Category Archives: Discussion Topics

Discussion Topic: A Medieval Monastery Rises in the 21st Century

This week you will explore a plan from the 9th century for a monastery. The St. Gall monastery plan incorporated a vision of an ideal monastic environment for monks who followed the Rule of St. Benedict. Consider the daily life … Continue reading

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Graffiti can convey a sense of history and art. In ancient times travelers would leave a mark of their visit on statues and other stone monuments for posterity. Hadrian, a Roman Emperor, did this on a statue at the entrance … Continue reading

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Discussion Topic: Graffiti as History, Graffiti as Art

Graffiti has existed since ancient times and continues as an important form of creative expression today. Watch the following videos on contemporary artists Barry McGee (b. 1966) and Margaret Kilgallen (d. 2001) and the beginning of a clip on Roman … Continue reading

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Discussion Topic: What’s the difference between Ancient Greek Masculinity and being a man today?

  Polykleitos’ Doryphoros (c.450-440) is regarded as an example of the ideal Greek male. Read the famous funeral oration given during the Peloponnesian War by Pericles, leader of Athens. Highlight one trait of manliness in Pericles’ speech and discuss how … Continue reading

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Discussion Topic: Can you recycle art?

Who makes art? Who owns art? These are some of the questions we’ll discuss here and in class. See how contemporary artist John Baldessari recycles images to produce art. Would you consider his work art?

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