Honors Collegium M179: The Critical Vision: A History of Art as Social Commentary

Honors Collegium M179

The Critical Vision: A History of Art as Social Commentary

Enrollment: Instructor Consent. Please visit Professor Paul Von Blum in person beginning week 9 (11/25/24) at his office hours: Monday and Tuesday, 10:00am – 12:30pm, 2333 Rolfe Hall.

Course Description: Study of the tradition of visual arts (painting, graphic art, photography, sculpture) as vehicles for social and political commentary.

Paul Von Blum

Paul Von Blum has taught a wide variety of humanities and social science classes at the University of California since 1968, 11 years at Berkeley and the rest at UCLA. While teaching is his primary passion, he has also published extensively, including 10 books and numerous articles on the arts, education, politics, culture, and the law. Most recently, his research has focused on African American visual art. He has also been a civil rights and political activist since the early 1960s, including more recently since the murder of George Floyd. He is a lawyer by original training and has conducted many pro bono social justice cases over the years.

Q & A

What is your home department at UCLA?
African American Studies and Communication

How long have you been teaching your HC seminar?
Since the early 1980s. Over the years, the course has changed as I have continued my research in this field.

What is your favorite part about teaching this HC seminar?
I absolutely love the high levels of intellectual curiosity and energy of the students I have selected for this class.

What do you find to be the most compelling about the subject matter of this seminar?
It is such a vast area that each year, I am able to add new artists, new themes, and when possible, new field trips.

What are the learning objectives for this course?
Please reference the course syllabus

Student Feedback

Honors Collegium M179: The Critical Vision: A History of Art as Social Commentary

“Professor Von Blum is one of the best professors I have taken here at UCLA. He truly cares for his students and has so much knowledge to share in this course. I have learned so much about art, history, and things I would have never known about before this course. This course provides a great background on the foundational artists and art forms that they used which influence artists today on social and political criticism. I loved our term paper assignment which Professor Von Blum allows you to explore a topic of your interest and feel free to make it personal. I highly recommend this course as an Honor Collegium course and as a course in general.”

“This class was always engaging and discussed important topics that were difficult to find in other classes. I appreciated how Professor Von Blum told each artwork as a story, allowing us to interpret the art in a different light. He also included personal stories that allowed us to appreciate the art in a more personal level. Also, I enjoyed talking to him during office hours because he was open to any type of discussion and I always felt welcomed.”

“Dr. Von Blum is unequivocally the most caring, approachable, honest, and passionate professor I have ever had. I have never really felt comfortable sharing my personal experiences with a professor before, but Dr. Von Blum made me feel so valued, allowing me to feel be more open and honest than I have been with an instructor throughout my UCLA experience. This is a class (and a professor) I will never forget, and I am indescribably grateful to have been a part of it. Thank you for everything Dr. Von Blum.”

“Professor Von Blum is always highly concerned not only for the well-being of his students but also their experience and what they will draw from the class after leaving. In all my four years of college I have never met a professor who has made themselves so available and willing to help students in any way and he truly, truly cares for student-professor interaction and connections. I will leave this class with invaluable information and learning that has only been enriched by professor Von Blum extensive lived experiences.”