The Element of Chance the Unintentional the Repetition and the Rule

The nature and role of the act of creating was under scrutiny by artists and theorists alike for most of the 20th century. Chance as an element in the creative process, the role of the subconscious, and different ideas about how training (or repetition) should be thought of and performed, run as themes through most of the artistic discourse of the last two hundred years at least. In this course, these ideas will be examined and put into context, with special emphasis on the creative process, its ethical aspects, ideas about the death of the author and reexamination of the nature of the creative act. This course is in a seminar format and requires the active participation of all students. Readings for the course will be taken from literature and from the writings of visual artists.