Monaghan expects students to know the material before teaching it
worst GE class!
Very unhelpful over email. Please be warned of her passive aggressive comments
there was too much breadth to the material without any depth-- I thought I would learn about social and historical context rather than see every single painting done in Europe during the past few centuries. This is definitely more of a specialist class than a humanities GE. We took the final in June; I've forgotten everything already.
If you have trouble paying attention in big lecture halls, DO NOT take this class. It's really important to be able to listen to everything she says for every single slide because memorization of in-class information is basically the midterm and the final. I had a good TA, but there is only so much they can go over in section once a week.
Was very confused to come on here and read these reviews. Laurie may not be the best prof ever but DEFINITELY is not the worst. My biggest tip: write down every single thing she says about a painting. Makes it so much easier when going back and reviewing. Class is not as hard as everyone is claiming. Just have to pay attention during lecture.
NOT HAVING TO MEMORIZE PAINTINGS AND ARTISTS IS NOT A GOOD THING!!! instead we had to memorize information about history and movement with so many details. she literally asked what event inspired an artist to make a specific painting (from the first half of the quarter) on the final exam...
We dont have to memorize the art, but, since Monahan doesnt teach analysis (a one-page handout is not teaching!), there is no way to pass the exams without memorizing material about each movement and painting. I wish I had learned skills rather than information. The readings are not helpful for studying/supplementing lecture. Class is too big!!
Course is unorganized. Readings on syllabus don't correlate with lectures, study guides, or website, so it is difficult to keep track of the material. Even though the course is modern art, we study very few women artists and nearly no POC, and she skips the non-European, non-North American movements altogether.
Lectures are hilarious, deep, and thought-provoking. But it's true that she didn't start with the basic formal analysis and expects you to acquire the skills by yourself. Not an easy GE class, but I learned a lot from it --- not only about modern art but also how to view the world
DO NOT take her class no matter for GE or major. I thought 6c should be an easy class with more approachable material than 6b. However, I was totally wrong. She never did formal analysis in the lecture which makes really difficult for people to understand the painting. I barely learned anything in her lecture, just too overwhelming. Exams are tough
She speaks a lot about art with out saying anything of substance. Makes it difficult when you have to analyze painting on your own for the paper & exams. A lot of work and reading if taken as a GE class. One paper, in-class midterm, in-class final. Lectures are easy to doze off in. She calls people out who leave, sleep, or talk. Course reader class
Do NOT take her classes. She expects too much from you for a GE class. If you are an art major go ahead but if you just want to fulfill a GE requirement do NOT take this class. She is also straight cringe as she calls out students as well as her own TAs in the middle of class. She's a very hard grader and if you don't go to class you won't pass.
Monahan is the worst. Apparently everyone got Ds and Fs on her midterm and she blames everyone's "preparation." Her lectures are useless as she more so makes fun and jokes about paintings, rather than formal analysis, which is useless for exams when she expects formal elements and analyzation. If you're taking this as a GE, AVOID!!!
Monahan is definitely one of the worst professors I have taken thus far. She is really rude during lecture and even called us PATHETIC because 90% of the class is taking this for GE and cannot describe the formal elements of a painting... She is not funny. You would have to have a bad sense of humor to laugh with her and not at her.
I won't recommend anyone to take her class, she is always trying to make the class funnier but never really worked. And it's so hard to even pass this class, so many things to memorize and think.
Prof. Monahan is really eloquent in how she articulates course concepts and is a fair grader.
Monahan is one of my favorite professors here. She is makes serious and challenging concepts easy to understand. The class is pretty easy, there's only one essay and you will never have to memorize titles or dates. Take 6C it's awesome!
a total character. No need to know dates, titles or artists (saved everyone's ass)
Monahan is a great lecturer and makes every class interesting and funny! One of my favorite art history teachers. If you're interested in art at all you should take this class.
Monahan is great! Although ArtHist is not my favorite, I loved her. She is funny, interesting, and charming and makes the material interesting. The end of this class had too much abstract art for my taste, but I loved it nonetheless! She is truly great! I took this to fulfill a Culture and Thought GE and I think this was a good choice.
Monahan is hilarious and adorable and very passionate about art history. It's a tough subject for nonmajors as it can get pretty boring. GO TO LECTURE. You might be able to pass if you don't, but seriously your life will be way easier if you go. Like WAY easier. Take it from someone who went from never going to always going. Grade went from C to A.
I would not recommend this class to anyone outside of the major! If you are taking it to satisfy a GE, find another class because this one requires a ton of work. Even though art is subjective based on the viewer, they grade as though there is only one right answer/methodology for analysis. Would not recommend.
I took her classes back in 1999/2000 and L.M. continues to be an inspiration for me. I am teaching American Literature at a European university now and I hope I will always be able to stay as enthusiastic and serious about my discipline as L. M. Take a look at her publications and find out if you like her style. One of the best teachers I've met!