- GFA343.01 (36805)
- Fall 2019
- Wednesdays 0830-1400
- L 301: Seminar Room
- 08/26/2019 - 12/13/2019
Kristian Bjørnard
kbjornard@mica.edu
Office: Brown Center, 3rd Floor, 309A
Cell: 5073018402
This studio course focuses on climate change as a social justice issue; the material ecologies of our practices; and the interconnection of all things. The projects/output created over the term will be driven through exploration of information you encounter in this course (the questions you ask; the "answers" you find (an answer could be more questions)) via the mediums of your choosing.
Our climate is rapidly changing due to the effects of human industry. Climate change is presenting the global society with the necessity for new criteria of industrial and social production. How will this include the production of art and design? The goal of this course is to present students with the challenge to examine, investigate, confront, and apply what these criteria are. This class focuses on the theoretical, practical, and aesthetic issues of sustainability. Beginning with an overview of the history of the science of climate change, students look at global movements responding to this event. Students who are considering entering some aspect of this field are welcome as well as those who are seeking to extend their art practice to address the many issues encountered in the massive change towards sustainability.
- Students will demonstrate ability to respond to seminar information with three visual projects.
- Students will be able to understand and converse in the current language of Climate Science, Policy, Art and Design.
- Students will gain a Generalist understanding of the issues of Climate, Energy and Food and the concepts of Mitigation, Adaptation and Resiliency.
- Students will demonstrate a deeper understanding of the role of Art and Design in these issues and will demonstrate a focused development of their own work toward this purpose.
For this class you are asked to develop three projects. You have approximately five weeks for each project to gather information and develop it according to your own interests and discipline. To clarify: the manner in which you resolve your projects is open to you. There are many different majors in this class so the projects can range from the conceptual, performative, sculptural, social, representational, 2-D process based, architectural, product design, graphic design and educational. It is up to you. This issue calls for all fields to develop sophisticated and informed responses, proposals and solutions.
Attendance is mandatory and recorded. No unexcused absences are allowed, any unexcused absences will lower your grade by one full letter. Excused absences will be given to notification in written form only. No verbal excuses. If you must miss more than three classes for personal or medical reasons it is recommended that you withdraw from this class. If you are routinely late you will miss a considerable amount of information including tool demonstrations and tool safety necessary for the completion of your projects. Missing these will profoundly impact your grade. I do not give individual tutorials to students who are late to class.
Your level of involvement in your work will largely determine your grade in this class. I will look for the amount that you challenge yourself and your development as a visual artist in regard to that challenge. Here is a more specific chart that I will use to determine your grade.
- A +, A (superior)
- A- (excellent)
- B+, B (good)
- B- (above average)
- C+, C (average)
- C- (below average)
- D+, D, D- (poor)
- F (failure)
Feel free to e-mail me to let me know if you will be absent, late or would like to set up an appointment. I do not use e-mail to answer questions covered in class or to inform you of material you have missed due to an absence. Please ask a fellow classmate to help you make up for missed class time.
- Attendance is mandatory.
- Two late arrivals equal one absence.
- Two early departures equal one absence.
- Remember – leaving early for holidays is not acceptable – tell your parents
General Absence rundown:
- 1 absence - not good.
- 2 absences - bad. I report to Student Affairs
- 3 absences - really bad. I will drop your grade by at least full letter grade.
- 4 absences - the college states that this equals an automatic failure.
Students are expected to stay the full length of class unless I excuse you early. Class starts at 8:30am and ends at 2pm. Do not try to leave class before it ends without asking my permission, as I will notice and it will affect my decision for grading you. Class begins promptly; excessive tardiness will negatively affect you as you will miss important information and demonstrations. However, arriving late is better than missing a class. It is your responsibility to find out what you have missed by asking a fellow student or me directly.
Have materials in class on workdays and be prepared to work and take notes. This means students are to bring their own art supplies, some tools and all assignments to class. (Class time is not the time to scramble and gather materials). Work on projects outside of class. Time management is an important skill you will need to survive. Making art requires dedicated time; do not wait until the last minute.
Respect your fellow students at all times. Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. Please do not use phones, iPads, social media, email, etc. during class -- unless it is imperative to your project. I expect that you will participate in discussions and critiques even when we are not reviewing your work. During critiques, there should be no reason for you to have your laptops open.
I don't appreciate freely coming and going from class in the middle of a critique, discussion, lecture or demonstration. Please do not get up and leave the classroom if all you need is a drink of water or to use the restroom or answer a phone call (use your best judgement as to what an emergency might count as) . We'll take plenty of breaks and once we get through a lecture or demo or reasonable number of critiques you'll be free to get a coffee, grab a smoke, or whatever.
- Please bring all sketches / layouts / studies that pertain to the development of your projects to class.
- If you have not finished work for a critique, come to class anyway to at least engage the discussion.
- You are only to work on studio projects during class sessions; no personal email, social networking, phone calls, texting or chat during critiques or lectures. No sleeping!
Attend class regularly and on time, meet deadlines, take thorough notes, participate in class discussions and critiques, show a strong sense of concept and design. Do your best on each project and push yourself to do better on the next project. Do more than is asked for. Be inventive! Think! Experiment! Bring a positive, enthusiastic, open mind to class. Take advantage of opportunities to be responsible for your own education!
Don't come to class. Don't complete the projects to the best of your ability. Disrupt class often with snide and insults directed at student's work or at them personally. Don't participate in class critiques. Don't ask questions when you have questions and need clarification. Decide you're not responsible for your own education and expect me to somehow pour the information and skills into your brain.
Students are encouraged to discuss complaints & concerns regarding class, projects or grades with me first. Issues that students do not find to be resolved should then be reported to the Department Chair (Rex Stevens, rstevens@mica.edu).
Project output is up to you, I don't have a good cost estimate in materials unfortunately. There will be no texts required this term to purchase.
MICA makes reasonable academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. All academic accommodations must be approved through the Learning Resource Center (LRC). Students requesting accommodation should schedule an appointment at the LRC (410-225-2416 or e-mail LRC@mica.edu), located in Bunting 110. It is the student's responsibility to make an accommodation request in a timely manner. Academic accommodations are not retroactive.
Students are responsible to follow health and safety guidelines relevant to their individual activities, processes, and to review MICA's Emergency Operations Plan and attend EHS training. Students are required to purchase personal protection equipment appropriate for their major or class. Those students who do not have the proper personal protection equipment will not be permitted to attend class until safe measures and personal protection are in place.
Each discipline within the arts has specific and appropriate means for students to cite or acknowledge sources and the ideas and material of others used in their own work. Students have the responsibility to become familiar with such processes and to carefully follow their use in developing original work.
MICA will not tolerate plagiarism, which is defined as claiming authorship of, or using someone else's ideas or work without proper acknowledgement. Without proper attribution, a student may NOT replicate another's work, paraphrase another's ideas, or appropriate images in a manner that violates the specific rules against plagiarism in the student's department. In addition, students may not submit the same work for credit in more than one course without the explicit approval of all of the instructors of the courses involved.
When an instructor has evidence that a student has plagiarized work submitted for course credit, the instructor will confront the student and impose penalties that may include failing the course. In the case of a serious violation or repeated infractions from the same student, the instructor will report the infractions to the department chair or program director. Depending on the circumstances of the case, the department chair or program director may then report the student to the appropriate dean or provost, who may choose to impose further penalties, including expulsion.
Students who are penalized by an instructor or department for committing plagiarism have the right to appeal the charge and penalties that ensue. Within three weeks of institutional action, the student must submit a letter of appeal to the department chairperson or program director, or relevant dean or provost related to the course for which actions were taken. The academic officer will assign three members of the relevant department/division to serve on a review panel. The panel will meet with the student and the instructor of record and will review all relevant and available materials. The panel will determine whether or not to confirm the charge and penalties. The findings of the panel are final. The panel will notify the instructor, the chairperson, division, the student, and the Office of Academic Affairs of their findings and any recommendations for change in penalties.
Maryland Institute College of Art seeks to provide an educational environment based on mutual respect that is free from discrimination and harassment. There are multiple ways to report sexual harassment/misconduct/assault and reports are encouraged (www.mica.edu/equal_opportunity). Students requiring academic adjustments due to an incident involving sexual harassment or discrimination should contact Student Affairs at 410.225.2422 or Human Resources at 410.225.2363. Keeping with institutional commitments to equity and to comply with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and guidance from the Office for Civil Rights, faculty and staff members are required to report disclosures of gender based discrimination made to them by students. However, nothing in this policy shall abridge academic freedom or MICA's educational mission. Prohibitions against discrimination and discriminatory harassment do not extend to actions, statements or written materials that are relevant and appropriately related to course subject matter or academic discussion.
In the case of extended illness or other absences that may keep the student from attending a class for more than three meetings, undergraduate students must contact the Student Development Specialist in the Division of Student Affairs or have an official disability accommodation letter issued by the Learning Resource Center that specifically addresses class absences. For students who have not been approved for academic disability accommodations, the Student Development Specialist will work with the student to determine the cause and appropriateness of the absences and subsequently notify instructors as necessary. Graduate students must contact the instructor, program director, and the Office of Graduate Studies. Students in professional studies programs must contact the Associate Dean for Open Studies. The appropriate administrator will facilitate a conversation with relevant faculty to determine whether the student can achieve satisfactory academic progress, which is ultimately at the sole discretion of the faculty member.
Canvas will have up to date information on the schedule, homework, readings, etc.
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Watch Greta Thunberg Ted Talk
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Syllabus / Class Contract
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What are my criteria?
- Did you ask/generate questions?
- Did you make/generate outcomes?
- MICA's attendance policy
- You either do all of these things; and receive an A, or do not, and receive an F ... all other "grading" will be through discussion related to work and conversations with me at midterm.
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What are the students criteria?
- individually write up ideas, then in groups of 2, then in groups of 4, then everyone?
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how is this class about climate, energy, food, social justice, sustainability? (or rather how can all those things be framed as social justice issues; and how is sustainability a recipe for doing something about them from a new, more equal context?)
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Introduce the Cumulus2020 pitch too?
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What is Climate Change?
- what can an individual do?
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Introduce projects? Introduce overall term plan... First project: answer my questions; bring in your answers and any other questions you have next week...
- Project 1: Behavior Change -
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Watch I Heart Huckabees in class
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Homework:
- All of these will be on Canvas.
- pick the behavior you want to change / Project 1: Behavior Change
- questions from Teaching as subversive activity?
- Read: What is Sustainability from the Post Carbon Reader
- Read/Skim: IPCC summary
- Read/Skim: USA Fourth National Climate Assessment Summary Findings
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Discuss answers to questions from last week
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What is Sustainability?
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What questions should students investigate?
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What behavior will you change? & how to document that?
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P2: What do you want to sustain.
- Sustainability requires that first you define what it is you will be sustaining. In the fight against climate change what do you think is important to sustain??? Define that for yourself. We'll then spend the following 4 weeks working on a piece that visualizes or helps to explain your answer.
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Homework:
- Work on your behavior changing
- Figure out what your definition of sustainbility is and how you might begin to visualize that. (Start working on "What do you want to sustain" project by honing in on what you think is worth sustaining...)
- Listen: Timothy Morton Anthropocene talk on Internet Archive
- Read: Sustainability means nothing ... Ehrenfeld stuff from Flourishing
- Carbon Cycle
- If everything is connected why are things so messed up.
- Read: https://aeon.co/essays/art-is-a-waste-of-time-or-so-effective-altruism-claims
- what is a material ecology? (what is your material ecology? what ecology does your practice function in/create?)
- Where do your materials come from
- what are alternate materials or practices?
- P3: Carbon Capture/Sequestration Project
- working with Nasa/Hopkins climate & carbon scientists
- Read: https://aeon.co/essays/enter-the-sapiezoic-a-new-aeon-of-self-aware-global-change
- P4: Behavior Change Rehash: what form is your behavior change documentation taking? how to present at the end?
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Other Stuff to fit in:
- Appropriate technologies? Appropriate art? Appropriate practice?
- Sue Spaid? help here someplace?
- Rope in Graham for something?
- What about the office of sustainability?
- Where to fit in the Cumulus 2020 stuff?
- what is the carbon cycle? (how does the carbon cycle work???)
- which artists are tackling this already in their work?
- who else can we look to for help? information? advice? "solutions"? (where else?)
- What is to be questioned/answered for next week? What is something you can do that reduces CO2 output; takes CO2 out of the air; puts CO2 into the ground? Is there something that can be turned into a project for the city?
- Introduce the behavior change project that will run over the rest of the term. Think about your answers from last week and what we've talked about this week to help you pick a behavior/action/etc. to modify.
- Listen: ecosocialism part 1
- Listen: ecosocialism part 2
- read: Climate Mobilization?
- watch: Naomi Klein's climate doc
- read: is it okay to make art? aeon.co
- watch peter singer and slavoj zizek
- Zero Waste
- What is entropy?
- If everything is connected, then why is shit so fucked up?
- What are we going to do? (overview of solutions/ideas???)
- How is entropy connected w/ carbon cycle? how is spaceship earth a closed system? how does that affect our understanding of our practices?
- What else can we think about look at?
- green peace; extinction rebellion; (started a list in my office) make a long list of different groups; radical or otherwise. (I can go back and check in my American environmentatlism book? -- but what about other orgs from other countries; asian? African? let us expand this list of doers) -- hugh has a pretty extensive list on the old edublog site too.
- https://www.drawdown.org/solutions