The discipline
of art history more closely resembles detective work than a
lecture. The former is much more
mysterious, fun, engaging and intellectual. I want students to
come to understand the challenges and pleasures of researching
and writing
about art. When I develop courses or revise them, I am constantly
experimenting with new methods of instruction that provide opportunities
for students of various skill-levels, learning styles and interests
to find out about both the history of art and the discipline of
art history.
While I do spend the majority of my time preparing
and presenting slide lectures, I attempt as much as possible
to devise courses that
ask students to participate in discussions about works of art;
to visit regional museums; to act out works of art physically,
for example:
stand as a figure stands in Polykleitos's Doryphorus; to search
for information about works of art and then to connect disparate
bits
of information into a written whole; to collaborate with each
other, to read challenging essays by some of the
key scholars
in the field; to consider the subjectivity inherent in historical
pursuits; to debate significant issues within the discipline
of art history; and to think for themselves.
In these ways, my students not
only learn about historical art, artists and their time periods,
but also about the challenges and rewards
of art historical research. |
