“The modern man who tattoos himself is either a criminal or a degenerate.” —Adolf Loos, Ornament and Crime

To decorate is to adorn, embellish, ornament, trim, garnish, furnish, enhance, grace, brighten, festoon, burnish, gild, bedazzle or prettify. This studio course will consider the charged relationship between modernism and ornament, exploring decoration as a formal, aesthetic and moral phenomenon. Texts and assignments will address topics such as: decoration and the autonomous artwork, art’s relationship to pleasure, decoration and gender, and ornament versus austerity. Please note that this course may require additional materials to be purchased by the student.