LA 430A

Ethics of Art and Design

Crispin Sartwell

c.sartwell@verizon.net

Bunting 417

Artists and designers, like those who follow many other professions, need to consider carefully the ethical issues that arise in their line of work. In fact, with regard to the arts, these issues are particularly rich, pointed, and significant for the wider culture. For example: who are you working for, and what are the public effects of your work? To what extent should the government be involved in art and design, through censorship or, on the other hand, funding? What is the nature and contribution of public art and the what are the obligations of an artist working in the public sphere? What are the contributions of the arts to oppressions and the resistance to them? We will be considering such issues within a context of philosophical ethics, the histories of the arts, and recent issue-oriented controversies.

Required work for course consists of weekly one-page essays, on topics to be announced in class, and longer (circa 7 pp.) mid-term and final papers. These will be on topics of your choosing, though I will provide suggestions.

Students with disabilities: please see me so that I can accommodate you.

January 21

Introduction

January 28

The case of Leni Riefenstahl (handouts and video).

February 4

Leni contd.

February 11

memorial design: Vietnam, WTC (handouts)

February 18

memorial design contd.

February 25

hip hop and censorship (readings and audio).

March 3

hip hop contd

March 10

Gorilla Girls: feminism and the history of Western Art (handouts)

March 24

Gorilla Girls contd.

March 31

Ruskin, responsible making, beauty and use (handouts)

April 7

Ruskin contd.

April 14

socialist realism, tilted arc, and government funding (handouts)

April 21

gov funding contd.

April 28

legal and illegal art: shareware and graffiti (handouts)

May 4

Conclusion

final paper due