Course Title: ART 599 Art Beyond the West (Graduate level)
Term: Summer
Course Description
This course will provide a broad introduction to traditional non-western art in various regions of the world, including but not limited to Asian, African, and Pre-Columbian art. The purpose and context as well as the style of the art and architecture will be examined. Non-European and non-Anglophone.
Course Objectives
In this course, students will:
-
analyze and evaluate in written and verbal forms creative works from outside the west and discuss the social contexts of art: how it is used and why it is made.
-
discuss how art forms relate to historical and political circumstances, including colonialism and globalization.
-
come to understand the geographical diversity of visual culture and to describe the similarities and differences among prehistoric, “traditional,” and contemporary forms.
-
research and prepare a short presentation or project on a non-western artist, describing their work and how it relates to that of their native culture.
Course Outcomes
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
-
Demonstrate general knowledge of the material through periodic exams and online evaluations.
-
Demonstrate knowledge of how the historical and political circumstances influenced the art from these non-Western regions though on-line quizzes.
-
Demonstrate general knowledge of the geographical diversity of visual culture through periodic exams and online evaluations.
-
Understand the impact of non-Western culture on the work of an indigenous contemporary artist and demonstrate this through a short presentation or project.
Major Assignments
Exams
There are 3 online, non-cumulative exams scheduled throughout the semester. Exams will include image identification, fill-in-the-blank, unknown identification, etc. Questions will be drawn from any and all material covered in the course, including lecture notes, study guides, handouts, discussions, readings, multimedia resources, and assignments.
Lesson Presentation
Over the course of the term, we will be learning about the art styles of a variety of cultures. Students will develop a lesson plan on an artwork, monument, or other topic related to one of these cultures and give a 10-15 presentation of the lesson in class. A list of topics will be posted to Canvas to choose from.
Research Essay
Choosing from provided prompts, students write a 1,500–2,000-word essay drawing on material covered in class as well as outside sources. After selecting a prompt, students develop a clear thesis statement and identify artworks that support that thesis.
Essays should include:
1. a clear thesis statement that outlines the argument and the evidence to be used to support it
2. formal and contextual analysis of specific artworks as well as other details specific to the question
3. discussion of themes covered in class how they apply to specific artworks of different cultures and periods
4. explanation of why these formal differences exist based on the works’ particular historical and cultural contexts.
The prompts provided can serve as starting points. Your essay need not be limited to the exact details of the prompt. Students are free to expand the scope of your topic or explore questions related to the prompts.
Student Samples
