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[sunsearching]

I'm doing interdisciplinary work that is getting into a new field for me - visual studies, visual culture, film and media theory.  Of course, I'm doing a lot of reading on my own, but I'm looking for some kind of intensive seminar or summer course that I could take to help me gain some knowledge in this new field.  I guess the easiest would be to take summer school courses with students at a nearby university, but I'd rather find something more for scholars and something shorter and more intense.  I'm thinking a good place would be in the UK, but the US as well.  I'm hoping to be in Europe next summer for research so I was hoping to find something there. 

Anyone know of anything that sounds like this?  Any information would be much appreciated!

[artsy_122]

I don't know for sure if they have a program....  but have you tried NYU?  Also - Performance Studies International might be another place to look for workshops like that.

(I was introduced to visual culture theory in a class - and have really found a lot of applications to my work!)

[dellaroux]

Get a solid art history background first. Then do some graphic design, history of photography, cinematic history, etc. to top off. Take at least 3 or four studio courses in drawing, painting, sculpture and one of the dec. arts, photography, or printmaking, too.

So-called theoretical visual studies without any understanding of the actual materials and processes of the arts lead to the kinds of stuff that makes people with any real background start tearing their hair out.

Sorry for the rant, but it's gotta be said...if you want to start in the summer, start with any good survey series and a couple of focused contemporaneous period or thematic studies to go with it. Otherwise you start reasoning from no basis whatsoever, and it will end up sounding like it.

Them's my sentiments, anyway. Others may wish to demur...

[losemygrip]

I hate it when people who claim the field of "visual studies" or "cultural studies" try to colonize art history.  Typically they're from English and think that because they can quote a few arcane theorists that they know all about art.  Boring, pretentious, and useless.

Which is to say, make sure you know what you're getting into.