Professor Richard Saxton is an artist whose work focuses primarily on rural knowledge and landscape. Saxton’s work is conceived through an interdisciplinary cultural framework, and has been described as contemporary vernacular, non-heroic, and an art infused with rural experience without subscribing to any one genre or culture. Saxton is the founder of M12 Studio, a small-scale, artist-constructed organization committed to activating and amplifying the aesthetics of rural space on both regional and global scales. Saxton's collective and solo work has been featured in many national and international exhibitions, including those at the Center for Contemporary Art, Santa Fe; the Corcoran Gallery of Art and School of Art and Design in Washington, D.C.; the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles; the 13th International Venice Architecture Biennale; the Biennial of the Americas in Denver; and the Kohler Arts Center in Wisconsin.
keywords
sculpture, context-based art, rural space, fieldwork, site-specific art, spatial practice, social practice, social-sculpture, architecture, social-architecture, landscape, environment, design, image-based research, built environments, installation, public art, rural communities
ARTS 2384 - Fleeting and Found 1: Ephemeral Sculpture 1
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2018 / Fall 2019 / Fall 2020 / Fall 2022
Focuses on introductory level processes of creating sculpture projects which are ephemeral and temporary. Themes of process, lifespan, migration, tension, entropy, and degradation will be explored. This course will include lectures, readings and discussions, writing assignments, studio projects, and visual presentations.
ARTS 3004 - Land and Environmental Art (Sculpture and Post-Studio Practice)
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2021 / Spring 2023
Covers land and environmental art, providing an historical survey along with hands on projects in the landscape. Focusing on themes of site, environment, landforms, weather and earth materials, students will design and realize art projects on the land. Includes lectures, readings and discussions, writing assignments, studio projects and visual presentations. Recommended prerequisites: ARTS 2504 and ARTS 2524.
ARTS 3384 - Fleeting and Found 2: Ephemeral Sculpture 2
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2018 / Fall 2019 / Fall 2020 / Fall 2022
Focuses on creating sculpture projects which are ephemeral and temporary. Themes of process, lifespan, migration, tension, entropy and degradation will be explored. Includes lectures, readings and discussions, writing assignments, studio projects and visual presentations. Recommended prerequisites: ARTS 2504 and ARTS 2524.
ARTS 3714 - Experimental Structures (Sculpture and Post-Studio Practice)
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2023
Explores the interface of sculpture and architecture. Looks at individuals and collectives that have become renowned for their work with experimental structures and students will have the opportunity to build hands-on experiments. Includes lectures, readings and discussions, writing assignments, studio projects and visual presentations. Recommended prerequisites: ARTS 2504 and ARTS 2524.
ARTS 4004 - Land and Environmental Art (Sculpture and Post-Studio Practice)
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2021 / Spring 2023
Covers land and environmental art, providing an historical survey along with hands on projects in the landscape. Focusing on themes of site, environment, landforms, weather, and earth materials, students will design and realize art projects on the land. Includes lectures, readings and discussions, writing assignments, studio projects and visual presentations. Recommended prerequisites: ARTS 2504 and ARTS 2524.
ARTS 4024 - Public Art
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2020
Focuses on the two areas 1) lecture/discussion, both based on political, historical and the aesthetic evolution regarding examples of public art and 2) current practice, in reference to how to use such information to generate new more innovative and original ideas regarding public art and its application. Includes lectures, readings and discussions, writing assignments, studio projects and visual presentations. Recommended prerequisites: ARTS 2504 and ARTS 2524 and ARTS 3504. Same as ARTS 5024.
ARTS 4444 - Art and Rural Environments Field School
Primary Instructor
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Summer 2018 / Summer 2019 / Summer 2023
Puts students in touch with various rural landscapes in Colorado. Takes place off campus each summer during Maymester. Focuses on site-based approaches to art creation and is designed as an experiential course, meaning that students learn through the experience of place and then by the process of making. After introductions to each site, students will be responsible for a site interpretation piece utilizing various mediums including photography, drawing, land art and collaboration. Recommended prerequisite: ARTS 2504. Same as ARTS 5444.
ARTS 4504 - Advanced Sculpture Studio
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2018 / Spring 2019 / Spring 2020 / Spring 2022 / Fall 2022 / Spring 2023
Students in this course will be required to complete projects, participate in group critiques of projects, produce a slide presentation on a contemporary artist whose work/practice fits within the theme of the course and prepare a final portfolio. Studio work and demonstrations will be augmented by readings and discussions on contemporary art. May be repeated up to 12 total credit hours.
ARTS 4714 - Experimental Structures (Sculpture and Post Studio Practice)
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2023
Explores the interface of sculpture and architecture. Looks at individuals and collectives that have become renowned for their work with experimental structures and students will have the opportunity to build hands-on experiments. Includes lectures, readings and discussions, writing assignments, studio projects and visual presentations. Recommended prerequisites: ARTS 2504 and ARTS 2524.
ARTS 5024 - Public Art
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2020
Focuses on the two areas 1) lecture/discussion, both based on political, historical and the aesthetic evolution regarding examples of public art and 2) current practice, in reference to how to use such information to generate new more innovative and original ideas regarding public art and its application. Includes lectures, readings and discussions, writing assignments, studio projects and visual presentations. Same as ARTS 4024.
ARTS 5444 - Art and Rural Environments Field School
Primary Instructor
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Summer 2018 / Summer 2019
Puts students in touch with various rural landscapes in Colorado. Takes place off campus each summer during Maymester. Focuses on site-based approaches to art creation and is designed as an experiential course, meaning that students learn through the experience of place, and then by the process of making. After introductions to each site, students will be responsible for a site interpretation piece utilizing various mediums including photography, drawing, land art and collaboration. Same as ARTS 4444.
ARTS 5504 - Graduate Sculpture
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2019 / Spring 2022 / Fall 2023
May be repeated up to 18 credit hours.
ARTS 5717 - Graduate Studio Critique
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2020 / Fall 2023
May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours with any single faculty member.
