Art of Comics: 1800 until today

Comics (comic strips, comic books, comix, and graphic novels) are a vital part of modern visual culture and yet they are rarely studied by art historians. From Rodolphe Töpffer's "picture-stories" to superhero comic books and beyond to graphic novels, we will examine the formal development of the medium and its relationships to art history and visual culture. We will analyze the shifting position of the comic book in American popular culture, while also emphasizing the stylistic and narrative development of the form. We will pay attention to the ways in which artists establish flow between panels, structure pages, arrange text and image, and facilitate transitions. We will consider points of intersection between comics and the art historical canon with particular emphasis on pop art, new figuration and contemporary art.