ESP 526: Art, Culture & Nature

Description:

Competency Area: ASJS, CB, Cert, EE, SDCC, SDS ?Çô Methods

A world in crisis compels us to act. Science offers one powerful and important window, based on the practice of observing phenomena and then sharing and confirming those observations through multiple witnesses. Art also directs our attention, but in a manner very different from science. Art arrests the mind. It causes us to pause, to contemplate deeply, and to think anew about our world. Out of the silence of this pause can emerge new meaning and innovations, which may present powerful alternatives to policy and action. This class explores art as a technique to expand thinking and awareness of the natural and human worlds. Through a combination of theory/conceptual thought and art-in-practice, students' will gain experience in using art to engage a deeper level of understanding about the world around us. There will be a balance of home studio work, reading, writing, and class projects and presentations.