What does it mean to "like" something? 'Like' is a ubiquitous, bandied-about word in contemporary society: it's usually a declarative, democratic, and safe way to express an opinion. We often share our aesthetic interests by publicly saying what we like.
In an attempt to up-the-ante and make us more committed to the things we like, this course will give us tools to defend our own pleasures, desires, and fantasies, and to make what we like have consequences. We'll think of art and design as a competition --- not just a job, success or money --- but for the hears and minds of audiences.
"LIKE: a competition" will address personal and cultural formations of taste and beauty and will look at strategies for describing the creative process in a world of subjective preference. We will deal with a variety of subjects, including the correlation between music and visual culture and the visual-historical moments in art that signal aesthetic shifts in societal thinking. We will examine the history of political and artistic manifestos as fundamental ways in which people transform their theories into action. Students will critically examine the apogees and pitfalls of political theory and aesthetic dogma, and maybe have the opportunity to write an aesthetic manifesto of their own.
This is a transdisciplinary discussion and project-based course that attempts to place the humanities deep within art and design practices. It questions the distinction of theory from practice and thinking from doing. As such, participants will receive both studio and academic credit. (3 units of H&S Critical Thinking)
Requisites
Take TDS-368