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.  

Assessment: Written assignments and participation

Superviser: Jóhannes Dagsson is a philosopher and a visual artist. He holds a PhD in philosophy from the University of Calgary (2012). His research takes place at the intersection of philosophy of mind, philosophy of language and aesthetics. Questions surrounding perception and meaning in the context of art define his research. Jóhannes uses his research in his teaching, publications, and his visual art.

Time and place: Laugarnes, Thursdays from 8:30 - 10:10

Time period: January 19th to March 16th 2017

Price: 48.000 kr. (without ETCS) / 60.000 kr. (with ETCS)

Preliminary requirement: Good command of English. The course is for artists with a BA degree or a comparable education. Mandatory for visual artists in the masters program.

Further information: Sindri Leifsson, Fine Art Department project manager: sindrileifsson [at] lhi.is