- Art and Religious Practice

Institution:

The Evergreen State College

Subject:

Description:

Faculty: Jean Mandeberg (fine metalworking), Lisa Sweet (printmaking) Major areas of study include art, art history and religion. Class Standing: This Core program is designed for freshmen. One way to look at both art and craft is that they have historically been held in the service of religion in order to capture the fleeting moments of ritual. How can we better understand religion by examining and making images and objects that reflect these rituals How has visual art encouraged spiritual experience and religious practice Two examples of religious objects which have particular meaning and remarkable visual variety are Rosary beads and Torah pointers. Rosary beads are aesthetically considered and crafted objects used in the practice of prayer to help one keep track of the prayers already said. They are symbolic of the rose garden-roses being the symbol of Mary, the mother of Jesus, in the Christian religion. Torah pointers in Judaism are small sterling silver rods used to follow the reading of Torah and keep the reader from ever touching the sacred scroll. They are one of a number of objects, never merely utilitarian, designed to perform religious commandments in the most beautiful way possible. Rituals often make use of objects like these whose forms are constantly reinterpreted and created by artists. This program will be based in two visual art studios: printmaking and fine metalworking. Working back and forth between 2-D and 3-D, between image making and object making, we will study basic design, studio skills and art history. Our study of art will provide a lens through which we will look at world religions, focusing on Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Since the purpose of ritual is to repeat and rehearse stories, many of the artworks we will consider will be functional. We will examine the narratives printed in books, painted in frescoes, and carved in stone, as well as sacred images like those on a bishop's cope, a silver chalice, and a common gravestone. In most cases the effect is the same: to see and remember. This program is designed for freshmen with an interest in studio art, art history, philosophy and religion who are interested in a focused and demanding combination of studio work, writing, reading and seminar discussion. Half of the students' time will be focused on artistic practice; half will be a rigorous study of art history and religion. We will invite visiting scholars in religious studies to complement our expertise in visual art. We hope to work as a community of artists to examine ideas that have a rich historical background as well as pressing contemporary significance. Total: 16 credits each quarter. Enrollment: 40 Special Expenses: Studio art supplies, $250 each quarter. Program is preparatory for careers and future studies in the arts and the humanities.

Credits:

16.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.evergreen.edu

Phone Number:

(360) 867-6170

Regional Accreditation:

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Calendar System:

Quarter

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