Art, Environment and Sustainability (10 credit points)

Pre-requisites for enrolment

Previous experience of an art practice required.

Special Information

Essential materials you will need to bring to the first class:

• Sketchbook - around A4 size

• Project book - small A6/A5 notebook for taking notes and developing theoretical project ideas

• Basic drawing materials - pencils, drawing pens, charcoal

Materials and equipment provided for students as part of the course and included in course fee:

• Studio, easels, tables and chairs

Materials and equipment available for purchase during the course:

• Some written notes, some very basic drawing materials e.g. paper, charcoal

Essentials Materials and equipment students will need to provide themselves:

• Sketchbook (a sketchbook will be a vital piece of equipment for students to work in, whatever size of sketchbook is most convenient to carry especially for research ‘in the field’)

• A number of surfaces to be worked on with drawing materials, paint, collage and mixed media; card, paper, board, mdf, canvas, etc.

• A graphite stick or graphite pencil

• Charcoal pencil, charcoal

• Putty rubber

• Small bottle of black ink

• A clear oil bar

• A white oil pastel or oil bar

• A few Conte crayons or pastels in a range of colours.

• A basic range of colours in a range water based paints such as watercolour, acrylic or gouache

• Water soluble pencils or crayons

• Two or three brushes of different sizes (soft ‘sable type’ brushes or acrylic equivalent)

• Bits of sponge or rag,

• A small plastic water jar

• A small piece of plastic that can be used as a palette

Additional recommended materials and equipment students can provide:

• Other surfaces such as metal, wood, different types of cloth or plastic Recycling may prove a fruitful area in this class

• PVA glue, a knife, scissors, a ruler, a cheap roller, rags

Content of Course

Over the weeks the course will cover:

1. General introduction to course and drawing.

2. Develop short drawing project.

3. Completion of drawing project and crit.

4. Develop collaborative project.

5. Continuation of collaborative project.

6. Completion of collaborative project and crit.

7. Begin to develop final longer project.

8. Work towards finished project.

9. Work towards finished project.

10. Work towards finished project.

11. Realisation of personal project.

Teaching method(s)

This course will be based and delivered in specialist art and design studios or workshops and will typically include a range of practical exercises, introductions to techniques, processes and concepts and set projects which lead to more focused and personal exploration.

Students’ progress will be monitored weekly and supported by the tutor who will negotiate and agree with you a ‘directed study plan’ for work to be undertaken outwith the class hours each week. This should include researching a range of suggested artists or designers and relevant wider research subjects to engender a contextual awareness of the discipline being taught as well as how to annotate and evidence this within a sketchbook and practical outcomes.

The tutor’s own personal research involving applied ethics and contemporary art may feed into this interaction. Teaching should include practical demonstrations of relevant materials and techniques, one to one tuition, group discussions and critiques.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, through attending classes and engaging in directed and independent study, students should be able to:

• Develop the capacity for self-directed research and extend this into practical projects which consider environmental issues.

• Develop a range of research into their own practical projects, which is expressed through a contemporary language of drawing and painting and/or other media

• Produce a coherent body of practical work that synergises students’ personal research of environmental themes into studio practices and project development.

Sources

Core Readings

• The Postmodern Animal (Essays in Art & Culture), Steve Baker.

• Art and Animals, Giovanni Aloi.

• Land Art; The Earth As Canvas, Michael Lailachi.

• Land and Environmental Art, Jeffrey Kastner & Brian Wallisi.

• Art and the Public Sphere, W. J. T. Mitchelli.

• Land and Environmental Art, Jeffrey Kastner & Brian Wallisi.

• Environmental Art, edited by Frederic P. Miller, Agnes F. Vandome, John McBrewsteri.

• Art & Visual Culture 1850-2010: Modernity to Globalisation, Steve Edwards & Paul Woodi.

Web Sources

http://greenupgrader.com/4473/environmental-art-using-the-landscape-as-a-medium

http://www.cynthiarobinson.net/ecoart.html

http://www.britishanimalstudiesnetwork.org.uk/Home.aspx

http://www.antennae.org.uk

http://beautifuldecay.com/2010/07/21/green-art-10-artists-working-with-recycled-materials

http://greenmuseum.org/what_is_ea.php

Class Handouts

Course information will be provided on enrolment and hand-outs provided during the course.

Assessment

Details of the Art and Design assessment requirements can be found on the short course website. Please click on the following link for more information: Submission and Assessment Information

Studying for Credit

If you choose to study for credit you will need to allocate significant time outwith classes for coursework and assessment preparation. Credit points gained from this course can count towards the Certificate of Higher Education.

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.