Clarence Sheffield Jr Headshot

Clarence Sheffield Jr

Professor

Academic Affairs

585-475-6721
Office Location

Clarence Sheffield Jr

Professor

Academic Affairs

Education

BS, University of Utah; MA, University of Colorado at Boulder; Ph.D., Bryn Mawr College

585-475-6721

Areas of Expertise

Select Scholarship

Invited Keynote/Presentation
Jr., Sheffield Clarence Burton. "The Norwegian Contributions to the 1912-13 Scandinavian Art Exhibition and the Fate of Norwegian Art in North America." 101st Annual Conference. College Art Association. New York, NY. 13 Feb. 2013. Conference Presentation.
Sheffield, Jr. Clarence Burton. "Fridtjof Nansen's Complex Relationship to Nature and Technology"." 103rd Annual Meeting of the Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Studies. Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Studies-University of California, Berkeley. San Francisco, CA. 3 May 2013. Conference Presentation.
Scheffield, Jr.Clarence Burton. "The Unsung Role of Sculpture in Edvard Munch's Creative Process and Public Persona"." Edvard Munch And/In Modernism. Nasjonalmuseet, Munchmuseet and University of Oslo. Oslo, Norway. 20 Sep. 2013. Conference Presentation.
Sheffield, Jr. Clarence Burton. "Identity, Difference and the Porosity of Swedish Architecture: Some Reflections on a Complex Historiography"." SAHN-3rd International Conference. Swedish Architectural History Network. Uppsala, Sweden. 10 Oct. 2013. Conference Presentation.
Formal Presentation
Sheffield, ClarenceBurton, Jr. “Edvard Munch in 2010: Reassessing a Century of Scholarship-Directions for the Future.” 98th Annual Conference, College Art Association, Chicago, IL. 12 Feb. 2010. Presentation.
Sheffield, ClarenceBurton, Jr. “Fridtjof Nansen’s Environmental Philosophy and His Evolving Image of theArctic.” Environmental Histories of the North-A Seminar/Workshop. Nordic Environmental History Network (NEHN), Nordforsk. Stockholm, Sweden. 14 Oct. 2010. Presentation.
Sheffield, ClarenceBurton, Jr. “Crime and Criminality in Modern Norwegian Art.” Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Study. Seattle, WA. 23 April 2010. Presentation.

Currently Teaching

ARTH-521
3 Credits
The image remains a ubiquitous, controversial, ambiguous and deeply problematic issue in contemporary critical discourse. This course will examine recent scholarship devoted to the image—a ubiquitous controversial, ambiguous and deeply problematic issue in contemporary critical discourse—and the ideological implications of the image in contemporary culture. Topics will include: the modern debate over word vs. image, the mythic origins of images, subversive, traumatic, monstrous, banned and destroyed images (idolatry and iconoclasm), the votive, the totem, and effigy, the mental image, the limits of visuality, the moving and projected image, the virtual image, dialectical images, image fetishism, the valence of the image, semiotics and the image, as well as criteria by which to assess their success or failure (their intelligibility) and their alleged redemptive and poetic power. Students will explore the theoretical framework of the concept of the image, and critically evaluate these theories within their broader intellectual and historical contexts.
ARTH-573
3 Credits
This course examines the widely influential mid-1960s art movement that questioned the fundamental nature of art itself by renunciating the material art object as well as the phenomenon of art making. The definition of art as well as its institutional framework was thereby expanded, and the idea, concept, or intellectual dimension of the work was underscored. Students will be acquainted with the philosophical foundations and critical implications of this global movement across a wide spectrum of works and practices (paintings, performance, installations, books and texts, photography, film, and video) and its relevance to contemporary concerns.
ARTH-574
3 Credits
Students will examine the widely influential Dada and Surrealist movements in Europe and the United States from 1916 through the post-World War II period as well as their relevance to contemporary concerns. Emphasis is on identifying the major works of artists involved in these movements as well as their philosophical foundations, critical implications, as well as the broader literary and ideological contexts (e.g., Freud, Breton, Lautréamont, Leiris and Bataille). A wide range of works and practices (paintings, performance, installations, literary texts, photography, film, and ephemeral objects) will be studied, and the work of certain key artists (Höch, Heartfield, Schwitters, Duchamp, Picabia, Dalí, Ernst, Giacometti, Man Ray, Bellmer, Cahun, Cornell, Magritte, Miro, Oppenheim, Toyen and Picasso) will be analyzed in depth.
ARTH-578
3 Credits
The Norwegian artist Edvard Munch (1863-1944) continues to generate a great deal of popular interest, critical scholarship, and reflection. A painter, printmaker, photographer, and filmmaker, Munch was also a prolific writer, well acquainted with the symbolist poets and playwrights, as well as the broad intellectual drift of the fin-de-Siècle. He is the one Scandinavian artist included within the Modernist canon and his image, The Scream (1893), is an icon of the modern age. This course will examine recent scholarship devoted to Munch and the critical issues that his work addresses. It will also place him within the broader cultural context of Scandinavian and European modernism, while examining his impact on subsequent generations.
ARTH-584
3 Credits
Students will examine the decorative arts and visual culture of modern Scandinavia from 1860 to the present, with special emphasis on the social, economic, and political impulses that have shaped them. Scandinavian Modern design plays a significant role in the postwar epoch; it is equated with such leading brands as Volvo, Saab, Ericsson, Nokia, H&M, Electrolux Orrefors, Georg Jensen, ARTEK, Iittala, and IKEA and the idea of progressive, social democracy. The myths and realities of its success will be examined and related to emerging cultural and national identities, as well as its impact on contemporary design.
ARTH-621
3 Credits
This course will examine recent scholarship devoted to the image – a ubiquitous controversial, ambiguous and deeply problematic issue in contemporary critical discourse -- and the ideological implications of the image in contemporary culture. Topics will include: the modern debate over word vs. image, the mythic origins of images, subversive, traumatic, monstrous, banned and destroyed images (idolatry and iconoclasm), the votive, the totem, and effigy, the mental image, the limits of visuality, the moving and projected image, the virtual image, dialectical images, image fetishism, the valence of the image, semiotics and the image, as well as criteria by which to assess their success or failure (their intelligibility) and their alleged redemptive and poetic power. Students will explore the theoretical framework of the concept of the image, and critically evaluate these theories within their broader intellectual and historical contexts.
ARTH-624
3 Credits
Students will examine the decorative arts and visual culture of modern Scandinavia from 1860 to the present, with special emphasis on the social, economic, and political impulses that have shaped them. Scandinavian Modern design plays a significant role in the postwar epoch; it is equated with such leading brands as Volvo, Saab, Ericsson, Nokia, H&M, Electrolux Orrefors, Georg Jensen, ARTEK, Iittala, and IKEA and the idea of progressive, social democracy. The myths and realities of its success will be examined, as well as its impact on contemporary design.
ARTH-673
3 Credits
This course examines the widely influential mid-1960s art movement that questioned the fundamental nature of art itself by renunciating the material art object as well as the phenomenon of art making. The definition of art as well as its institutional framework was thereby expanded, and the idea, concept, or intellectual dimension of the work was underscored. Students will be acquainted with the philosophical foundations and critical implications of this global movement across a wide spectrum of works and practices (paintings, performance, installations, books and texts, photography, film, and video) and its relevance to contemporary concerns.
ARTH-674
3 Credits
This course examines the widely influential Dada and Surrealist movements in Europe and the United States from 1916 through the post-World War II period as well as their relevance to contemporary concerns. Emphasis is on identifying the major works of artists involved in these movements as well as their philosophical foundations, critical implications, as well as broader literary and ideological contexts (e.g., Freud, Breton, Lautréamont, Leiris and Bataille). A wide range of works and practices (paintings, performance, installations, literary texts, photography, film, and ephemeral objects) will be studied, and the work of certain key artists (Höch, Heartfield, Schwitters, Duchamp, Picabia, Picasso, Dalí, Ernst, Giacometti, Man Ray, Bellmer, Cahun, Cornell, Magritte, Miro, Oppenheim, Toyen and Picasso) will be analyzed in depth.
ARTH-678
3 Credits
The Norwegian artist Edvard Munch (1863-1944) continues to generate a great deal of popular interest, critical scholarship, and reflection. The 4-volume catalogue raisonné of his paintings was published in 2009, and the graphic work appeared in 2001. A painter, printmaker, photographer, and filmmaker, Munch was also a prolific writer, well acquainted with the symbolist poets and playwrights, as well as the broad intellectual drift of the fin-de-siècle. He is the one Scandinavian artist included within the Modernist canon and his image, The Scream (1893), is an icon of the modern age. Munch traveled widely throughout Europe and his work was exhibited in North America beginning with the famous 1913 Armory Show. In this course students will examine recent scholarship devoted to Munch and the critical issues that his work addresses. It will also place him within the broader cultural context of Scandinavian and European modernism, while examining his impact on subsequent generations.
SOIS-201
3 Credits
This course examines how different paradigms and worldviews have shaped our understanding of the world and life, from antiquity to the present. This course is exploratory in nature. In other words, we will question who we are, how we fit into the world, and what ideas seem to define the world in which we live. How have different cultures, nations, and regions viewed the world differently? What are scientific paradigms? What is the Postmodern or the Posthuman? How can a cosmopolitan society reconcile different attitudes and belief systems? What happens when disparate worldviews or conceptual schemes collide or are threatened with cultural, economic, or political devastation? How should the individual relate to society? How should they relate to the environment? How have artists and writers addressed such questions? We will examine how these concepts have evolved in the modern era, especially, and how paradigms and worldviews have differed across the globe. Key authors and readings from the fields of cultural studies, sociology, anthropology, intellectual history, history of science, philosophy, psychoanalysis, and/or history of art will be discussed.
SOIS-202
3 Credits
This course examines how to understand the individual’s role and ethical responsibilities in civil society, the economy, and the globe. The course is exploratory, collaborative, and participatory. The course will involve reading, discussion, and reflection on notable texts about individualism from antiquity to the present, as well as discussion sessions with notable individuals in our community. In consultation with the faculty instructor, students will develop a research and action plan based on their own sense of individuality.
SOIS-510
3 Credits
A capstone class for students in the applied arts and sciences bachelor of science degree program. Course provides students an opportunity to reflect upon and enhance the many aspects of their individualized educational programs and focus on future goals.