Chronological survey of the major works of representative African-American dramatists from 1925 to the present, with particular focus on their techniques, ideas and the cultural milieu in which the works were produced. Meets the Ethnic Studies requirement. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts. (E.S.)
Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Introductory workshop in the skills and techniques used in creative writing from a culturally centered approach. Students learn to write in various genres including fiction, drama, poetry, and mixed genre work. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts.
Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. This course is an in-depth exploration of the African Worldview through a concentrated focus on the theory, philosophy and methodology of the Black Aesthetic. The Black Aesthetic is the way African/Black people view, interpret and create art throughout the African World. Therefore, several manifestations of the Black Aesthetic, such as spoken word, poetry, dance, visual art, religion/spirituality, language, fashion and music, are all covered. Opportunities are also given to students to create their own pieces of art including a visual art piece, a movement piece, poetry/spoken word and more. Meets the Ethnic Studies requirement. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts. (E.S.) (W.I.)
This course presents an introduction to the anthropological analysis of expressive culture. Each course offering will focus on a specific form of expressive culture, such as clothing, food, music, or visual art. Students explore the history of the cultural form; consider how it reflects and communicates societal structures and cultural meanings and values; and examine how the study of expressive culture can be used to probe broader environmental, social, political, economic, and ideological issues. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts.
Corequisite: ART 100L. Not available for Art major credit. Experiences for the non-art major in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art processes. Provides an understanding of the place of art in life through actual participation. 1 hour discussion, 4 hours studio. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts.
Survey of the visual arts of the Western cultural tradition from ancient to modern times emphasizing historical, religious and sociocultural contexts. Discussion, research and writing on the visual arts, including painting, sculpture, architecture, book arts, ceramics, textiles and body arts. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts.
Survey of the visual arts of India, China, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia, emphasizing historical, religious and sociocultural contexts. Discussion, research and writing on the visual arts, including painting, sculpture, architecture, book arts, ceramics, textiles and body arts. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts.
Introduction to basic drawing experiences. Graphic representation of objects stressed through a variety of techniques and media. Emphasis on form, structure, values, line and systems of perspective and space. For non-art majors; 6 hours lab. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts.
Introduction to the elements and principles of 2-dimensional design that are common to the visual arts. Foundation course stressing visual perception and an effective knowledge of the graphic means of expression and communication. 6 hours per week. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts.
Study of the elements and principles of 3-dimensional design and their applications, with emphasis on form in space, design systems and contemporary art concepts. Experimentation in both natural and synthetic material. For non-art majors; 6 hours per week. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts.
Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. An introduction for the non-Art major to the relationships between art and mass culture. Illustrated lectures explore the development, techniques, and ideas underlying the contemporary visual environment, including the media arts of photography and advertising, as well as painting, sculpture and architecture. Art majors may not count this course in the major. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts. (I.C.) (W.I.)
Survey of Chicana/o visual art, music and drama and their role in Chicana/o culture. Offers a historical approach to Chicana/o contributions in the arts. Meets the Ethnic Studies requirement. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts. (E.S.)
Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Study of the cultural, instrumental and musical aspects of predominant regional musical styles of Mexico from Pre-Cuauhtemoc to contemporary times. Meets the Ethnic Studies requirement. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts. (E.S.) (W.I.)
Introduction to principles, techniques, and practices in performance of poetry, fiction, and drama. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts.
Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Theory and practice in performing poetry. Analysis of the role of poetry and poetic language in the communicative life of the individual and society. Solo and group performances. Students who have taken COMS 304 will not receive credit for COMS 305. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts. (W.I.)
TV and film communicative art forms. Representative films and television programs are exhibited and analyzed. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts. (I.C.)
Prerequisites: Completion of the lower division writing requirement; Recommended Preparatory: CTVA 100, CTVA 210 and CTVA 220. This course will provide students with an introduction to the “cult” film and television phenomena, to include critical examinations of film and televisual aesthetics, audience reception and fandom studies. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts or Area 3B Humanities.
Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Survey of the art of the cinema in order to establish a unique visual literature with its own critical standards. Feature films of various types and from diverse sources are screened. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts. (W.I.)
Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Examination of story as it is expressed through screenwriting. Via lectures and readings, theoretical and practical models and techniques of screen storytelling are considered. Classic and contemporary films, television programs and digital media are screened, their narrative constructions analyzed and their thematic statements assessed. Meets the Lifelong Learning requirement. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts. (W.I.)
Development of proficiency in basic ballet skills and development of understanding and appreciation for ballet as an art form. 2 hours per week. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts. (Cross-listed with KIN 139A.)
Development of proficiency in modern dance technique skills and development of an understanding and appreciation of modern dance as an art form. Class meets for 2 studio hours per week. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts. (Cross-listed with KIN 144A.)
Corequisite: DANC 236L. Principles of dance composition—movement sources, rhythmic, spatial and dynamic techniques of organization, and thematic development. Composition of solo and small group dances. Lab: Lab practice in choreography. 2 hours lecture, 2 hours lab per week. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts. (Cross-listed with KIN 236/L.)
Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Corequisite: DANC 380L. History, aesthetics, performance forms, musical forms, cultural and racial heritages, and contemporary directions of dance in education and art. Dance is examined as a performing art, ritual, social/recreational activity and subject for scholarly investigation and analysis. Students participate in dance techniques related to content presented in the classroom. 2 hours lecture, 2 hours lab per week. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts. (W.I.) (Cross-listed with KIN 380/L.)
Preparatory: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Introductory workshop course in creative writing. Students have the option of concentrating on one of three modes: prose fiction, poetry or drama. Part of the Creative Writing option in English. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts.
This course is an introduction to the profession of interior design. Students will be introduced to the interior design process, basic interior design vocabulary and various presentation skills and techniques. Professional practices, responsibilities in health, safety, and welfare of the public, trade resources, and the value of design organizations will be discussed. Provides a survey of the interdisciplinary design professions and their impact on global culture and human behavior. Students will understand the rich history and diversity of human knowledge, discourse and achievements of their own and other cultures as they are expressed in the arts, literatures, religions, and philosophy. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts.
This course provides a survey of social and cultural patterns in modern China from 1911 to the present, focusing on the post-socialist period. Broad in scope, the course will examine the main areas of contemporary Chinese life: culture, visual arts, literature, politics, society, and the environment. In the realms of popular culture, literature, and film, it will show the performativity of everyday life, while paying great attention to state regulation and global influence. Through analysis and discussion, students will better understand the lived experiences of the Chinese people, as well as the causes and consequences of social inequality, social conflicts, and social change. Students will observe the influence of social structures and institutions on personal lives, as well as how individual and collective forms of action may in turn transform institutions and structures. Special attention will be paid to issues of race, ethnicity, class, gender, religion, sexuality, and other markers of social identity that impact life experiences and social relations. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts or Area 3B Humanities.
Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. The course explores the traditions that inform the values and aesthetics of present-day Japan and make one of the most technologically advanced nations distinctly Asian and traditional. It also examines the foreign influences on Japan, the modifications that were made to suit Japanese taste and influences of Japan on other countries. The areas investigated include indigenous beliefs, religious and philosophical teachings that inform the arts and martial arts, and various aesthetic principles and their manifestations in poetry, theater and other arts. Conducted in English. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts.
Prerequisite: Multiple Measures Placement in GE-level writing or completion of the lower division writing requirement. Introductory course provides instruction in the interdisciplinary analysis and interpretation of meaning in art, music and literature ,and in the understanding of philosophical ideas in their own right and as they influence styles and themes in works of art. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts or Area 3B Humanities.
Prerequisite: Multiple Measures Placement in GE-level writing or completion of the lower division writing requirement. Interdisciplinary study of major eras of humanistic development from the ancient world to the 15th century through representative works of visual art, architecture, music, philosophy, religion and oral and written literature. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts or Area 3B Humanities.
Prerequisite: Multiple Measures Placement in GE-level writing or completion of the lower division writing requirement. Interdisciplinary study of major eras of humanistic development from the 16th to 20th century through representative works of visual art, architecture, film, music, philosophy, religion and oral and written literature. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts or Area 3B Humanities.
Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. This class explores how ancient and medieval Jews expressed themselves in literature, art and architecture, law, music, philosophy and science. It also explores how distinctive Jewish genres, styles and creative processes are related to similar expressions in non-Jewish cultures. Regular written assignments are required. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts or Area 3B Humanities. (I.C.) (W.I.)
Development of proficiency in basic ballet skills and development of understanding and appreciation for ballet as an art form. 2 hours per week. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts. (Cross-listed with DANC 139A.)
Development of proficiency in modern dance technique skills and development of an understanding and appreciation of modern dance as an art form. Class meets for 2 studio hours per week. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts. (Cross-listed with DANC 144A.)
Corequisite: KIN 236L. Principles of dance composition—movement sources, rhythmic, spatial and dynamic techniques of organization, and thematic development. Composition of solo and small group dances. Lab: Lab practice in choreography. 2 hours lecture, 2 hours lab per week. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts. (Cross-listed with DANC 236/L.)
Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Corequisite: KIN 380L. History, aesthetics, performance forms, musical forms, cultural and racial heritages, and contemporary directions of dance in education and art. Dance is examined as a performing art, ritual, social/recreational activity and subject for scholarly investigation and analysis. Students participate in dance techniques related to content presented in the classroom. 2 hours lecture, 2 hours lab per week. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts. (W.I.) (Cross-listed with DANC 380/L.)
This course explores language and music, and their co-occurrence in human societies and cultures. Is it a mere coincidence or is there an underlying reason? Is our innate ability to develop language related to how we create and experience music? Is our brain “wired” for both music and language? Are they related to each other in the brain? Do they share an evolutionary history in the human species? We will address these questions by defining language and music, exploring their structural similarities and differences, and surveying the global diversity in musical and linguistic expression. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts.
History of Western music traditions, examining musical style and structure, relationships with other art forms and aspects of their roles in Western culture. Lecture, listening, discussion and outside concert attendance. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts.
A survey of Hip Hop music, with an emphasis on its musical elements and influences. Students will acquire the appropriate vocabulary necessary to analyze Hip Hop music and trace its development as a form of human expression and its relationship with the media. Lecture, listening and discussion. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts.
Survey of music in our society, including selected material from rock, jazz, pop, folk, traditional, show, film and art styles, as well as the impact of technology on today’s musical life. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts.
Exploration of the role of music in films as it stimulates the emotional response to the visual aspects of the art form; examination of the historical evolution of film scoring; and examination of the role of the composer in joining sonic art with visual art. Film clips, both historical and contemporary, illustrate the principles developed. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts.
Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Survey of the development of Jazz, with emphasis on the influence of historical and socioeconomic factors. Includes stylistic analysis of Jazz and its musical elements in order to develop musical awareness. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts. (W.I.)
Introduction to the philosophical analysis of popular culture, including the examination of philosophical themes in TV shows, music, games, film, or other popular media. Topics might include the moral, aesthetic, and political value of mass culture, or the philosophy of video games, comic books, food, fashion, or street art. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts or Area 3B Humanities.
Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Investigation of philosophical concepts and problems relating to and expressed through film and literature. Questions may include: Why do we care about fictional characters? Do fictional characters exist? What is the relation of author to text? Do films have authors? Do creators’ intentions matter when we interpret a film or text? Regular written assignments will be required. Students who have taken PHIL 313 will not receive credit for PHIL 314. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts or Area 3B Humanities. (W.I.)
Introduction to theatre through reading and discussing play scripts, analyzing dramatic forms and writing about live performances. Regular critical writing assignments and attendance at live performances are required. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts.
Prerequisite: Not open to Theatre majors. Introduction to theatre through an emphasis upon its central performer–the actor. Illustrative acting exercises. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts.
Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Not open to Theatre majors. Introduction to the theatre through the experience of attending performances, preparatory lectures and post-performance discussions and critiques. Critical writing assignments required. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts. (W.I.)
Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement and upper division standing. Cultural theatre movements in the 20th century United States created important spaces for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities to create theatre that reflects their history, political activism, ethnic and cultural identity, stories of diaspora, and sense of community. In this course students will learn about and read plays from the major cultural theatre movements in the United States to better understand the diverse nature of American theatre as a site of social change. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts or CSUN Section F Comparative Cultural Studies. (W.I.)
Prerequisites: Upper division standing. Completion of the lower division writing requirement. The course offers a survey of Asian theatre and popular entertainment, exploring through a cultural lens how tradition informs modern innovations in a global context. Students will explore classical Asian theatre as well as new performing arts and popular entertainment of the 21st century, including Bollywood films, anime, manga, robot theatre in Japan, K-Dramas, K-Pop and K-Hip hop of South Korea. Critical writing required. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts. (W.I.)