डॉ. बी. आर. अम्बेडकर विश्‍वविद्यालय दिल्ली
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University Delhi
Established by The Government of NCT of Delhi

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

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

This course builds on foundation studio practices by strengthening understanding of line, form, colour, and spatial organization. It complements courses in visual culture and art history by translating theory into visual practice. It supports research-oriented learning through process documentation and critical reflection. The focus remains practice-based, ensuring complementarity rather than overlap.

2. 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

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

1The 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.

4. 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

5. Proposed date of launch:

Proposed for launch; submitted for review and approval

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

The course promotes critical inquiry and reflective visual thinking aligned with AUD’s academic vision. It integrates perceptual study with contemporary visual language development. Students engage with cultural context through visual interpretation. It supports the MAVA programme by building a strong conceptual and compositional foundation.

Course Description:

This course examines visual composition as an advanced formal, perceptual and conceptual practice in contemporary art. It explores the dynamic role of line, form, colour and texture in relation to space, balance, surface and framing, emphasizing how compositional decisions construct visual meaning and experience. Through studio-based inquiry, material exploration and critical reflection, students investigate spatial relationships, surface strategies and framing devices. The course further foregrounds visual cognition, perceptual studies and abstract strategies, encouraging students to engage with interpretive frameworks and conceptual thinking. By integrating formal analysis with perceptual and abstract approaches, the course supports the development of a refined compositional language and critical positioning within contemporary visual art practices.

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:

• CO 1. Critically apply core compositional elements such as line, form, colour, and texture in advanced visual practice.
• CO 2. Explore spatial relationships, balance, surface treatment, and framing as tools for visual organization and conceptual articulation.
• CO 3. Analyse visual perception and cognition to develop abstract and interpretive strategies in image-making.
• CO 4. Integrate perceptual inquiry with conceptual thinking to formulate a personal and contemporary visual language.

Brief Description of Modules:

Module 1: Elements of Composition

Focus:       Line, form, colour, texture

This module examines line, form, colour, and texture as conceptual and material tools in contemporary visual practice. Through focused studio exploration and critical reflection, students develop advanced compositional strategies responsive to individual artistic inquiry and current visual discourses.

Suggested Reading:

• Kandinsky, Wassily. Point and Line to Plane. 1926 (English ed. 1947). Dover Publications.
• Goswamy, B. N. The Spirit of Indian Painting: Close Encounters with 100 Great Works, 1100–1900. 1996. New Delhi: National Museum in association with Penguin Books India.

Module 2: Space, Balance, Surface and Framing

Focus:       Spatial relationships, surface treatment, and framing strategies

This module focuses on advanced exploration of spatial relationships, balance, surface treatment, and framing in contemporary art practice. Through studio-based exercises, students investigate how spatial organization and framing strategies shape visual perception, material presence, and conceptual meaning.

Suggested Reading:

• Kramrisch, Stella. The Art of India: Traditions of Indian Sculpture, Painting and Architecture. London: Phaidon Press, 1954.
• Krauss, Rosalind. The Originality of the Avant-Garde and Other Modernist Myths. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1985.

Module 3: Visual Cognition and Abstract Strategies

Focus:     Understanding visual experience through perceptual study, interpretive frameworks, and abstraction)

This module examines visual perception and cognition as foundations for abstract art practice. Through perceptual studies, critical inquiry, and studio experimentation, students develop abstract strategies that translate visual experience into conceptual and material forms within contemporary art contexts.

Suggested Reading:

• Coomaraswamy, Ananda K. The Transformation of Nature in Art. New York: Dover Publications, 1956.
• Elkins, James. On the Strange Place of Religion in Contemporary Art. New York: Routledge, 2004.

Module 4: Introduction to Contemporary Perspective in Composition

Focus: Concept, personal expression, and contemporary visual thinking

Students are introduced to contemporary approaches to composition through thematic projects and conceptual exercises. The module encourages individual interpretation, experimentation, and critical reflection. Basic exposure to modern and contemporary art practices helps students connect formal composition with ideas, context, and personal visual language.

Suggested Reading:

• Subramanyan, K. G. The Living Tradition: Perspectives on Modern Indian Art. 1987.
• Arnheim, Rudolf. Art and Visual Perception: A Psychology of the Creative Eye. 1954 (revised edition 1974).

Teaching Methods:

Practice-Led Studio Method:

Short Focused Studio exercise exploring line, form, colour, texture, spatial relationships, and surface etc. Material experimentation and process-based making rather than finished outcomes alone. Emphasis on thinking through making.

Demonstration and Guided Experimentation:

Faculty demonstrations of techniques, compositional strategies, and material handling.Guided experimentation sessions where students adapt demonstrated strategies to their own visual perception.

Perceptual and Visual Cognition Exercises

Observation-based tasks (seeing, mapping, re-framing, abstraction). Exercises drawn from gestalt principles, visual perception, and cognitive interpretation of images. Translation of perceptual experience into abstract compositional forms.

Critique and Peer Review

Regular group critiques and one-to-one mentoring. Discussion focused on compositional decision-making, spatial logic, and conceptual clarity. Encourages articulation of intent and critical vocabulary.

Individual Mentoring:

Periodic reviews to support personal artistic inquiry. Tailoring compositional strategies to each student’s research direction