Alice

ONeill
Instructor

Print Workshop Critique

Description: This course provides senior printmaking majors the opportunity to work
with printmaking faculty members on a concentrated and advanced basis beyond study in a
print elective course. This semester focuses on the development of printmaking prior to the
Degree Project and relies primarily on individual and group critiques.

Intensive, daily engagement with your studio work in the context of our critical discussions
will help you to development your ideas and achieve control of the means to produce work
that reflects these ideas. You will also gain a better understanding of ways to present your
work in verbal and in written form.

Objectives: This course is designed to develop and support your engagement in a more
concentrated and productive studio practice. Through critical discussions of readings, of
your work, the work of your classmates, and the work of other artists, we will develop a
vocabulary for productive analysis of formal issues and content that will be helpful to you in
designing a coherent degree project. The success of this class depends on your attention to
the assignments and participation in the discussions that will help you to strengthen your
understanding of your work and its continuation on beyond yourselvesout into the world.

Development in your work is only one goal of this class, as production is only one part of the
artistic process. An equally important goal is to learn to think independently and to
articulate your thoughts clearly from an informed critical and technical foundation. You will
be encouraged to experiment, test ideas and working processes, and develop your
confidence in those ideas and your ability to discuss and present them effectively.

Question everything and everyone: your classmates, your teachers and most of all yourself.
Critical dialog should inspire you to pose new challenges for yourself, sharpen your
attention to and understanding of your work, and help you to identify the inspirations and
motivations that distinguish your visual priorities, explorations and assertions. You are
expected to engage productively with the ideas and work of your classmates.

Requirements/Grading: Grades will be based on attendance, preparedness, participation,
research, timely completion of assignments, written proposals and statements, presentations
and of course the work itself. Arrival to class on time, and participation in individual and group
critiques is crucial. Push your work, challenge yourself, and your grade will reflect these
efforts. Each student should have new work for this class each week, ready to present for
discussion and critical response. Projects must use printmaking in some form.

Assignments: There will be both group and individual assignments throughout the
semester. Assignments will include group research assignments, individual midterm
statements, final project proposals, and individual final statements. Written assignments
should be posted online, andas importantlybrought to class printed out in duplicate to
be presented, discussed, and handed in to instructors.

Texts/Readings: All readings will be posted online. Please check it regularly for updated
reading and discussion threads. The first part of the class each week will be devoted to
group discussion of readings and assignmentsplease arrive in class ON TIME. You are all
encouraged to post readings, comments and images. We will be posting both required and
optional readings; you are strongly encouraged to read all of them.


Alice ONeill
Instructor

Individual Meetings & Group Critiques: The class will be divided into two groups.
They will be critiqued on alternating weeks and mixed with whole class and individual
critiques. You will be expected to be in your studios working throughout the class meeting
time when there are not discussions taking place. Written statements must be emailed to
your instructor in advance of the midterm and final, and also brought to class printed out.