Asian Art and Architecture

Catalog description

This course surveys Asian art and architecture from the earliest civilizations to the present day, focusing more on the arts and monuments from China, Japan and India but also introducing those from Korea, Southeast and Central Asia. We will study how artistic traditions develop, transmit and become localized in those distinctive yet interconnected societies, and how those traditions interact with the political, religious, social and cultural contexts in which they grow. Issues investigated include (but are not limited to) the spread and metamorphosis of Buddhist, Hindu and Islamic art and architecture, the production and consumption of art as related to political power (including colonialism, decolonization and nationalism), social hierarchies and market mechanisms, and various forms of modernity in Asian art and culture. In addition to regular class meetings, requirements include slide identification exams, essay exams and short papers. We will also have field trips to museums with collections of Asian art that are suitable for this course, and you will curate an online exhibition of artworks of your choice. As a general education course, this class provides an introduction to Asian art for students of any major. Art History majors will broaden their vocabulary, methodology and knowledge of the discipline.