Time Schedule:
Marek K. Wieczorek
ART H 581
Seattle Campus
Art historical problems of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Class description
"Mondrian and International Modernism" -- This graduate seminar will examine the art of the Dutch pioneer of abstract painting and inventor of "neoplasticism," Piet Mondrian, in the context of Dutch and international modernism. With the paintings and visionary environments of Mondrian as the central focus, we will examine his reception, but also measure this against his stated intentions in his extensive writings and use of various sources. We will examine his attempt to merge his abstract paintings with the environment at large, in particular his own studio, in which he used colored pasteboards to create neoplastic compositions that resonate with his utopian world views. There will be opportunities for students also to examine Mondrian's works and studio arrangements in relation to comparable efforts at creating an international language of abstraction through painting, sculpture and total environments on the part of such artists as Kurt Schwitters, Sophie Taeuber-Arp, El Lissitzky, and Katarzyna Kobro.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Recommended preparation
Class assignments and grading
Weekly readings and seminar discussions.
One longer paper (15-18 pages) and participation in discussions.
