The first drawings were created some 40,000 years ago in caves, predating paper drawings by millennia. Were they just decorations? Did they declare communal values? Were they religious? Whatever the rationale, cave artists made marks not in private but in public, a profoundly human activity.
Students will use walls, ceilings and floors as support for drawings. The act of drawing will be communal rather than personal and the images will be created collaboratively. Students will use tape, black at first, followed by colored tape to create a series of large room drawings. The class’s room will change and mutate over time as drawings are created, re-arranged and pulled down. Weekly discussions, films and readings will center on the question of what makes an image art? How do artists engage in public discussions? Does working collaboratively create community? How important is a recognizable image for these designs to be “read”? No previous art experience necessary.
