Course Description
The appreciation of and evolving attitudes toward nature, gardens, and landscapes from an examination of landscapes as character, subject, or catalyst through their presence in or influence on differing forms of literature (novels, poetry, journalism), art (painting, film, theater, music, fashion) and pop culture (cultural trends, social media, advertising, activism).
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Each graduate student will be required to conduct in-depth research and analysis on the role of landscape(s) in a less traditional art form or venue. Examples could include social media, video games, graphic novels, comics or manga, anime, performance art, dance, comedy, sports, or gastronomy. The components of this research and analysis will be as follows: each graduate student will choose a topic from the list above or propose an alternative; produce a one-page written proposal that cites specific examples or case studies; develop a written outline from the proposal for a classroom lecture on the topic; present the classroom lecture at a minimum length of 40 minutes; provide the entire class with guidelines for how to prepare for the class period during which the lecture will occur (e.g., reading or viewing assignments, if any); and compose a research paper with embedded images and source citations.
Athena Title
LA in Lit Arts and Culture
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in LAND 4580E or LAND 6580E
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Students will understand the role of landscape in literature through reading, analyzing, and discussing assigned works of literature. Students will understand the role of landscape in film, television, video, and theater through watching, analyzing, and discussing assigned productions. Students will understand the role of landscape in music through watching, listening, and discussing assigned productions. Students will attend and compose written responses to assigned extracurricular events that connect landscapes to popular culture or the arts. Students will understand the role of landscape in the visual arts through observation, analysis, diagramming, and discussion of assigned works. Students will examine the role of the landscape in advertising through personal research and the presentation of findings to the class. Students will gain an understanding of the landscape’s role in or influence on a variety of artistic and cultural endeavors as measured by quizzes and exams.
Topical Outline
The influence of place on personal psyche The influence of place on human culture Landscape as character in literature Landscape as subject in literature Landscape’s influence on literature Landscape literature as catalyst for action Landscape as metaphor Landscape in film Landscape in television and video Landscape in theater Landscape in the visual arts (painting, drawing, sculpture) Landscape in fashion Landscape in music Landscape art as catalyst for action Landscape in advertising Style parallels between landscape design and the arts Landscape in non-traditional or new media, art forms, or venues (e.g., video games or performance art)
General Education Core
CORE IV: Humanities and the Arts