While museums and survey textbooks tend to focus on the masterpieces of modern painting, many twentieth-century artists worked in multiple and nontraditional media. From performance to clothing, interior design to found objects, the art of the last century often did not look like art. This seminar will survey many of these alternative forms of production and investigate questions like: how important is medium to defining art, why do people tend to segregate media and what can we learn by bringing them back together, and what does it mean for an artist to communicate through non-artistic materials? Topics include: set and costume design, artistic fashion, avant-garde furniture, ready-mades, performance art, and various intersections between the visual arts and literature.

Estimated Cost of Materials: $0-$50.

HISTART concentration distributions: 4. Modern and Contemporary, D. Europe and the U.S.

Textbooks/Other Materials: All readings free on Canvas.

Course Requirements: Participation (30%), Short Assignments (30%), Research Paper (40%)

Intended Audience: All are welcome.

Class format: Seminar