Julie A. Nagle

Performing Objects is an expansive, interdisciplinary studio course that merges elements of Performance Art, Ritual, Theater, Installation Art, Body Art, Social Practice, and Sculpture. Grounded in object-making, this course invites students to explore the performative potential of their creations through physical interaction and live engagement. We will develop installations that invite audience participation, extend our work beyond the classroom into public spaces, and experiment with new ways to activate objects through performance. Emphasis will be placed on crafting dynamic relationships between performer and audience using material, movement, sound, text, spectacle, scale, and environment.

In this course, students will explore the art and craft of working with various soft metals, such as brass, bronze, copper, and silver. The curriculum covers a wide range of techniques such as soldering, forming, and centrifugal casting, enabling students to manipulate and shape metal into intricate forms. Utilizing a combination of hand tools and specialized equipment, students will learn to transform raw metal materials into functional and decorative objects. Emphasis will be placed on artistry and craftsmanship, with students developing their unique designs. This course bridges traditional practices with modern innovations, offering a comprehensive understanding of this ancient yet continually evolving art form.
Readings will explore topics of the historic metal eras including the Bronze and Iron Age, The Forge and the Crucible by Mircea Eliade, Metalworking Through History: A Modern Encyclopedia by Ana M. Lopez, Alchemy + Mysticism by Alexander Roob, A History Of Metallography: The Development Of Ideas On The Structure Of Metals Before 1890 by Cyril Stanley Smith, and The Secrets of Metals by Wilhelm Pelikan. Some contemporary metalsmith artists will be studied such as Michele Oka Doner. This class will also include a variety of handouts from the Metal Smith Society to demonstrate specific metal smithing techniques and tools.
We will have a midterm critique to review progress and then students should expect to produce a body of work consisting of 3-5 finished pieces during the semester.

Advances in metallurgy and foundry practices provided the spark for the Industrial Revolution that transformed the world. In this intermediate level metal casting course, students explore how technological developments, material innovations, principles of mass production and distribution, and the mechanization of work have influenced the shape of contemporary social, economic, and political structures. While emphasis is placed on foundry techniques in this course, a variety of industrial materials and processes are explored including computer scanning, data manipulation and rapid-prototyping technologies. Students learn to access industrial services via the internet and off-campus field trips.