The Space Between Us 

What does art do to the distance between people? 

This course traces a line from Helen Levitt’s lyrical photographs of New York street life in the 1940s to the tender, participatory works of Felix Gonzalez-Torres and beyond — pausing along the way to look carefully at works that changed what art could be and do. Moving through photography, minimalism, conceptual art, identity-based practice, and activist art, each session builds a picture of post-war American art as something restless, contested, and very much alive — told through the full range of voices that shaped it. 

No prior knowledge of art necessary — only a readiness to observe, reflect, and discuss the artworks in English. 

Two visits anchor the course in direct experience: a trip to the Mapfre Foundation to spend time with Levitt’s New York streets, and a visit to the Reina Sofía Museum for Felix Gonzalez-Torres: Sweet Revenge — the exhibition that bookends our journey and brings its central question into sharp, moving focus. 

By the end, the most compelling question turns out to be not a formal one but a human one: who are we to each other, and what can a work of art do about it? 

Professor: Kae Newcomb

Class schedule:

April 23, May 7, May 14, May 21, May 28, June 4, June 11, June 18.