Courses

Courses

Spring 2006 Courses

012. Making Faces: The Art of Portraiture
Linda Docherty T 11:30 - 12:55, TH 11:30 - 12:55
Examines characteristic features of this art form through the study of notable examples from different times and places. Works of painting, sculpture, and photography are discussed in historical and cultural context, as are variations on the individual portrait such as self-portraiture, group portraiture, imaginary portraiture and non-representational portraiture.
103. Introduction to Asian Art and Architecture
De-nin Lee M 1:00 - 2:25, W 1:00 - 2:25
A selected survey of art and architecture, primarily in South and East Asia from the Neolithic period to the modern era. Material ranges from ceramics and bronze vessels to temples and icons to narrative painting and public buildings. Considers individual works and sites in stylistic terms and within religious, political, and social contexts. Not open to students who have taken Art History 140 or Asian Studies 140.
130. Introduction to Art from Ancient Mexico and Peru
Susan Wegner M 8:30 - 9:25, W 8:30 - 9:25, F 8:30 - 9:25
A chronological survey of the arts created by major cultures of ancient Mexico and Peru. Mesoamerican cultures studied include the Olmec, Teotihuacan, the Maya, and the Aztec up through the arrival of the Europeans. South American cultures such as Chav�n, Nasca, and Inca are examined. Painting, sculpture, and architecture are considered in the context of religion and society. Readings in translation include Mayan myth and chronicles of the conquest.
220. Modern and Contemporary Art of China
De-nin Lee M 9:30 - 10:25, W 9:30 - 10:25, F 9:30 - 10:25
Examines the multitude of visual expressions Chinese artists adopted, re-fashioned, and rejected from the late 19th century to the present day, a period marked by major political struggles, economic transformations, and social change. Major themes include the tension between identity and modernity, the relationship between art and politics, and the impact of globalization and an international art market.
232. Baroque Art: Art in the Age of Velazquez, Rembrandt, and Caravaggio
Susan Wegner M 10:30 - 11:25, W 10:30 - 11:25, F 10:30 - 11:25
The art of seventeenth-century Europe. Topics include the revolution in painting carried out by Caravaggio, Annibale Carracci, and their followers in Rome; the development of these trends in the works of Rubens, Bernini, Georges de la Tour, Poussin, and others; and the rise of an independent school of painting in Holland. Connections between art, religious ideas, and political conditions are stressed.
252. Modern Art
Pamela Fletcher M 11:30 - 12:55, W 11:30 - 12:55
A study of the modernist movement in visual art in Europe and the Americas, beginning with post-impressionism and examining, in succession: expressionism, fauvism, cubism, futurism, constructivism, Dada, surrealism, the American affinities of these movements, and the Mexican muralists. Modernism is analyzed in terms of the problems presented by its social situation; its relation to other elements of culture; its place in the historical tradition of Western art; and its invocation of archaic, primitive, and Asian cultures.
262. American Art from the Colonial Period to the Civil War
Linda Docherty T 8:30 - 9:55, TH 8:30 - 9:55
A survey of American architecture, sculpture, painting, and decorative arts from their colonial origins through their development into a distinctive national tradition. Emphasis is placed on understanding American art in its historical context. Field trips to the Bowdoin College Museum of Art and environs of architectural interest.
271. Returning the Gaze: Issues in Black Photography
Julie McGee T 10:00 - 11:25, TH 10:00 - 11:25
An examination of issues, ideas, and creativity with respect to African American photography from the nineteenth century to the present day. An introduction to the history of blacks as subjects, producers, and theorists of photography. Topics range from portraiture and documentary photography to considerations of race and representation, black consciousness, strategies of resistance and identity formation, class, sex, and gender. Comparative studies with artists of African descent are also included.
357. The Commercial Art Gallery
Pamela Fletcher T 6:30 - 9:25
Explores the commercial art gallery as a distinct institutional form, emphasizing its historical and functional differences from other exhibition venues. Draws upon theoretical and historical scholarship on museums and exhibition theory, but the primary focus is uncovering the history of the commercial gallery in Europe and the United States from the late eighteenth century to the present, and developing a theoretical paradigm within which to locate the form.
368. Visuality and Ethnicity in Contemporary Art
Julie McGee T 1:00 - 2:25, TH 1:00 - 2:25
An exploration of cultural identity and artistic practice in contemporary art with particular focus on ethnicity, identity, and �otherness.� To what end do artists embrace or dislodge constructions and aspects of cultural identity and difference, nativism and indigene, nation and diaspora, globalism or internationalism? Begins with and includes a core group of American artists, but other artists and accompanying readings are international in scope. Among the many artists considered are Chris Ofili, Roshini Kempadoo, Guillermo G�mez-Pe�a, Coco Fusco, Carrie Mae Weems, Kara Walker, Jimmie Durham.

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