HA360/The Artist as Theorist
This course examines the artist's role as theoriest and aesthe-
tician, concentrating on a selection of artists' writings and
interviews. It considers how the artist's vantage point varies
from the attitudes of the historian and critic.
HA370/Seminar in Art Criticism
This course considers early twentieth century and contemporary issues and situations that affectart and art-making.Critical
and artist viewpoints with regard to thecreation of artforms and
images are to be studied.
HA380/Aesthetics
This course examines writings about art theorists who are
neither artists nor art historians. Using a contextualist methodology, the following issues will be considered: The nature,
scope, and limitations of art and its function; art and politics,
object/non-object; the irrational and the dream; formalism/
expressionism; impact of non-traditional media; issues of
judgment.
HA400/lndependent Study
Study in individual projects.
Chairman is required.
Permission of the Department
Liberal Arts
The BFA degree at Otis requires a minimum of 125 credits, at
least 37 of which must be in the Liberal Arts and Art History.
These credits are to be taken as follows:
1. Students must take a minimum of 10 credits in the History of
Art, including the 6 credit Survey of World Art offered in the
Foundation Year, and at least 4 additional credits as required
in the various department curricula. The History of Art courses
are described on the page 9.
2. Students must take 27 credits in the Liberal Arts categories
of English and the Humanities, the Social Sciences, and the
Natural Sciences and Mathematics. At least one course must
be taken in each of the three categories listed above.
3. The remainder of the course work in Liberal Arts may be
chosen with the guidance of an advisor. Students may either
concentrate on an area of special interest within the liberal arts
offerings of thecollege,or may choose instead to broaden their
studies by selecting a wide range of topics.
Faculty for Otis are listed on page 14.
LA110/English Composition and Literature
(Required of all Foundation students with no college English
credits.)
The aim of the course is to develop both analytical skills and
the ability to write clearly and coherently. Through selected
readings literature, the student is introduced to classical
problems of using words and language.
LA120/Poetry and the Visual Arts
Course concerns: the human mind and space, color, shapes
and letters, poetry as collage, the uses of the past, poetry as
prophecy, the uses of the future.
LA130/Philosophy of Art
(Required of all Foundation students.)
Problems of interpretation, evaluation and the appreciation of
art and design are discussed from the different viewpoint of
artist, critic, and ordinary viewer. The aim of this course is to
encourage the growth of a more reflective attitude toward the
student's own work and its place within the society.
LA140/Philosophical Ideas
Studies of some of the important philosphical writings of the
last seventy-five years, concentrating on writers in the Anglo-
American tradition and their influences. Emphasis will be
placed on contemporary philosophers.
LA1 45/Science, A World View
This course is concerned with the historical and philosophical
development of science, with emphasis on the view of the
physical world revealed in modern scientific theories such as
the theory of relativity and the theory of the quantum.
LA150/Scientific Method of Problem Solving
The course consists of a multidisciplinary survey of the
ecology of natural systems and man-environment interactions. Topics include introductory concepts of natural ecosystems, man's interactions with the biosphere, and a brief
look at populations.
LA1 55/Self-Documentation
Course examines the biographies and journals of contributors in letters, sciences, arts, social sciences with focus on the
developments of visual and verbal skills in personal documentation.
LA160/Survey of Folk Art and Culture in the World
Developing an ethnographic understanding of the relationships between art and daily life. Cultural aspects to be covered
include: music, image-making, crafts, religious art, folklore
and unwritten literature such as dance, song and ritual. Geographical areas to be studied include: the Americas, Europe,
Asia, Oceania and Africa.
LAT657PsychcTogy~"
A holistic approach to creative being through the examination
of eastern philsophy and western psychology and their affect
on contemporary life. Works of Jung, Maslow, Reich, Camus,
Sartre, Lao Tzu, Chuang Tzu, and others will be studied.
LA1 70/Special Topics
A lecture course which concentrates each semester on
studies in one of the following areas: history, political science,
anthropology, literature, composition.
LA1 75/Poetry-lndependent Study and Publication
Continuation of LA1 20 with emphasis on advanced readings
in poetry and development of individual work. A poetry publication by students enrolled will be part of the course.
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