Students enrolled in HC M179/CS169 are required to research and write a major paper
dealing with any topic reasonably related to the overall course themes. The instructor is
available in office hours to discuss your ideas and offer bibliographic and other
suggestions. These papers should be approximately 20 pages in length; this means
standard margins (1 inch) and fonts (12 points). This also means actual text, not
including the appended illustrations. Papers should include reproductions of the
artwork(s) discussed. These can be photocopied in black and white and/or color. Images
may be taken from the Internet. Postcard and photographic reproductions are also
acceptable. Illustrations may be integrated into the text or appended at the end. Each
illustration should be carefully labeled (Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, etc.). Pages must be
numbered. Footnotes or endnotes are acceptable. The use of the first person (“I”) is also
perfectly acceptable and encouraged. When papers are handed in, they should be in
stamped, self-addressed envelopes with adequate postage, probably 4 “Forever”
stamps. Late papers are not acceptable and extensions will not be granted. Please
don’t ask.Make sure this is a very politically correct and focused essay. This professor is very liberal and is very anti-Israeli occupation. Israeli Art that criticizes the government is good. Also make sure to include a good number of art works to highlight the points addressed.
hc_m179_paper_topic__1_.pdf
honors_collegium_syllabus_2019.pdf
hc_m179_course_requirements.pdf
Unformatted Attachment Preview
Daniel Dayan
Professor Von Blum
HC M179
2/7/2/2018
Paper Topic
For my paper topic, I’ve decided to write about Zionist political art. Now I understand this may
seem like a provocative topic to write about, however, I believe this is because of people’s
skewed and downright false interpretations of Zionism. On campus, people seem to associate
Zionism with the occupation or with the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians but these interpretations
are simply false and detract from the true soul of Zionism. I know that these interpretations are
what students believe here because I’m part of the Students Supporting Israel (SSI) on campus
and I get yelled and screamed at all the time because I’m an alleged Zionist baby killer. The
reality of the situation is that Zionism is simply the belief that the Jews, like any other people,
have the right to be in control of their own destiny, by living in their indigenous ancestral
homeland of over 3,800 years. That doesn’t mean that other peoples can’t live there or that you
support the occupation, it simply means that if you support the concept of a Jewish state in which
Jews can finally feel safe living in. This is an important issue for me because I feel like people
only think that the Jews need Israel because of the Holocaust, which should be a reason in itself,
but these days on campus, anti-Israel supporters go crazy when you play the holocaust card but
little do people know that Jews have been oppressed everywhere they’ve been. My family comes
from Iran and my grandfather is from the city of Hamadan. He tells me growing up, his father
told him to never touch the fruit and vegetables at the market. One time he did by accident when
he was a child and the store owner beat him up and threw the entire box of fruit out. This was
Daniel Dayan
Professor Von Blum
HC M179
2/7/2/2018
Paper Topic
because Jews were dirty and had unpure Jew hands. For these reasons, this will be my paper
topic.
HC M179/COMMUNICATION M169
THE CRITICAL VISION: A HISTORY OF ART AS SOCIAL AND POLITICAL
COMMENTARY
Paul Von Blum (e-mail: [email protected])
Winter Quarter, 2019, Rolfe Hall 3134
Th, 3-5:50
COURSE SYLLABUS
General Description:
For several centuries, the visual art forms of painting, graphic art, photography, and sculpture have
been used as vehicles for social and political commentary. This Honors Collegium will explore
that tradition, with an emphasis on modern art in the 20th and 21st centuries. A major focus will
be on the value of art as source material for social, political, and historical inquiry and on its
effectiveness in communicating political ideas and criticisms. Artworks from Europe, the United
States, and Latin America will treat such themes as war, poverty, persecution, alienation, racism,
sexism, bureaucracy, political corruption, and others. A major feature of the Collegium involves
contemporary materials including feminist art, visual works from multicultural communities, and
new forms of public art including installations, “guerrilla” art, and conceptual art.
Course Objectives:
1. To expose students to interdisciplinary inquiry through the presentation of material showing
the relationships of art, society, history, and politics;
2. To assess the value of art as source material for historical, social, and political inquiry;
3. To highlight, through a survey presentation, the tradition of artistic social commentary as a
complement to traditional formal analysis of the visual arts; and
4. To provide an opportunity for in-depth student research projects related to art and society.
Recommended Books and Readings:
Students are expected to do substantial reading about their individual research papers and
projects. The following provide a good foundation for the key course themes and topics.
Early on in the quarter, students should search the UCLA libraries (especially the Arts
Library in the Public Affairs Building) and other sources for reference material. These
books will be on reserve in Powell Library.
Herschel Chipp, THEORIES OF MODERN ART
Lucy Lippard, MIXED BLESSINGS
Ben Shahn, THE SHAPE OF CONTENT
Paul Von Blum, THE ART OF SOCIAL CONSCIENCE
Paul Von Blum, THE CRITICAL VISION
Paul Von Blum, OTHER VISIONS, OTHER VOICES
Paul Von Blum, RESISTANCE, DIGNITY, AND PRIDE
Paul Von Blum, CREATIVE SOULS; AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTISTS IN GREATER LOS
ANGELES* (THIS IS A NEW BOOK AND IS ESPECIALLY RECOMMENDED; IT IS
AVAILABLE IN THE ASUCLA BOOKSTORE)
Thematic Units:
* Introduction and Historical Background
At the outset of the course, some theoretical issues relating to the connections of art, society, and
politics will be explored. The value and limitations of the visual arts as social and historical
source material will be examined. Early on, selected works from the past and present from
various genres will be viewed in order to provide a general “flavor” of the course. Many will be
from contemporary African American artists as documented in the instructor’s recent book. A
brief review of the artworks of Francisco Goya and Honore Daumier as well as even earlier works
(Brueghel, Hogarth, and others) will be presented in order to show some of the chief sources of
modern social and political art. These works will be viewed and discussed in light of the political
and social events in Spain during the late 18th and early 19th century (Goya) and France during
most of the 19th century (Daumier).
* European Social and Political Art of the 20th Century
European social and political art throughout the 20th century has had an enormous influence on
contemporary artists working in that tradition. During this unit, students will view and discuss the
works of George Grosz, Käthe Kollwitz, Otto Dix, and John Heartfield in the context of the
turbulent politics and culture of the Weimar Republic; Pablo Picasso’s Guernica in the context of
the Spanish Civil War; and the art of Jewish and Roma concentration camp victims from
Auschwitz and Theresienstadt.
* Political and Social Art in America
During this unit, the focus will be on social and political art in America from the Revolution to
the present. Included will be the 19th century works of Nast, Keppler, and Koehler and the early
20th century works of the Ashcan School through the Depression (Marsh, Cadmus, Benton,
Wood, Shahn, Gropper, Evergood, and others). Social themes expressed in these artworks include
political corruption, labor strife, loneliness and alienation, economic devastation and the
Depression, and celebrated legal cases such as the Sacco-Vanzetti affair. Examples of
documentary photography, including the worlds of Riis, Hine, Evans, Lange, Bourke-White, and
others will also be presented.
* Political and Social Art in America, continued
During this unit, the emphasis will be on post-war developments in American social art,
particularly from 1945 to 1980. The works of Tooker, Levine, Baskin, Frasconi, Bragg, Kienholz,
Segal, Hanson and others, including photographers, will be presented and discussed in their
historical and social context. Themes will include the cold war, bureaucracy, and the social
agitation of the 60s and early 70s.
* Mexican and Latin American Commentary in the Arts
The major emphasis will be on the Mexican mural renaissance after the Revolution. The works of
Rivera, Orozco, and Siqueiros will be examined and evaluated. The role of public mural art will
be explored and contrasted to other artistic forms. In addition, works from Columbia, Cuba, and
Nicaragua may also be presented.
* African American Art
A neglected history of African American visual art has added powerfully to the broader tradition
of visual social commentary in the United States. In this unit, students will see and discuss
highlights from such major African American artists as Aaron Douglas, Hale Woodruff, William
Johnson, Archibald Motley, Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence, Romare Bearden, Charles White,
Adrian Piper, Betye Saar, Gordon Parks, David Hammons, Faith Ringgold, and many others.
*Contemporary Political Art
The final unit of the course surveys major contemporary developments in social commentary and
criticism in the arts. Major aspects may include the efforts of young artists from various ethnic
communities throughout the country; feminist artists working with a variety of visual forms; and
“guerrilla art,” works that involve modest transgressions of the law. Students may, if time
permits, examine the works of many social artists, primarily from California, including Sheila
Pinkel, Eva Cockcroft, Robbie Conal, Beverly Naidus, Doug Minkler, Barbara Carrasco, Karen
Atkinson, Beth Bachenheimer, Francisco Letelier, Mariona Barkus, Paul Conrad, and many
others. Social themes include the environment, nuclear war, AIDS, consumerism, the Gulf War,
the Iraq War, workplace sexism, body image, reproductive rights, breast cancer, the Trump
presidency, and several others.
Grading and Evaluation:
Each student will be responsible for a major research paper of approximately 20 pages. Topics are
open as long as they pertain to the themes of the seminar and are approved by the instructor.
Please see the attached longer description of course requirements, which details alternative modes
of satisfying course requirements, especially the opportunity to plan and implement an art
exhibition. Library or field research, depending on the topic, will be acceptable. The instructor
will be widely available to provide research and writing assistance during the term
Office Hours:
Wednesdays, 9:30 to 11:30 and Thursdays, 1:30 to 2:30, 2333 Rolfe Hall. (Office hours begin
Thursday, January 10)
BECAUSE UNIVERSITY EDUCATION GOES FAR BEYOND COURSE CONTENT
ALONE, STUDENTS SHOULD FEEL FREE TO DROP BY ANY TIME EVEN
WITHOUT ANY SPECIFIC ACADEMIC AGENDA.
During the quarter, various field trips will be taken; details will be announced in class.
Students are required to attend at least one of these trips.
Because a university class involves a responsible commitment from students and faculty
alike, regular attendance at class is expected and required. Students are also expected
to be on time and should not leave class early without prior notification. Timely
completion of writing assignments is also required. Writing form (including proper
grammar, spelling, punctuation, and other technical features of composition) is a factor
in the evaluation of student papers. If you know that you have problems with writing, it
would be useful to take early advantage of campus resources designed to assist with
such problems. PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT ALL CELL PHONES ARE TURNED OFF BEFORE
CLASS BEGINS. AND PLEASE DO NOT USE ELECTRONIC DEVICES UNRELATED TO
COURSE MATERIAL.
HC M179/COMM M169 Course Requirements
Winter Quarter, 2019
Students enrolled in HC M179/CS169 are required to research and write a major paper
dealing with any topic reasonably related to the overall course themes. The instructor is
available in office hours to discuss your ideas and offer bibliographic and other
suggestions. These papers should be approximately 20 pages in length; this means
standard margins (1 inch) and fonts (12 points). This also means actual text, not
including the appended illustrations. Papers should include reproductions of the
artwork(s) discussed. These can be photocopied in black and white and/or color. Images
may be taken from the Internet. Postcard and photographic reproductions are also
acceptable. Illustrations may be integrated into the text or appended at the end. Each
illustration should be carefully labeled (Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, etc.). Pages must be
numbered. Footnotes or endnotes are acceptable. The use of the first person (“I”) is also
perfectly acceptable and encouraged. When papers are handed in, they should be in
stamped, self-addressed envelopes with adequate postage, probably 4 “Forever”
stamps. Late papers are not acceptable and extensions will not be granted. Please
don’t ask.
Paper topics (approximately 1 page) are due on Thursday, February 7 in class. After this
date, topics may not be changed although they may be modified within the general
framework of your proposal. Final papers are due on Monday, March 11 in my office
between 9 and noon. (This due date is the start of week 10 because I may have other
obligations soon after Winter Quarter ends).
Organizing art exhibitions is an alternative mechanism to fulfill course requirements. As
noted in class, this project may be done individually or collectively (no more than 3
students). Groups of 2 and 3 students are expected to produce proportionally larger and
more comprehensive exhibitions. The instructor will make available an article discussing
the various steps involved in creating and presenting a successful exhibition. In short,
student curators must develop a thematic focus, obtain space (preferably on or near
campus), arrange for the artworks to be shown, and organize an opening with appropriate
publicity and participation from the exhibiting artists. The exhibition must be shown no
later than week 9 of the quarter. Above all, a serious catalogue must be produced in
conjunction with the exhibition; this involves a modest critical essay as well as a
discussion and reproduction of selected works from the exhibition. The instructor
will also make available examples of appropriate catalogues from previous classes.
For a few students, internship opportunities in lieu of major paper requirements may also
be available. Details will be announced in the first class session.
…
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