Syllabus

ART 171 Sculpture I
Suffolk County Community College
Professor: Matthew Gehring 
gehrinm@sunysuffolk.edu

Office: Rm. 108 Southampton Bldg.

Office Hours:
Monday 1:00PM - 5:00PM
Tuesday 11:00AM - 12:30PM and 2:45 - 3:45
Wednesday: 10:00AM - 5:00PM
Thursday: 11:00AM - 12:30PM and 2:45 - 3:45

For immediate assistance contact Maria Cherubino: 631-451-4093 or cherubm@sunysuffolk.edu

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Continued investigation of skills and concepts learned in ART171. Students encouraged to develop their own direction in their work. Prerequisite: ART171

COURSE GOALS:

-Investigate beyond the basic materials introduced in ART71
-Explore advanced sculptural building techniques and tools
-Continue to develop a person style using sculpture as an expressive medium
-Expand critical thinking skills to help develop personal concepts into art
-Continue critical analyze of one’s own work as well as the work of peers through class critiques
-Develop research interest in both historical and contemporary artist
 
EXPECTED OUTCOME BEHAVIORS:

Upon completion of this course students will be able to:

-Demonstrate improved sculptural building techniques
-Develop an artistic workflow from concept to a critical analysis of the finished work
-Use critical thinking to help conceptualize projects and use problem solving skills to search out multiple solutions for a single concept
-Apply personal aesthetic decisions that reflex a personal point-of-view in the creation of their work
-Use research from historical and contemporary artists to help define and guide their own creative process and work
-Constructively critique art identifying strengths and weaknesses
-Develop a vocabulary of art terms when discussing sculptural art
-Discuss the history of sculpture

SKETCHBOOK/JOURNAL:

For this course you are required to keep an artist's sketchbook.  In the sketchbook you should keep all your research, drawings, plans, notes on group discussions, and notes on techniques that we review during open studio sessions. Sketchbooks will be collected at mid term and at the last class of the semester. The sketchbook should include:

-Syllabus
-All equipment and safety handouts
-All assigned readings
-Research for projects
-Drawings, sketches, and documentation of the work in progress
-End of term self evaluation

GRADING:

Grades for finished projects are based on the following criteria:

-Completion and development of the work during each week
-Conceptual and formal accomplishment of the work in response to the proposed
objectives
-Level of craft and technical achievement
-Completion of work according to project deadlines
-Creative and original approaches
-Ingenuity
-Diligence

A = Excellent:
Fully engaged n the process of learning, each assignment demonstrates excellent commitment and effort and a willingness to push yourself to do the very best work.

B+, B = Good:
Strong effort, good participation, good growth, good quality of work

C+, C = Average:
Average performance, work and attitude that meet the minimum requirements, effort and quality of work

D+, D = Poor:
Lack of projects or poor quality, poor participation, poor development of skill, poor effort

F = Failing:
Lack of projects, missing critique, unacceptable performance

Late projects will not be considered for a grade above a "C". Incomplete assignments will not be considered for a grade above an "F".

ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY. You are allowed TWO unexcused absences. Absence due to illness (supported by a doctor’s note), family emergency, and religious observations are generally considered excused, pending my approval. Each unexcused absence after two will lower your semester grade by one full letter. Each time you are late or leave early is recorded as one third of an absence. THIS MEANS THAT AN A+ WILL BE REDUCED TO AN F AFTER FIVE UNEXCUSED ABSENCES. LATENESS BEYOND THIRTY MINUTES OR LEAVING CLASS MORE THAN THIRTY MINUTES EARLY WILL BE REGARDED AS AN ABSENCE.   

UNPREPAREDNESS FOR CLASS WILL BE REGARDED AS AN ABSENCE. 

Incompletes will not be given without a medical or otherwise catastrophic event and are held at the discretion of the instructor.

Professional, courteous studio habits are essential and will affect your grade.  Always leave your work space clean and free of debris.  Put all tools away clean and in the proper place.  Wipe down your work area with soap and water at the end of each work session, and before, if necessary.  Sweep up after yourself.  Put your trash in the trash bins.  Your level of cleanliness and respect for the studio will influence your grade in addition to your assignments.  Professional conduct is expected, as well as an open mind and enthusiasm.   If you are concerned about your grade at any point during the semester it is your responsibility to schedule an appointment to meet me during my office hours.

CLASS PROCEDURE:

Each class will begin with demonstrations and/or lectures including images and videos illustrating a wide range of approaches to sculpture, it's history and contemporary practice, as well as related examples from other forms of artistic practice and history.  The remainder and the bulk of class time will be spent in the production and discussion of your work and ideas. 

CELL PHONE/TEXT/MP3 POLICY:

Turn off all ringers.  Do not take/make calls or text in class.  If you have an emergency or special circumstance, please explain it to me in advance.  Do not listen to personal music devices in class.  No earbuds or headphones.  When you are in class, work to be sure that your full attention is here as well.  You may use a laptop in class only if you are engaged in research that is specifically related to the course related task at hand.


SAFETY:

Eye protection must be worn when operating any machine or power tool. You must consult me prior to bringing any tools or materials to class which are not provided or listed in the required materials list below. Respirators must be worn when working with any toxic inhalants, pending instructor approval. All students are responsible for thorough clean up in the studio. In order to keep our studio a safe, positive work environment for all, your cooperation is expected. If at any time you are unsure about the operation of any piece of equipment please consult me before continuing. Wear appropriate attire. Do not wear open toed shoes to class. The sculpture facility is a dangerous place for naked toes. 

REQUIRED MATERIALS LIST:

Supplies: 

Dick Blick Art Supply (Carl Place) has prepared the following materials in a kit at a significant discount:

Artist's sketchbook
Scissors

Exacto knife/box cutter
Extra blades
Glue stick

Matte acrylic gel medium (for collage) 
Assorted small and medium paint brushes

Masking tape

*Grey* Van Aken Palstilina modeling clay, 9lbs minimum

18 gauge dark annealed soft wire (at least 2lb spool)

3” heavy-duty putty knife/scraper
Hot glue gun and glue 

The following items are NOT in the kit, but you will also need them:

Pencils
Quick Dry Sculptamold, 3lbs minimum

Sandpaper 

1 gal. bucket for mixing wet materials 
Plaster gauze
Chicken wire or sculpture mesh

As an advanced student, you should have a full set of tools and materials left over from Intro Sculpture.  You will need many of them, so bring them.  You will also need additional materials and tools. Your project ideas will necessarily dictate this need. It is your responsibility to determine what you need for each class and to have them at the beginning of class. You man NOT use class time for trips to the hardware store, art supply store, or to otherwise. Failure to be prepared for class with your supplies will result in you being marked absent for the day.

Depending on the nature of your projects, you may need to purchase some inexpensive materials and tools.

DISABILITY COMPLIANCE:

In compliance with section 504 of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Suffolk County Community College is committed to ensure that “no otherwise qualified individual with a disability…shall, solely by reason of disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity…” If you feel that you are a student who may need academic accommodations due to a disability, then you should immediately register with the Office of Disability Services (ODS) Ammerman Building Rm. 202, 533 College Road. ODS is the Suffolk County Community College office that authorizes special accommodations for students with disabilities.

MISCELLANEOUS:

Strong time management skills are essential. Only a portion of the work required for this course can be completed during class times with diligent work habits. Do not put off your class work until the night before our meetings. Successful student projects will demonstrate considerable time spent working outside of class. The SCCC sculpture facility is monitored and open at posted times.

I will occasionally distribute contemporary art and sculpture articles. You will be responsible for written reflection and informed discussion of these. Keep the course syllabus and ALL of these handouts in a folder and bring them to each class.

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I occasionally select student work for documentation and inclusion in my instructional slide file. Enrollment in this course constitutes agreement to this documentation.

You must remove all finished projects, tools, and materials at the end of the semester. Anything left behind will become the property of the Art Department.

Course calendar will be discussed in class.