“Ekphrasis, from the Greek for ‘to speak out,’ is the creation of a work of art inspired by another.”

“Shapeshifting Across the Arts:

Ekphrasis, from the Greek for “to speak out,” is the creation of a work of art inspired by another. In this course, we’ll begin with a study of traditional ekphrastic material: works of literature written in response to visual art. Texts will include poetry by John Keats, W. H. Auden, Elizabeth Bishop, John Ashbery, Barbara Guest, Meghan O’Rourke, Mei Mei Bersenbrugge, Anne Carson, and John Yau, as well as fiction and drama by Salman Rushdie, Heinrik Ibsen, and Oscar Wilde. In conjunction with these texts, we’ll consider paintings and drawings by Pieter Brueghel, Mark Rothko, Vincent VanGogh, Yves Klein, Agnes Martin, Kiki Smith, and others. Conversely, we’ll consider works of art created response in to literature, and other shapeshifting that happens across media as diverse as dance, film, music, and even the culinary arts. Alongside our consideration of ekphrastic texts and their sources, we’ll read and write critical texts to investigate this particular creative process and the rich connection between art and its source material.

In addition to written assignments, each student will create a small body of creative work in response to the writing, music, or artwork that moves him or her most. This final project must be composed in a different genre from the source work, but otherwise may consist of traditional creative writing, lyric essay, painting, film, photography, or other media. We will coordinate field trips to the Warner Art Museum, the Birmingham Art Museum, and the rural studios projects. Collaboration will be encouraged, and students will be given the opportunity to collaborate with other artists working on the UA campus.”

WHAT THIS CLASS IS GOING TO BE PERFECT