WRITE602 GE: Artist Statements

This seminar will examine written and filmed representations of artists in various disciplines in order to enhance our understanding of what it means to be an artist. We will read choreographer Paul Taylor's autobiography Private Domain, and watch in class the documentary film of his career Dancemaker and the Emmy-Award winning video of his full-length ballet Speaking In Tongues. We will read Lillian Hellman's memoir An Unfinished Woman and watch the film of her play Watch On The Rhine. We will look at examples of Andy Warhol's visual art, read selections from his diaries, and watch the documentary Andy Warhol and the feature film I Shot Andy Warhol. We will read Flannery O'Connor's letters and examples of her fiction. We will read The Tempest, perform sections of the play, and watch the documentary Shakespeare Behind Bars. Other artists we will consider may include Fellini, Martha Graham, Richard Tuttle, Chuck Close, and the text and Pasolini's film of The Gospel According To Saint Matthew. Students in this seminar will present new creative work every week, and visual artists are welcome in this course.