Creative Composition and Contemporary Perspectives-II

Course Type	Course Code	No. Of Credits
Discipline Core	SCC2VA116	4

Course coordinator and team : Prof Juhi Shukla, Dr. Kshama Divedi

Does the course connect to, build on, or overlap with other courses offered in AUD?

This course extends Semester I learning into spatial perception, body engagement, and material
exploration. It connects with visual culture and interdisciplinary studies through observation of
everyday environments. It supports research and studio documentation practices. Its experiential
studio focus ensures it complements rather than duplicates existing courses.

Specific requirements on the part of students who can be admitted to this course:

students and related disciplines Basic familiarity with drawing, painting, or visual analysis
Ability to engage with historical texts and visual material. Willingness to undertak research-
based and practice-led inquiry

No. of students to be admitted (with justification if lower than usual cohort size is
proposed):

The limited intake is necessary due to the intensive nature of visual analysis sessions, close
reading of manuscripts and paintings, seminar-based discussions, and individualized feedback on
research and practice-based projects.

Course scheduling:

(winter/mansoon course; semester-long course; half-semester course; workshop mode; seminar
mode; any other ) Winter Semeste, Semester-long course, Studio and Seminar Mode

Proposed date of launch:

Proposed for launch; submitted for review and approval

How does the course link with the vision of AUD and the specific programme?

The course aligns with AUD’s emphasis on experiential learning and socially grounded inquiry.
It encourages critical observation of everyday life and visual culture. Students translate lived
experience into visual expression and conceptual work. It strengthens the MAVA programme by
integrating practice with cultural awareness.

Course Description:

This studio-based course explores the relationship between space, body, material, and
temporality within contemporary visual practice. Through experiential learning, material
experimentation, repetition, rhythm, and process-oriented approaches, students develop
sensitivity to spatial perception and visual experience. The course emphasizes critical
observation of everyday life and visual culture, encouraging students to translate lived
experience into visual expression. Focus is placed on experimentation, conceptual development,
process documentation, and reflective practice, enabling students to integrate studio work with
broader visual and cultural contexts.

Aim of the Course:

The aim of this course is to develop advanced compositional understanding and critical visual thinking by
integrating formal elements, spatial strategies and perceptual inquiry, enabling postgraduate students to
articulate a refined, conceptually informed visual language within contemporary art practice.

Course Outcomes:

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

CO1: Demonstrate understanding of spatial relationships, embodied perception, and material behaviour through studio practice.
CO2: Critically observe and interpret everyday visual culture, translating lived experience into visual form.
CO3: Experiment with diverse materials, techniques, and processes to develop creative and exploratory approaches.
CO4: Develop concept-driven visual work supported by research, process documentation, and reflective thinking.
CO5: Participate in critique, discussion, and collaborative learning to evaluate and refine artistic practice.
CO6: Demonstrate independent inquiry, critical awareness, and professional approach towards studio practice.

Brief Description of Modules:

Module 1: Space Body and Material

Focus: Spatial practice, bodily engagement, and material exploration

This module introduces students to the relationship between body, space, and material as
foundational elements of visual practice. Through studio experiments and observational
exercises, students investigate scale, tactility, gesture, and the physical presence of materials.
Emphasis is placed on experiential learning, material sensitivity, and understanding space as both
physical and conceptual.

Suggested Reading:

Hall, Edward T. The Hidden Dimension. 1966.
K. G. Subramanyan. The Living Tradition: Perspectives on Modern Indian Art. 1987.

Module 2: Everyday Life and Visual Culture

Focus: Visual culture and critical observation

This module examines everyday life as a critical site of visual meaning. Students analyze popular
imagery, media, objects, and lived environments to understand how visual culture shapes
perception and identity. Through documentation, interpretation, and studio translation, students
develop critical awareness and observational sensitivity.

Module 2: Repetition, Rhythm and Temporarality

Focus: Time-based processes, rhythm, and seriality

This module explores repetition and rhythm as formal and conceptual strategies across visual
practice. Students examine temporality through sequential processes, performative gestures, and
evolving visual structures. Emphasis is placed on duration, movement, and process-based
making, encouraging students to understand art as unfolding over time rather than as a static
object.

Suggested Reading:

Bergson, Henri. Time and Free Will. 1910 (English edition).

Nasreen Mohamedi. Waiting Is a Part of Intense Living. 2013.

Module 3: Everyday Life and Visual Culture

Focus: Visual culture and critical observation

Suggested Reading:

Berger, John. Ways of Seeing. 1972
Geeta Kapur. When Was Modernism: Essays on Contemporary Cultural Practice in India. 2000.

Module 4: Process, Concept and Presentation.

Focus: Conceptual development, studio process, and visual articulation

This module synthesizes learning from earlier modules into independent studio inquiry. Students
develop ideas through research, experimentation, and critical reflection, leading to resolved
works and presentations. Emphasis is placed on process documentation, conceptual clarity,
critique participation, and modes of display including installation and portfolio development.

Suggested Reading:

Elkins, James. Why Art Cannot Be Taught: A Handbook for Art Students. 2001.
Sullivan, Graeme. Art Practice as Research. 2010.

Teaching Methods:

Studio-Based Experiential Learning: Primary mode of teaching where students learn through making, experimentation, and material engagement. Faculty guide individual and group studio practice through demonstrations, feedback, and iterative development. Emphasis is on process rather than only final outcomes.
Guided Observation and Field Study: Students engage in structured observation of everyday environments, architecture, body movement, and visual culture. Sketching, documentation, and reflective exercises develop visual sensitivity and critical awareness.
Project-Based Learning: Each module is structured around thematic studio projects (space, rhythm, everyday life, process). Students develop work through stages—idea generation, experimentation, refinement, and presentation—encouraging independent inquiry.
Material exploration workshops (texture, surface, tactility):
Critique and Group Discussion: Regular peer and faculty critiques encourage articulation, reflection, and critical evaluation. Students learn to discuss process, intention, and visual decisions using appropriate artistic vocabulary.