ART 264 ADU - Multicultural Art in USA

Minimum Credit(s) Awarded: 4
Maximum Credit(s) Awarded: 4

This course provides an inclusive, multicultural introduction to 20th and 21st century art of the USA, with emphasis on ways that art is related to the historical, social, and cultural contexts in which it is created. We consider such questions as: How have the social dynamics of race and ethnicity, along with gender and class, shaped the experiences of American artists and their audiences at various historical moments during the past hundred years? How do artists’ social positions inform their artistic responses to questions of modernity? What does art by artists of diverse ethnicities tell us about the historic and contemporary experiences of various cultural groups in the US? As well as exploring movements in art of the US and the work of individual artists of various ethnicities, this course introduces the students to methodological and theoretical issues underlying the study of modern and contemporary art in the US, and ways that consideration and critical analysis of multiple disciplinary and social perspectives can enrich our understanding of this art. Readings, class discussion, group inquiry projects, and other assignments will emphasize the development of reflective, creative, and critical approaches to the study of visual art.

Cross-listed ETHS 264

Offered Fall

Prerequisite(s): None.