3.0

Spring 2023

Mon, 01/09/2023 - 00:00

Wed, 05/03/2023 - 00:00

Art In A Global Context Since 1990

Prereq: A-H 101 or A-H 106 recommended.

This course introduces students to ways of understanding contemporary art since 1990. After initially surveying approaches to contemporary art that emerged during the latter half of the 20th century, the course moves to recent art in the context of globalization. While students are expected to learn the Major artists and trends in the readings and lectures, the focus of the course is to learn how to think critically about contemporary art from around the world. We will consider not only formal and stylistic issues, but also the roles that nationality, race, gender, sexual identities, and art institutions play in shaping art today. Through close reading of key artworks and critical texts, we will develop a framework for understanding art of the late 20th and early 21st centuries in the US and abroad. Rather than a comprehensive survey, this course serves as an introduction to well-known trends in recent art, offering a foundation for informed participation in contemporary art and a means of gaining perspective on the present through the art of the not-so-distant-past. Registration for A-H 350 is restricted to SA/VS Majors through November 22, 2022.