CREATIVE METHODOLOGIES I & II (PANF 1500 & 1510) COURSE OUTLINE

Description:
This course explores both the technical and philosophical approaches to creativity, examining how it manifests through interdisciplinary modes of artistic production. While creativity can be viewed as a variable concept across different fields and contexts, it consistently emerges as a process shaped by the sociocultural environments in which it develops. This course serves as an experimental platform for social agency, encouraging the development of ideas and creative solutions that can act as catalysts for social justice and public engagement.

To compare production methodologies, motivations, and intersections across the arts, the course juxtaposes research presentations with experiential activities from diverse creative contexts. By decoupling traditional practices from established mindsets, students are provided with a foundation to explore new ideas and processes that either build upon or deviate from conventional examples.

Students will engage with key media theorists and creative practitioners through readings, and they will explore a diverse array of works, including films, visual art, sound pieces, performances, and other creative forms. Simultaneously, they will practice ideation, embracing the ethos of “making” as a form of “thinking in action.” This approach fosters the development of individual imagination and curiosity, providing a framework for critical thinking and problem-solving in the contemporary arts.

Classes will blend presentations on diverse creative histories, introductions to AMPD faculty and studios, experiential exercises focused on specific creative methodologies, and explorations of artistic practices across various fields. This course is open to non- majors.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Develop an interdisciplinary and experimental creative process through creative assignments and group critiques.

  2. Maintain a writing practice that reflects on the integration of creative methods, from research to ideation.

  3. Analyze the intentions and techniques of historic and contemporary artists through readings, viewings, and written discussions.

  4. Complete and present work in a public exhibition.

  5. Co-organize a public event, learning skills in curation and event organizing.

  6. Develop collaboration skills to explore the intersection between art and the public sphere.

Assignments:

Project #1 - Photography:
Create a staged and manipulated photograph inspired by your own life. This could be a portrait (of yourself or someone else), and/or an image of an object or environment you frequently interact with. Note: This is not just a selfie. Think beyond documentation - use creativity to transform an everyday moment into something new and imaginative. 

Your goal is to convey a clear narrative or story through the image. Consider what you want viewers to feel or understand, and how staging and post-production manipulation can bring that vision to life. 

Written Description Required:
Part One (150 words): Describe your project by explaining your theme or concept, your artistic intentions, and what inspired your work. Include details about your subject matter, locations, and any specific choices you made around composition, framing, lighting, or editing. Be sure to explain how you would frame and display the photo and why.

Part Two (150 words): Reflect on your creative process. Discuss what you learned while working on this project, what challenges you faced and how you addressed them, and how your ideas developed as the work progressed. Consider what aspects of the project were most successful, what you might change if you were to revisit it, and how this experience has influenced your understanding of photography or your personal creative style.

Project #2 - Sculpture:
Create a three-dimensional sculpture that expresses a topic you care about. This can be something drawn from your own life or from larger social, cultural, or environmental issues. 

Your sculpture will be made using the bricolage technique- working with whatever materials are at hand. This might include found objects, recyclables, cardboard, paper, fabric, wood scraps, wire, paper mache, or other everyday materials. The goal is to experiment with combining materials in unexpected ways to create meaning.

Written Description required.

Project #3 - Performance:
In groups of 3-6, you will create a site-specific performance animates a space imaginatively and may reveal something new in the familiar. Your challenge is to interact with and transform the space you choose with body and object. Think about what the space you select is used for, and how your presence impacts the way that people use it. Also keep in mind the way that the audience responds to the performance- is the performance interactive?

Consider the following elements when preparing your performance:

  • What is the theme of your performance? 

  • Where does the performance take place, and how does it respond to the architecture and social connotations of the space?

  • What objects are you using and why? How does that object relate to your chosen theme and the context of where you’re performing it? Are you presenting the object as it is, or does it represent something else? 

  • What is your body movement and persona in the performance? 

  • What do you want the viewer to take away from the performance? How does this connect with your chosen theme? Be thoughtful about this, as it’s the most important part of the assignment. We are not just doing something silly or trying to complete the assignment in the easiest way possible. We’re leaning into the discomfort of performance, coming up with a solid idea, playing and experimenting, and refining our ideas through feedback and reflection.  

Written Reflection required.