Art Theory and Practice...

The Concentration in Art Theory and Practice course investigates both theoretical and practical studies. The objective of this course is to study both theory-based contemporary art and theory-practice, which can motivate students to undergo a deep consideration on contemporary art. The theoretical studies examine wide-ranging fields, including aesthetics, art history, contemporary philosophy, sociology, and Cultural Studies, as well as Postcolonial Studies. In the practical studies, students will create contemporary artworks and execute conceptual art projects, as well as plan and practice the organizing of various artistic activities, such as workshops. Graduation Research can either be in the form of submitting an essay on theoretical studies, or in the form of creating an artwork or actualizing a project based on practical studies. The careers we have in mind for students after gradation are: for those pursuing theoretical studies—scholars, educators, and curators; for those pursuing practical studies—contemporary artists, project-type artists, and artistic activity directors. Although it is common in Western art education to study both theory and practice, Japanese art education has long placed emphasis on the creation of artworks. The Concentration in Art Theory and Practice aims to solve this problem by taking both theoretical and practical approaches within the nucleus of present-day art, while also aiming to produce valuable members of society.

The most significant element in the Concentration in Art Theory and Practice course is for the students to undergo “deep consideration of the arts.” This is made possible through the process of finding clues in artistic representations; elaborating their own ideas through engaging in discussions; and constantly modifying and honing their ideas. Whether the Graduation Research takes the form of an essay, an artwork, or a project will become clear to each student as they go through their own consideration process. Therefore, this program is based on the idea that the three different types of studies (artistic theory, production, and practice) are all equally important. One of the most fundamental attitudes students should take upon engaging themselves in the field of contemporary art is to “criticize and analyze.” Founded on the idea of “deep consideration of the arts,” the aim of this course is to dispatch various artistic ideas concerning society regardless of forms, such as through research, reports, essays, artworks, and projects.