THTRE 2210 Avant-Garde and Art Film

This course will explore films made by artists who experiment with the formal, perceptual and narrative elements of film. Students will watch a wide range of film media that challenge conventions to gain an appreciation for the Avant-Garde and art film/video. Selected films will be analyzed within historical and aesthetic contexts of their departures from norms and conventions. One way to define Avant-Garde is breaking new ground and experimenting with the possibilities of the medium: rather than entertain or generate profit through their films, artists may shock or challenge viewers and explore the limits of genre. Students will be challenged to go beyond preconceived notions of visual pleasure to think critically and creatively about how/why a work was created and what it communicates in that context.