Fine Arts - Directions
The Faculty of Graphic Art was established together with the foundation of the Academy. With its rich traditions and history, the Direction is a multi functional structural unit.
In fine arts, technical and formal criteria are not sufficient for delineating the genre limits of graphic art. Given the ever-changing character and growing diversification of contemporary artistic output, any attempt to classify art would be unsuccessful.
The teaching methodology entails the use of traditional approaches as well as cutting-edge technologies in the field. The department serves to train professional graphic artists according to selected priority fields.
The Direction of Graphic Art incorporates five studios, namely those of:
- Easel Graphics: Students are taught composition and a wide array of traditional and contemporary techniques employed in easel graphics (i.e. etching, lithograph, linocut, xylography and mixed media). Students are also expected to create compositions using digital software. Focus is made on enhancing students’ ability to develop an individual vision of the composition and its enhancement by using different technologies. Attention is devoted to the development of practical and analytical skills.
- Book Design and Illustration Studio: Students are taught principles of book design and illustration, as well as technological processes associated with producing books, layout and techniques for choosing typefaces, paper quality and cover material. In addition to book illustration, students work on easel compositions; in graphic art studio they explore graphic art and engraving (i.e. etching, lithography, linocut, xylography and computer graphics), which are essential for book illustration.
- Poster Design Studio: Priority is given to the development of creativity in constructing posters. Students acquire critical thinking skills and an ability to take an individual approach to every theme. They explore the possibilities of communicating information visually by means of metaphors, which make a poster a work of art rather than a mere piece of information. The studio offers students an opportunity to become familiar with the latest computer technologies and different branches of graphic art and engraving.
- Advertising Graphic Studio: The studio runs a Master’s level programme aimed at preparing professional graphic designers. It serves not only to familiarise students with the established norms, but also to enable them create an intellectual space conducive to raising questions and questions and finding solutions to individual assignments. The studio encourages students to think critically and to experiment. It helps students further enhance their ability to use digital technologies, as well as the elements of advertising information, fonts and photographic material in advertising graphics. The studio intensively cooperates with advertising agencies and publishing houses.
- Animation Studio:Established at the Department of Graphic Art of the Faculty of Fine Arts in 1983, the Animation Studio has produced a large number of short animation films, many of which have been presented at international festivals and won prizes. The Animation Studio trains art directors of animated films, who are expected to work with film directors and be able to use different techniques, including drawing, puppet, plasticine and sand animation. In 2008 the studio produced a paint-on-glass animation. The Animation Studio offers students an opportunity to acquire professional skills. The animation course makes emphasis on the animation of classic drawings as well as characters and objects for films produced with different technologies. The studio also has laboratories of graphic technologies and paper technology.
Teachers:
Tamaz Varvaridze Emeritus Professor
Vakhtang Megrelishvili, Associate Professor
Otar Chakvetadze, Associate Professor
LeLa Zarkua, Assistant Professor
Baia Sikharulidze, Associate Professor