ARTH 4857 - [Biodiversity in Art: Unruly Passions in Collecting, Narrating and Creating]

(crosslisted) ASIAN 4493, VISST 4859
(GHB) (LA-AS)

Not offered 2017-2018. 4 credits. Letter grades only.

Co-meets with ARTH 6857/ASIAN 6693.

A. Alexandridis, K. McGowan.

Consciousness of the world’s diversity has historically been rooted to artistic endeavors and scientific exploration. Collecting, describing, narrating and ultimately creating of human, plant, and animal species is as much at the heart of Biodiversity in Art as it is a method in Art History and Biology. Situated at the intersection of science and aesthetics, this course explores the creative and often symbiotic, shape-shifting encounters between humans, flora and fauna from early Greek and Roman accounts to Asian articulations through time. Students will be encouraged to apply various methodologies in the writing process as they engage these collecting impulses and unruly passions. Classes will be held at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum.