Undergraduate Program

The aim of this course is two-fold: First, to develop an understanding of the extraordinary variety of ways meaning is produced in visual culture; secondly, to enable students to analyze and describe the social, political and cultural effects of these meanings. By studying examples drawn from contemporary art, film, television, digital culture, and advertising we will learn techniques of analysis developed in response to specific media and also how to cross-pollinate techniques of analysis in order to gain greater understanding of the complexity of our visual world. Grades are based on response papers, class attendance and participation, and a midterm and a final paper. Occasional film screenings will be scheduled as necessary in the course of the semester.

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(MW 2:00PM - 3:15PM)

Teaching assistantship in Visual and Cultural Studies

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( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)

Graduate research assistantship in Visual and Cultural Studies.

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( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)

This course introduces students to the theory and practice of media studies. We will look at a range of both media and historical tendencies related to the media, including manuscript culture, print, and the rise of the newspaper, novel, and modern nation-state; photography, film, television and their respective differences as visual mediums; important shifts in attitudes towards painting; the place of sound in the media of modernity; and the computerization of culture brought about by the computer, social networks, video games, and cell phones. In looking at these, we will consider both the approaches that key scholars in the field of media studies use, and the concepts that are central to the field itself (media/medium; medium-specificity; remediation; the culture industry; reification and utopia; cultural politics). By the end of the class, students will have developed a toolkit for understanding, analyzing, and judging the media that shape their lives in late modernity.

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(TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM)

Buildings are enduring cultural artifacts that embody both artistic expression and technological limitations, influencing societies beyond their creators. This course explores the design, creation, and study of architecture through lectures, exercises, and thematic assignments by while developing skills in architectural design and understanding the built environment. Coursework culminates in a fully realized building design.

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(MW 2:00PM - 4:40PM)

An introductory survey of art and architectural achievements of Indigenous societies within specific cultural sphere of Mesoamerica (including parts of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica) from colossal monolithic portraits of Olmec rulers in the 10th century BCE to the delicate feather paintings commissioned by Nahua elites as gifts sent to the courts of sixteenth-century Europe. Participants will learn to recognize the formal features of material culture and built environments of major historic groups as well as their descendant communities. Through work by contemporary artists, we will also consider how these images continue to participate in the social and political realities of today.

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(TR 11:05AM - 12:20PM)

This course will introduce students to the art, architecture, and archeology of ancient Egypt, from the Predynastic Period until the country’s inclusion into the Roman Empire. This course will highlight the wide range of materials encountered in Egyptian archaeology—architectural remains in secular, sacred, and funerary contexts; material culture (pottery, stone and wooden artifacts, artistic creations); human and faunal remains; written documents; iconographic material—and will evaluate how they reflect the cultural, social, and political organization of each major period of Egyptian history. Special attention will be given to both Egypt’s interconnections with its neighbors—Nubians, Libyans, and inhabitants of Syria-Palestine—and the impact of religion on the artistic production. Material will be presented to the students in the form of lectures, student-led discussions on specific readings and topics, and guest lectures.

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(MW 6:15PM - 7:30PM)

This course surveys the art and architecture of the Islamic world from the seventh century to the present. It investigates a wide range of artifacts, buildings, and cities from Spain to India around three interrelated themes: piety, power, and propaganda. This class discusses key monuments, from religious buildings such as the Ka‘ba in Mecca to the architecture of leisure in palaces and gardens. It introduces students to the significance of text on sacred artifacts such as the Qur’an and religious buildings such as mosques to ceramicware of everyday life. It explores the transformation of prominent capital cities of Isfahan, Istanbul, and Cairo under dynastic development, as well as the production of luxurious textiles and glassware in their court workshops as reflections of political power and glory. By studying royal patronage of lavishly ornamented history books, the course shows how kings propagated their legitimacy to rule during political crises. In this class, students will develop a clear sense of the history of the Islamic world through studying its objects and buildings. They will also improve their analytical skills through visual analysis and critical writing.

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(MW 12:30PM - 1:45PM)

This course is an introduction to art exhibition practices including research, curation, planning, art handling, installation, and hands-on experience in galleries. Students will install exhibitions in the teaching galleries and spaces on campus, including (but not limited to) Hartnett Gallery and Frontispace Gallery. Studio Art lab fee applied. *Instructor permission is required for this course.  Use the “Request Course Section Prerequisite Override” task found on your academics dashboard under the Planning & Registration section to request this permission.*

Location

(T 11:05AM - 1:45PM)

The second of a sequence of two, the course approaches 'The Divine Comedy' both as a poetic masterpiece and as an encyclopedia of medieval culture. Through a close textual analysis of the second half of 'Purgatorio' and the entirety of 'Paradiso,' students learn how to approach Dante's poetry as a vehicle for thought, an instrument of self-discovery, and a way to understand and affect the historical reality. They also gain a perspective on the Biblical, Christian, and Classical traditions as they intersect with the multiple levels of Dante's concern, ranging from literature to history, from politics to government, from philosophy to theology. A visual component, including illustrations of the 'Comedy' and multiple artworks pertinent to the narrative, complements the course. Class format includes lectures, discussion, and a weekly recitation session. Intensive class participation is encouraged. No prerequisites. Freshmen are welcome. Part of the Dante Humanities Cluster.

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(MW 3:25PM - 4:40PM)

Cities of the World explores the histories of a selected group of global cities during notable moments in their social, economic, and political lives. It spans roughly 40 centuries from ancient Mesopotamia to post-world war South America to investigate how cities have been made by, and have made, humans. This course will focus on one or two cities based on a theme each week and discuss the urban built environment and monumental architecture in their historical context. In this course, students will learn about the history of major cities such as Rome, Cairo, Tenochtitlan, Angkor, Paris, Beijing, Isfahan, New York, and Brasília. More importantly, they will comprehend critical social, economic, and political themes from the “Agricultural Revolution” to Capitalism. Finally, they practice how to “read” urban spaces by developing their spatial analytical skills in historical contexts.

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(MW 10:25AM - 11:40AM)

This course explores key topics related to the social, cultural, and political contexts of art museums in the 21st century. A broad overview of the academic and professional field of museum studies will be presented alongside an in-depth examination of specific topics of concern to museum professionals. These topics include: the roles of the museum in society; the relationship between the museum and the artist; the ways in which museums engage communities; and how museums are reckoning with issues of diversity, equity and inclusion. The Memorial Art Gallery (where much of this course will be taught) will serve as a case study for many contemporary issues in museum studies. 

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(F 2:00PM - 4:40PM)

Since the advent of cinema, filmmakers have relied on special/visual effects (VFX) to create compelling characters and film worlds, and yet the study of VFX is a relatively new subfield within media studies. This course offers a survey of the history of VFX from the late 1800s to the present and will track important historical and stylistic developments of special effect technologies and practices. While our screenings will focus on international narrative cinema, we will study key debates within media theory as well as practitioner discourse (e.g., written work by VFX industry workers and 
"behind-the-scenes" featurettes) in order to explore how special effects bridges diverse media forms, from narrative film to experimental cinema, animation, advertisement, installation art, video games, digital technologies, and more. 

Location

(MW 12:30PM - 1:45PM)

This course investigates the development of television from experimental broadcasts in the 1920s to the streaming revolution of today. Students will explore TV through three interconnected dimensions: technological innovation, industry evolution, and cultural impact. By analyzing TV programs, technological schematics, trade press discourses, and audience reception, students will develop a richer understanding of how television has mediated everyday life and influenced culture in the 20th and 21st centuries.

Location

(MW 2:00PM - 3:15PM)

This course will review the prehistory of ancient societies in the Andes, which will begin from the peopling of the continent to the conquest of the Inca Empire by the Spanish. Students will become familiar with Andean chronologies as well as the prehispanic cultures of Chinchorro, Caral, Chavin, Pukara, Paracas, Moche, Nasca, Wari, Tiwanaku, Chim, and the Inca, among others. Special attention will be paid to how these societies adapted to the diverse ecology of the Andes. Topics include the history of Peruvian archaeology; plant and animal domestication; the development of social complexity, the emergence of religion; prehispanic art and symbolism; ancient technology, economies and trade; and urbanism. The course includes material from archaeological investigations and interpretations as well as ethnohistoric and ethnographic sources.

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(TR 9:40AM - 10:55AM)

This course explores how popular media over the past 500 years has influenced views of Native American history and culture. Topics include early printed images, traveling shows, film, advertising, video games, fashion, social media, and artificial intelligence. Participants will learn to spot bias, assess credibility, and engage in informed conversations about American history and cultural heritage.

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(R 2:00PM - 4:40PM)

Introduction to abstract art, 1900 to the present: its stakes, procedures, and critical demands; as well as its significance to histories of capitalism, decolonization, and radical philosophy.

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(TR 12:30PM - 1:45PM)

Traditional Chinese arts had their own rich media and modes of expression, while new media introduced during the late
Qing and early Republican reforms brought distinct traditions and possibilities. This course examines both the
continuities linking imperial and modern China and the ruptures marking this era of transformation. Through close
readings of major media theory and China studies scholarship, we explore how media shaped China’s transformations
and the debates they inspired. Students will gain insight into methods for studying these questions and develop a deeper
understanding of China’s visual cultural history from the 18th to early 20th centuries. No Chinese language is required.

Location

(R 3:25PM - 6:05PM)

From ancient counterfeits to modern knockoffs, this course examines art’s most skilled imitators. What defines “original,” and who decides? Is a forger a bitter artist, a clever conman, or someone else? We will question our obsession with authenticity, trace when imitation became immoral—or illegal—and uncover the political and economic forces behind such judgments. Moving across cultures and centuries, we’ll see how fakes drove trade, colonial ambitions, and capitalist art markets, even while they were condemned. Through case studies and voices of connoisseurs, scientists, and historians, we’ll explore how truth, value, and deception intertwine—and why fakes reveal more than they conceal.

Location

(MW 3:25PM - 4:40PM)

This course will approach photography through modernism’s history and theory, its autonomy in formalist criticism, the question of medium, and competing models including Marxism, semiotics, psychoanalysis, and postmodern critiques of essence and ontology. We will examine foundational texts of photography theory, framing photography as a “theoretical object” (Michael Fried, 2008) for art, visual culture, and art history. Meeting twice weekly, each session focuses on the close reading of one essay, fostering precise textual understanding. Students will develop skills in close reading, build a foundation for later critical studies, and deepen awareness of historiography.

Location

(MW 4:50PM - 6:05PM)

The Art New York Field Studio course will utilize the resources of New York City as a starting point for creative production. The course will be conducted primarily online, with face-to-face meetings with the professor spread throughout the semester. Projects will take students outside into the city to make art with a rotating variety of media, including photography, video, sound, and installation, with an emphasis on collaboration. Studio Art lab fee applied.

Location

( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)

As an integral part of the internship program, all students participating in ANY will meet weekly with the program's resident director. The class will visit museums, art galleries, film & media screenings, & learn from these visits through readings, papers, presentations & discussions. The colloquium will also serve to provide an intellectual framework for understanding the operations of the NY art world & to allow students to discuss with one another their experiences at the various institutions where they intern. Each student will be expected to make a presentation about their internship to the ANY group. There will be an entrepreneurial component which will introduce the students to a wide variety of entrepreneurial activity & innovative practices within arts and culture. Through guest speakers, seminars & field trips the students will learn how entrepreneurial endeavors develop. By the end of the semester, the students will create their own proposal for an entrepreneurial project.

Location

( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)

This course will explore the many ways in which cinema operates as a time machine. Through close analysis of works by Agns Varda, Chantal Akerman, Michelangelo Antonioni, and Jean-Luc Godard we will consider varieties of cinematic temporality in relation to questions of history and memory (collective and subjective). Readings will include: Gilles Deleuze, Kaja Silverman, David Rodowick, Siegfried Kracauer, Walter Benjamin.

Location

(T 2:00PM - 4:40PM)

At present, parts of the world seem to be transitioning from liberal democracy to another (or other) regime(s). The duration and nature of that transition are unknown; however, historical transitions and the art describing them are available to study. We will examine possible valences offered by theories of transition that range from gender transitions to psychoanalytic of “transitional object theory,” as well as art from the last few decades attesting to the transition out of state socialism and dictatorships. Work on and discussion of aspects of visual culture outside art are more than welcome, as are topics from the present.

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(W 2:00PM - 4:40PM)

This course works its way through texts from a variety of disciplines (art history, history, literary studies, political philosophy) that help us analyze capitalism and colonialism as interrelated historical developments. Readings include Marx, CLR James, Max Raphael, Fanon, T J Clark, Geeta Kapur, Spivak, and B. R. Ambedkar.

Location

(M 2:00PM - 4:40PM)

This course provides undergraduate students the opportunity to pursue in-depth, independent exploration of a topic not regularly offered in the curriculum, under the supervision of a faculty member in the form of independent study, practicum, internship or research. The objectives and content are determined in consultation between students and full-time members of the teaching faculty. Responsibilities and expectations vary by course and department.  Registration for Independent Study courses needs to be completed through the Independent Study Registration form (https://secure1.rochester.edu/registrar/forms/independent-study-form.php)

Location

( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)

This course provides undergraduate students the opportunity to pursue in-depth, independent exploration of a topic not regularly offered in the curriculum, under the supervision of a faculty member in the form of independent study, practicum, internship or research. The objectives and content are determined in consultation between students and full-time members of the teaching faculty. Responsibilities and expectations vary by course and department.

Location

( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)

Under the guidance of a faculty advisor, Seniors identify a topic, develop a project plan, conduct substantive work, and present their findings or creations in a final written report, portfolio, performance, or presentation. Responsibilities and expectations vary by course and department.

Location

( 7:00PM - 7:00PM)