Art History Class

Studying Art History in Beijing at Culture Yard

A new course is opened on April 9th and will run on  Monday evenings 19:00 – 21:00

There is still space in the class – for more information call our office. 

Art History Course Introduction

Beijing’s art scene is growing every day, with areas such as 798 exhibiting artists from all over the world and all different styles, Beijing is becoming a hot spot for modern and classic art. Join us at Culture Yard to learn more about the history of art and its development over the years.

Considering questions such as what is “art”? and how does art affect you and every aspect of contemporary life?, Culture Yard’s ‘Introduction to Art’ workshop will  explore the vast world of Art and Art History with a key focus on design, vocabulary and the rules behind what makes art so special and necessary in today’s world. We will look at European and American traditional and modern painting, sculpture, advertising and graphic design; as well as the ancient Art of Europe, the Near East and Asia.

Course Structure:

• “Elements” (30hrs)

In the Elements art segment we will discuss how an artist or designer fills a blank canvas, nothingness; with points, lines, shapes, textures, and colors in order to create a sense of space, time, and motion. We learn the formal elements that allow you to analyze Art in its many forms. We’ll also look at important art periods such classical Greek and Roman Art, the European Renaissance, Art Nouveau and Art Deco, and Pop Art as well as several others.

• “Rules” (30hrs)

In the ‘Rules’ art history course we will discover how to develop unity and harmony, balance, scale, and proportion, contrast and emphasis, and rhythm—all in the quest for a satisfying illusion. While continuing the rules and essentials for the visual understanding of art, we learn about modern movements such as Modernism, Constructivism, Futurism, Photography and Contemporary Art.

Teacher’s information:

Ariel Mario Tudela has studied drawing and oil painting since early childhood. He studied at the New World School of the Arts High School in Miami, Florida; one of the preeminent visual and performing arts high schools in the U.S. where he concentrated on painting, black and white photography and art history.He taught painting and art history from 1998 to 2001. In 2001 he began in the color photography program of Florida International University.  Ariel has also continuously traveled America, Europe and Asia regularly visiting the great museums, galleries and important historical and archeological sites.  His interests include arts, literature, history and design.

Teaching material:

“Introduction to Design” (2004) Alan Pipes, Pearson Prentice Hall (2^nd edition).

Price & Schedule – “Rules”

Every Monday, 19:00-21:00 (started on April 9th)

Price: 3,000 RMB (30 hrs) teaching materials included

Art History Course Structure: ‘RULES’

Weeks 1 and 2- Introduction and review:  We will do a brief overview and introduction of the major points covered in the ‘Elements’ course, with a special emphasis on the final chapter; Color.

Weeks 3, 4 and 5:  Unity and Harmony: How do artists successfully, beautifully and creatively unite a work of art? These lessons are about balance, repetition and organization of a work of art. We’ll look at artists dealing with these ideas from the end of the 1800′s through the 1960′s.

Weeks 6 and 7:  Balance: These classes will compare previous art periods, from Ancient Greece, the Renaissance to early Modern art in search of the perfect balance and other visual principles at work.

Weeks 8 and 9: Scale and Proportion:  Artists are enabled with the skill to make us think about the world  as we know it by exaggerating the size of things. How did artists in early Modern Art and artists working today use this to give us a new understanding of something we already thought we knew?

Weeks 9, 10 and 11: Contrast and Emphasis:  There are several different ways to create drama and importance in art. We’ll look at the ways artists throughout art history have been using contrast and emphasis to tell visual stories that make it easy for audiences to read and analyze. We’ll also begin to look at some examples of black and white and color photography.

Week 12- Rhythm:  Art, like music depends on rhythm and just like music, different rhythms create different feelings and emotions. We see several examples, mostly from 20th century art. Including Pop and Op Art.

Weeks 13, 14 and 15: Catch up class, Review, and Final Projects:  We use these weeks to look again at some artists and Art periods from the last few classes, and see a few new examples for discussion. We also begin a final project, a chance for students to become the teacher for a short while and discuss Art periods and artists they think are worth a second look.