During 1996-97, 15 (winter quarter) and 16 (spring quarter) undergraduate art students gathered to participate in the upper division level class, Artists as Writers, at the University of California, Irvine.

The focus of the class was to closely examine ways in which language and voice are used by contemporary artists through a broad selection of writings. The variety of texts, including autobiographical narrative, critical fiction, and prose, crossed borders in myriad ways by disrupting notions of subjectivity, issues of visibility/invisibility, and the process of naming. Writings by bell hooks, Brian Wallis, Karen Finley, and Trinh T. Minh-ha provided an introduction to the above themes, followed by readings by artists and writers, David Wojnarowicz, Joan Didion, Marlon Riggs, Maxine Hong Kingston, Allan deSouza, and Jessica Hagedorn, among others. Visits included author Larissa Lai and artist/photographer Al Winn. Their stories and personal experiences offered diverse and critical viewpoints toward the creative process of writing.

For a final course project during the winter quarter, each student was asked to contribute their own creative narratives for a book form entitled, artists as writers: a collection of poetry, fictional writing, and prose. Students made multiple copies of their texts, in addition to creating a unique 2 x 2 inch image for the cover page. After the writings were bound, each student received their own copy.



To see the online version of the winter quarter splash page, continue here.

To see the online version of the spring quarter, continue here.