ARC 368R/388R
History of Ornament

Instructor: Dr. Anthony Alofsin
Time and Location: Thursday 2:00 - 5:00 WMB 4.118
Unique Number: 00747 / 00940

COURSE NUMBER MAY BE REPEATED FOR CREDIT WHEN THE TOPICS VARY. PREREQUISITE: FOR ARCHITECTURE MAJORS, ARC 318L AND 328; FOR NONMAJORS, UPPER-DIVISION STANDING AND CONSENT OF INSTRUCTOR. MEETS WITH ARC 388R. GRADUATE STANDING REQUIRED. COURSE NUMBER MAY BE REPEATED FOR CREDIT WHEN THE TOPICS VARY. MEETS WITH ARC 368R.

Prerequisites:
It is suggested, but not required, that students complete a series of survey courses in the history of architecture, or equivalent preparation. The course is open to students in architecture, planning, preservation, art history, history, classics, and related fields. Enrollment is limited.Advanced undergraduates are encouraged to enroll.

Course Format:
The focus of this course is a historical inquiry into the nature of ornament. It consists of a series of lectures that introduce students to the methodological problems and issues concerning a history of ornament. Lectures will examine the practice of using ornament in various cultures around the globe, and the underlying geometric and formal structures ornament as well as the cultural significance--or absence of it--will be explored.

Educational Objective:
To develop a grasp of the historical use of ornament in various cultures; to develop familiarity with historical research; and to generate a "position" with respect to ornament's role in contemporary practice.

Evaluation:
Letter grades will be based on participation in class discussion, presentation of research (one-half) and a final paper on an assigned topic (one-half).

Readings:
Extensive library reserve; course reader required and will be available at Speedway Copies in Dobie Mall. The following books are suggested for purchase:
Owen Jones, The Grammar of Ornament: All 100 Color Plates From the Folio Edition of the Great Victorian Sourcebook of Historic Design. Dover SBN: 0486254631 pb
Michael Snodin, Maurice, Howard, Ornament, A Social History Since 1450. (New Haven and London, 1996) ISBN 0-300-06455-1 hb
Robert Lawlor, Sacred Geometry : Philosophy and Practice, (Thames & Hudson, 1989); ISBN: 0500810303.
Ernst Gombrich, The Sense of Order.: A Study in the Psychology of Decorative Art (The Wrightsman Lectures, V. 9) 2nd ed. 1995 (Phaidon) ISBN: 0714822590 pb