How has the idea of the amateur, or "lover of things," exerted influence on and been contested by contemporary visual art? At various moments the amateur has embodied aesthetic ambition, political rights, and social degradation, all in pursuit of an art that is more pure, more real, more corrupt.  Select readings will be augmented by studio projects that engage the class in amateur art-making, from drawing to performance to conducting faux research. The course will marshal guests including Roberta Smith and Paul Shimmel, will wander off-site to PS1 and other destinations, and will interact with two installations on campus in the fall, by Tino Sehgal and David Dobkin.

Admission by application (a brief paragraph stating your interest) to [email protected].