ARTH 3500 - African American Art

(crosslisted)
(also AMST 3500, ASRC 3500, VISST 3500) (LA-AS)

Spring. 4 credits.

S. Hassan.

This course investigates the different forms of African-American visual artistic traditions in relation to their historical origins and socio-cultural context from the early days of slavery to the present time. The course starts with an overview of African art and the experiences of the Middle Passage and slavery in relation to African-American traditions in the decorative arts including: pottery, architecture, ironwork, quiltmaking, and basketry. This is followed by a fine art survey starting with the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, continuing through the early twentieth-century Harlem Renaissance up to the present. Certain issues related to African-American arts and creativity such as “improvisation,” “Black Aesthetic,” and “Pan Africanism” are also explored. Slides, films, and film strips are used extensively to illustrate topics discussed. Visits to museums and relevant current exhibitions may be arranged.