I teach at the School of Visual Arts in NYC, where I’ve been a faculty member since 2005.

I teach a variety of studio and lecture classes, all of which I’ve designed, in their undergraduate program in Art History and also in the Visual & Critical Studies department. To the right is a list of the art history lecture classes I am teaching for the academic year ‘20/21 along with course descriptions.

In addition to these, I also teach two studio classes, Foundation Drawing and Fiber Arts.

In Foundation Drawing — SVA’s term for freshman drawing — we focus on basic skills for fall semester (drawing from life and from reproduction, in pencil, ink, and watercolor), and get more creative and imaginative in the spring with more conceptual projects.

Students who enroll in this class are assumed to have no, or only very basic knowledge of drawing (many are coming from a photography background). The whole point of this class is to quickly and intensely give them a set of skills with which to express themselves, and then move them on to developing a personal vision.

In Fiber Art, students are taught a variety of methods of working in the medium in the hopes of giving them a set of skills and ideas that they can incorporate into a sustainable studio practice. Using a minimum of specialized equipment, students are taught knitting, crochet, weaving, felting (both wet and dry), sewing (hand and machine), and spinning.

Understanding Kitsch

AHD-2842 (3 Credits)

Although the etymology of the term is debatable, "kitsch" is generally understood to refer to the questionable aesthetic of mass-produced items created to appeal to crass, unrefined tastes. Since its emergence in the mid-1800s, artists have borrowed from and been inspired by this aesthetic; by the twentieth century, kitsch and high culture seemed at times to be so intertwined as to be indistinguishable. Championed by some as the "democratization" of taste and decried by others as catering to the lowest common denominator, kitsch embraces notions eschewed by arbiters of high culture, such as sentimentality, melodrama, and cuteness. This course will discuss the culture and environment that gave birth to kitsch and its continued development. We will use kitsch as a vehicle for examining concepts that may shed light on how we view fine art objects, including an introduction to political, historical and psychoanalytical models of interpreting art; the origins of suburbia; and the difference between kitsch and propaganda. All of these topics are considered as we try to get to the root of the question: What makes fine art "art" and kitsch "kitsch"?

Under the Influence: Altered States and Art History

AHD-3921 (3 Credits)

Experiences of spontaneous visions and altered perceptions are common in the telling of art history. Countless artists have had experiences that go beyond those that are granted by the "ordinary" five senses. Some artists have dabbled in drugs to bring about these visions; others are haunted by illness that can impose hallucinations or a sense of otherworldliness. This course will examine the role of intoxicants (with particular attention to psychedelics) and other induced states as creative inspiration for works of art from 1850 to today. Topics will include: why these altered states are fascinating to artists, the kinds of inspiration that can be gained from going beyond the physical world, the creative dangers of toying with altered states of consciousness.

Fifteen Artists/Fifteen Weeks

AHD-3212 (3 Credits)

This course will examine the influences of 15 notable post-World War II artists, one per class session. The study will include the art they created and readings of critical responses to their work, as well as their own writings. We will consider the legacies they inherited and what they have left behind in order to develop an understanding of what makes these artists some of the most important creative contributors of this era. Readings and research papers will be assigned.

Art & Business

AHD-2563 (3 Credits)

Why do we know about certain works of art and not others? The answer lies not just with the quality of the work in question or the artist who created it, but also in the "auxiliary world" of the business of art-the dealers, curators, galleries, instructors, mentors and collectors of art, who preserve, exhibit, auction and seek out works and artists. By focusing on some of the most influential behind-the-scenes players in the international business of art, we will explore the economics and practicalities of bringing a work of art to market, as well as the aesthetics and styles of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Art in Theory: 1900-2000

AHD-3052 (3 Credits)

Important articles, manifestos, and artists' statements of the 20th century will be examined in this course. Lectures will connect the artwork produced during that time to these texts and offer a comprehensive understanding of both images and ideas. Note: This course is cross-listed with VCD-3052-A.