Water

Catalog description

Water is the life blood of existence. Across time and place it has sustained society, nourished crops, made war, diffused networks of trade and cultural exchange, delimited political jurisdictions, and powered machines. Whether tranquil, in motion, or in modes of manipulation, water has also inspired many worlds of artistic practice. This course uses examples from the visual and performing arts to highlight the subject of water as element, energy, human right, bridge between cultures, and instrument of war. Films include Drowned Out by Arundhati Roy, Even the Rain by Icíar Bollaín, Water by Deepa Mehta, and Black Water. Performing arts include plays such as Fire on the Water, a fast-paced series of short plays inspired by a pivotal moment in Cleveland's history created by diverse playwrights; Water by the Spoonful by Quiara Alegría Hudes; and The Water Carriers by Michael Williams. These works highlight representations of water, the technologies deployed to shape such representations, and their larger role in illuminating big questions about the human condition.