“An artist can show things that other people are terrified of expressing.” – Louise Bourgeois
Getting Weird and Hilarious
CER 2035- (3 Credit Hours) Fall 2014 • Wednesday 9:00 A.M. – 4:00P.M. Columbus M152
William J. O’Brien, Assistant Professor of Art, School of the Art Institute Chicago Office Hours: BY APPOINTMENT
• Email Contact: wobri@saic.edu, Teaching Assistant: Gabrielle Kan
Prerequisites: None
Course Description: This class will explore both traditional and non-traditional approaches to firing and
using clay to explore the topics of humor, exaggeration and perception. Historical references such as
1960s California Funk Ceramics, High Victorian Rococo, as well as more contemporary approaches to
clay will serve as starting points for sculptural, installation and performative projects.
Course Objectives – Assessment Measures
1. Explore the language of humor in contemporary art and popular culture and how that applies to contemporary
approaches to working with clay
2. Become familiar and grasp a basic understanding of ceramics materials and processes
3. Articulate and refine approaches to working with clay in sculpture, performance and installation
4. Gain confidence in being able to articulate ones own direction in studio practice and public exhibition.
5. Understand the concepts of presentation of ones own work as it relates to studio practice.
Course Requirements:
Student Attendance
If a student misses MORE than three classes, whether or not for a reasonable cause, the student will fail the class, if
the student does not withdraw from the class prior to the deadline for withdrawal with a grade of “W.” Deadline for
withdrawal: Tuesday October 28, 2014 (fall semester) and Wednesday, March 25, 2015 (spring semester). If a
student attends FEWER than three classes his/her financial aid, merit scholarship, academic standing, and/or
immigration status will be compromised, regardless of an individual faculty member’s modifications of these
recommendations.
Reasonable cause to miss a class might include:
• Illness or hospitalization,
• Observation of a religious holiday
• Family illness or deathlagiarism
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago prohibits “dishonesty such as cheating, plagiarism, or knowingly
furnishing false information to the School” (Students’ Rights and Responsibilities, Student Handbook). Plagiarism is
a form of intellectual theft. One plagiarizes when one presents another’s work as one’s own, even if one does not
intend to. The penalty for plagiarizing may also result in some loss of some types of financial aid (for example, a No
Credit in a course can lead to a loss of the Presidential Scholarship), and repeat offenses can lead to expulsion from
the School. To find out more about plagiarism and how to avoid it, you can (1) go to the portal, select the “Services”
tab, and click on “Plagiarism” under “Academic Advising and Student Success”; (2) go to the SAIC Web site, select
“Departments, Degrees, and Academic Resources,” then select “Libraries,” then select “Flaxman Library,” and then
click on the plagiarism links under the “For Our Faculty” tab; or (3) read about it in the Student Handbook under the
section “Academic Misconduct.”
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
SAIC is committed to full compliance with all laws regarding equal opportunities for students with disabilities.
Students with known or suspected disabilities, such as a Reading/Writing Disorder, ADD/ADHD, and/or a mental
health or chronic physical condition who think they would benefit from assistance or accommodations should first
contact the Disability and Learning Resource Center (DLRC) by phone at 312.499.4278 or email at
www.dlrc.saic.edu. DLRC staff will review your disability documentation and work with you to determine reasonable
accommodations. They will then provide you with a letter outlining the approved accommodations for you to deliver
to all of your instructors. This letter must be presented before any accommodations will be implemented. You
should contact the DLRC as early in the semester as possible. The DLRC is located on the 13th floor of 116 S. Michigan Ave.Writing Center MacLean Center Basement, 112 S. Michigan Ave., B1-03
SAIC offers free, hour-long writing tutorials at the Writing Center, which is located in the basement of MacLean.
Tutors are available to assist all currently enrolled students with any stage of the writing process, including the
following: getting started with writing; forming a claim or thesis statement; developing ideas; strengthening
organization; improving writing style; revising drafts; correcting grammar and punctuation errors; addressing MLA,
CMS, and APA style questions; and citing references.Writing Center tutors work with students to help them find
their own solutions to questions. Rather than correcting or editing papers for students, tutors work with students to
help them identify issues that need further attention. Tutors may ask students to discuss their ideas as a way to
specify, clarify, or deepen them. Tutors may also offer feedback on drafts, suggest writing approaches, review
information, and help students analyze their own writing. Ultimately, the goal in the Writing Center is to help
students become more proficient, independent writers.
Individual Projects/Meetings:
During the course of the semester you will be required both in writing, and in person meet with William J.
O’Brien and the Teaching Assistant to discuss and present your projects for the semester. You are
expected to have a concise and focused direction with your work to participate in this class. In addition
you should be able to work independently on your work and have the capacity to work during the day on
your work. Individual meetings with William J. O’Brien will occur twice during the semester. You will be
required to in writing have 2 different projects for the semester. The first is for the mid-term critique and
the second is for the final critique.ritiques:
We will have 2 main critiques during the semester. The first at mid-term is a works-in-progress critique
and the final critique should be a concise and focused presentation of your work. It is required to both
participate and attend the duration of these critiques. If you do not participate in critique or attend you
will not receive credit for this class.
Required Readings/Discussion:
There will be readings for this class. There are assigned deadlines for the readings throughout the semester.
It is a requirement that you are prepared for discussion beforehand for class
Kallen, Horace M. “The Aesthetic Principle of Comedy,” The American Journal of Psychology, Vol.22,
No. 2 (Apr., 1911), pp. 137-157
Zatlin, Linda Gertner. “Aubrey Beardsley’s “Japanese Grotesques,” Victorian Literature and Culture, Vol.
25, No.1 (1997), pp. 87-108
McCarthy, David. “Dirty Freaks and High School Punks: Peter Saul’s Critique of the Vietnam War,”
American Art, Vol.23, No.1 (Spring 2009), pp.78-103
Export, Valie. “Aspects of Feminist Actionism,“ New German Critique No 24 (Spring-Summer, 1989), pp
66-92
Meyer, Richard. “Artists sometimes have feelings,“ Art Journal, Vol. 67, No. 4 (Winter 2008), pp. 38-55
COURSE OUTLINE
During the course of this semester we will have both written, studio critique, and formal presentation assignments
due.
Below is a brief summary of the projects for this course:
Week 1- 4:
Introductory Techniques to using Clay(Pinching, Coil Building, Slap Construction)
Introductory Glaze Demonstrations
Project #1: Exaggeration & Narrative(details to follow)
Project #2: Perversion(details to follow)
Week 5 – 6:
Mid-term Critique PresentationsWeeks 7-12:
Project #3: Getting Weird & Hilarious
Final Critique Presentations
Weekly Schedule
Wednesday, August 27th
Week 1: Introductions.
Out of Class Reading:
McCarthy, David. “Dirty Freaks and High School Punks: Peter Saul’s Critique of the Vietnam War,”
American Art, Vol.23, No.1 (Spring 2009), pp.78-103
Assignment Due September 3rd: Prepare for Individual Meetings with William J. O’Brien & Gabrielle Kan
Written Assignment: Prepare a written list of 20 nouns(person, place, things) that could deal with exaggeration for
use in Project #1
Wednesday, September 3rd
Week 2: Individual Meetings with William J. O’Brien and Edward Muela, Discussion of Dirty Freaks and High
School Punks
Out of Class Reading:
Meyer, Richard. “Artists sometimes have feelings,“ Art Journal, Vol. 67, No. 4 (Winter 2008), pp. 38-55
Studio Assignment Due September 10th: Have at least 3 sculptures started that address critique the concept of
Exaggeration
Wednesday, September 10th
Week 3- Work Time Project #1 Exaggeration, Discussion of “Artists sometimes have feelings”
Out of Class Reading:
Zatlin, Linda Gertner. “Aubrey Beardsley’s “Japanese Grotesques,” Victorian Literature and Culture, Vol.
25, No.1 (1997), pp. 87-108
Studio Assignment Due September 17th: Continue work on sculptures for Project #1: Exaggeration
Wednesday, September 17th
Week 4- Work Time (ALL DAY), Project #1 Exaggeration
Out of Class Assignment: Prepare for Discussion of Aubrey Beardsley Japanese Grotesques
Wednesday, September 24th
Week 4- Work Time, Discussion of Aubrey Beardsley Japanese Grotesques
Studio Assignment Due October 1st: Finalize work on sculptures for Project #1: Exaggeration
Out of Class Reading:
Export, Valie. “Aspects of Feminist Actionism,“ New German Critique No 24 (Spring-Summer, 1989), pp
66-92ednesday, October 1st
Week 5- Discussion of Aspects of Feminist Actionism, Discussion of Project #2 Perversion
Out of Class Reading:
Kallen, Horace M. “The Aesthetic Principle of Comedy,” The American Journal of Psychology, Vol.22,
No. 2 (Apr., 1911), pp. 137-157
Wednesday, October 8th
Week 6- Work Time(All Day)
Assignment Due October 15th: Work on Sculptures for Project #2: Perversion
Wednesday, October 15th
Week 7- Work Time, Discussion of The Aesthetic Principle of Comedy
Assignment Due October 22nd: Group 1: Prepare for Midterm Critique
Wednesday, October 22nd
Week 8 – Work Time, Afternoon Group 1 Midterm Critique
Assignment Due October 29th: Group 2: Prepare for Midterm Critique
Wednesday, October 29th
Week 9- Work Time, Afternoon Group 2 Midterm Critique
Assignment Due November 5th: Group 3: Prepare for Midterm Critique
Wednesday, November 5th
Week 10- Work Time, Afternoon Group 3 Midterm Critique
Assignment Due November 12th: Prepare for Individual Meetings with William J. O’Brien & Gabrielle Kan
Wednesday, November 12th
Week 11- Work Time, Individual Meetings
Studio Assignment Due December 10th: Begin work on sculptures for Project #3: Getting Weird and Hilarious
Wednesday, November 19th
Week 12- Work Time, Individual Meetings
Studio Assignment Due December 10th: Begin work on sculptures for Project #3: Getting Weird and Hilarious
Wednesday, November 26th
Week 13- No Class Thanksgiving – Prepare for Final Presentations
Wednesday, December 3rd
Week 14 – No Class Critique Week – Prepare for Final Presentations
Wednesday, December 10th
Week 15 – Final Presentation