attempt to reclaim the idea of sculpture as a social catalyst as opposed to standard consumer object. We will focus on the historically intimate engagement with the handmade object and its juxtaposition against contemporary consumer culture and current global production processes (outsourcing, factory work, maquiladoras). We will discuss artists' use of material and metaphor, the commodification of the art object, and the changing ways in which both economic and cultural globalization affect the production and reception of materials and objects. Additionally, we will examine the potential for objects to act as "agents" or catalysts by covering such topics as: Brazilian Tropicalismo and the Arts and Crafts Movement; social practices as a tactic for dealing with the problem of objects; artists who mimic corporate production and distribution chains; and the online DIY "craft" movement. Visiting artists, group studio critiques and presentations, as well as field trips will be resources for exploring the myriad ways in which contemporary artists come to terms with "making things" today. This course is open to all.