Category Archives: Expressive Culture

Elective Courses in Liberal Arts & Sciences

Expressive Culture, Societies & the Social Sciences, Spring 2023, Undergraduate

Film, Literature and Mental Health (UNDSW-US 89)

Artists often explore powerful issues of mental health through literature and film. “No form of art goes beyond ordinary consciousness as film does, straight to our emotions, deep into the twilight room of the soul.” (Ingmar Bergmann 1918-2007) In this course, we will draw on classic examples from literature and film to highlight and understand aspects of mental health in ways that are more vivid and visceral than any text book can illustrate. Materials will be chosen from novels, poems, and films to illustrate various mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), dissociative identity disorder (DID), and schizophrenia. We will look at how some of the disorders fare in psychological treatments that either succeed or fail. Guest speakers may be invited to highlight some topics.

Undergrad Social Work (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2023)

UNDSW-US 89-000 (13644)
01/23/2023 – 05/08/2023 Mon
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Michaels, Vera

Expressive Culture, Fall 2023, Undergraduate

Dancing in the Here and Now: Making Dances, Knowing Bodies (ARTS-UG 1221)

Both dancing and everyday movement offer continual opportunities for embodied experience. Those who regularly dance or engage in movement practices such as yoga, jogging, cycling, and walking typically develop an appetite, even a need, for moving and the breadth of experience it brings. Whether you already feel this appetite or want to explore embodied experience for the first time, this Arts Workshop offers the opportunity for deep investigation of movement, focusing on active and contemplative exploration of bodies in space and time. We will be guided by several research strands linked to the existence and power of embodiment, noting experimental choreographer Susan Rethorst’s term, “the body’s mind”: ways of knowing (individually, culturally) through our bodies. Through many movement options, including dancing and somatic practices, walking and other everyday actions, and personal/cultural/political movement histories, we will encounter or create relationships between what we do and who we are. In the studio and elsewhere, we will consider how our lives as movers, and our sense of ourselves as embodied, bring us into contact with others—walkers, dancers, friends and family—and with our spaces, places, and sociocultural worlds. In this course (open to anyone with/without previous training), our research-in-action will be supported by interdisciplinary scholarship engaged with dance, embodiment, space, everyday culture, phenomenology, environmental studies, and life writing. Readings may include works by Thomas DeFrantz, Anna Halprin, Victoria Hunter, Einav Katan, Marcel Mauss, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Andrea Olsen, Steve Paxton, Georges Perec, Yvonne Rainer, Susan Rethorst, Kathleen Stewart, and Yi-Fu Tuan.

Arts Workshops (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2023)

ARTS-UG 1221-000 (12594)
09/05/2023 – 12/15/2023 Wed
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Satin, Leslie

Expressive Culture, Fall 2023, Spring 2023, Undergraduate

Concepts of Film and New Media (FILMM-UH 1011)

This course is an introduction to the basic concepts of film and new media studies. The course provides an overview of the historical development of film as an art, technology, and industry and the role of new media as an extension to and reinvention of models for production, distribution, exhibition, and reception. Students are introduced to documentary, experimental, narrative, and new media within different historical and cultural contexts, comparative aesthetics, and the lines of critical enquiry that have been developed for film and new media in dialogue with other fields in the arts and humanities.

Film and New Media (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2023)

FILMM-UH 1011-000 (17284)
08/29/2023 – 12/15/2023 Tue,Thu
12:00 AM – 2:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Abu Dhabi
Instructed by Hudson, Dale

Expressive Culture, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Spring 2023, Undergraduate

History of Editing (FMTV-UT 1003)

The theory and practice of editing, from Griffith to Kubrick. The emphasis will be on experiments in narrative clarity and dramatic emphasis in storytelling. For many, editing is the unique source of the art of filmmaking. This course addresses this point of view. This course allocates as History & Criticism for Film & TV majors.

Undergrad Film & TV (Undergraduate)
3 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2023)

FMTV-UT 1003-000 (22863)
01/23/2023 – 05/08/2023 Fri
9:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Rea, Peter

Expressive Culture, Fall 2023, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Spring 2023, Undergraduate

The Art of Sound (FMTV-UT 1007)

This is a critical studies course exploring the aesthetics and psycho-acoustics of sound: how sound works in art and life; how it affects emotions and stimulates the imagination; and how it is used in film, radio, television and other creative or artistic contexts, particularly its application as a key element in storytelling. This course examines the meaning and character of the soundscape (the acoustic environment) and the ways it has technically and aesthetically evolved throughout film history from the Kinetophone to the iPhone. The course includes reading in the theory of sound, and listening to examples of sound work by composers and sound designers. In previous semesters we have looked at the soundtrack in such films as: Playtime; Apocalypse Now, The Conversation, Aliens, The Evil Dead II, Saving Private Ryan, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Class meetings will be devoted to: 1) lecture and discussion based on assigned readings and listening and viewing assignments; and 2) screening of selected audio and video works. Students are graded on class participation, journals, a paper, and exams. This course allocates as History & Criticism for Film & TV majors.

Undergrad Film & TV (Undergraduate)
3 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2023)

FMTV-UT 1007-000 (12887)
09/05/2023 – 12/15/2023 Wed
3:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Late afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by McKeever, Marsha

Expressive Culture, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Spring 2022, Undergraduate

American Cinema: 1960 to Present (FMTV-UT 324)

Offered in the spring semester only. Course level: Intermediate. 4 points. No prerequisite. Over the last 50 years the American Cinema has produced a remarkably rich abundance of entertaining, exciting, and challenging films. This course is designed to provide a survey of the wealth of styles, forms, purposes, and approaches to filmmaking that developed and emerged in this era. While Hollywood has obviously served as the dominant mode of filmmaking in this country, a significant of other filmmaking practices have continued to operate and sometimes thrive outside of it. Beyond the attention paid to Hollywood narrative cinema as it has changed and evolved over this half-century, we will also consider documentaries, avant-garde and experimental works, independent narraive cinema, and “cult” films. Consequently, we will be screening a variety of films, including works by such notable American filmmakers as Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, Quentin Tarantino, George Romero, John Singleton, and Michael Moore.

Undergrad Film & TV (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2022)

FMTV-UT 324-000 (23683)
01/24/2022 – 05/09/2022 Tue
6:00 PM – 10:00 PM (Evening)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Brasiskis, Lukas

FMTV-UT 324-000 (23684)
01/24/2022 – 05/09/2022 Mon
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Banfi, Ryan

FMTV-UT 324-000 (23685)
01/24/2022 – 05/09/2022 Mon
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Banfi, Ryan

FMTV-UT 324-000 (23686)
01/24/2022 – 05/09/2022 Mon
11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Banfi, Ryan

Expressive Culture, Fall 2023, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Spring 2022, Undergraduate

The Black Image in Cinema (FMTV-UT 1216)

This is a critical analysis of the Black image in cinema through film screenings, discussions, and selected readings. Film is an art form whose influence dictates how we see others and ourselves. It shapes our worldview and, yet, it is one of the youngest and most misunderstood art forms. On the surface, film viewing might seem like a passive form of learning, but effective films engage us on emotional, intellectual, spiritual, cultural, and political levels. Film is one of the most powerful mediums ever invented and since it’s invention, the Black image and experience has been distorted, demonized, romanticized, erased, appropriated as well as exalted and reified. So, it is our duty and responsibility to know its history, understand its present effects, so we can dictate its future and participate in how the Black image evolves and is treated over time. This course will survey and critically explore an historical range of the Black image on screen and Black films in relation to inspiration, narrative, a scene, set, and site of production. Screening will include a sampling of important Black independently made, and/or Black cast and narrative feature films. We will discuss and analyze specific technical elements (direction, editing, framing and composition, mise-en-scene, music, etc.) that reinforce and demonstrate these larger themes. Accordingly, our discussions and readings will cover the full range of current issues and debates in Black cinema studies, from independence vs. mainstream filmmaking; gender and sexuality; class and color caste; the ghettoization and upwardly mobile integration of urban zones; cooptation and the rise of the bourgeois story as genre, and so on.

Undergrad Film & TV (Undergraduate)
3 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2023)

FMTV-UT 1216-000 (13408)
09/05/2023 – 12/15/2023 Mon
3:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Late afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

Expressive Culture, Fall 2023, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Societies & the Social Sciences, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Summer 2023, Undergraduate

Feminist Filmmakers (FMTV-UT 1156)

Feminist Filmmakers examines gender constructs in narrative film and episodic work. We will explore how gender constructs in film and television influence societal views of gender roles, as well as contextualize gender in the era and cultures specific films were made. The vehicle through which this course will examine gender will be the history and work of female directors around the world. Screenings, critical reading in film and gender studies, articles and interviews on current debates regarding gender and diversity inclusion in the film industry, make this class valuable for everyone.

Undergrad Film & TV (Undergraduate)
3 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2023)

FMTV-UT 1156-000 (13282)
09/05/2023 – 12/15/2023 Tue
9:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Zentelis, Enid

Expressive Culture, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Summer 2022, Summer 2023, Undergraduate

Traditions in Narrative: Comedy in America (FMTV-UT 1231)

The history of comedy in 20th century America is the history of America itself. Comedians from all walks of life have provided a funhouse mirror as well as a perceptive lens for American society and culture. This course will examine significant periods and players of the 20th century comedic genre and analyze them against their historic context and legacy. Humor will be used as a platform to discuss how comedy was governed by and ultimately responded to the influence of American society. This course will observe how comedians in turn shaped American life, running the gamut from silent movies to Vaudeville; screwball comedies of the 1930s and ‘40s to the Golden Age of Television; from the sitcom to the political comedies of present day. Equally important, this course will analyze the genesis and evolution of the comedic persona in performance: what worked, what did not work, and why. Comprehensive analysis of performances will help this course determine how performers did what they did and why they made the choices they made. This course will assess how the work of the comedian has evolved and grown over the course of a career, what methods have withstood the test of time, and why.

Undergrad Film & TV (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 6 Weeks

Sections (Summer 2023)

FMTV-UT 1231-000 (3188)
07/06/2023 – 08/16/2023 Tue,Thu
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Evening)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Friedfeld, Eddy

FMTV-UT 1231-000 (3189)
07/06/2023 – 08/16/2023 Tue,Thu
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Evening)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Friedfeld, Eddy

Expressive Culture, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Spring 2023, Undergraduate

Traditions in Narrative (FMTV-UT 1031)

This course surveys narrative forms and representative works from literature that employ them, contributing to a familiarity with the literary tradition inherited by film, television, and radio. It examines the various strategies of narrative structure and its principal components (e.g., plot, theme, character, imagery, symbolism, point of view) with an attempt to connect these with contemporary forms of media expression. The course includes extensive readings, which are examined in discussions, and selected from English, American, and world literature. This course may be allocated to either History & Criticism or Gen Ed Humanities for Film & TV majors.

Undergrad Film & TV (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Expressive Culture, Fall 2023, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Spring 2023, Undergraduate

Hollywood Auteurs (FMTV-UT 1154)

This course will analyze the possibility of pursuing the ideals of an “author cinema” – a personal way of expressing ideas that can deal with Hollywood mainstream and also with the independents, but will never be considered an integral part of either one. The “author cinema” would be a cinema of personal expression that refuses the mainstream’s prison of “three acts, happy ending, stars, etc.”; and at the same time, refuses the trends and the limited scope of most of the independents: a cinema that shows not only how to make a film, but why. Films from all over the world will be analyzed, focusing in particular on the authors that are able to keep alive their personal vision while dealing with the studios (i.e. Stone, Lee, Scorsese, Kubrick), the ones that dared to fight Hollywood (i.e. Welles, Peckinpah, Cimino, von Stroheim) and the loose cannons independent at heart (Altman, P.T. Anderson, Coen brothers). A series of guests to the class will be comprised of critics, curators and cultural organizers, filmmakers and producers. This course allocates as History & Criticism for Film & TV majors. COURSE SUBJECT TO DEPARTMENTAL FEES. Non-majors must process a “Permission Notice for Non-Majors” form to register for the course (subject to availability).

Undergrad Film & TV (Undergraduate)
3 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2023)

FMTV-UT 1154-000 (12937)
09/05/2023 – 12/15/2023 Thu
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Monda, Antonio

Expressive Culture, Spring 2023, Undergraduate

Arts & War Seminar: (ASPP-UT 1046)

Art and War: Battle Lines of the Graphic Novel This course explores storytelling about war through the use of the graphic novel. Students will be introduced to both recent and historically significant comics about war. Our goal is to gain a deeper understanding of the interplay between image and text in sequential art, and the ability to critically analyze graphic novels that deal with challenging subject matter. What are the methodological and ethical issues that arise when constructing sequential narratives of war? What are the varying strengths between war narratives that are autobiographical, documentary or fictional? Is there something unique about the format of graphic novels that enables artists to tell a different kind of war story than filmmakers, musicians or performers? How do comic books circulate culturally, and how might this expand or limit their ability to inform our understandings of war? We will explore these questions through close readings, robust discussions and careful written analysis of well-known works by Art Spiegelman, Marjane Satrapi and Joe Sacco, as well as graphic novels by Keiji Nakazawa, Jason Lutes, Gipi, Emmanuel Guibert and others.

Ctr for Art, Society & Pub Pol (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2023)

ASPP-UT 1046-000 (22204)
01/23/2023 – 05/08/2023 Mon
12:00 AM – 3:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Hebert, Patrick

Expressive Culture, General Elective, Spring 2023, Undergraduate

Film: A Transformative Process, a Vision Beyond Technology (OART-UT 140)

This course emphasizes the content, the aesthetics, and the purpose of cinema as a truly distinctive and dynamic art form uncovering the inner vision of the filmmaker, and the organic and transformative process where filmmakers projects their original truth, not compromising or borrowing ideas and themes from other films. Students explore the use of technology as a valuable tool that enhances the vision of the filmmaker without diminishing the organic texture of the work by its overwhelming presence. The course brings to light the stagnant and repetitious formulae of commercial cinema, resulting in diluted mainstream films. The works of iconic filmmakers who embrace and use film as an original, vibrant and reflective art form are reviewed throughout the course. Extracts and readings from relevant filmmakers are given throughout the course.

Open Arts Curriculum (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Expressive Culture, Spring 2023, Undergraduate

International Cinema: 1960 to Present (CINE-UT 56)

Cinema Studies (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2023)

CINE-UT 56-000 (13919)
01/23/2023 – 05/08/2023 Wed
6:00 PM – 10:00 PM (Evening)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Dominguez, Anthony

CINE-UT 56-000 (13920)
01/23/2023 – 05/08/2023 Tue
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CINE-UT 56-000 (13921)
01/23/2023 – 05/08/2023 Tue
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CINE-UT 56-000 (13922)
01/23/2023 – 05/08/2023 Tue
11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

Expressive Culture, Spring 2019, Undergraduate

Reading in French Lit: The Modern Era (In French) (FREN-UA 9121)

In this course students read masterpieces of French literature from the French Revolution to the end of the twentieth century. Works are considered from various historical, aesthetic and theoretical perspectives. Texts include: Le Père Goriot (Balzac); Madame Bovary (Flaubert); Les Faux-Monnayeurs (Gide); La Nausée (Sartre); Le Ravissement de Lol V. Stein (Duras), and Du côté de chez Swan I (Proust), which will be the subject of a final essay. Conducted in French.

French (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2019)

FREN-UA 9121-000 (10584)
02/04/2019 – 05/16/2019 Tue,Thu
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at NYU Paris (Global)
Instructed by

Expressive Culture, Spring 2023, Undergraduate

Studies in Prose Genres: Postcolonial Readings of Classic Texts (FREN-UA 9833)

In this course we focus on four contemporary novels in which the world of the character, the narrator, or the author, is read through the lens of a literary classic. In each case, the reading and rewriting of the primary text involves temporal and spatial displacements (from the 18th to the 20th century, from Europe to the Caribbean and to the South Pacific) that generate shifting perspectives and a constant reshuffling of center and periphery. Between a reverential affiliation to the past and a creative misreading and rewriting of it, these intertextual encounters with « great » Western literary works insistently raise the questions of identity, originality, and “writing back”. Exploring these questions will therefore also involve drawing on comparative, translation, and postcolonial studies.

French (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2023)

FREN-UA 9833-000 (10124)
01/26/2023 – 05/05/2023 Tue,Thu
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Late afternoon)
at NYU Paris (Global)
Instructed by de Obaldia, Claire

Expressive Culture, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Spring 2023, Undergraduate

Contemporary Art and Theory in North America and Europe (HUMN-SHU 231)

Contemporary art can seem perplexing, yet when viewed as a progression of ideas and aesthetic strategies that respond to societal shifts, a certain logic emerges. This course traces movements in North American and European art from 1945 to the present through a study of primary and secondary texts, artwork examples, and historic context. In lectures, discussion and activities, we will investigate how artists went beyond primarily object-based works to explore expanded notions of what art can be and the interaction between the artwork and the viewer. The ways institutional frameworks, media and technology, politics, and social relations, informed contemporary art practice will also be examined. At the end of this course, students should be able to identify contemporary art movements, key artists, and relevant artworks and create compelling arguments around these works. They will also be able to articulate the conceptual and visual strategies employed in these pieces, recognize connections and differences across movements and have a basic knowledge of the milieu in which they were produced. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: Humanities Introductory course (18-19: survey).

Humanities (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2023)

HUMN-SHU 231-000 (20180)
01/30/2023 – 05/12/2023 Fri
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Shanghai
Instructed by Kramer, Maya

Expressive Culture, General Elective, Spring 2022, Undergraduate

Printmaking in an Expanded Field (ART-SHU 255)

This Praxis course is an exploration of contemporary and traditional artistic printmaking practices, with an emphasis on expanding notions of conventional printmaking techniques and forms. Students will be introduced to various printmaking techniques, and experiment with traditional and non-traditional forms, in conjunction with their histories and consider what constitutes a hand-made print in an artistic framework. Students will gain an understanding of printmaking – its history based in China, development across the globe and inventive contemporary practices which include sculptural forms. They will learn techniques, modes, forms, and applications of printmaking – with an emphasis on relief prints (stamps and wood cuts) – in a conceptual framework of contemporary printmaking practices and global visual culture. Note: attendance in the first class meeting is mandatory, otherwise you will be dropped from the course. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: This course satisfies IMA/IMB elective.

Art (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2022)

ART-SHU 255-000 (19570)
02/07/2022 – 05/13/2022 Tue,Thu
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)
at Shanghai
Instructed by Lin, Monika

Expressive Culture, Spring 2023, Undergraduate

Foundations of Art History (ARTH-UA 10)

Introduces students to the skills and concepts they will need in order to develop a meaningful engagement with the visual arts and art history as a global discipline. Rather than providing a chronological survey of great works, it covers examples and perspectives from a wide array of regions, periods, and societies. Topics include materials and techniques of production; formal analysis; subject matter and iconography; historical and cultural contexts; the social role and formation of artists; and the history of art history as a discipline. Pitched for students who have little or no background in the study of art and architecture, this course provides a rigorous introduction to the foundations of the discipline. It is required of all art history majors.

Art History (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2023)

ARTH-UA 10-000 (9715)
01/23/2023 – 05/08/2023 Mon,Wed
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Flood, Finbarr

ARTH-UA 10-000 (9716)
01/23/2023 – 05/08/2023 Thu
12:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

ARTH-UA 10-000 (9717)
01/23/2023 – 05/08/2023 Fri
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

ARTH-UA 10-000 (9718)
01/23/2023 – 05/08/2023 Fri
11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

ARTH-UA 10-000 (9719)
01/23/2023 – 05/08/2023 Fri
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

Expressive Culture, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Undergraduate

Culture, Hist/Imaging Photography Studies (PHTI-UT 1003)

Offered Fall Only. Required of all freshmen majors and highly recommended for incoming transfers. Students are required to register for the lecture and the recitation sections. No prerequisites for this course. The course will consist of a series of weekly lectures, discussions, readings and field trips to museums and galleries in the city. Lectures will present historic and contemporary art and photography and it’s ideation as a basis for understanding the work the students are viewing on their weekly field trips. Students will visit selected exhibitions chosen for their quality and relevance and arranged by geographic area of the city (One week the Whitney, the next Chelsea, etc). Students will be required to monitor the daily press and periodicals for reviews of work they’ve seen and to highlight exhibitions the class should see. Additional readings of historic material will be assigned and short papers will be required.

Photography and Imaging (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2023)

PHTI-UT 1003-000 (13385)
09/05/2023 – 12/15/2023 Thu
9:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Kobielski, Lili

PHTI-UT 1003-000 (13386)
09/05/2023 – 12/15/2023 Fri
10:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

Expressive Culture, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Undergraduate

Aesthetic History of Photography (PHTI-UT 1102)

Open only to Photography & Imaging majors. Sophomore Standing. This class will chronicle the history of photography?s complex and symbiotic relationship to the other visual arts: painting, sculpture, architecture, installation and performance, among others. Beginning with the medium?s invention and the early fights of its practitioners to establish themselves as fine artists, the course will describe photographers? unique attempts to negotiate their relationships with both artistic movements and the media culture of which they are a part. Robinson, Cameron, Emerson, F. Holland Day, Stieglitz, Moholy-Nagy, Rodchenko, Weston, Alvarez Bravo, Lartigue, De Carava, Cahun, Robert Frank, Diane Arbus and Cindy Sherman (among others) will be seen within the context of their respective art worlds, so the impact of art movements, cultural attitudes and new technologies on photographers during different historical periods can be assessed.

Photography and Imaging (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2023)

PHTI-UT 1102-000 (14089)
01/23/2023 – 05/08/2023 Tue,Thu
11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Rice, Shelley

Expressive Culture, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2023, Undergraduate

British Art in London (ARTH-UA 9011)

The principal aim of this course is to familiarize students with the history of British art from the Stuarts to the early Victorian era. Teaching will be conducted entirely on sites in London or its immediate vicinity. The course will begin with the elite patronage of the Stuart court and end with the development of public institutions of art from the mid-eighteenth century. The social significance of portraiture, the cult of antiquity, the art market and the rise of landscape will all be studied as themes. There will be a strong emphasis on the European sources of British visual culture and the emergence of a distinctive national tradition of painting from Hogarth through to Turner.

Art History (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2023)

ARTH-UA 9011-000 (9912)
08/31/2023 – 12/07/2023 Wed
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM (Morning)
at NYU London (Global)
Instructed by Walter, Helen

ARTH-UA 9011-000 (9982)
08/31/2023 – 12/07/2023 Tue
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Late afternoon)
at NYU London (Global)
Instructed by Weiner, Julia

Cultures and Contexts, Expressive Culture, Fall 2023, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Spring 2023, Undergraduate

The Performing Arts in Global Cultures (MPATC-UE 1505)

Study of the interactive nature of the performing arts (music, dance, drama) with key philosophical, scientific, religious and social systems in Western civilization through readings, recordings and films.

Music Theory and Composition (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2023)

MPATC-UE 1505-000 (10959)
09/05/2023 – 12/15/2023 Tue,Thu
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Late afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by White, Leonard

Expressive Culture, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, General Elective, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Undergraduate

Photography of Architecture, City and Territory (IPHTI-UT 1210)

City, territory and architecture have been, from the beginning of photography, privileged objects for its practice. Photography has become a tool to strengthen the understanding of architecture, to highlight aesthetic and design ideas and to critically interpret the space. This class focuses on architectural photography and the photography of urban space, both in relation to their historical roots and contemporary practice. Florence offers a perfect environment to develop one’s artistic talent while learning the art of photography and discovering the secrets of one of the most fascinating cities in the world. Assignments are designed to help explore options for technical control as well as visual experimentation and individual style. Keeping in mind the inseparability of photographic technique and expression, students are expected to articulate their particular choices in relation to the overall conceptual approach of the projects. Critiques of assignments are important to the progress of each individual in the class, to help verbalize visual concepts, and to learn to see actively. The final exam consists of the presentation of a portfolio of photographs and an artist’s statement. Students are expected to work on their projects to develop an aesthetic and coherent photographic language and a personal approach to the photographic medium in a different environment. An emphasis is also placed on refining craft in relation to ideas, and to research on an individual basis, since it is crucial in developing an artistic practice. The course includes lectures, shooting sessions and field trips, discussions and critiques of the photographs. Each student must have a camera with manually adjustable aperture and shutter speed.

Int`l Pgms, Photography (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2023)

IPHTI-UT 1210-000 (13446)
at NYU Florence (Global)
Instructed by

Expressive Culture, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Undergraduate

Choreography: A Field Guide for Dance (ARTS-UG 1220)

This class is a guide through the works of choreographers who can teach us the elements of making dance and enable us to create our own movement identity. The psychological storytelling of Martha Graham, George Balanchine’s blazing neo-classicism, the chance field dances of Merce Cunningham, Twyla Tharp’s humorous inversions, the deconstructions of William Forsythe, Mathew Bourne’s gay Swan Lake, and the powerful Black gospel songs of Alvin Ailey are observed through video and readings. After a warmup of technique and improvisation, the student begins with small movement studies, leading to group studies of increasing complexity, with teacher and students responding with supportive feedback. New this semester will be a section, “Dance as Protest,” which explores texts such as Hot Feet and Social Change: African Dance and Diaspora Communities. We will also study the work of Christopher Scott, the choreographer of the movie In the Heights, who enlisted assistants in Afro-Caribbean dance, ballet, and contemporary and hip hop forms to convey ideas about community and representation in sites around the city. Texts include The Intimate Art of Choreography and “Dance in the Age of Black Lives Matter.” Students can have studied dance or simply wish to move and compose using their body and imagination. Site-specific works and a final performance in the theater will be recorded.

Arts Workshops (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2023)

ARTS-UG 1220-000 (12458)
09/05/2023 – 12/15/2023 Thu
3:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Late afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Posin, Kathryn

Expressive Culture, Fall 2022, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Undergraduate

American Cinema: Origins to 1960 (CINE-UT 50)

This course offers a broad survey of American cinema from its beginnings (and even its pre-history) up to 1960. While the emphasis will be on the dominant, narrative fiction film, there will be attention to other modes of American cinema such as experimental film, animation, shorts, and non-fiction film. The course will look closely at films themselves — how do their styles and narrative structures change over time? — but also at contexts: how do films reflect their times? how does the film industry develop? what are the key institutions that had impact on American film over its history? We will also attend to the role of key figures in film’s history: from creative personnel (for example, the director or the screenwriter) to industrialists and administrators, to censors to critics and to audiences themselves. The goal will be to provide an overall understanding of one of the most consequential of modern popular art forms and of its particular contributions to the art and culture of our modernity.

Cinema Studies (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2022)

CINE-UT 50-000 (13927)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Tue
6:00 PM – 10:00 PM (Evening)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Treihaft, Lauren

CINE-UT 50-000 (13928)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Thu
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CINE-UT 50-000 (13929)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Thu
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CINE-UT 50-000 (13930)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Thu
11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

Expressive Culture, Fall 2022, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Undergraduate

Theatre as Art Form (MPAET-UE 60)

This course introduces non-majors to theatre as a live and performing art through a variety of experiences including attendance at live performances, readings of play scripts, and theoretical texts, and the creation of original plays. Through lectures, discussions, and written assignments, students will explore the roles of the playwright, actor, director, and designer in the production process, as well as examines the role of the audience in the live performance. Liberal Arts Core/CORE Equivalent – satisfies the requirement for Expressive Cultures

Educational Theatre (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2022)

MPAET-UE 60-000 (12371)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Tue,Thu
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Huff, Keith

MPAET-UE 60-000 (12883)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Huff, Keith

Expressive Culture, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Media & Entertainment, Undergraduate

Unruly Images: Centering the (In)visible and (Im)possible (OART-UT 833)

This course explores unruly images, bodies, and even feelings that exist at the margins of categorization, making them powerful subjects for artistic work. We will manipulate image-making tools and give form to expressions that reveal the hidden structures of power. Through lectures, discussions, workshops, and readings, we will look at images previously deemed unimaginable due to material affordance and bias (Rosa Menkman); illegitimate emotions that fall outside western standards of empathy (Xine Yao); liminal bodies, faces, and spaces that exist between conventional categories. We will pay particular attention to selected writings from Legacy Russel, Catherine D’Ignazio, Lauren Klein, Peter Galison, Hito Steyerl, Ursula K. Le Guin, etc and apply these critiques to emerging perceptual technologies that the students will use to create their projects. This class is also designed for students who look to explore emerging photo techniques (volumetric capturing, simulations, AR/VR, video games, animations, WebGL) as their creative toolkit, have interests in the theory and pedagogy of photography and participatory processes, and seek to reimagine new forms of representation through the study of intersectional mappings of the face, body, and spatial dimensions.

Open Arts Curriculum (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2023)

OART-UT 833-000 (13615)09/05/2023 – 12/15/2023 Thu1:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by

Expressive Culture, Fall 2019, Fall 2023, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Undergraduate

Japanese Animation & New Media (EAST-UA 708)

This course looks at the terms and conditions of Japanese animation (primarily, though not exclusively, anime) as, in many ways, a new and unique mode of expression. The course is framed in which anime might, or might not, shift earlier modes of expression (both literary and animated): the prevalence of mythology in animation and the tension between mythology and ideology; the importance of genre; and the impact of ?old? and ?new? media on narrative structure and reception. Implications of these conditions for thinking about ?Japanese? culture are also considered.

East Asian Studies (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2023)

EAST-UA 708-000 (19320)
09/05/2023 – 12/15/2023 Tue
7:00 PM – 10:00 PM (Evening)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Looser, Thomas

Expressive Culture, Fall 2022, Undergraduate

Storytelling Strategies (FMTV-UT 20)

The ability to understand “what makes a good story well told” is a skill that is crucial to your growth as a filmmaker whether you become a writer, director, producer, actor, editor, cinematographer, etc. Storytelling Strategies looks at how narrative stories work through an examination of the structural and mythic elements first established by the ancient Greek playwrights and recognized by Aristotle in his “Poetics” thousands of years ago. The course continues this examination up to and including such contemporary story models as Joseph Campbell’s “The Hero with a Thousand Faces” as well as the current Hollywood paradigm, “the three-act structure.” We will seek to find those principles that form the backbone of successful narrative screenplays and contribute to a film’s ability to resonate with an audience. The lecture is for analysis. The recitations are for applying what you have learned, through writing exercises and a completed short screenplay. This course allocates as Scriptwriting for Film & TV majors. Course may not be repeated.

Undergrad Film & TV (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2022)

FMTV-UT 20-000 (14061)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Mon
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

FMTV-UT 20-000 (14062)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Mon
12:00 AM – 2:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

FMTV-UT 20-000 (14063)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Wed
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

FMTV-UT 20-000 (14064)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Wed
12:00 AM – 2:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

FMTV-UT 20-000 (14065)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Wed
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Evening)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Morton, Robert

FMTV-UT 20-000 (14066)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Mon
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Late afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Morton, Robert

FMTV-UT 20-000 (14067)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Tue
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Late afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Morton, Robert

FMTV-UT 20-000 (14068)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Tue
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Evening)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Morton, Robert

FMTV-UT 20-000 (14069)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Wed
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Evening)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Sichel, Sylvia

FMTV-UT 20-000 (14432)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Wed
3:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Late afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Sichel, Sylvia

FMTV-UT 20-000 (14433)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Mon
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Sichel, Sylvia

FMTV-UT 20-000 (14434)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Mon
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Late afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Sichel, Sylvia

FMTV-UT 20-000 (14450)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Wed
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Evening)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

FMTV-UT 20-000 (14451)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Wed
3:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Late afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

FMTV-UT 20-000 (14452)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Wed
12:00 AM – 2:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

FMTV-UT 20-000 (14453)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Tue
12:00 AM – 2:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

FMTV-UT 20-000 (14454)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Mon
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Evening)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Gilford, Joseph

FMTV-UT 20-000 (14455)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Wed
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Gilford, Joseph

FMTV-UT 20-000 (14582)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Thu
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Gilford, Joseph

FMTV-UT 20-000 (14583)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Thu
12:00 AM – 2:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Gilford, Joseph

FMTV-UT 20-000 (14456)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Tue
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Evening)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

FMTV-UT 20-000 (14457)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Tue
3:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Late afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

FMTV-UT 20-000 (14458)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Thu
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

FMTV-UT 20-000 (14459)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Thu
12:00 AM – 2:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

Expressive Culture, Fall 2023, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Undergraduate

Impressionism to Post-Impressionism (ARTH-UA 9412)

Beginning by considering how impressionism refined and redirected the artistic aims of 19th-century realism, follows the development of progressive art to the brink of cubism and pure abstraction in the first years of the 20th century. Following impressionism and post-impressionism, close attention is paid to symbolism, aestheticism, art nouveau, the Arts and Crafts movement, fauvism, and expressionism. The aesthetic aims of these movements are analyzed in tandem with the social and cultural conditions that generated them.

Art History (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2023)

ARTH-UA 9412-000 (19820)
at NYU Paris (Global)
Instructed by

Expressive Culture, Fall 2021, Fall 2023, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Spring 2023, Undergraduate

Dance as an Art Form (MPADE-UE 1278)

Dance is an integral & defining component of cultures throughout the world & throughout history. This course introduces students to dance as a live & performing art through a variety of experiences including attendance at live performances, examination of videos & theoretical texts, & physical participation in the practice & performance of dance. Through discussions, written assignments, & the creation of original dance compositions, students will explore the history & cultural relevance of a variety of forms of dance within their own lives, larger society, & the global community beyond. Liberal Arts Core/CORE-MAP Equivalent – satisfies the requirement for Expressive Cultures

Dance Education (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2023)

MPADE-UE 1278-000 (11336)09/05/2023 – 12/15/2023 Mon,Wed12:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by Gallace, Carmela

MPADE-UE 1278-000 (11431)09/05/2023 – 12/15/2023 Mon,Wed2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by Gallace, Carmela

Expressive Culture, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Summer 2023, Undergraduate

Fashion in Context (ARCS-UE 1088)

Why do fashion designers and brands exert such influence in contemporary society? What explains the trajectory from The House of Worth to Chanel to this season’s hottest label? This course investigates the interlocking forces shaping fashion: the designer system, celebrities, technology, politics, the arts and media. Through lectures and film viewings, readings, discussions, and individual research, students explore fashion as a crucial aspect of culture and how the fashion system evolved from roots in Parisian couture to become a global phenomenon. Liberal Arts Core/MAP Equivalent – satisfies the requirement for Expressive Cultures

Art and Costume Studies (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2023)

ARCS-UE 1088-000 (11488)
at Online
Instructed by Cole, Daniel

ARCS-UE 1088-000 (11605)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Cole, Daniel

Expressive Culture, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Undergraduate

Expressive Culture: Architecture (CORE-UA 725)

Please check the departmental website for description

College Core Curriculum (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2022)

CORE-UA 725-000 (19742)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Mon,Wed
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Cohen, Jean-Louis

CORE-UA 725-000 (19743)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Fri
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CORE-UA 725-000 (19744)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Fri
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CORE-UA 725-000 (19745)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Fri
11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CORE-UA 725-000 (19746)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Fri
12:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

Expressive Culture, Fall 2022, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Spring 2022, Undergraduate

World Dance (ARTS-UG 1212)

Dance reflects the cultural heritage and is a key to understanding diverse societies. Each week the students are introduced to a different dance form through videos, reading and a dance class. There is a Capoeira teacher of this Brazilian martial art disguised as a dance, and guest lecturers of Indian, Middle Eastern or Bellydance, Irish, Russian, Balinese and African dance from their locations. Dance can be seen as encoded forms of a society’s religious, artistic, political, economic and familial values. We discuss globalization, fusion and authenticity. Migration, missionaries the diaspora have created new forms like “Bollywood,” “Tribal,” and “K-Pop.” The internet has brought further influence for dance as signifier of new values during the pandemic, but live performance and ethnic roots survive. The student’s project is to find their own world dance. They themselves become researchers in the field, performers and creators of new forms.

Arts Workshops (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Expressive Culture, Fall 2022, IMA Major Electives, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Spring 2022, Undergraduate

Performing Voice and Talking Machines (OART-UT 25)

This course will introduce students to technologies for speech synthesis and speech recognition from the point of view of performance art. Through weekly assignments and in class lectures, we will explore voice interfaces and their role in technology, design, art, and culture. We will begin with understanding human speech, and then delve into computer speech. We will learn how to program existing technologies such as p5.js to create our own talking machines. The class will research the current limitations and biases of these technologies and models, and respond by leveraging these constraints as ground for performative expression. Students will be required to develop a performative piece as their final project, this could be a live performance, an interactive installation piece, or a performative object or tool. Students are encouraged to bring their interests into the classroom and apply the course into their practice. Prior knowledge of computer programming will be helpful, however, it is not required. NYU is a global community. You are welcome to bring your own language, your accent, and your spoken identity into the class.

Open Arts Curriculum (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2022)

OART-UT 25-000 (24182)
01/24/2022 – 05/09/2022 Tue
5:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Late afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Kananuruk, Tiriree

Expressive Culture, Spring 2022, Undergraduate

Introduction to Studio Art (ART-SHU 310)

This course will be an introduction to studio art for students, to traverse both cultural and temporal barriers of visual arts. Students will examine the content of artwork, and build various skills to translate ideas into reality. Class time will be devoted to individual projects and critiques, lectures, and group discussions. This course is open to all students with or without an art background. Note that attendance in the first class meeting is mandatory, otherwise you will be dropped from the course. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: general elective

Art (Undergraduate)
2 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2022)

ART-SHU 310-000 (17746)
02/07/2022 – 05/13/2022 Wed
5:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Late afternoon)
at Shanghai
Instructed by Edelstein, Barbara · Zhang, Jian

Expressive Culture, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Spring 2022, Undergraduate

The Language of Film (FMTV-UT 4)

Language of Film is an introduction to the craft, history and theory of filmmaking and film-watching. The main challenge facing all filmmakers is to show the story: in other words, to visualize the drama. Over the past century, narrative, experimental and documentary filmmakers have developed a variety of creative strategies and techniques designed to give their audiences compelling, multi-sensorial experiences. The goal of this class is to explore how filmmakers in different historical and cultural settings have contributed to the evolution of film as a powerful, complex and captivating art form.. This course allocates as History & Criticism for Film & TV majors.

Undergrad Film & TV (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2022)

FMTV-UT 4-000 (14350)01/24/2022 – 05/09/2022 Wed6:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Evening)at Washington SquareInstructed by Pollard, Sam

FMTV-UT 4-000 (14351)01/24/2022 – 05/09/2022 Thu11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)at Washington SquareInstructed by Trope, Zipora

FMTV-UT 4-000 (14352)01/24/2022 – 05/09/2022 Thu12:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by Rea, Peter

FMTV-UT 4-000 (14353)01/24/2022 – 05/09/2022 Fri11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)at Washington SquareInstructed by Kenny, Glenn

FMTV-UT 4-000 (14354)01/24/2022 – 05/09/2022 Fri12:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by Santha, Laszlo

FMTV-UT 4-000 (14355)01/24/2022 – 05/09/2022 Tue6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Evening)at Washington SquareInstructed by Cornell, Julian

FMTV-UT 4-000 (14704)01/24/2022 – 05/09/2022 Fri9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)at Washington SquareInstructed by Kenny, Glenn

Expressive Culture, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Spring 2022, Undergraduate

Foundations in Painting: Painting in Practice and Theory (ART-SHU 211)

Painting is an incredibly versatile medium and its dynamic evolution across cultures and through millennia continues up until the present. The medium’s relevance and capacity for reinvention are evidenced in the work of a number of contemporary painters who have incorporated inventive materials and/or methods into their practice to both push its limits and explore contemporary concerns. In this class, students will get an introduction to the fundamental technical, formal, and conceptual principles of painting. Using watercolor, gouache, and acrylic, students will explore color theory, composition, texture, form, and surface using a wide range of techniques. Through selected readings, students will also examine the theoretical questions and historical precedents that have informed painting’s development, see how they relate to or have been challenged by the work of contemporary painters and be able to connect select concerns to their own practice. In addition to acquiring basic technical skills and conceptual know-how, students will also gain competency in art critiques and writing artist statements. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: general elective

Art (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2022)

ART-SHU 211-000 (19569)
02/07/2022 – 05/13/2022 Mon
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Shanghai
Instructed by Kramer, Maya

Expressive Culture, Fall 2022, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Undergraduate

World Dance Cultures (OART-UT 701)

This class used to be called History of Dance. This course explores why and how dance acts as a vital participant in cultural practices around the world. Looking back through the perspective of present research, we will examine how dance is inherently a reflection of the culture it represents. A wide overview of dance and its myriad purposes will be covered, from a means of worship in India, Turkey, and Haiti; its inclusion in the rituals of Bali; noh and kabuki theatrical traditions of Japan; fertility and death ceremonies of the Wodaabe, Yoruba, and Dogon tribes of Africa; the healing zar dances of North Africa, and the rituals/activism of Native American tribes. The presentation of court dance as a symbol of power will be examined in Hawai’i, Java, and Cambodia, as well as in Catherine de Medici’s Renaissance pageants and in the French Baroque spectacles of Louis XIV’s Versailles and the Paris Opera. The inevitable impact of politics on dance will be examined in viewing the bloody genocide of Cambodia’s Royal Dancers; the propagandist works of China’s Cultural Revolution; the French Revolution’s influence upon Romantic ballets such as La Sylphide and Giselle; and how the repression of a Gitano culture led to the emergence of flamenco in Spain. In addition to written texts and video documentation, we will review examples of related art forms (visual arts, music, and drama).

Open Arts Curriculum (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2022)

OART-UT 701-000 (14352)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Mon
5:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Late afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Beaman, Patricia

Expressive Culture, Fall 2021, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Undergraduate

Intro to Celtic Music (MUSIC-UA 182)

Provides a comprehensive introduction to the traditional and contemporary music of the Celtic areas of Western Europe: Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany, and Galicia. Recordings and live performances present the extraordinary range of singing styles and the musical instruments employed in each culture, including harps, bagpipes, and a variety of other wind, free reed, keyboard, and stringed instruments. Forms and musical styles are explored in depth, along with a study of their origin, evolution, and cultural links.

Music (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2021)

MUSIC-UA 182-000 (9098)
09/02/2021 – 12/14/2021 Mon,Wed
12:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Moloney, Michael · Roman, Danielle

Expressive Culture, Fall 2020, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Undergraduate

Renaissance Art (ARTH-UA 5)

The Renaissance, like classical antiquity and the Middle Ages, is a major era of Western civilization embracing a multitude of styles. It is, however, held together by basic concepts that distinguish it from other periods. Main developments of Renaissance art both in Italy and north of the Alps: the Early and High Renaissance; relation to the lingering Gothic tradition; and Mannerism. Emphasis is placed on the great masters of each phase. The survival of Renaissance traditions in Baroque and Rococo art is examined in art and architecture.

Art History (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2020)

ARTH-UA 5-000 (10110)
09/02/2020 – 12/13/2020 Tue,Thu
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Late afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Majeski, Anna · Bolte, Quinn

Expressive Culture, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2023, Graduate, Undergraduate

Introduction to Performance Studies (PERF-GT 1000)

Performance Studies (Graduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2023)

PERF-GT 1000-000 (6689)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

PERF-GT 1000-000 (6690)
09/05/2023 – 12/15/2023 Tue
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Late afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

PERF-GT 1000-000 (6691)
09/05/2023 – 12/15/2023 Tue
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Late afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

PERF-GT 1000-000 (6692)
09/05/2023 – 12/15/2023 Tue
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Evening)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

PERF-GT 1000-000 (22097)
09/05/2023 – 12/15/2023 Tue
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Evening)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

Expressive Culture, January 2021, Undergraduate

Varieties of Mystical Experience (RELST-UA 240)

What exactly is this thing we call mysticism? As the general, secular public treats religion, so does the mainstream religious public treat mysticism, a special case, replete with mystery and the repository of great potential. Mysticism has served as the space for the bleeding edge of religion, where destabilizing forces have emerged but reactionary, regressive forces as well. Mystical religious communities have been both the most tolerant and the most exclusive, the most libertine and the most abnegating. Is there such a thing as mysticism? Can it be elicited from the religious frameworks in which it resides, or is it merely a modern, academic convention? In this course, we aim to work out some answers to those questions.

Religious Studies (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 3 Weeks

Sections (January 2021)

RELST-UA 240-000 (1544)
01/04/2021 – 01/22/2021 Mon,Wed,Thu
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Russ-Fishbane, Elisha

Expressive Culture, Fall 2019, Undergraduate

Global Histories of Art (ARTCR-UE 58)

Designed for BFA (Studio Art) students, this course is an introduction to the global history of art, exploring the meanings associated with “art.” The class is a series of linked test cases involving specific art objects & the context of their creation. By working closely with a range of materials –– art history & theory, artist’s writings, & documentary film –– we will survey how artists have contributed to the history of art and question how this history matters for contemporary artists.

Art Theory & Critical Studies (Undergraduate)
2 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2019)

ARTCR-UE 58-000 (13090)
09/03/2019 – 12/13/2019 Mon
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Late afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Fresko Madra, Lara · Harouni, Shadi

ARTCR-UE 58-000 (13091)
09/03/2019 – 12/13/2019 Mon
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Late afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Harouni, Shadi · Fresko Madra, Lara

ARTCR-UE 58-000 (13092)
09/03/2019 – 12/13/2019 Mon
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Late afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Harouni, Shadi · Fresko Madra, Lara

Expressive Culture, Spring 2021, Undergraduate

Expressive Culture: La Belle Epoque (CORE-UA 9761)

La Belle Époque, that period in the life of France’s pre-World War I Third Republic (1871-1914) associated with extraordinary artistic achievement, saw Paris emerge as the undisputed Western capital of painting and sculpture; it also was the most important production site for new works of musical theatre and, arguably, literature. It was during these decades that Impressionism launched its assault on the academic establishment, only itself to be superseded by an ever-changing avant-garde associated first with the nabis, then with fauvism and cubism; that the operas of Bizet, Saint-Saëns, and Massenet and the plays of Sardou and Rostand filled the world’s theatres; and that the novels of Zola and stories of Maupassant were translated into dozens of languages. Finally, this was the society that gave birth to one of the greatest literary works of all time, Marcel Proust’s Remembrances of Things Past, the first volume of which appeared just as the First World War was about to bring the Belle Époque to a violent end. Sources include reproductions of paintings, recordings of chamber music, opera and mélodies, and several of the most significant novels of the period.

College Core Curriculum (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 16 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2021)

CORE-UA 9761-000 (24742)
01/25/2021 – 05/14/2021 Mon,Wed
11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)
at NYU Shanghai (Global)
Instructed by Hackney, Melanie

CORE-UA 9761-000 (24743)
01/25/2021 – 05/14/2021 Tue
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM (Morning)
at NYU Shanghai (Global)
Instructed by

CORE-UA 9761-000 (24744)
01/25/2021 – 05/14/2021 Thu
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM (Morning)
at NYU Shanghai (Global)
Instructed by

CORE-UA 9761-000 (24745)
01/25/2021 – 05/14/2021 Tue
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Late afternoon)
at NYU Shanghai (Global)
Instructed by

CORE-UA 9761-000 (24746)
01/25/2021 – 05/14/2021 Thu
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Late afternoon)
at NYU Shanghai (Global)
Instructed by

Expressive Culture, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Undergraduate

Expressive Culture: Tpcs (CORE-UA 9700)

College Core Curriculum (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 16 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2021)

CORE-UA 9700-000 (24747)
01/25/2021 – 05/14/2021 Tue,Thu
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Late afternoon)
at NYU Shanghai (Global)
Instructed by Banai, Noit

CORE-UA 9700-000 (24748)
01/25/2021 – 05/14/2021 Tue
12:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at NYU Shanghai (Global)
Instructed by Banai, Noit

CORE-UA 9700-000 (24749)
01/25/2021 – 05/14/2021 Fri
12:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at NYU Shanghai (Global)
Instructed by Banai, Noit

CORE-UA 9700-000 (24750)
01/25/2021 – 05/14/2021 Tue
3:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Late afternoon)
at NYU Shanghai (Global)
Instructed by Banai, Noit

CORE-UA 9700-000 (24751)
01/25/2021 – 05/14/2021 Fri
3:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Late afternoon)
at NYU Shanghai (Global)
Instructed by Banai, Noit

Expressive Culture, Spring 2021, Undergraduate

Expressive Cult: Images (CORE-UA 720)

For course description, please consult the College Core Curriculum website: http://core.cas.nyu.edu

College Core Curriculum (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2021)

CORE-UA 720-000 (8657)
01/28/2021 – 05/10/2021 Mon,Wed
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Silver, Kenneth

CORE-UA 720-000 (8658)
01/28/2021 – 05/10/2021 Fri
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CORE-UA 720-000 (8659)
01/28/2021 – 05/10/2021 Fri
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CORE-UA 720-000 (8763)
01/28/2021 – 05/10/2021 Fri
12:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CORE-UA 720-000 (8764)
01/28/2021 – 05/10/2021 Fri
11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

Expressive Culture, Fall 2020, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Summer 2023, Undergraduate

Expressive Culture: Art and Culture in Contemporary Israel (CORE-UA 9764)

The location of Israel at the geographic junction between the West and the East, between the Arab world and the Western world, against the background of the long historical complexity of this piece of land provides a panoramic view of Israeli culture and art by examining thematic crossroads and ideas, via problems and social conflicts which lie at the heart of those art works and are reflected by them. Themes include: religion and secularism, universalism/globalism versus localism, Jews and Arabs, Ashkenazic and Sephardic cultures, multiculturalism in Israel, Zionism and Post-Zionism, right and left political world views, questions of gender, historical perspectives on war and peace and the Holocaust. Students explore the way different forms of art—visual, literary, and performance—reflect and shape the understanding of the “Israeli mosaic” while learning about the way the artists and writers internalize, consciously and unconsciously the complex Israeli reality.

College Core Curriculum (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 6 Weeks

Sections (Summer 2023)

CORE-UA 9764-000 (4474)
05/23/2023 – 06/29/2023 Tue,Thu
11:00 AM – 2:00 PM (Morning)
at NYU Tel Aviv (Global)
Instructed by Livnat, Aviv

Expressive Culture, Fall 2020, Undergraduate

Expressive Culture: Tpcs (CORE-UA 700)

College Core Curriculum (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2020)

CORE-UA 700-000 (20063)
09/02/2020 – 12/13/2020 Mon,Wed
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Late afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Nagel, Alexander

CORE-UA 700-000 (20064)
09/02/2020 – 12/13/2020 Tue
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Rose, Shannah

CORE-UA 700-000 (20065)
09/02/2020 – 12/13/2020 Tue
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Rose, Shannah

CORE-UA 700-000 (20125)
09/02/2020 – 12/13/2020 Tue
12:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Strauss, Scarlett

CORE-UA 700-000 (20126)
09/02/2020 – 12/13/2020 Tue
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Strauss, Scarlett

Expressive Culture

Performance Studies: An Introduction with Richard Schechner (PERF-UT 200)

Performance Studies — An Introduction explores the wide world of performance – from theatre, dance, and music to ritual, play, political campaigns, social media, and the performances of everyday life. Performance studies also ranges across cultures — Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, the Americas. And it spans historical periods from the art of the paleolithic caves to YouTube and the avant-garde. This course is devised by Richard Schechner, one of the pioneers of performance studies, in dialogue with more than a dozen expert scholars and artists. Performance Studies — An Introduction puts students in dialogue with the most important ideas, approaches, theories, and questions of this dynamic, new academic field. Performance Studies — An Introduction is a “flipped” course: students will read and watch lessons online, blog about the material, and participate in a weekly interactive seminar guided by Professor Erin B. Mee — a theatre director and scholar — who has worked with Schechner for years.

Performance Studies (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2020)

PERF-UT 200-000 (15424)
01/27/2020 – 05/11/2020 Thu
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Mee, Erin

Expressive Culture, Fall 2021, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Undergraduate

Popular Music in Germany: History (REMU-UT 9811)

From Karlheinz Stockhausen and Kraftwerk to D.A.F. and the Euro disco of Snap! – the first seven weeks of class considers the history of German electronic music prior to the Fall of the Wall. We will particularly look at how electronic music developed in Germany before the advent of house and techno in the late 1980s. One focus will be on regional scenes such as the Düsseldorf school of electronic in the 1970s with music groups such as Cluster, Neu! And Can, the Berlin school of synthesizer pioneers like Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze and Manuel Göttsching or Giorgio Moroder’s Sound of Munich. Visits will be made to experience Oskar Sala’s Trautonium – an early proto-synthesizer with which he created the sounds for Hitchcock’s The Birds – at the Musikinstrumenten Museum and the location of the Zodiak Free Arts Lab, an experimental club founded by Conrad Schnitzler and Hans-Joachim Roedelius. Students will be expected to competently identify key musicians and recordings of this creative period. The second half of the course looks more specifically at the arrival of Techno, a new musical movement, and new technology in Berlin and Germany in the turbulent years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall, up to the contemporary moment. Indeed, Post-Wall East Berlin, full of abandoned spaces and buildings and deserted office blocks, was the perfect breeding ground for the youth culture that would dominate the 90s and led Techno pioneers and artists from the East and the West to take over and set up shop. Within a short space of time Berlin became the focal point of a new culture, attracting enthusiastic followers from all over the world to clubs such as ‘Tresor’ and ‘E-Werk’. Among those early techno aficionados were writers, artists, photographers, musicians and fashion designers. Techno quickly developed into a lifestyle and mass movement, finding its most exhilarating expression in the Love Parade and, recently, the club/movement Berghain. As students consider Berlin’s slow transformation from divided city in those anarchic and pioneering days of the early 90s into the bustling, world-class nightlife capital it is today, they will also consider the changing and controversial cultural and socio-economic landscape of the city, and how Berlin continues to retain its uncompromising, avant-garde ethos. Students will be expected to write final research paper drawing on issues discussed in class and in the readings.

Recorded Music (Undergraduate)
2 credits – 15 Weeks

Expressive Culture, Fall 2020, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Studies (aka "Seminar"), Undergraduate

Art: Practice & Ideas (ARTCR-UE 10)

’Art: Practice and Ideas’ examines key developments in the visual arts from modernity to the present. Focusing on the ways in which representations both create and reflect the values of a society, the course introduces students to the full range of expressive possibilities within the visual arts, covering painting and sculpture, as well as photography, film, video, conceptual art, and computer media. Topics to be covered include classical, modern, and postmodern relationships to politics, vision, the mind, the body, psychology, gender, difference, and technological innovation. Students will see and understand how artists have integrated perceptions of their historical moment, as well as physical and social space, into creative practices that have, in turn, had a significant impact on the culture of the time. Liberal Arts Core/MAP Equivalent – satisfies the requirement for Expressive Cultures

Art Theory & Critical Studies (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2022)

ARTCR-UE 10-000 (12834)
01/24/2022 – 05/09/2022 Mon
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Gookin, Kirby

Expressive Culture, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Studies (aka "Seminar"), Undergraduate

Art and Social Change (OART-UT 1018)

This course challenges us to foster a tactile understanding of the relationship between art and social change. How do artists address social issues? Can art transform lives? How can art serve as a force for encouraging ethical dialogue and action within the public sphere? How do we make our ideas and revelations actually matter within our collective place and space? To better facilitate our understanding of this relationship, and in an effort to get inside these key questions and others, this course will unfold in two parts. Part I (Conversations on Art and Social Change) will be run as an interactive seminar in which we will explore how the desire to change the world has led some artists to align themselves with wider social movements. Through lectures, discussions and presentations, we will set about to engage ourselves with the work of contemporary artists who have addressed issues related to the environment, racial and cultural identity, human rights, healthcare, and social justice. We will assume that understanding the work of others is necessary if we are to appreciate the potentiality of our own impact on the world. Part II of this course (A Collective Gesture Toward) will entail challenging ourselves to participate more fully in our immediate surroundings vis-à-vis the development and implementation of a work (or works) of art.

Open Arts Curriculum (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2023)

OART-UT 1018-000 (13646)
09/05/2023 – 12/15/2023 Mon
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

Expressive Culture, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Undergraduate

Performing Comedy (ARTS-UG 1065)

This course explores the practices, principles and aesthetics of comedic performance. Questions examined include: What makes something funny? Why do audiences laugh? What is the relationship between performer and audience in comedy? How does a performer get the laugh without ‘asking’ for it? How is humor specific to certain cultures, historical periods, genders or age groups? Are any elements of humor universal? Does the nature of performing comedy change from medium to medium? The course investigates these questions through readings, lectures, discussion and experiential exercises. Students are challenged to synthesize theory, historical traditions, and practical application into viable comedic performances. Students will experiment with this synthesis through discussing, analyzing, rehearsing and performing scenes/monologues drawn from major comic traditions including: masked forms (such as Greek Old Comedy and Commedia dell’Arte), high comedy (like the comedies of Shakespeare and Moliere), low comedy (such as the slapstick of Charlie Chaplin, Mel Brooks, as well as modern sketch, improv and stand-up comedy) and that which defies easy categorization (such as Monty Python or Sacha Baron Cohen). The course will culminate in a public presentation, allowing students to share select comedic performances with an audience. Students are expected to rehearse outside of class time.

Arts Workshops (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2020)

ARTS-UG 1065-000 (14847)
09/02/2020 – 12/13/2020 Wed
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Evening)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

Expressive Culture, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Undergraduate

Introduction to Performance Studies (PERF-UT 101)

This course is an introduction to the field of performance studies. In this course, performance will be broadly construed to include aesthetic performance (performance art, theater, music, dance, and visual culture) and everyday presentations of self. We will study the history of the field and its relation to other fields (anthropology, theatre studies, philosophy, dance studies, feminism, political science, critical race theory, legal studies, etc.) and ask questions of how the study of performance can help us to understand contemporary questions of aesthetics, politics, and social culture. We will study the theory and history of the field as grounded in documented performances in addition to attending live performances in New York City. This course will place particular emphasis on political performance (in the US and abroad), queer, and minority performance.

Performance Studies (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2020)

PERF-UT 101-000 (15700)
09/02/2020 – 12/13/2020 Tue
11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

PERF-UT 101-000 (15829)
09/02/2020 – 12/13/2020 Thu
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

PERF-UT 101-000 (15830)
09/02/2020 – 12/13/2020 Thu
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

PERF-UT 101-000 (16102)
09/02/2020 – 12/13/2020 Thu
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

Expressive Culture, Fall 2019, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Spring 2022, Undergraduate

Modern Art (ARTH-UA 6)

Art in the Western world from the late 18th century to the present. The Neoclassicism and Romanticism of David, Goya, Ingres, Turner, Delacroix; the Realism of Courbet; the Impressionists; parallel developments in architecture; and the new sculptural tradition of Rodin. From postimpressionism to Fauvism, Expressionism, Futurism, Cubism, geometric abstraction in sculpture and painting, and modernism in architecture in the 20th century. After World War I, Dadaism and Surrealism. Developments since 1945, such as Action painting, Pop art, Minimal art, and numerous strands of Postmodernism.

Art History (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2022)

ARTH-UA 6-000 (8174)
01/24/2022 – 05/09/2022 Tue,Thu
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Late afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Robinson, Julia

Expressive Culture, Fall 2019, Undergraduate

Hearing Difference: The Commercial Music Industry and the American Racial Imaginary (IDSEM-UG 1802)

In 1903, at the dawn of the commercial music industry, sociologist W. E. B. DuBois famously proclaimed that the foremost problem in twentieth century American society is “the problem of the color line.” Du Bois’s prescience sets the stage for this course’s exploration of racial identity in recorded, commercially available music. We will examine how racial performance has intermingled with music consumption in the United States since blackface minstrelsy in the 1830s. Our goal is to understand how deeply embedded race—both ascribed and claimed—is in American music culture, reverberating throughout the last century in debates on artists’ authenticity, propriety, and popularity. This course is organized chronologically; each week is devoted to a particular era and its corresponding musical genres leading up to the present. With the rising importance of visual media since the mid-20th century, a historically informed understanding of the confluences of race and ethnicity in American music culture through music media and technologies will offer an enhanced understanding of the past and our contemporary, internet-driven musical landscape.

Interdisciplinary Seminars (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Expressive Culture, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2023, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Undergraduate

Media and Fashion (IDSEM-UG 1618)

This course will examine the roles fashion plays in film, television and digital media and their cultural and economic significance. As a signifying system in its own right, fashion contributes to the semiotics of popular forms. It can also operate as a means of authentication (especially in period films and TV) or reveal a variety of ways in which media plays with space and time, purposeful or not. Besides evoking specific temporalities and narrative tone, fashion plays an important role in the construction of gender, both in terms of representation and address. This course will examine the history of the intersection of the fashion and media industries from the free distribution of film-related dress patterns in movie theaters of the 1910s to the current trend for make-over TV, networks like the Style network, the increasing proliferation of fashion blogs and the construction of specifically feminine video games. How does fashion’s specific configuration of consumerism, signification and visual pleasure lend itself to the articulation of modern/postmodern cultures and their presentation of the self? Texts will include Stella Bruzzi and Pamela Church Gibson, Fashion Cultures: Theories, Explanations and Analysis; selections from Roland Barthes, The Fashion System; Elizabeth Wilson, Adorned in Dreams: Fashion and Modernity; assorted articles and selected clips from films and television shows including Marie Antoinette, What Not To Wear, The New York Hat, Fashions of 1934, Now, Voyager and Sex and the City.

Interdisciplinary Seminars (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2023)

IDSEM-UG 1618-000 (12308)
09/05/2023 – 12/15/2023 Fri
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Luckett, Moya

Expressive Culture, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Undergraduate

Art of Now (ARTCR-UE 55)

This course examines the current developments in contemporary art over the past decade – the art of ‘now’ – from the viewpoint of an artist’s practice & working ideas, looking at current global art production in aesthetic, economic, & social contexts. The major movements in painting, photography, sculpture, installation & performance are examined. Readings will be drawn from first hand interviews & point-of-view accounts, reviews, & critique; a major emphasis on interviews & online studio visits will accompany the texts. Guest artist lectures & off-site museum & gallery viewings will complement the weekly visual presentations & theory conversations. Liberal Arts Core/CORE Equivalent – satisfies the requirement for Expressive Cultures

Art Theory & Critical Studies (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2022)

ARTCR-UE 55-000 (12147)
01/24/2022 – 05/09/2022 Wed
9:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Weiner, Andrew

Expressive Culture, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, undefined, Undergraduate

Introduction to the Galleries and Museums of New York (ART-UE 1002)

Survey a broad spectrum of visual art resources through guided lecture-tour visits to current exhibitions at leading museums, galleries and alternative art spaces located throughout New York City. Onsite meetings with art administrators affiliated with various organizations shed light on a wide range of career and management issues pertaining to the field and add to an understanding of the development and continued growth of New York’s exciting art world.

Studio Art (Undergraduate)
3 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2023)

ART-UE 1002-000 (10986)
09/05/2023 – 12/15/2023 Fri
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Schreibman, Vida

ART-UE 1002-000 (11316)
09/05/2023 – 12/15/2023 Thu
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Barton, Nancy

ART-UE 1002-000 (11594)
09/05/2023 – 12/15/2023 Thu
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Darts, David

ART-UE 1002-000 (23236)
09/05/2023 – 12/15/2023 Fri
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

Expressive Culture, Fall 2019, Fall 2021, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Undergraduate

Media Korean (EAST-UA 261)

This course is designed to improve students? understanding of written and spoken Korean through exposure to various media sources, such as newspapers, magazines, TV, and film. Class discussions help enhance the students? speaking proficiency as well.

East Asian Studies (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2021)

EAST-UA 261-000 (9336)
09/02/2021 – 12/14/2021 Tue,Thu
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Kim, Cheun Mi

EAST-UA 261-000 (9707)
09/02/2021 – 12/14/2021 Tue,Thu
11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Kim, Cheun Mi

Expressive Culture, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2023, Undergraduate

Expressive Culture: Music in Prague Field Study (CORE-UA 9731)

This is a chance to immerse yourself in the musical culture of Prague. You will attend five music performances together with the class and two on your own. Each of the concerts will be in a different style, and performed in a different sort of venue. Each concert will be preceded by a lecture/listening session, often involving the actual performers; you will also be assigned a reading excerpt relevant to the music you will hear. The concerts, scheduled about once every two weeks on evenings between Mondays and Thursdays, will be supplemented by architecture walks and film showings, which will usually take place during class time. In addition, you will undertake a “Personal Connection Project”, in groups of two or three, in which you will choose a local genre, performer or composer to research. The research will include reading relevant contextual material, attendance at a live concert or rehearsal, and an interview with a performer. You will share your project with the class in an oral presentation, which will take place at the end of the semester. after which you will submit your conclusions in a final paper, in lieu of a final exam.

College Core Curriculum (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2023)

CORE-UA 9731-000 (18042)
08/31/2023 – 12/07/2023 Wed
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at NYU Prague (Global)
Instructed by

Expressive Culture, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Summer 2023, Undergraduate

Expressive Culture: (CORE-UA 9722)

The course description for this Topics in CORE course varies depending on where the course is taught. Please view the course descriptions in the course notes section below.

College Core Curriculum (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 6 Weeks

Sections (Summer 2023)

CORE-UA 9722-000 (4429)
05/23/2023 – 07/03/2023 Tue,Thu
1:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at NYU London (Global)
Instructed by

Cultures and Contexts, Expressive Culture, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2021, Spring 2023, Summer 2023, Undergraduate

Expressive Culture: Film (CORE-UA 9750)

The course description for this CORE class varies on the location where taught. Please view the course description in the course notes below.

College Core Curriculum (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 6 Weeks

Sections (Summer 2023)

CORE-UA 9750-000 (4382)
05/23/2023 – 06/29/2023 Mon,Tue
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at NYU Berlin (Global)
Instructed by Dadak, Muzeyyen

Expressive Culture, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Undergraduate

Expressive Culture: Images (CORE-UA 9720)

Contemporary Art in Britian. Contemporary art raises vigorous debate and criticism. But what is contemporary about contemporary art? We consider some key issues in dealing critically with contemporary art with a focus on work on display in exhibitions in London, both major national collections and private galleries, exploring art produced since the late 1950s through case studies of the work of individual artists and through themes which include photography, representations of the body, gallery display, video practice, and installation art. Topics include how contemporary art came to look as it does, with a focus on British art; the different forms of material and presentation artists have employed; why and how diverse audiences are addressed; and how markets, national prizes, and private collections shape the kinds of art produced and inform public taste. We also look at the collection and display of contemporary art, on a private and a public scale; dealer galleries, and issues of curation. Critical and historical writings by artists and theorists will be considered.

College Core Curriculum (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2023)

CORE-UA 9720-000 (18003)
at NYU London (Global)
Instructed by

Expressive Culture, Fall 2019, Spring 2021, Undergraduate

Expressive Culture:Performance (CORE-UA 740)

For course description, please consult the College Core Curriculum website: http://core.cas.nyu.edu

College Core Curriculum (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2021)

CORE-UA 740-000 (24546)
01/28/2021 – 05/10/2021 Tue,Thu
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Late afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CORE-UA 740-000 (24547)
01/28/2021 – 05/10/2021 Wed
11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Adams, Kimberly

CORE-UA 740-000 (24548)
01/28/2021 – 05/10/2021 Wed
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Adams, Kimberly

CORE-UA 740-000 (24549)
01/28/2021 – 05/10/2021 Wed
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Guaraná, Bruno

CORE-UA 740-000 (24550)
01/28/2021 – 05/10/2021 Wed
11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Guaraná, Bruno

Expressive Culture, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Spring 2021, Undergraduate

Expressive Culture: Sounds (CORE-UA 730)

For course description, please consult the College Core Curriculum website: http://core.cas.nyu.edu

College Core Curriculum (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2022)

CORE-UA 730-000 (8786)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Mon,Wed
11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Dang, Christine

CORE-UA 730-000 (8787)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Fri
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CORE-UA 730-000 (8788)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Fri
11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CORE-UA 730-000 (8789)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Fri
12:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CORE-UA 730-000 (8790)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Fri
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CORE-UA 730-000 (8925)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Tue,Thu
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Teyssier, Alice

CORE-UA 730-000 (8926)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Fri
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CORE-UA 730-000 (8927)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Fri
11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CORE-UA 730-000 (8928)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Fri
12:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CORE-UA 730-000 (8929)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Fri
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

Expressive Culture, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Undergraduate

Expressive Culture: The Graphic Novel (CORE-UA 711)

For course description, please consult the College Core Curriculum website: http://core.cas.nyu.edu

College Core Curriculum (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2022)

CORE-UA 711-000 (8822)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Mon,Wed
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Borenstein, Eliot

CORE-UA 711-000 (8823)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Fri
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CORE-UA 711-000 (8824)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Fri
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CORE-UA 711-000 (8825)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Fri
11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CORE-UA 711-000 (8826)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Fri
12:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CORE-UA 711-000 (8870)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Fri
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CORE-UA 711-000 (9112)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Fri
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CORE-UA 711-000 (10188)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Fri
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CORE-UA 711-000 (22137)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Fri
11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CORE-UA 711-000 (22197)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Fri
12:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CORE-UA 711-000 (22408)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Fri
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CORE-UA 711-000 (22441)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Fri
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CORE-UA 711-000 (22506)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Fri
11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CORE-UA 711-000 (22528)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Fri
12:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

Expressive Culture, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Spring 2021, Undergraduate

Expressive Culture: Film (CORE-UA 750)

For course description, please consult the College Core Curriculum website: http://core.cas.nyu.edu

College Core Curriculum (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2022)

CORE-UA 750-000 (8025)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Wed
12:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Polan, Dana

CORE-UA 750-000 (8026)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Fri
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CORE-UA 750-000 (8027)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Fri
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CORE-UA 750-000 (8028)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Fri
11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CORE-UA 750-000 (8029)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Fri
12:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CORE-UA 750-000 (8030)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Fri
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CORE-UA 750-000 (8031)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Fri
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

CORE-UA 750-000 (10351)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Fri
11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)
at Washington Square
Instructed by

Expressive Culture, Fall 2020, Fall 2022, January 2021, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Studies (aka "Seminar"), Summer 2019, Undergraduate

Understanding Story (OART-UT 568)

Understanding Story is a class composed of lectures, discussions, screenings, readings, critical and creative writing, group critiques and presentations. The course is designed to expose the student to the fundamental principles of storytelling across a spectrum of mediums, including the written story, playwriting, film, poetry, dance, games, photography, fine art and music. How do all these different art forms tell stories? How can the student apply what is learned to their own creative work? History and theory of story will be studied and used to inspire personal and creative work in order to better understand how story can most successfully be expressed in different mediums and reach its audience.

Open Arts Curriculum (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2022)

OART-UT 568-000 (14319)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Mon
3:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Late afternoon)
at Washington Square
Instructed by Limoncelli, Rosanne

Expressive Culture, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Spring 2020, Spring 2022, Studies (aka "Seminar"), Undergraduate

Intro to Game Studies (OART-UT 1606)

This class is an overview of the field of video games that approaches them from several theoretical and critical perspectives. No special theoretical background or prior training is needed to take the course, but to have had a broad practical experience with and basic knowledge of games is a distinct advantage. Also, an interest in theoretical and analytical issues will help. You are expected to actively participate in the lectures, which are dialogic in form, with ample room for discussion. The course will prepare the student to: – Understand and discuss games from a theoretical perspective – what are the components of a game? – Apply new theories and evaluate them critically. – Assess and discuss game concepts and the use of games in various contexts. – Analyze games, and understand and apply a range of analytical methods.

Open Arts Curriculum (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2022)

OART-UT 1606-000 (14537)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Tue
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Late afternoon)
at Brooklyn Campus
Instructed by Pratt, Charles

OART-UT 1606-000 (14534)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Thu
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM (Morning)
at Brooklyn Campus
Instructed by Pratt, Charles

OART-UT 1606-000 (14535)
09/01/2022 – 12/14/2022 Fri
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Early afternoon)
at Brooklyn Campus
Instructed by Pratt, Charles