A studio course that combines theory and artistic practice to examine the development of the arts from a critical perspective. The course will address a range of models from structuralism and semiotics to modern and postmodern paradigms. The class is designed for practicing artists, allowing students to gain the skills and confidence to express their artistic objectives in critical writing, art making, and verbal analysis. Each student is responsible for oral presentations, works of art generated through research, and written statements about their artistic objectives.