Art 1A Visual Literacy Reading Schedule: Winter 2026
*Weekly writing assignments should be 2-4 pages and they are due each in lecture Wednesday by 12:30PM (unless otherwise stated. Check due dates VERY carefully). All assignments must be submitted to your TA.
WEEK 1 (January 5 & 7): Course Introduction & Representation and Intertextuality.
The first lecture, on Monday, January 5 is via Zoom (no pass code, sign in as an attendee): https://ucsb.zoom.us/j/83111992304
Do the following:
1) Purchase your course reader (from Associated Students) and John Berger's Ways of Seeing (from the campus bookstore or Amazon). Your copy of Your Brain on Art is on reserve at the library, and you can download an electronic copy.
2) Fill out the field trip Liability Waivers:
MANDATORY LIABILITY WAIVERS (PLEASE FILL OUT ALL OF THEM TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR ALL OF THE FIELD TRIPS):
Representation and Intertextuality Reading Assignments:
• Carl Matheson: The Simpsons, Hyper-Irony and the Meaning of Life
• Kelly L. Richardson. “Simpsons Did It!”: South Park and the Intertextuality of Contemporary Animation
• Joanna Woods-Marsden. "Cindy Sherman’s Reworking of Raphael’s ‘Fornarina’ and Caravaggio’s ‘Bacchus.’
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• Michel Foucault. This is Not a Pipe (Excerpt)
• Scott McCloud, The Vocabulary of Comics (Excerpt)
Writing Assignment (Due: Wednesday, January 7 by 12:30PM in lecture): This is a 2-part assignment:
1) Write a 1-page summary about the significant ideas addressed in Joanna Woods-Marsden's "Cindy Sherman's Reworking of Raphael's 'Fornarina' and Caravaggio's 'Bacchus'" If you haven't purchased your reader yet, download here from the library.
2) Write a 1-page summary of Kelly L. Richardson's "Simpsons Did It!": South Park and the Intertextuality of Contemporary Animation. If you haven't purchased your reader, download here from the library.
WEEK 2 (January 12 & 14): Understanding Mediation: Photography and Cinema. Lisa Reihana Artist Talk: GLISTEN: Artist Talk by Lisa Reihana (1:13:16 from 2024): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DQVb3M9QwA
• John Berger: Ways of Seeing
• Walter Benjamin: The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction
• Marshall McLuhan: The Medium is the Message
• Neil Postman: The Judgment of Thamus
• Susan Magsamen and Ivy Moss. Your Brain on Art
Writing Assignment (Due: Wednesday, January 14 by 12:30PM in lecture): This is a 3-part assignment:
1) Write a 1-page summary of John Berger’s Ways of Seeing (Chapter 1).
2) Write a 1-page summary of Walter Benjamin’s The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.
3) Write a 1-2 page summary of the important ideas addressed in Chapter 1 (pages 3-24): "The Anatomy of the Arts" from Your Brain on Art, and write about the most significant ideas advanced in this chapter.
WEEK 3 (January 19 & 21): MLK Holiday on Monday, January 19. Scholarly Research Training Workshop with Heather Nisen on Wednesday, January 21 in lecture.
Writing Assignment (Due: Wednesday, January 21 by 12:30PM in lecture: This is a 2-part assignment.
1) Write the first 2-3 pages of your research paper about the work of Lisa Reihana. You may refer to the Artist Talk we saw in class, but should also do some light research since we will be viewing her work at LACMA next week.
2) Read Chapter 5 (pages 135-164) and write a 1-2 page summary of the chapter: "Amplifying Learning" from Your Brain on Art.
WEEK 4 (January 26 & 28): LACMA Field Trip on Saturday, January 31. The January 26 & 28 lectures are cancelled in lieu of the all day field trip to LACMA. Sections are scheduled on Monday, January 26 as usual.
Writing Assignment (Due: Sunday, February 1 by 11:30PM (email to KeyShawn). We will accept this assignment through Monday, February 2 by 12:30PM in lecture. This is a 3-part assignment:
1) Write a 2-page response to the LACMA: Grounded exhibition. Make sure to discuss more than Lisa Reihana's work. Select at least 2 other works of art that interested you.
2) Write a 1-page museum response to the LACMA: Tavares Strachan: The Day Tomorrow Began exhibition.
3) Write a 1-2 page response to other works of art, exhibitions, the gardens, etc. that interested and impacted you at LACMA.
Alternative Assignment for the SBMA if you do not go to LACMA (but this means you must go to The Getty for the second field trip). This is a 4-part assignment:
- Write a 1-page response to the SBMA: By Achilles’ Tomb: Elliott Hundley and Antiquity @ SBMA exhibition.
- Write a 1-page response to the SBMA: Piece by Piece: Collage & Assemblage exhibition.
- Write a 1-page response to the SBMA: Highlights of South and Southeast Asian Art, Himalayas exhibition.
- Write a 1-page response discussing other works of art or exhibitions that you particularly enjoyed at the SBMA.
Nota Bene: The museum trip is an all-day immersive experience, and therefore the museum field trip is in lieu of both of the Art 1A lectures that week (section attendance is as scheduled that week). If you do not go to the museum that week, or do the writing assignment, then you will receive two absences for the missed lectures, and you won't be able to do your written assignment. Take a selfie at the museum, and the works of art that were of interest to you, and include them in your paper as proof of attendance.
WEEK 5 (February 2 & 4): Mechanics of a Formal Research Paper Workshop in lecture. Fictional and Documentary Space: Blurring the Difference.
• Edward Branigan: Fiction
• Vivian Sobchack: On the Death of a Rabbit in Fictional Space
• Susan Magsamen and Ivy Moss. Your Brain on Art
Monday, February 2: Mechanics of a Formal Research Paper Writing Workshop.
Wednesday, February 4: Fictional and Documentary Space: Blurring the Difference lecture.
Writing Assignment (Due: Wednesday, February 4 by 12:30PM in lecture): This is a 2-part assignment:
1) Write a 1-2 page summary of the important ideas addressed in Chapter 6 (pages 166-198): "Flourishing" from Your Brain on Art.
a) Does the fact that these deaths occurred 85 years ago in any way desensitize your response?
b) Does knowing that these animals actually died in the service of this film shift the way that you respond to the scene?
c) While reading Sobchack’s essay, one has the impression that only a single rabbit died– when in fact it is clear that many rabbits and birds died in this hunting scene. Is there a singular moment to which she appears to be referring? If so, identify it and the precise moment in the clip (Example: Renoir, 01:15 - 02:00). Watch HERE.
d) Do you agree with the premise of Sobchack's argument after watching the scene to which she refers? Why, or why not?
WEEK 6 (February 9 & 11): Getty Center Field Trip on Saturday, February 14. Monday and Wednesday lectures on February 9 & 11 are cancelled in lieu of the Getty Center field trip. Discussion sections scheduled as planned. The Research Paper is due on Monday, February 9 in sections (Monday 2:00PM and 3:00PM).
Writing Assignment: No weekly writing assignment. Research Paper due on Monday, February 9 in the discussion sections at 2:00PM and 3:00PM.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE GETTY ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE NEXT WEEK ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18 (SEE ASSIGNMENT LISTED IN WEEK 7):
WEEK 7 (February 16 & 18): Presidents' Day Holiday on Monday, February 16. A Brief Introduction Semiotics & Advertising
• Daniel Chandler: Semiotics for Beginners: Codes
• Sturken and Cartwright: Consumer Culture and the Manufacturing of Desire
• Raymond Williams: Advertising: The Magic System
• Edisol Wayne Dotson: Buy Me Advertising
• Jean Kilbourne: Can’t Buy My Love: How Advertising Changes the Way We Think and Feel (Excerpts).
Writing Assignment (Due: Wednesday, February 18 by 12:30 in lecture):
This is a 3-part Getty Center assignment:
1) Write a 2-page response to the Getty: How to Be a Guerrilla Girl exhibition (on view in the Research Institute Galleries).
2) Write a 1-page response to the Getty: Baroque Paintings and Sculptures exhibition (on view in the Museum West Pavilion, Plaza Level).
3) Write a 2-page response to the Getty: Discuss what really impressed you about your experience at the Getty. This is includes the Getty Gardens, any exhibitions or specific works of art that really impacted you, or anything else that was noteworthy. Take lots of pictures to help you process your experience.
Alternative Assignment for the SBMA if you did not go to The Getty Center (but this means you must have gone to LACMA for the first field trip). This is a 4-part assignment:
1) Write a 1-page response to the SBMA: By Achilles’ Tomb: Elliott Hundley and Antiquity @ SBMA exhibition.
2) Write a 1-page response to the SBMA: Piece by Piece: Collage & Assemblage exhibition.
3) Write a 1-page response to the SBMA: Highlights of South and Southeast Asian Art, Himalayas exhibition.
4) Write a 1-page response discussing other works of art or exhibitions that you particularly enjoyed at the SBMA.
Nota Bene: The museum trip is all-day immersive experience, and therefore the museum field trip is in lieu of both of the Art 1A lectures that week (section attendance is as scheduled that week). If you do not go to the museum that week, or do the writing assignment, then you will receive two absences for the missed lectures that week, and you won't be able to do your written assignment that week. Take a selfie at the museum, and works of art that were of interest to you, and include it in your paper as proof of attendance.
WEEK 8 (February 23 & 25): Art in the Age of the Internet. Honors Cohort Glassbox Gallery Exhibition. Meet at the Glassbox Gallery on Wednesday, February 25 at 12:30PM (Take pictures and notes since you will write about this exhibition for your assignment that is due next week).
Art in the Age of the Internet
• Jeff Scheible: Longing to Connect: Cinema’s Year of OS Romance
• Katrina Sluis, Julian Stallabrass and Christiane Paul. The Canon After the Internet
• Lauren Cornell. Self-Portraiture in the First-Person Age
• Gloria Sutton. CTRL ALT DELETE: The Problematics of Post-Internet Art
• Jeffrey De Blois. Hybrid Bodies
• Susan Magsamen and Ivy Moss. Your Brain on Art
Writing Assignment (Due: Wednesday, February 25 by 12:30PM): This is a 3-part assignment:
1) Write a 1-page response paper discussing the important points that were made by Jia Jia Fei in her Ted Talk about Art in the Age of Instagram (Shown HERE).
2) Write a 1-2-page response to Chapter 7 (pages 201-227) "Creating Community" from Your Brain on Art.
3) Write a 1-2 page response to Jeff Scheible's Longing to Connect: Cinema’s Year of OS Romance .
WEEK 9 (March 2 & 4): Artist Talk on Monday, March 2 featuring Eric Beltz. Field Trip to UCSB AD&A Museum on Wednesday, March 4.
Monday, March 2: Artist Talk featuring Eric Beltz.
Wednesday, March 4: Field Trip to the UCSB AD&A Museum from 12:30-1:45 (Located adjacent to Storke Plaza and the University Center. Meet there).
Writing Assignment: (Due: Thursday, March 5 by 12:30PM email to your TA): This is a 4-part assignment:
1) Write a 1-page response to "Art of the Future" (pages 229-246) from Your Brain on Art.
2) Write a 2-page response to the Artist Talk featuring Eric Beltz.
3) Write a 1-page response to the AD&A Museum field trip featuring Tiffany Chung's work.
4) Write a 1-page response to the Honors Cohort's Glass Box Gallery exhibition from last week (week 8).
WEEK 10 (March 9 & 11): Artist Talks. Featuring KeyShawn Scott and the Art 199 Cohort.
Monday, March 9: Art 199 Cohort Artist Talk featuring Kelly Andrade, Bethany Close, Maddie Cupples, Payton Gomez, Arpie Hakobyan, Elyse Harris-Crayton and Sarah Howard.
Wednesday, March 11: Artist Talk featuring KeyShawn Scott.
Writing Assignment (Due: Thursday, March 12 by 12:30PM email to your TA): This is a 2-part assignment.
1) Write a 2-page response to Kelly Andrade, Bethany Close, Maddie Cupples, Payton Gomez, Arpie Hakobyan, Elyse Harris-Crayton and Sarah Howard's Artist Talk.
2) Write a 2-page response to KeyShawn Scott's Artist Talk.
