Scribner Seminar Program
Course Description
BUZZ: The Art and Design of Caffeine
Instructor(s): Mimi Hellman, Art History
What keeps you awake? Caffeinated substances have been consumed in many societies
for hundreds of years, but the form and significance of the ‘buzz’ have varied greatly.
In this seminar, students explore how coffee, tea, chocolate and Coca-Cola have been
presented to consumers in different places and times, and how these modes of presentation
have engaged diverse cultural values. We will focus on the visual and material aspects
of caffeinated products: how they are packaged, advertised, prepared, and served;
the environments in which they are sold and consumed; and their depiction in prints,
paintings, and film. We will discover how these representational strategies both express
and actively shape how people think about their bodies, their social identities, and
the world in which they live. Our investigation will take us from coffeehouses in
17th-century Europe to the ritual of the Japanese tea ceremony to the design of Godiva
chocolate boxes to the marketing of Coca-Cola. Through a range of learning experiences,
this course will wake you up to new ideas about the history and meaning of ‘buzz’.
Course Offered