Course Syllabus

Art, Place, and Mindful Practice

Semester & Location:	Fall 2024 - DIS Copenhagen
Type & Credits:	Elective Course - 3 credits
Major Disciplines:	Visual Arts, Creative Writing, Communication
Prerequisite(s):	None
Faculty Members:	Rick Jones (current students please use the Canvas Inbox)
Time & Place:	Fridays 10.05-13.00

Course Description

In order to fully be present in life, it is necessary to stop and observe. Rather than ‘passing through’ a new environment, one can practice mindfulness as a way to learn from novel surroundings. In this course we will develop the formal practice of mindful observation through drawing and creative writing on location, engaging all of our senses in meaningful spots around Copenhagen.

Through these creative exercises and readings in literature and philosophy, we will develop an understanding of ‘place’ and the process of ‘slowing down,’ of being present in a location, in order to internalize our surroundings and gain a deeper appreciation of them. You will explore your creative voice through the mediums of pencil, pen and ink, watercolor, and written words. By recording impressions and reflecting on the experience, you will gain facility in writing and drawing while connecting fully to your environment. We will apply these approaches towards connecting new experiences with our previous life experiences.

Faculty

Rick Jones is an artist working in whatever media fits the project at hand, from cut paper to immersive environmental presentations. Several recent journaling projects have been 365 Things, a yearlong daily documentation and questioning of household objects, and 21 Kobnhavn, a 3 week daily exploration of spaces in Copenhagen.

He also works as a Lab Coordinator at Vassar College, Collections Manager for the Warthin Natural History Museum, and co-director of the Vassar College Artifacts Project.

Objectives

To practice observation as a means of attaining deeper understandings of place
To understand and discuss concepts of time and place
To learn to tap into a ‘mindful state’ via the practice of observation
To understand the use of mindfulness in the service of creative flow
To exercise other senses (i.e., smell, touch, sound) in the practice of observation
To gain a proficiency in visual journaling and creative writing

Expectations

The expectations for this class are as follows:

Participants will fully engage, robustly and with sincerity- this project requires thoughtfulness and commitment.
Participants will have completed reading assignments before class starts- often the reading will directly tie to the work of the day, and arriving without absorbing the reading will leave you impoverished.
Participants will complete all journaling assignments (both drawing and writing).
Participants will participate in classroom viewings, where all members of the class share their work.
Participants will bring all necessary materials to every class, ready for use.

Evaluations

Based on the Expectations, participants will be evaluated on their effort, both in class and in independent work. Daily written mindful entries in your journals are required- that is roughly 100 entries. Prompts will be given, some will be required, some suggestions only, for independent work. At least three per week will be fully illustrated, two independently, and one as a class exercise.

Grade Breakdown

Attendance & Participation	30%
Visual Journal	20%
Creative Writing Journal Work	20%
Independent Journal Entries	30%

Intended Student Audience

This course is intended for curious minds who wish to understand the concepts and construction of ‘place’, especially by using creative practice and mindfulness to explore the cultures around them, as well as how creative and reflective exercises can be conducive to mindfulness.

Student work will be entirely journal based and much of the semester will be spent outside of the classroom. Previous art experience is welcome but not required. We will find a comfortable place for students of all drawing levels.

Materials

A list of materials provided (by DIS) and materials that the students will be responsible for will be updated soon.

Readings

The following titles are examples of readings, not a complete list. Readings may include:

The Scent of Time: A Philosophical Essay on the Art of Lingering, Byung-Chul Han
The Power of Place: Urban Landscapes as Public History, Dolores Hayden
Mindfulness & The Art of Drawing, Wendy Ann Greenhalgh
An attempt at exhausting a place in Paris, Georges Perec
The Art of Field Sketching, Clare Walker Leslie
The Art of City Sketching: A Field Manual, Michael C Abrams
Flow, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
A Sense of Place, The Upper New Review
A Literature of Place, Barry Lopez
An-My Lê, The artist seeks herself in the landscape, NYT Jan 17, 2024
On Flaneurs, Walter Benjamin

The course will also include place specific readings on the history of Copenhagen and Denmark, for orientation and depth of knowledge, such as:

The Colours of Copenhagen, Lange Bente
We, the Drowned, Carsten Jensen

There will also be short readings on the senses, experience and time, such as:

Arctic Dreams, Barry Lopez
The Death of the Moth, Virginia Woolf
Segment of Remembrances of Things Past, Marcel Proust
How to Practice, Ann Patchett
Moving On, A Love Story, Nora Ephron (May 29, 2006)
Byung-Chul Han, How Objects Lost their Magic, Art Review, Gesine Borcherdt, 2021

The required readings are available on Canvas under Modules or in the DIS Library.

DIS Accommodations Statement

Your learning experience in this class is important to me. If you have approved academic accommodations with DIS, please make sure I receive your DIS accommodations letter within two weeks from the start of classes. If you can think of other ways I can support your learning, please don't hesitate to talk to me. If you have any further questions about your academic accommodations, contact Academic Support acadsupp@dis.dk.

Academic Regulations

Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on:

DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org